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Tendai Rupapa in Midlands 

First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa yesterday took her educative Nharirire yeMusha programme to the Midlands province where discussants defined a model woman as an adequate helper for her husband who binds her family through desisting from gossip, stealing and expending time on futile issues.

The province listed the qualities of a model woman and man they want as part of the First Lady’s ongoing efforts to build a morally-upright nation.

The women folk emphasised that a woman must be a hard worker, organiser, advisor and nurse in her home.

Mrs Petronella Dube, said a model woman must be as firm as a root which does not give in easily in the face of adversities.

“We must be strong roots that can withstand strong winds,” she said. “God saw that men alone cannot do it and looked for a helper who is a woman. As Midlands province, we are saying no to women who gossip, steal, have no time with the children and spend time on WhatsApp.” 

The participants said a model woman should not let her children tread on the immoral path.

Women raise their hands to contribute their views at an interactive session with First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa during the Nharirire Yemusha programme in Gokwe yesterday.

On the other hand, an ideal father was expected to have good communication skills with his family, be a good listener and a bread winner who is observant and alert.

“He must be observant and alert so that the moment a child starts misbehaving and taking drugs and alcohol, the father notices and takes immediate action,” said the men represented by Mr Lazarus Patsanza. “We also do not want men who stay with women without marrying them as this is against our culture.” 

They said men must satisfy their wives sexually and not deny them conjugal rights, shun domestic violence, have time for the family and not be involved in extra marital affairs which usually lead to breaking up of marriages. So lively were discussions that followed after the two parties had met separately to come up with attributes for a model man and a model woman.

Men concurred that women had moulded an ideal woman, while women added some pointers they thought men had omitted.

Men contribute their views during Nharirire Yemusha programme organised by First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa in Gokwe yesterday.

A certain lady drew laughter from the crowd when she said men should be transparent and let their wives go through their phones and not use pin codes.

Another woman, Mrs Tsitsi Choga said men should surrender their salaries to their wives who are managers of their homes. She said women could manage funds better than men.

In starting yesterday’s educative programme before the groups were divided for discussions, the First Lady said her programme sought to ensure men and women were aware of what was expected of them at family, community and national level.

“I have come so that we discuss as a family the way we are conducting ourselves as parents,” she said. “I have brought this Nharirire Yemusha programme which was born out of the Gota/Nhanga/Ixiba programme we held with children countrywide. 

“I am moving with this programme across the country’s 10 provinces with the aim of making men and women aware of what is expected of them. What kind of a father who is only known for putting on a hat and does not protect his family senharirire yemusha? 

“Our children are not living in harmony under your watch. We can no longer correct them as parents. The parents are crying on the other end because of the behaviour of children of today. In the olden days men would spend many months wooing a girl, but its no longer the case as children are courting each other on Facebook while aunties also pass their comments on social media. 

“I have come so that the Midlands Province gives us a model woman and man it wants. We want to say the truth so that we mould a dignified man and a dignified woman. Our aim is after completing all provinces, representatives of all provinces will meet in Harare to mould a man and woman Zimbabwe wants. 

“This means Zimbabwe will have a good image and we will be able to correct and counsel our children. We want to fix our homes that are collapsing because of different reasons.” 

The female participants said an ideal woman assists her husband and organises the family. 

As a manager, they said a woman must help her husband protect wealth and administer the family.

“We want a woman who uses her hands and starts projects like gardening,” one of the women said. “We do not want a woman who denies her husband conjugal rights, doing so might lead them to stray. You can’t say I have worked all day and cannot give my husband conjugal rights. 

“Men also love someone with the heart of a nurse. A nurse welcomes everyone, including those who are smelling not to say you have come from the bar and cannot sleep in the bedroom with me because you are smelling alcohol.” 

Mrs Rosemary Mapfumo said women must always practice good hygiene.

“Women must be smart, bathing and wearing clean clothes,” she said. “Some women wake up and spend the whole day dirty as though they were rolling on an anthill or in a kraal filled with dung. A married woman must dress decently. Failure to observe hygiene chases men from the home.” 

A woman gets her first Covid-19 vaccination jab before attending Nharirire Yemusha programme organised by First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa in Gokwe yesterday.

Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Larry Mavima described the First Lady as visionary for her efforts to revive culture and tradition in Zimbabwe.

“I mostly want to thank our mother heartily for this programme which seeks to revive our culture and tradition in Zimbabwe,” he said. “The foundation of building a nation starts at family level. A good family is seen through respect and observance of cultural norms and values. Working together both men and women and everyone playing a part which is expected of them. 

“In Zimbabwe, we have our culture, which if we follow directly, families will live happily as domestic violence is not seen and children grow up with respect and reducing the suppression of children’s rights. This helps eliminate the use of alcohol and drugs among children. Divorce cases also decline. 

“This is the reason why our mother has come to build homes so that our nation is also built. It is impossible to harvest mangos from a thorny bush. Likewise, we cannot have a good child from parents who lead crooked lives. 

“Amai, now that you have come so that we share ideas on how to build respectable homes, this means you have also treasured the future of our children and the future of our country Zimbabwe. Let us admit to be corrected as this will help generations that will come after us.” 

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Professor Paul Mavima, who is also Gokwe South legislator, attended yesterday’s programme.

The programme was held in strict observance of Covid-19 protocols.

People who were willing took the chance to be vaccinated against Covid-19 at the venue.