The Sunday Mail
Tendai Rupapa in MUDZI
FIRST LADY Auxillia Mnangagwa yesterday held a lively interactive session with thousands of elderly people and youths in Mudzi as part of her mission to spread love and inculcate in the young the sense to care for those in the twilight of their lives.
Amai Mnangagwa also took her ‘No to Drugs’ campaign to the district, where she engaged youths, educating them on the dangers of abusing drugs.
Contrary to widely-held views by some people that the elderly dabbled in witchcraft and were irrelevant to the world today, the mother of the nation advised that the elderly were a fountain of wisdom and have to be taken care of at all costs.
“Most elderly people do not have strength to carry out various tasks and lack resources to sustain themselves. They also usually suffer loneliness as able-bodied members of their families will be away working,” she said.
The First Lady explained to the youths the ruinous effects of drugs, which she said were harmful to health.
“I greet all the elderly here and I am glad to meet you here. We may be from different tribes, but we are one. We must treasure our culture. The young must listen and learn that the elderly need our assistance since they brought us up. As young people, stop taking drugs because they eat into you.
“Some girls are also taking alcohol more than their fathers and this gives us a bad name. How will you look after your parents or grandparents when you drop out of school because of drug abuse? These elderly need our care and this does not mean buying them new clothes, but proper care,” she said.
“In your communities, you can assist the elderly by fetching water for them or cleaning their homes. It does not matter even if she is not your grandmother or grandfather. Every elderly person in our communities needs our love and assistance. Vakuru vakataura kuti chirere mangwana chigokurerawo. Kukura kwese uku, patasvika apa ndivo vakatirera, naizvozvo they deserve to be looked after.”
Amai Mnangagwa said the elderly were now afraid of today’s youths because of the drugs they take, which force them to do morally reprehensible things.
Part of the gathering of elderly and youths follow proceedings during their interaction with First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa in Kotwa.
“There is no longer unity in families or communities because of drunkenness. When one is drunk, he or she can do bad things because they will be under the influence of alcohol. Rudo, kudanana, kukudzana nekuwirirana munharaunda nemudzimhuri hazvichiko nekuti vanhu havachina kubatana. Even what we call extended family, this has since been destroyed, there is no more unity.”
The First Lady said it was essential for parents to regularly make children visit their grandparents and aunties so that they learn a lot of things from them.
“Nowadays we talk of witchcraft and jealousy, but this is killing our children. As a mother, you advise your child not to visit her aunt or grandmother telling her they are witches. Izvi handizvo vanamai, tirikutokanganisa vana. What are we teaching them?” she said.
To unlock lessons for the young on the ideal courtship process, the First Lady asked the elderly to give accounts of how they met and dated until they got married.
Asked what qualities drove her husband to marry her, one elderly woman triggered laughter when she said she was well-mannered unlike today’s children.
“Grandfather was attracted by my good manners, unlike today’s children who have no manners,” she said.
An elderly man and woman contribute their views during their interaction with Amai Mnangagwa in Kotwa.
On the other hand, an elderly man said:
“I loved my wife because she was well-mannered and I was convinced she would look after my children while they also learnt from her. While growing up, our grandfathers would recommend homes to marry from because of morals. But nowadays some daughters-in-law put on miniskirts in the presence of in-laws.”
The First Lady inquired that which boys sought in girls and vice-versa.
“You boys, you have heard from your grandfathers, what is it that you look at when choosing a girl to marry? You girls, your grandmothers have also spoken, what sort of boy do you want to be the father of your children?”
In response, a boy quipped:
“I want a well-cultured girl with good morals. I want someone who will respect my parents and my relatives.”
One girl said she would make do with a boy who was God-fearing and does not smoke or drink alcohol.
The First Lady probed whether boys and girls with the said qualities were easy to find nowadays.
“As parents we are troubled by the mischief in children through drugs. Grandmothers, grandfathers and aunties, are you still teaching these children? Where are they getting all this from? Like I said before, the extended family unit has collapsed and people are no longer united, hence children not getting life teachings from the elders,” she added.
“As families, let us try to live in peace. Do not be afraid to approach our traditional chiefs in your areas to have disputes resolved amicably or to get advice. We say no to domestic violence and women must be submissive and respect their husbands and give them their rightful positions in the home. Men must also respect and love their wives, that way we will curb domestic violence.
“Violence often leads to divorce. In your communities and homes, maintain peace and love one another. Grandmothers must have homes that are approachable as young people seek advice since you are the fortress of wisdom. The young must not forget to take care of their parents and grandparents because it is your turn. If you respect elders, your days will be increased on earth. Let us care for the elderly.”
She sought to know who started violence in the home, and women said men were noisy and violent after drinking beer.
Men, however, differed, saying:
“Women start because they are now talking of 50-50 equal rights, but they do not know where to end. These women are challenging us in the homes and fancying themselves family heads. If there is a misunderstanding, men exercise restraint but the same does not apply to women. The women take the disputes into the bedroom and convert it into a courtroom.”
During the discussion, some couples said they no longer shared blankets or bedrooms, but the First Lady urged them to live in peace and love. She also asked why these couples no longer shared bedrooms.
An elderly woman drew laughter when she said it was difficult sharing blankets with someone reeking booze.
“I cannot barrow into blankets with someone reeking booze and cigarettes. Some men no longer bath and spend their time drinking and smoking; better each one uses their own blanket,” she said.
The First Lady implored couples to love one another and shun domestic violence, before informing the gathering of the national gender-based violence call centre she set up in her office. They were encouraged to use the 575 hotline and report GBV cases.
She also pleaded with parents to spend time with their children and teach them morals.
Further, she impressed the need for children to treasure their education and not rush into premarital sex.
People were also encouraged to continue following Covid-19 prevention protocols and to get vaccinated, adding that those who had received the second dose should consider getting booster shots.
As the environmental patron, she urged communities to neither indiscriminately cut trees as this could lead to deforestation and climate change nor start uncontrolled fires that could lead to veld fires, which posed a danger to life and property.
Leading by example, the mother of the nation donated food hampers and toiletry to the elderly so that youths could appreciate that she practised what she preached.
Besides donations to the elderly, Amai Mnangagwa put smiles on faces of everyone who came to the programme as they also left the venue with goodies.
