Tuesday will go down in the annals of Zimbabwe’s history following the swearing-in of over 350 legislators for both the Lower and Upper House, in what can be best described as a landmark event for the country. While the highly-publicised occasion could have passed as a normal event for some Members of Parliament who were being sworn in for the second or third time, the same cannot be said for men and women who came in for the first time and had rehearsed in front of the their mirrors, Lord knows, how many times just to make sure that they would get it right.

But for millions of women out there, the day belonged to the more than 120 women who made it into the Eighth Parliament and will be part of both the Lower and Upper House, which has a total of about 340 legislators.

While the number of females who entered the 8th Parliament may not be what women would have wanted, there is no doubt that all the women who were sworn into Parliament carry the aspirations of not only millions of women out there, but those of all Zimbabweans who are looking up to them to craft laws that will transform their lives.

If anything, millions of Zimbabweans who voted these men and women in power, now wait for them to deliver on the promises they made to the electorate, at the height of election campaigns.

While I have no doubt that problems and issues that the electorate wants tackled are largely economical, there are quite a number of these issues that are social and may appear trivial, yet they are crucial to the well-being of families and communities at large.

As I followed the swearing event by constantly logging in at different blogs on the net, a lot of issues that I felt the incoming legislators’ should address came into mind, and I am convinced the feeling was mutual among many other people who were following the event from all corners of the country.

The increase in cases of domestic violence, lenient sentences being given to rapists, the rampant cases of child abuse being perpetrated in the homes and institutions like schools, and the wanton disregard of child labour laws were some of the issues that came into my mind, while watching the elegantly dressed men and women taking their oath amid ululations, clapping and cheering from their colleagues, relatives and friends.

Of course, looking at them I couldn’t help but wonder how the legislator would call for the address of child abuse and neglect of children, by their parents in the case of both parties having annulled their marriage or are estranged, and are not prepared to take care of kids.
The upsurge in maintenance cases at all our civil courts points to a trend of errant parents, who can no longer measure up to the task of taking care of their offspring and now need the assistance of the law to remind them of their God-given responsibility.

You also have in the same category a new breed of parents, who after the break down of their marriages, use kids as pawns to hit back at the other partner, resulting in a dysfunctional family and in some instances the situation can be tragic.

I am immediately reminded of my friend Madzimai Meloncia, who was denied access to her ailing 21-year-old daughter for three months until she passed on last week, simply because her ex-husband had applied for a court order barring her from going anywhere near the hospital bed.

She could not contest the court decision, without having to hire a coterie of experienced lawyers and argue her case out, but she could not do that because she didn’t have the huge amounts of money that the lawyers needed.

She spent months to no end, in the queue, hoping to get a pro-deo lawyer, who would be able to go to court with her or better still assist her to write an affidavit, explaining why it was important for her to nurse her own child, who by that time could no longer eat on her own.

Dear legislators, as you put your thoughts together, it is my fervent wish that you will also reflect on issues that affect child-headed families, problems that continue to hog women with disabilities on accessing economic opportunities, availability of health care facilities to women and children in resettlement, farming and rural areas as well as opportunities that the girl child can access for a better tomorrow.

Coming from diverse and unique backgrounds should give our legislators a competitive edge to tackle these issues head on, and proffer pragmatic solutions instead of paying lip service to the problems, as has been the case before in previous sessions.

Looking at some of the CVs of incoming legislators It is clear they will measure up to the task, by doing a lot more for the millions of Zimbabweans who want nothing but transformational, progressive and meaningful action from them.

Having shrugged off competition from the grassroots where they started off, sailed through the primary elections before proving their mantle at the national level, winning the right to represent their constituencies and overseeing national issues, there are more than capable to usher in a new dispensation on both the social and economic front to take Zimbabwe to another level.

Legislators remember the trust that the electorate placed on you, the onus to deliver now lies on you.

You Might Also Like

Comments

Take our Survey

We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey