Councillors keen to partner First Lady First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa greets female councillors during their meeting in Victoria Falls last week. — Picture: John Manzongo

Tendai Rupapa in VICTORIA FALLS
WOMEN councillors from across the political divide have praised the interventions by First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa to ease the plight of the underprivileged countrywide and are eager to join her programmes and philanthropic work.

Speaking on Thursday last week after a meeting with the First Lady ahead of her fund-raising golf tournament for Chambuta Children’s Home, where children who were living and working on the streets of major cities and towns are being cared for and educated, the councillors drawn from both rural and urban councils spoke glowingly about the work being done by the First Lady, who is the patron of Angel of Hope Foundation.

The women in local government had earlier held an indaba with the President in Victoria Falls City before inviting the First Lady to share ideas with them on the development of communities and empowerment of women.

Kwekwe mayor Councillor Angeline Kasipo described Amai Mnangagwa’s interventions as noble and promised to assist her fully.

“Amai had come for the fund-raising for children in Chambuta, while we were meeting the President over our bid to increase the women’s quota,” she said.

“The programmes she is initiating seek to improve the welfare of the people, especially women and children.

“We know that she works with the disabled, the disadvantaged, the elderly, the homeless and those in various circumstances.

“The First Lady made a passionate plea for us to unite for the betterment of our communities and the nation at large.

“During the meeting, we agreed that we would unite and work together towards developing our country.

“Personally, I see this as a worthwhile thing because as a councillor I know my area of jurisdiction, therefore, it would then be easy for Amai to coordinate her target group.

“If we move with her during her visits, I am sure we will help her to achieve her vision and have best results.”

Clr Kasipo said she admired that the First Lady was prepared to work with everyone regardless of political affiliation.

“I admire what she is doing,” she said. “She is indeed the mother of the nation who has every citizen at heart.”

Clr Idirashe Dongo from Zibagwe Rural District Council Ward 30, who chairs the Gender Committee and is also the Midlands chairperson of the Women in Local Government Forum, described having Amai Mnangagwa as a blessing to the nation.

“We have been blessed to have set down with the First Lady as she listened to issues affecting women and children in our areas of jurisdiction,” she said.

“She is a listening and hands-on mother.”

The First Lady’s visit, Clr Dongo said, showed that she had a special place for women at heart.

“We were seated looking at some of the programmes that she has been implementing,” she said.

“In our wards there were inheritance issues that were troubling a lot of women. Amai took it upon herself to rectify that and assisting women with inheritance issues.

“These are some of the works she has been doing, including her philanthropy work. We saw her tackling the issue of cancers that affect women.

“When we saw the First Lady coming while we were gathered as women councillors from rural and urban councils throughout Zimbabwe without the political issues, we really understood that we were now moving for national building led by our mother.”

Clr Tendai Kokera, the Deputy Mayor of Kadoma, said she was happy that as women they had done something which had never taken place in the history of the country.

“This has never happened in the history of Zimbabwe,” she said.

“This is a meeting where we sat down with our mother as women and identified what we wanted as women, the challenges and the way forward.

“We got a satisfactory answers and advise from her.

“I have seen that Amai is so accommodating and is humble.

“She promised to work with everyone across the political divide for the love of our nation. The First Lady has love for the vulnerable communities.”

The deputy chairperson for Ruwa Local Board Clr Grace Chekecheke, said she had been humbled by her experience with the First Lady.

“In my life, it’s my first time to meet Her Excellency Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa and I saw a lot in her today,” she said.

“She does not politicise anything when doing her philanthropic work. I have seen her as a loving person who wants peace, unity and development in this country.

“She has love for women and children and I appreciate what she is doing for the country.”

Amai Mnangagwa has a passion for the advancement of women’s welfare as seen by her relentless interventions to improve their welfare through income-generating projects and introducing them to financial literacy, among a host of other empowerment initiatives.

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