Traditional Leaders Praise First Lady in Zimbabwe

24 APR, 2021 - 00:04 

First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa serves breakfast to one of the children at Kudavana Children’s Home in Zimunya, Mutare yesterday

Tendai Rupapa in MUTARE for the Herald

ZIMBABWE is lucky to have visionaries like First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa who are spearheading a return to the traditional way of life as a solution to challenges affecting youths today, traditional leaders have said.

In an interview on the sidelines of the First Lady’s Gota/Nhanga/Ixiba programme at Chancellor Primary School yesterday, the leader of chiefs in Manicaland, Chief Shepherd Chengeta, who is Mambo Makumbe of Buhera, said the First Lady had brought to the fore a critical subject which needed to be embraced with enthusiasm.

This comes at a time when the country is grappling with cases of juvenile delinquency, teen pregnancies, prostitution and drug and alcohol abuse.

Most of the challenges have been attributed to the collapse of the extended family unit due to western influences despite the country having a rich cultural heritage with in-built mechanisms to address challenges affecting all members of the society.

Said Chief Makumbe; “No matter how an eagle washes, it remains black. We are a people with our own culture and we were blessed by God to have a Mother who sees that our people are now lost and should go back to culture. We have been caught sleeping as community leaders and our children were now getting lost through many ways. This is a reminder by the First Lady to sit down with children to know what is expected of them and what society expect them to do.”

The chief said it was incumbent upon children to listen, understand and treasure such important interventions like the ones being made by the First Lady to get wisdom.

“We have children who are impregnating each other before time affecting both their lives and these are some of the things we are teaching them mugota. We will carry this concept forward to our communities and discuss with our headmen. Our institution of traditional leadership reaches every doorstep and these teachings must be known in every book and start doing things like in the days of old,” he said.

Chief Makumbe’s sentiments were echoed by Mambo Zimunya, Mr Kiben Bvirindi, who was part of yesterday’s programme and was gratified by what the First Lady was doing for the country.

“We were facing serious challenges with our children who had lost morals. We had nowhere to start, but the vision the First Lady has come up with is a marvel. In this programme we are teaching boys what is expected of them.

We were teaching them how life starts and to respect elders. Children of nowadays are disrespectful and we took the opportunity to teach them to respect all elders and not their parents alone. In the olden days, we would be whipped by elders if we misbehaved. Community elders would also report us to our parents because back then people were united. This programme she has brought is bringing back unity and retracing life to the olden days when elders collectively counselled youths. This was now a thing of the past and some people do not want their children corrected. We will carry this programme forward,” he said.

Both girls and boys were imparted with wisdom and knowledge on how to grow up as morally upright and responsible citizens.

In the Nhanga for girls, the children did a short play highlighting stubbornness in today’s youths especially when addressing elders and admitting that indeed they had lost cultural values.

During the teachings, gogo Joyce Jumbe said communities had become shell-shocked by the surge in child marriages.

“Child marriages are giving us sleepless nights as children are being impregnated at tender ages. However, some of the pregnancies are due to rape which is sometimes swept under the carpet at family level forcing the child to elope to her abuser,” she said with concern.

Equally troubled was Mrs Phinisia Chikata, Mai Chief Marange who said: “In our traditional courts we are witnessing cases of children who are being raped by their fathers and even teachers who seek assistance from students to have their homes swept and because we have no time to sit down with the children we do not notice that they are being abused. This then sometimes forces them to abort before the mother finds out.”

On the issue of dressing, Mrs Easter Nhidza, who is Mai Chief Zimunya said there was great need for schools to come down heavily on children who dress provocatively.

“Schools must come up with restrictions prohibiting girls from wearing uniforms below knee level. This is forcing them into having relationships while wearing skimpy apparel. Some are carrying clothes in their satchels such that they change in the way and abscond school,” she said.

The highly interactive session proved elders were not at peace with what children were doing and an immediate solution was being sought.

Councillor Eugenia Chipfiwa of Ward 2 Harare central attributed some of the bad behaviour in children to peer pressure.

“Peer pressure is affecting children especially those in urban areas. Some children are made lustful by food brought by their friends in lunchboxes and end up having boyfriends leading to sexual relationships. Also as parents we are to blame, we are using intoxicants in front of children, so what do they learn from us? Even when the parents are drunk, they use inappropriate language before the children. The kids end up following suit thinking that is what is done. The challenge is not the children alone but even parents need to be taught,” she said.

Councillor Midia Mudariki of Ward 3 Harare weighed in saying: ”Today’s girls love sweet things and if they fail to get these at home they end up seeking men to provide for them. Children, let us be content with what we have at home, appreciate what your parents are providing for you,” she said.

Another elderly woman from the community gogo Dorothy Katswa said she was astonished by the behaviour exhibited by the girl child of today.

“When we were growing up we were told that men were lions but our children are fond of men who fondle them like wild fruits. Vazukuru you should behave yourselves, why rush into sex while at school? If we try to teach you as elders, you start accusing us of witchcraft. At times if we want to restrain them they urge you to focus on your children. Even their parents do not take kindly to their children being counselled by others. This is not right,” she said.

Mrs Priscilla Charumbira, the wife to Chiefs council president chief Fortune Charumbira implored the children to take what they had learnt seriously and apply it in life.

“You have been taught how to dress, walk, morality and chores that have to be done around the home, valuing education, personal hygiene, respecting elders among other issues. The First Lady has taught you that education is important because we want you to be leaders of tomorrow. We should be grateful that our mother has taken her time to come and counsel us,” she said.

An Odzi High School pupil Makanaka Semende said most girls were finding it hard to report sexual abuse cases involving relatives because these were largely swept under the carpet at family level.

“You will be an outcast in the family and your mother might disown you saying that you want to get the breadwinner arrested especially if it is the father involved,” she said.

Kudakwashe Zunidza a student at Marange High School who is a girl child advisor and counsellor concurred with her colleague.

“We have cases of children who are being molested by their fathers but if they tell their mothers they will be accused of lying and ordered not to report to anyone. We then inform our teachers who then take the cases to the police. Sometimes these children, out of fear might not stand in court against their fathers,” she said.

Another pupil said although they admitted to poor dressing and rushing to sugar daddies, some parents were to blame for this as they were forcing their children into prostitution in exchange for money.

“Some mothers make their daughters bed their boyfriends due to their love for money. Some of the things we do are not of our own making but we are forced by our mothers. Help us on this issue Amai,” she said.

The First Lady advised the children to report all sorts of abuse to the police. She educated them about the victim friendly unit at all police stations.

She added that all those abusing children must be dealt with in line with the law.

The mother of the nation said she came about with her programme after seeing that children had turned to immorality and both girls and boys were taking drugs.

“Young children are no longer living bars. All this begins with them being sent to buy alcohol, we are killing our leaders of tomorrow. These children are the future leaders and as parents let’s play our part and shape their tomorrow. The aim of this programme is to show children the correct path and mould them. Elderly women in communities feel free with children so that they will tell you the challenges they also come across,” the First Lady said.

Amai Mnangagwa made the children who attended yesterday’s teachings ambassadors of the programme and promised to send them certificates.

In turn, the children promised to use the knowledge they acquired to teach their peers and later invite her to witness what they would have done.

Chiefs, their wives and elderly people who taught the children were given food hampers while the children who participated were given school materials and food hampers.