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New deal for MDC women?
Grace Kwinjeh
November 16, 2005

http://www.swradioafrica.com/news161105/gracekwinje161105.htm

I remember once just after the MDC was formed, there was a big debate in the MDC's National Executive Committee, on what the purpose or use of the 'Top 6' was. Many of us who were opposed to the creation of this creature, already had the prescience of the dangers of placing too much 'power' and 'responsibility' in these six men.

I recall, President Morgan Tsvangirai, singling me out as he asked, 'Grace what do you understand by the top six?' I said, 'Mr President I think it is six men who are illegally acquiring power for themselves at the expense of the NEC.' We lost that battle.

The 'top six' was subsequently constituted to be the 'management committee', of the party. Many of us have over the years lamented at the concentration of so much power in the hands of these 'six men', questioning the undemocratic nature of such a structure, in which we are not represented as women, worse still how it restricts grassroots participation and mobilisation in the party's decision-making processes.

Thus, the root of some of the problems and the impasse that exists amongst members of the 'top six' today.

The ever thorny question of intra-party democracy has always been a contested one in the MDC.
A gendered analysis, of the current problems in the MDC, gives room for another perspective and deeper understanding of the some of these battles or struggles that have suddenly been brought into the public domain. The war in the MDC is as much about power as it is an ideological one.

Depending on which side you are looking at it from.

You have two male led factions that promote different types of power structures and ideologies. The pro-Senate faction is led by individuals whose leadership, as far as I am concerned, is patriarchal and hierarchical.

Beyond understanding the acquisition of power be it in the party, in parliament, or even the drive to go into the Senate; it does not have any connection with the needs of the people around them or the supporters on the ground for that matter.

So even if God smiles on them and they 'get' or 'win' 20 seats next week, they will never be identified with peoples struggles or politics, within the MDC or Zimbabwe.

It is not a surprise, that even if it is dominated by the Matebeleland male leadership the faction, has failed to attract even the support of the two most senior women and founders of the MDC in Matebeleland, namely, Thokozani Khupe and Gertrude Mtombeni.(Well including other males). For me this tells a story.
Subsequently, all the women founder members of the MDC have remained inside the party, except for Harare North Member of Parliament, Trudy Stevenson, who has opted out to join the pro-senate faction.
Taking this argument further, you find that the structure emerging in the anti-senate group, which has remained in the party, has the distinct and visible participation of women; thus the ideological aspect becomes a reality.

We have argued as MDC women over the years that the liberation project must go hand in hand with our emancipation. This is measured by our level of participation in any given issue.

In the past weeks the previously marginalised women in the MDC leadership have suddenly risen to prominence, as they took on the principled fight against participation in the senate.

They have become the conscience and the voice of reason in the MDC in their different portfolios, locations, each one of them taking a stand to save the party, from political oblivion.

The media has created so many myths around the current problems in the MDC, that make it impossible to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

One such myth is that this is a tribal war, with the people of Matabeleland being more inclined towards participation in the senate elections, than the other regions.

I will let you know, that Makokoba Member of Parliament and MDC, founder member Thoko Khupe, moved the motion for the party not to participate senatorial elections, during a NEC meeting well before the issue even became a public matter.

Khupe gave a very passionate address, reminding the party of its founding values and principles, explaining why the party must not let the people down by going into this election.

Khupe one of our most senior leaders from Matabeleland reminded the NEC of things they promised the electorate, when the party was formed six years ago, one of them being a people driven constitution.
'We made a promise to the people, we must not break it,' she said. Following this it was resolved that consultations take place through out the party structures before a decision was arrived at, on whether or not to participate in this election. The rest is history.

Lucia Matibenga also became more prominent over the past weeks, 'as the powerful Women's Assembly chairperson'. She moved from province to province explaining why the party was not going into this election, 'joining the Zanu PF gravy train', she advocated for 'people power,' to remove the regime.
In its life time the MDC has never invested in the Women's Assembly or its chairperson. Even with the risk to her personal life Matibenga to this day still commutes from Gweru where she is resides to Harare.
Such has been the nature of the women's struggle in MDC.

That our structures have risen again, the soul of the party speaking through the women, cannot be doubted. Single handedly Gertrude Mutombeni and Khupe mobilised for the Bulawayo rally to succeed.

Albeit, with threats to their lives by known, senior party officials. The MDC boasted of a 10 000 plus crowd at the White City Stadium, last Sunday. Issues discussed that resonate with the day to day struggle for survival by all Zimbabweans, where ever they are located and what ever their tribe.

Others who have also played prominent roles are war veteran and journalist Sekai Holland, Lawyer Yvonne Mahlunge and trade unionist Pauline Mupariwa.

Collectively, as the women's leadership we are mobilised once again to working for the future of the party on a fresh agenda. The strategising and re-organisation currently taking place in the party is an opportunity to reform the MDC once again into a people centered party in which men and women move hand in hand.

There is a 'new deal' in the making for MDC and Zimbabwean women as a whole, as the party embarks on this radical paradigm shift. There has to be a difference in our power relations, giving a better deal to women.

I talk of a 'new deal', because our male counterparts have to realise that we want to be more than just 'caterers' and 'mobilisers', there has to be a redefinition of our new roles as party leaders, adorned by the necessary respect and dignity.

As the party embarks on the next if not most difficult phase of the struggle, we have learnt in the most difficult manner leadership strengths and weaknesses that will build or kill a party.

There will certainly never be a 'top six' in the MDC again. Povo yaramba.

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