MDC-T candidate for Bulawayo East constituency Thabitha Khumalo wants to continue fighting for the rights of people living with HIV and Aids, to ensure they get access to treatment.
Report by Veneranda Langa
Khumalo said her outspokenness in Parliament and other fora on HIV and Aids issues while she was Bulawayo East MP before the Seventh Parliament was dissolved had resulted in her being misquoted in the media and portrayed as someone who was fighting for the rights of prostitutes.
NewsDay Parliamentary Reporter Veneranda Langa (ND) this week spoke to Khumalo (TK) with regard to her quest to reclaim the Bulawayo East parliamentary seat when she locks horns with MDC’s David Coltart on July 31.
Below are the excerpts: ND: Who is Thabitha Khumalo and how long have you been in politics?
TK: I have a trade unionist background and that is how I got into politics. As a trade unionist, I held positions such as secretary-general of the Cold Storage Company Workers’ Union, executive member of the Food and Allied Workers’ Union, secretary of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions Bulawayo Region and vice-president of the ZCTU, among other portfolios.
I am currently the chairperson of the International Parliamentary Union Board on HIV and Aids. I was appointed in June, just before Parliament was dissolved.
ND: You have been Bulawayo East MP before. What different things do you promise the people of the constituency if you are re-elected?
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TK: Basically, I think there is need for the populace to understand the role of an MP because a lot of people do not know it. The first is the representative role, where an MP is supposed to meet with the constituents and get ideas as well as complaints and their wishes. The MP should ensure ministers respond to those demands in Parliament.
The second is the oversight role, where, for example, if the Finance ministry allocates funds to relevant line ministries, then the MP should make sure those funds are used as per request. For instance, if the Education ministry is allocated $5 million for textbooks and they do not get those books, the MP should take the issue up in Parliament.
There is also the legislative role, where an MP should make laws for the country on behalf of the people. For example, pushing a motion on domestic violence or raising issues on pieces of legislation which people feel need to be amended or repealed. It is unfortunate that our society has been taught that MPs are supposed to be social service providers. They can provide services due to the poor state of our economy, but that is not the major role of an MP.
ND: So, who is supposed to sort out issues to do with service delivery?
TK: If an MDC-T government wins, those are the issues we are saying we are going to correct because our economy has gone to the dogs. There is need for funding to resuscitate Zesa power stations. We need to solve water problems in Bulawayo and other areas and those are examples of services that the MDC-T government needs to deal with.
ND: During the Seventh Parliament, you were one MP who was often quoted by the media as being outspoken on taboo subjects like sex and legalising prostitution. Are you going to continue to discuss such issues if you win the seat?
TK: I never was outspoken about sex or prostitution, but I spoke about HIV and Aids prevention and access to treatment. Those are important issues for MPs to discuss because at the top of the agenda is universal treatment for people living with HIV and Aids. Zimbabwe has 1,5 million people infected with HIV and only 300 000 get ARV drugs and my discussions were centred on prevention mechanisms.
Globally, 39 million people are infected and three-quarters of those are in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Zimbabwe, and so legislators should talk about prevention issues and not sweep them under the carpet.
ND: But did you really advocate for legalisation of prostitution?
TK: I never spoke about legalising prostitution. Newspaper people always want scoops and my discussions about HIV prevention and cure were taken out of context.
ND: What is your relationship with the MDC-T after you were fired as MDC-T deputy spokesperson last year?
TK: I was never fired as deputy MDC-T spokesperson. The party has a right to re-assign every cadre to a position they believe they have strength.
It is within the prerogative of the leadership of a party to do that. I am there to serve the party and so I should not be stuck to a position. I still have an important position in the party as co-chairperson of the Jomic Operations Committee representing the MDC-T.
ND: Are you confident of winning the seat? Do you see any threats from other contestants?
TK: Of course, there are occupational hazards with any job, but one would need protective clothing and enough tools to do the job. I have not faced any hardships during my campaign as a woman and I believe one needs to work hard.
ND: Do you believe in the notion that women can perform better than men when given positions of responsibility?
TK: Unfortunately, women need to put 150% effort in order to be noticed. We have to work hard, which for me is not a problem as I have proper strategies to win and deliver. Women can deliver due to their management experience of running families and taking care of children. Unfortunately, the work that they do is not recognised. We need to transfer those multi-skills to the political arena and it is important for women to be represented in decision-making because there are some issues that men cannot articulate better than women. An example is issues to do with reproductive health. It is very difficult for men to explain what females go through. They can see the pain, but cannot see the depth of that problem.
ND: Are you confident of an MDC-T win?
TK: I have done door-to-door campaigns in the four districts in my constituency to encourage people to register to vote for (Morgan) Tsvangirai as President, myself as their legislator and for MDC-T councillors. As long as the elections are free, fair and credible, we will win.
ND: What would you say voters should look for when voting for their representatives in Parliament?
TK: An MP must be a people’s person, meaning that they should represent the interests of the poor and rich and should be able to communicate with the haves and have-nots. Legislators should be approachable, be good listeners and be patient persons.
