Executive Summary

 

Adult and elderly rural women are a political stumbling block for the opposition party to unseat the incumbent ruling party from government in Zimbabwe. These rural women are skeptical of the efficacy of the opposition to tackle social and political issues that affect them. As poor and with little education as these women are, they are at a loss to understand the purpose for the formation of another party, since the ruling party is perceived and is falsely impressing that it is the savior for women. Therefore, ignoring rural women membership will cost the opposition party another heavy defeat during the 2005 general elections.

 

The Movement for Democratic Change opposition party is largely a political party based on the labor movement. Hence its membership is predominantly the urban and rural middle and low-income earners. During the 2000 general election, the opposition party won all the urban parliamentary seats and lost all the rural seats except for two. On the other hand, the ruling party enjoys rural membership, which are predominantly women. The ruling party won all rural parliamentary seats and lost all urban seats except for one. The advantage of having urban and rural middle and low-income earners as members of the MDC is that the members comprehend easily the dynamics of the social, economic and political environment as it affects their lives. In addition, educated and working members of the party support the party in financial areas and in strategic thinking.

 

Since its inception, five years ago the formidable opposition party has contributed remarkably to the improvement of the social, economic and political spheres of Zimbabweans. The party successfully campaigned against a referendum to amend the constitution, which would have yielded more executive powers to the current President of the country. The party has sponsored and supported parliament bills that provide better working conditions for workers. During drought, the MDC donated food to families starving in the rural areas. However, the ruling party hijacked the food distribution and pretended as if the government was donating food to the people. While the efforts of MDC in the political, social and economic arena are profound, the rural adult and elderly women have not been impacted directly by these efforts.

 

Given that MDC strongly believes in high quality standard of living for all Zimbabweans, it is in the interest of the party to avail and provide anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs to rural women headed households living with HIV/AIDS. Drugs directly impact the lives of the rural women. Rural women love to see their children grow to adulthood. Life is more meaningful when rural women work and provide for their households. Providing drugs to rural women households living with HIV/AIDS prolongs their life leading to their children avoiding street life and not experiencing orphanage. The extended life span enables the rural women to pursue different income generating activities leading to poverty alleviation. While rural women and their households benefit from the drugs in various forms, MDC will be recognized as a facilitator to a better life worth living. This recognition will place the party into government in the year 2005.

 

 

Funding for such an intervention is expected to come from the donors and well wishers of MDC. The donors include the Western World, party members and the private sector. The private sector would be encouraged to provide HIV/AIDS drugs to their deceased employees’ spouses in the rural areas as part of the working benefits.

 

MDC is capable to provide anti-retroviral drugs for HIV/AIDS to rural females. The party enjoys a youthful and educated membership, which is characterized by access to resources, educated people and could influence their rural females. The Western world views MDC as the only formidable and able party to form the next government and put Zimbabwe on the world map as the bread basket of Southern Africa. Backed by the private sector the party has resources to avail HIV/AIDS drugs to rural females.

 

Swinging the Votes of Rural Women in Zimbabwe to the Opposition Party Through HIV/AIDS Drugs

Rural adult and elderly female membership is the strong hold of the ruling party in Zimbabwe. The membership provides moral and political support to Zanu PF, while denouncing the opposition party as the party of the urban dwellers. The opposition party is denied access to the rural membership through the loyalty of rural females to the ruling party. Zanu PF gained the loyalty of rural women through elevating their social, economic and political status through various programs. As a result, the opposition lost rural parliamentary seats critical to unseat the ruling party in the 2000 general election.

 

Background

• Ruling party established the first women government portfolio---Ministry of Community Development and Women Affairs later changed to Ministry of State Responsible for Gender Issues.
• Zanu PF has a provision of 50 seats for women in its Central committee.
• Zanu PF fielded 55 women candidates versus MDC 11 women for parliamentary seats during 2000 general election.
• Of the 12million population, approximately 70% are rural dwellers.
• Rural women constitute 60% of head of households.
• MDC won 3 rural seats in Mashonaland rural with 34 constituencies.
• Women more loyal to Zanu PF.
• Older age more loyal to Zanu PF because it largely constitute of more women.
• Rural women easily exposed to political intimidation.

 

What is MDC doing?

The Movement for Democratic Change participates in the economic, political and social lives of the people of Zimbabwe in the following manner:

• Rallied Zimbabweans to reject the referendum that would have given Zanu PF leadership executive powers leading to one party state.
• Fought for increased minimum wages of low-income earners.
• Improved the working conditions of workers.
• Donated food to drought stricken rural areas.

 

Benefits of MDC Participation in Economic, Social and Political lives of Zimbabweans

The social, economic and political efforts have had no significant impact on the rural women. However, the party has changed the political face of Zimbabwe.

• Zimbabwe will never again be a one party state.
• Democracy will continue to thrive under the oppressive and repressive laws of the present ruling party.
• Exposed economic corruption slowed down the corruption practices of the government through blocking external bank accounts of government leaders.
• Halted the EU wholesale economic sanctions, but instigated targeted foreign travel and business sanctions on members of the ruling party.

 

 

 

Opportunity to Co-opt Political agenda and Social Intervention for the Opposition Party

The opposition party has enormous opportunities to co-opt its political agenda with a social intervention as base for expanding its rural membership, resulting in dethroning the present ruling party. The present ruling party is failing to contain the effects of AIDS on rural households, such that the traditional life is distorted. Yet, research study shows that the uneducated rural women favor living under the original traditional values. However, AIDS is not sparing the cherished values as indicated below:

• Life expectancy of women is lower than men because of HIV/AIDS and yet women are the main producers of food.
• Women headed households are prone to poverty than men because of the effects of HIV/AIDS.
• Women headed household care for more AIDS orphans than men.
• Approximately 78% of orphans lost their parents due to AIDS.
• Approximately 19% of the children are orphaned in Zimbabwe.
• Approximately 50% of pregnant women are HIV positive.
• More elderly men and women are becoming heads of household because of HIV/AIDS.

In addition to the lost traditional values is the mistrust of foreign donors to give the present government AIDS funds to fight the epidemic. The government is receiving the least funds compared to other countries in the region.

• Zimbabwe denied US $216 m by Global Fund to fight AIDS.
• Approximately 360000 need life prolonging drugs, but 5000 people are on treatment.

• World Bank, Britain and USA giving little financial assistance for AIDS because of the unreliability of the Government of Zimbabwe.
• USA is spending just US $20m a year to battle AIDS in Zimbabwe, one third less than it is devoting to Botswana.
• Global Fund holding US $10m AIDS grant approved two years ago.
• USA excluded Zimbabwe from US $15billion AIDS funds given to 12 African countries.

 

 

What Can MDC Do?

MDC firmly believes in saving lives, which resonates with the natural laws ethic. The party views people as ends and not means. This philosophy is consistent with Sen’s capacity approach. The ethic of natural law values life as a good that is pursued by all human beings. Sen’s capacity ethic emphasizes the ends rather than means. In order to preserve life, the capacities of people must be realized such as health, education and life expectancy. In an effort to fulfill the values and reasons for the party’s existence, the opposition party should provide and avail anti-retroviral drugs to rural women headed households living with HIV/AIDS. Anti-retroviral drugs have a direct impact on the rural women because the drugs lengthen the life span of women enabling women to engage in meaningful income generating projects leading to poverty eradication. Longer life for women ensures that:

·         Children will reach adulthood without experiencing orphanhood.

·         Fewer grandparents will become heads of household.

·         Enable rural women to work and provide for their families.

·         Anti-retroviral drugs retain the traditional values that rural women cherish as giving meaning to life.

 

The party should mobilize Western and local donors, the local membership and the private sector to support the sourcing of HIV/AIDS drugs. The Movement for Democratic Change should seek the cooperation of the Western world banks to block bank accounts of the present government personnel perceived fraudulently obtained. These bank accounts will be used to purchase and obtain HIV/drugs for the rural women.

 

 

Conclusion

The Movement for Democratic Change has contributed significantly to the lives of the Zimbabweans. The party enjoys support among the rural youth, teachers and church leaders. It has a good financial back born because of its ties with the Western world. Foreign funds are available for the trusted and transparent political party to employ in order to better the lives of the people. These resources should enable MDC to provide anti-retroviral drugs to rural women living with HIV/AIDS.

 

 

 

 

Strategic Political Plan for MDC to knockout ZANU (PF): Formulated by George Tichaona Dzimiri, Loma Linda University, CA.