SAPES Policy Dialogue Forum: Politics of sexual economics: situating the “small house” in Zimbabwe

Date: Thursday 14 February 2013
Time: 5pm – 7pm
Venue: SAPES, 4 Deary Avenue, Belgravia, Harare

Presenter: Mildred Mushinga, Doctoral Candidate, University of Pretoria

A ‘small-house’ is a colloquial and derogatory term used in Zimbabwe to describe a woman in a quasi polygamous, long term, informal and usually secretive sexual relationship with a married man. These kinds of relationships have been widely conceptualized within dominant public health and development discourses as part of the broader multiple concurrent sexual partnerships and sexual networks discourses. Such viewpoints have framed these relationships as key drivers of HIV and the women involved as poor, disempowered, lacking sexual agency and engaging in survival transactional sex. These perspectives have focused mainly on the detriments of a permissive, problematic and medicalised sexuality, which however neatly fits into the public health and development panaceas to poverty and HIV. Yet, the evolving ‘small-house’ phenomenon in Zimbabwe entails women from varying economic, social and political backgrounds and hence does not neatly fit into the aforesaid perceptions.

Framing women’s sexual behaviours within contexts where sexuality is seen either as a variant of health or poverty significantly undermines an in-depth and broad understanding of the nuances, complexities and mingling of women’s sexual behaviours, economics, society and politics. In as much as it is a global reality that economic inequalities exist between genders, focusing on one narrow angle of sex research embedded in health and poverty does injustice to the diversity and complexity of sex research. As such, pinning women’s motivations for engaging in ‘small-houses’ to lack of empowerment, sexual agency and poverty has excluded other groups of women -the educated, economically stable, high socio-economic status, seemingly ‘low-risk’ (in terms of HIV) women who knowingly and ‘willingly’ engage in these highly stigmatized sexual relationships. Focusing on these high socio-economic status and educated women can be a useful way to understand women’s sexual behaviours and motivations as they are intertwined with broader changing social, economic, political and cultural milieus in the Zimbabwean context.

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Lessons and challenges from the coalition government of Zimbabwe and Kenya brought together civil society representatives from the two nations under the weeklong Utetezi exchange visit in Zimbabwe. Kenya’s civil society members are in Zimbabwe to share experiences particularly in areas of national healing and reconciliation, governments of national unity and the constitution making process. The similarities between the two nations are just too many to ignore as the social, political and economic challenges experienced by both nations depict a similar picture. The two nations were once colonised by Britain and they both inherited badly written constitutions, which failed to address marginalization and injustices perpetrated during the pre and post-colonial era. The failed promises of independence saw further marginalisation of people and alienation of fertile land as the political elite amended and manipulated the constitution for personal gain.

Political power is now being used as a gateway to riches as the majority continue to wallow in poverty.

One can easily describe these coalition governments currently running both nations as initiatives brought about not out of good faith, but out of frustration. Zimbabwe, just like Kenya shares the same history of rejected constitutions. In  2000 Zimbabwe passed a “NO” vote over a constitution, which they regarded as not people driven and the same happened in Kenya in 2005 when President Mwai Kibaki tried to fast track a constitution, which had no input from the people. The same debatable issue around executive powers of the president, land, devolution of power, accountability, the re-structuring of the political system, the rule of law characterise the constitution making history of the two nations.

The exchange visit also focused on the role of civil society in shaping political discourse. The recent crack down of dissenting voices in Zimbabwe, particularly the politicisation of the work of civil society indicates the growing concern over the urgent need for reforms. Zimbabwe’s civil society was urged not to lie dormant but take its rightful place in society.

The journey to national healing and reconciliation resulted in the formation of the Organ on National Healing in Zimbabwe and the adoption of the Human Rights Commission, which recently came under fire for lack of independence and capacity. One speaker said that “change is not an activity but a process”, the current transitional period, which Zimbabwe is currently going through, could be compared to the situation where Kenya was ten to fifteen years ago. A constitution can remain a piece of paper unless it is put to use to solve the social, political and economic problems facing the nation. And if the nation is to progress political leaders need to drop self-aspirations and question the status quo.

Pocket sized printed versions of the Constitution are distributed in Kenya.

In another police raid looking for voter registration receipts, we just received this alert from the Community Tolerance Reconciliation and Development (COTRAD):

Masvingo today witnessed a bizarre incident as the crackdown on NGOs continues unabated. Masvingo Central police officers stormed the National Association of Non Governmental Organizations (NANGO SOUTHERN REGION) offices and arrested Benias Tirivaviri the Regional Coordinator and also terrorized COTRAD program officers who were in attendance. COTRAD shares office space with NANGO Southern Region. There were no proper charges leveled against the 2 people who were arrested and detained at Masvingo Central for nearly three hours. Amongst the arrested is Zivanai Muzorodzi the COTRAD Program Officer who was arrested in connection with the voter registration exercise being undertaken by the COTRAD. In the same vein the police officers besieged the COTRAD office looking for receipts of registered voters as they were alleging that COTRAD was assisting young people to register to vote such that they can participate in the forthcoming elections. It appears to be part of an escalating campaign by the uniformed forces to crush groups involved in the pro-democracy movement.

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Committee of the Peoples Charter (CPC) Press Statement on Proposed Government Exit Packages:

‘Say No to the Inclusive Government’s Politics of the Belly’

Issue Date: February 08 2013

The Committee of the Peoples Charter (CPC) is gravely disappointed with the departure lounge intentions of the inclusive government’s ministers and the current Parliament to award themselves ‘exit’ packages in the form of luxury vehicles and houses, as reported in the February 8-14 edition of the Zimbabwe Independent. Such an intention is grossly hypocritical as well as thoroughly unjustified and undeserved.

In a year where the country is facing a major drought as well as deplorable social services where there is lack of clean drinking water, affordable health care and a crisis in our education system, awarding these policy makers these ridiculous exit packages would be the height of political insensitivity.

These leaders would do well to be reminded that being in government is a service to the people of Zimbabwe and not a mechanism through which they must seek to enrich themselves.  Unfortunately this latest intention is only but the latest indication of the warped thinking that informs the inclusive government where and when it comes to matters of allowances and perks for its officials.

Against better advice, the inclusive government has over the last four years had a ridiculously high foreign travel bill, a penchant for purchasing luxury vehicles for ministers and their deputies while simultaneously claiming that the country has a mere US$217,00 in its bank account. That MPs and ministers now want ‘exit packages’  is akin to severance packages in a country where unemployment is reportedly as high as 80%, can only be viewed as a demonstration of utter contempt for the suffering of the ordinary people.

The CPC strongly advises the inclusive government and parliament to show contrition and sensitivity to the people that elected them into office by not seeking to loot the national purse for personal aggrandizement.

Zimbabwe is neither their personal tuck-shop nor theirs to treat as an ‘endgame takes all you can’ country.  Where the inclusive government decides to proceed with dishing out exit packages to itself, the CPC shall mobilize all Zimbabweans against such extravagance.

The agreed draft constitution by the three Zimbabwean political parties will be tabled in Parliament and after that the final say will come from the people in a referendum. The draft constitution took almost four years and nearly $100 million. Since the document had to be agreed upon by the three signatories to the Global Peace Agreement in the government of national unity a “YES” vote campaign is already under way. Most people would wonder why exactly they should vote “YES”.  Is it a YES vote to allow a no term limit for Members of Parliament or it is a YES vote to allow Parliament to add 60 more seats to the already resource straining House of Assembly? Our already poor performing Members of Parliament will have two jobs both in Parliament and Provincial Councils to replace the current system of provincial governors. A further analysis of the new draft by the National Constitutional Assembly will leave you wondering on why the Zimbabwean people are being forced to vote “YES” and settle for less when as a nation we can have more. Seems like the plot was already lost when the views of the people were discarded and politicians dominated the whole process. After four long years of resource grabbing, the nation’s supreme law had to be negotiated by politicians at the expense of the ordinary people. Is a “YES” vote the right way to go for the new constitution?