The Sunday News
Peter Matika/Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporters
MDC Alliance party national chairperson and the leader of the opposition in Parliament, Ms Thabitha Khumalo, allegedly had to be restrained from attacking members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) who had questioned why her party failed to field an adequate number of female candidates in the recently held harmonized elections.
The incident reportedly occurred on last Wednesday, outside a hotel in Bulawayo, after the conclusion of a meeting by the Gender Commission of Zimbabwe.
It was during the meeting, WOZA co-founder Ms Magodonga Mahlangu, questioned why the Gender Commission had failed to protect leader of the MDC-T, Dr Thokozani Khupe, after she was attacked by violent elements from the MDC Alliance.
“After a presentation before the Commission in which they admitted their failure to field an adequate number of female candidates in the 30 July polls, Ms Mahlangu asked the MDC Alliance leaders why this was so? And this is when tempers flared,” said a source who attended the meeting.
“Furthermore, sidelining Dr Khupe had led to the silencing of other female political voices, as it intimidated other female candidates that had ambitions of attaining higher political office, Ms Mahlangu argued,” said the source.
Dr Khupe was subject to abuse during her tussle for the MDC top spot with eventual losing candidate Advocate Nelson Chamisa, with party youths threatening to set alight a hut she had found shelter in during Morgan Tsvangirai’s funeral in Buhera this year.
“Throughout her speech, Ms Mahlangu was subjected to abuse from members of the opposition led by Ms Khumalo, with boos and jeers rather than robust debate. The ugly scenes did not end there as Ms Khumalo and at least 15 other high ranking members of the opposition party waylaid Ms Mahlangu and fellow WOZA leader Ms Jenni Williams, as they were about to leave the venue.
“The two of them were rescued by a group of men who took them to their bus and from there they left safely. Who knows what could have happened to them if those men had not turned up,” she said.
Ms Khumalo said there was no confrontation but just a mere exchange of ideas.
“Honourable (Karenyi) Kore (MDC Alliance Women Assembly chair) accepted her failure as she was accused, saying her role was to ask women to submit applications for positions to represent the party in parliament. The WOZA directors instead hired some scruffy looking women and perhaps paid them to come and cause chaos at the meeting after Kore made her remarks,” said Ms Khumalo.
WOZA co director Jenni Williams preferred ignorance on the matter saying the Gender Commission was better suited to respond to questions about the incident.
“They know what happened talk to them first then you can contact me after,” she said.
