By Irvin Takavada
The recent abuse targeted at youthful legislator Joana Mamombe by ZANU PF lawmaker Joseph Chinotimba should not go untamed, this writer believes.
Last week’s incident in the August house,when Joana Mamombe stood up to move a motion of sexual harassment by fellow legislator and Joseph ‘Chinoz’ Chinotimba squashed such a pertinent issue belies that the bearded legislator could be leading his constituency astray when it comes to respecting women. That the incident occurred when the world is observing the 16 days against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) shows how Chinotimba is perpetuating abuse of women.
What also left us wondering is the level of support from fellow women parliamentarians when Mamombe was denigrated by Chinotimba, it was the male legislators like Tendai Biti, Temba Mliswa and Regai Tsunga who made the vociferous noise.This was noted by a female legislator Jaja while addressing delegates at the commemorations of 16 days against GBV organized by the Female Students Network.
“I was very disturbed by Chinotimba’s antics towards a young MP like Joana Mamombe but what irked me most is that fellow women MPs were not able to stand up for her,” said Jaja.
Norton independent MP Mliswa was apt when he said Chinotimba had revealed that he has no regard for women. It is also disheartening that besides being an MP who should be championing women’s rights ,he is also a church leader. In the sickening video where the former municipal police officer denigrates Mamombe calling her “murwere’, another male legislator is seen pleading with Chinotimba saying ‘Aah mufundisi musadaro’. This totally emasculates the role church leaders have in our society. Imagine if one woman congregant is to approach Chinotimba as a church leader to confide in him over GBV. Will he give rationale advice? Ironically he preaches about peace when he is violent vocally, are congregants not ashamed to have such a leader with verbal diarhoea.
Not only has Chinotimba betrayed his church and constituency but he has also led people to believe that war veterans indeed have abusive traits. This may sound very brutal but stories of the liberation struggle have been dented by reports of massive abuse of women guerrillas. After independence, a movie premised on the liberation struggle history, ‘Flame’ got many people thinking after it detailed the experiences of some women combatants. It was later condemned by some nationalists but Joseph Chinotimba’s moment of madness in the house of assembly may validate such claims.
There is the need for the ruling party where the Buhera West MP belongs to to issue a strong reproach against the legislator. Is it not shameful for Zanu’s chairperson Oppah Muchinguri and the party president to ignore his sentiments.
What kind of a father figure doesn’t protect the girl child, Mamombe is old enough to be his daughter. Does he have regard for the girl child we heard his wife testifying that he is after young girls which he can’t service what kind of a clergyman, a father, grandfather, citizen, party representative and a mental patient do we have here I guess Zimbabwe is in danger from the monster.
