President hails women President Mugabe
President Mugabe adressing the Zanu-PF Women's League conference in Harare yesterday

President Mugabe adressing the Zanu-PF Women’s League conference in Harare yesterday

Farirai Machivenyika Herald Reporter
President Mugabe yesterday commended women for the role they have played in Zimbabwe’s development  from the time of the liberation struggle to the present day.
Speaking to thousands of delegates attending the 6th Zanu-PF Women’s League Conference in Harare yesterday, the President said women’s motherly touch was critical in advancing Zimbabwe’s cause.
“Our struggle was fought for by both men and women,” said President Mugabe. “We had them ivo vanana Mai (Joice) Mujuru, vanana Mai (Oppah) Muchinguri, we had them in the camps. They suffered alongside men, but does it surprise us? It doesn’t. It was Nehanda Nyakasikana who said mapfupa angu achamuka.

“Even when she was arrested and was captive to the Rhodesians, she refused completely to be subjected to what she regarded as the religion of the brutal suppressors and oppressors. The others, Kaguvi accepted, he accepted Christianity, but she said no! Let me die as I am. That bravery even when one was facing death is rare, very rare.

“Today we still remember that in that Zapu camp, I think it’s perhaps Mkushi (Zambia) somewhere, a couple of young girls when the enemy attacked and asked the young female leader to shoot her kith and kin akapihwa pfuti akanzi pfura, she said no. Akanzi pfura vamwe vako vose, she said no and they shot her dead.”

President Mugabe said to the contrary, a male combatant, Morrison Nyathi, betrayed the struggle, leading to the bombing of Nyadzonia in 1976 where over 700 children were killed.

“Now compare that with what happened at Nyadzonia,” he said.
“Nyathi, who had been among us earlier on, had been arrested by the enemy, turned by them and led them back to Mozambique and took part in the shooting that resulted in some 700 youngsters, they were not trained. They were shot dead.

“I am just giving you the contrast here vana mai when it comes to their children because the nine months of carrying a baby has given them that endurance, endurance not just physical but psychological. They will withstand any force when it comes to the protection of their children. That is why some of us when independence came we decided that we must respect women in terms of their stature and regard them as equal to men.

“We passed laws, we changed the system we found what discriminated against women and we amended the administrative practice even in regard to the salaries of women.”

President Mugabe said although a number of women now occupied positions of influence, more needed to be done to improve their plight.
He said women had proved to be more reliable than their male counterparts when in positions of authority.

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