Yet who will sacrifice their pots and pans; life and limb for Theresa Makone, a self-professed beautician who has achieved nothing so far in Government?
Not the poor women of Zimbabwe!
Maybe Tsvangirai who is a beneficiary of her financial services and other ends like her alleged go-between the premier and his love interest with one Locadia Tembo, a relative of Goromonzi West legislator Beatrice Nyamupinga.
Makone is also reported to have been influential in bringing former disc jockey James
Maridadi, to the PM’s office.
By Tichaona Zindoga
The biggest talking point of the recent 12th annivessary celebrations of the MDC-T at Gwanzura stadium is arguably the violence that occurred at the function.
However, if that was blight enough of and in itself, the statement by the party’s women’s assembly chair and Home Affairs co-Minister Theresa Makone sticks out in equal notoriety.
Makone, addressing the crowd, preached violence and said women would “take pots and pans” in fighting Zanu-PF.
It will be noted that this statement is a variant of what she had said about 60 days earlier in defence of her party boss Tsvangirai when he preached the same gospel in Masvingo, much to the disdain of the peace-loving people of Zimbabwe.
Makone said then: “Zanu-PF used to beat us like drums and you expect us to say ‘thank you.’ “When I was young my mother told me that if someone beats you, you should hit back.”
For a moment, one would be tempted to think that she is just another vigilante from the street or some college activist willing to impress colleagues with a showing of brawn.
But Theresa Makone is a whole – make it half perhaps – minister of Home Affairs, which brief she shares with Zanu-PF’s Kembo Mohadi in an arrangement born out of the so-called Global Political Agreement.
It is a role that has oversight of the Zimbabwe Republic Police which naturally is tasked with maintaining peace and order in the country.
Now, if Makone, the supposed boss of the police, instigates violence it becomes quite curious of the establishment obtaining in Zimbabwe today.
It will be recalled that Makone and her party have in the past blamed police for not prosecuting offenders, in particular alleged perpetrators of violence against MDC-T supporters and members.
So, if the law should take its course, surely a person who instigates violence like Makone has done must be prosecuted?
On the other hand had she the latitude, she could as well prosecute and persecute her opponents.
Questions ought to be raised in relation to this so-called “Iron lady” of the MDC-T.
What is she trying to achieve by preaching violence?
Is it not a case of a politician bereft of any substance trying to cause chaos and gain from it?
Makone is noted for lacking grassroots support within the MDC-T, having ghosted from nowhere to now claim an enviable position at the labour driven party.
What does Makone have in common with the women of his party save for their relation to pots and pans that entail their station in life?
Makone needs reminding that the same pots and pans are better committed to their culinary role than being used as weapons.
Interestingly, she trained in Human Nutrition in the UK!
So does she not feel the irony that the MDC-T has not brought food on people’s tables as it promised, instead taking every opportunity to make life harder for people by denying them salary increments and raising the prices of commodities?
From this, the world has a chance to see the caliber of Makone as a politician and as a Minister of Home Affairs.
She is not only criminally reckless and dangerous and a misfit as a minister but also empty as a politician.
Yet her character is somewhat representative of the dilemma afflicting the MDC formations.
They simply cannot outgrow their opposition days.
Many times have politicians from the formations donned party hats when they were supposed to be representing the bigger, party-less institution called Government.
It possibly explains why there seems nothing amiss should the MDC formations be referred to as opposition, like many people are given to, when they ceased to be such at the birth of the inclusive Government in 2009.
Although the party indulgently calls itself a party for the future it would seem it belongs to the opposition – infantile opposition at that.
Kitchen cabinet
But Makone is a controverssial character.
She is part of what has been referred to as Tsvangirai’s kitchen cabinet which is made up of his loyalists.
(Is this where she gets her ideas of pots and pans?)
Makone and her husband Ian, a top Tsvangirai advisor and financier, came in 2000 “as ordinary members”, like she puts it.
But she quickly rose quickly from the obscurity of a district treasurer in Wedza, to women’s leadership in Mashonaland East right to being the chairperson of the Women’s Assembly in October 2007.
And it was her rise to the top of the women’s ladder that sparked outrage as Tsvangirai controversially dissolved the leadership of trade unionist Lucia Matibenga to pave way for Makone.
The highlight of the congress in Bulawayo that swept Makone into the fold was the controversy which saw two separate “congresses” with Makone’s faction holding its own at a restaurant belonging to Thokozani Khupe, the party’s vice president.
So intense was the dislike for Makone, at least from the perspective of bona fide party members that had been around for long, that Matibenga complained that “(a)n HIV virus (sic) has attacked our party and an enemy has risen in the party…”
She, like many other party members who had seen Tsvangirai allegedly violate the constitution to make room for Makone, decried that Makone and Tsvangirai’s friendship had been abused.
Matibenga, who said Makone had come “yesterday”, complained that “someone who came as a donor suddenly wants to take over.”
And take over Makone did, even if it divided the party right through.
She said defiantly: “I was duly elected…It does not matter whether the congress was held on a tree or in a river…”
Makone was to consolidate her hold on the women’s leadership at the party’s congress in Bulawayo last April.
By then she was already a co-minister of Home Affairs, having entered Government in 2009 as Minister of Public Works.
Bullet or ballot?
When she returned to Bulawayo in June, Makone said her party had to win elections and the right to govern.
She told supporters: “We are not going to take this country by fighting. We will take it through the ballot box…As a party we have resolved to remain focused through on the ultimate goal of taking over power through the ballot box and with the support of Zimbabweans.”
Less than two weeks later, she was singing a different tune and promising to hit back.
She has not looked back since.
It now remains to be known what Makone is up to.
A safe guess will be to fear that the woman will continue on her warmongering path.
Yet who will sacrifice their pots and pans; life and limb for Theresa Makone who has achieved nothing so far in Government?
Not the poor women of Zimbabwe!
Maybe Tsvangirai who is a beneficiary of her financial services and other ends like her alleged go-between the premier and his love interest with one Locadia Tembo, a relative of Goromonzi West legislator Beatrice Nyamupinga.
Makone is also reported to have been influential in bringing former disc jockey James Maridadi, to the PM’s oiffice.
So it is clear who should expend energy on, or lose sleep over Makone, isn’t it?
No comments:
Post a Comment