The Chinese proverb – the faintest pencil is
better than the sharpest memory is very true, I have had to remember things
that happened 10 years ago because as they happened I did not write it down.
Unbeknown to me, this is a significant piece of history that I have been
sitting on. I am the first female to hold an executive position in the Student
Council in March 2002 as a Secretary General at Africa University; I was in
second year.
There I was, finally I had arrived at the most
beautiful campus in Zimbabwe and was seated in the Main lecture theatre waiting
for the SRC president to come and address the first years. I remember wondering
why there was no woman in the executive, there only was one woman and she held
the social welfare position, felt like something sour had just gotten into my
mouth.
Being a very curious and extrovert of a first
year, I wanted to know why ladies did not campaign for the higher offices, and I
was told, it’s a lot of work and the guys never vote for the females. Also
women being the majority of votes, did not vote for their own either, this made
me realize we had a problem.
When the term of office for the present SRC was
coming to an end, I was called into Mrs. (now DR) Gwaradzimba’s, she wanted me
to run for an executive position and not campaign for the lowly positions. I
remember requesting for the constitution because I wanted to know the
responsibilities that came with the 3 top executive offices; President,
Vice-President and the Secretary General. In March 2002 was when the elections
were to be held.
I remember saying I don’t want people to vote
for me because I am a woman, but because they believe I can make a positive and
tangible change in the students body. I read the constitution and realized that
the SG had significant powers and had more influence; I then decided to run for
that office. Paul Munjenge, the out-going President volunteered to be my
campaign manager, him being very popular, it worked to my advantage. I remember
some of my fellow young women from the prior years, volunteering information
that, AU since inception had never had a woman vying for such positions. The
ladies gave me some history lessons, telling me that there were some who had
tried before and had failed and I wasn’t any different or special and that I should
exit the race before I was taken to the cleaners.
I was slightly shaken but I had already made u
my mind, I wasn’t going to quit, throwing the towel was not an option for me
because it was far greater than me. one thing I realized is women, we pull each
other down I think it’s because we are afraid of challenging the status quo or
we are jealous someone might actually succeed that which you are secretly wanting
for yourself. My biggest challenge was to convince the women that I was worth
their votes and I would make a different and not because I am a woman so
therefore they should vote for me. I remember my posters were written such
harsh words, some I cannot even write about, some wrote that you think you are
the next Mai Mujuru, others called me a bull frog, others told me to join Mai Chisamba
and leave politics for men; others wrote Margret Thatcher. It was so disheartening
seeing your poster written such vulgar language, it was better and safer to not
replace them because they became worse and more hurtful.
I remember walking to the library by myself and
a group of guys approached to say if you want our votes, you have to buy
alcohol for us, or we will make sure you lose this election. I said well then I
will lose I will not buy votes because what else will you demand from me, and
besides its instilling corruption. I remember on guy even proposing I slept
with him to convince the guys to vote for me. My campaign manager advised me to
stay put and focus on the female votes, because the females voted more than
guys anyway. Now catch between a hard place and a rock, the women discouraging
me and the guys wanting a bride, I just let it play, I did not want to owe
anyone, or be controlled by those that thought put me into office after I had
won.
I remember changing my strategy and seeking the
foreign vote. Africa University has the Zimbabwe community and the other
countries community, and they were also the next serious voters and at this
point they were my best bet. The Zimbabwean vote was already split 5 ways
because all SG candidates were Zimbabwean, but I had the advantage of being the
only woman. I had spent my first year attending social function for the Angolans,
Mozambicans and DRC communities, so I had a great allay. Unaware, I was already
their favorite candidate and the ballot would speak for itself. It was believed
that if you had the foreign vote, it was a definite win for you.
I remember the students paying attention to my
campaign address on the chapel stairs at Africa University, however I had been
warned people are likely to walk away during my speech, but to my surprise they
wanted to hear what I had to say. When the voting came I won with a landslide,
the next candidate was behind me by 300 votes. There were a total of 500 +/-
that voted.
When the results were announced I felt like I was
dreaming, it only sunk when I was being sworn into office. This was a defining moment in the history of female
student politics in Zimbabwe. However the ZUSA did not deliberately did not
send me any invitations to the meetings, so in my term of office I never
attended any ZUSA meetings because they deliberately omitted me from the
mailing list. This also was fuelled with the fact the AU is not a state
university so we were regarded as elitists and did not have the same problems as
the rest of the universities.
During my term of office I sat on the senate
and initiated the change of title for the bachelor in arts to bachelor of
social sciences, the first group to graduate with the stated degree was the
class of 2004, my year. Africa University also had its first food boycott, this
was because the food prices were increasing and yet the quality and the
quantity were deteriorating. I was pregnant actually the greater part of my
time in office, but I did not let that get into the way of my passion and the students
I was leading. In prior years when a student got pregnant they would be kicked
out of residence, but I helped move a motion that they leave on the 8th
month two weeks before their delivery date, and this still stands to this day. In
this regard, the male student would be asked to exit the residence as well.
This is also the only term that the student
union funds made a profit, unlike in the history where corruption was the order
of the day. The team, despite being the only woman, respected me and always
valued my opinion. Despite the challenges and the dynamics of being the first,
my term of office will forever be one of my most defining moments. I was the
first and broke through the glass ceiling!!!!
