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President Mugabe

Elita Chikwati Senior Reporter
President Mugabe on Friday expressed concern over the high rate of divorce that was destroying many families.

He said in most cases, men were to blame for the break-ups.

President Mugabe said this while addressing hundreds of women who attended the Women’s League National Assembly at the Zanu-PF headquarters in Harare.

The meeting was attended by First Lady, Amai Grace Mugabe, Vice Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko, Women’s League members, National Executive Council members, Politburo and Central Committee members among others.

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President Mugabe said it was disturbing that the rate of divorce in the country was increasing at an alarming rate.

He urged couples who face problems to approach elders for counselling rather than resorting to divorcing.

“Kurambana kwanyanya, mungandiudzawo here kuti sei kana muine ruzivo? Tinenge tichida kana vanhu vasarudzana, vanogarisana.

“Maproblems angavepo apa nepapa, but that is why we recommend that there should be wiser sisters within the family to assist. I suppose the majority of cases, we men are responsible. We marry small houses far too often.

“In other cases, it is just the fact of prestige, yekuti aah! You only have one and I have two. Munhu otozvirova dundundu.”

President Mugabe said this was not only happening among the most educated, but also even among the uneducated.

He said some women also did not care if they went into relationships with married men.

“The girls don’t mind kuti murume uyu ane mukadzi wake kare, wongoti chero ndaroorwa, ndiwanewo wandingati husband. There are many unmarried girls so it is a social problem, a very serious one,” he said.

He said in most cases the polygamous marriages were also sources of conflict as the wives and children born out of these marriages would not want to stay together.

“The women will not want to stay together. Havadi kuonana and the children will stay apart in most cases. It is in rare cases where you can get children who belong to different mothers working together, calling each other sister or brother. It is now worse than it was in the past,” he said.

He bemoaned how fast the marriages were ending and said in some cases, the couples did not even bother to legalise the marriages, but only stayed together.

“Michato yacho haisi michato yokuenda kuchechi kana kwanamudzviti. There is no legal binding. Havaneyi nekuti hazvibvumirwe nemurawo.

He also complained of the behaviour of some pastors who took advantage of their positions to abuse young girls.

“Nemapastors aya, mamwe acho ave enhema. Vovaka ivo dzimba dzakanaka, machurch akanaka ekukwezva vanhu. Zvino mapastors kana votora vana vachiita hupombwe chii? Chava chii iye achiti munhu waMwari?” he said.

President Mugabe also raised concern over the corruption and nepotism taking place in the society.

“Umbavha hwakawanda muvarume. I don’t know what we should do.

“If you appoint a person in circumstances, when the job he is doing enables him access to funds, sooner or later in majority of cases you will hear of funds having been swindled or funds having disappeared. Dzakawanda nyaya dzerudzi urwu,” he said.

President Mugabe said women were important to both the party and the nation as they were the mothers who had the duty to bring up children.

He said there should be equal representation of men and women in politics.

He said the party did not like imposing candidates on positions in party structures.

President Mugabe said appointing people from outside politics proved difficult as some of them abandoned the party.

He said Zanu-PF had also worked hard to uplift women in different spheres.

“Government has since independence adopted various policies, programmes and legislative measures all aimed at improving the position of our women in the country,” he said.