Talent Tapera

The majority of women in Hwange, Matebeleland South do not know about the ZIMASSET policy, more than a year since it was put in place blue, this reporter can reveal.

Despite concerted efforts by the Zanu PF government to make everyone believe that ZIMASSET impacts on everyone and every sector there has been very little efforts on to secure a national understanding about Zimbabwe’s economic blueprint on the part of the government.

At a Media Centre organised Roundtable Meeting in the Kasibo Community of Hwange, Matebeleland South, on the 30th of October 2014,  it was realised that the knowledge gap on issues relating to this policy document is way too wide than anticipated.

Participants at the meeting expressed ignorance on what the document is about and what it entails.

There was also a lot of unanswered questions on the role women in rural areas should play towards the full realisation of the policy.

The six women councillors in the Hwange district, noted that getting ZIMASSET to work demanded that each community be it urban or marginalised identify its key strengths, utilize comparative advantages while building on them through beneficiation, value addition, public private partnerships.

Winnie Ncube, Hwange Rural District Council ward 16 Councillor highlighted that issues specific to women in the plan were present especially in the social cluster and the poverty eradication hence the need for women to invest in the economic blueprint for their own benefit.

“ZIMASSET is about identifying what we have in our community and seek proper knowledge on how to fully explore the resources that we have,” said Ncube.

Participants at the roundtable meeting noted that there is need for the councillors to lobby the Member of Parliament to also make sure there is equal beneficiation of the 10% community share ownership trust from the Hwange Colliery Company.

They pledged commitment to utilize the knowledge acquired and also share information to the women who were not present.

They said the meeting helped them in understanding issues relating to gender based violence and women’s empowerment. ” We believe that as women, if we are empowered enough economically, our vulnerability to abuse will be reduced”

Their plea was for the government to enforce policies that empower women economically while strongly believing economic disadvantage served to increases their vulnerability to gender based violence. ///ends.