Maravi

(HERALD) Ruth Chinamano: Selfless, unwavering party cadre

Ruth Chinamano: Selfless, unwavering party cadre
Compiled by Tendai Hildegarde Manzvanzvike

CDE Ruth Lottie Nomonde Chinamano, a Zanu-PF Central Committee member and widow of the late veteran nationalist Cde Josiah Chinamano, died on Sunday January 2, 2005. She was 80.

She was a dedicated, unwavering and selfless party cadre who was committed to the liberation of the country and its development. Cde Ruth Chinamano was born on February 16, 1925, in Griqualand, Cape Town, South Africa.

She grew up in a family of five — four girls and a boy. Her father, Ben Impiayipeli Nyombolo, a teacher was a veteran of the First World War before becoming a politician.

Ruth’s mother, a graduate of Lovedale Institute in the Cape Province, was also a teacher.

She attended primary school in Queenstown where she lived with her aunt, Mrs Mcanyangwa. At school, she was impressed by stories told by her teacher, Miss Minah Sogah, about Mahatma Gandhi’s self-sacrifice and powers of leadership.

Cde Ruth Chinamano was awarded a scholarship to study at St Matthew’s College, an Anglican mission school in Keiskamahoek, in the Cape Province.

She did not stay at St Matthew’s College long enough to complete her education as she was expelled together with a group of girl students after protesting against a white principal they accused of ‘spoiling’ an African schoolgirl.

She then worked as a domestic servant for nine months before she was admitted at Maria Zell Teacher’s College in East Griqualand.

In 1948, Cde Chinamano started teaching at Lourdes, a school located at the Cape-Natal border in Umzimkulu.

The following year she met her husband to be, Josiah Chinamano, while on holiday in Port Elizabeth. The two got married the following year in King William’s Town on September 30, 1950.

Cde Chinamano and her husband moved to the then Rhodesia after Cde Josiah Chinamano had completed his studies at Fort Hare University.

In 1955, Cde Chinamano accompanied her husband to Birmingham, United Kingdom, where she took part in a number of political meetings. She studied and practised community development for six months when her husband returned to Rhodesia (Zimbabwe).

She later returned to London to study Social Work but soon found herself distracted by spectacles as the orators in Hyde Park.

She returned to Zimbabwe and taught at Waddilove Insitute in Marondera, together with her husband.

Cde Ruth Chinamano’s political career cannot be separated from her early life. As a young girl, she used to accompany her late father to political meetings and most of her political feelings were inspired by her father.

As she recalled in 1980: “I used to go with him when he addressed mass meetings of the uneducated, the educated, laughing at him”.

On completing her Junior Certificate, she could not write her mathematics examinations because she had joined in mass demonstrations against a college principal in East London, South Africa.

Cde Chinamano started showing her true political colours while in East Griqualand where she was pursuing a Primary Teachers’ Higher Course. She immediately challenged the racism and discrimination against blacks, which was in practice at the institution.

Cde Chinamano’s political life would also not be complete without mentioning the role played by Margaret and Stanley Moore, who introduced her to veteran nationalists James Chikerema and George Nyandoro before asking her to join the African National Congress.

Cde Chinamano stepped up her fight against discrimination during her stint at Mutare Teacher Training College and Waddilove Institute, where she taught renowned politicians such as Dr Sydney Sekeramayi and the late Dr Herbert Ushewokunze.

Together with Mrs Parirenyatwa and a few other women, Cde Chinamano staged the first “black sash” demonstration against the detention of veteran nationalists James Chikerema, Daniel Madzimbamuto, George Nyandoro and many others.

Cde Chinamano got the real nudge into politics when they were addressed by the late Vice President, Dr Joshua Nkomo, at Waddilove.

She became one of the founder members of the National Democratic Party and when she
opened her shop in Highfield in 1961, she offered the back of her shop to be used as an office for the NDP.

When the NDP was banned that same year, Cde Chinamano was already politically mature, and she immediately joined Zapu.

She was instrumental in organising women, often using her own car to transport them.
In 1963, Cde Chinamano was elected secretary of the Salisbury District of the Zimbabwe African Women’s League (Zawu), Zapu’s Women’s League.

At the same time, she headed the women’s wing as Secretary of the Highfield branch of the People’s Caretaker Council (PCC). When some Zapu members left to form Zanu, she remained with Zapu.

On April 16, 1964, Cde Chinamano was detained at Gonakudzingwa together with her husband, the late Cde Joseph Msika and the late Dr Joshua Nkomo.

They were the first four inmates of Gonakudzingwa, she being the only woman.
As the numbers later swelled, Cde Jane Ngwenya joined her. While in detention she participated in the Gonakudzingwa education programme for political detainees and also ran a clinic for local people.

Together with her late husband, they were later transferred to WhaWha Prison where they remained until 1970 when they were released.

This was not total freedom as they were confined within an 8km radius restriction.
The restricted freedom was shortlived as the Chinamanos were arrested again the same year, following the people’s violent response to constitutional proposals made by the Ian Smith regime. They were held at Marandellas (Marondera) Prison only to be released in 1974.

In 1975 Cde Ruth Chinamano travelled to England to visit her children. While she was abroad, a special Zapu Congress held on September 27 and 28, 1975 elected her as secretary for Women’s Affairs and a member of the Central Committee.

Her election in absentia bore testimony to the stature she had built as a trusted cadre of the liberation struggle. Consequently, she was one of the delegates representing PF-Zapu at the Lancaster House Conference in 1979.

Cde Ruth Chinamano worked tirelessly as a PF-Zapu Central Committee member and at the first parliamentary elections in 1980 held under the proportional representation system, she became the first woman Member of Parliament for Lupane. She was also a non-constituency MP from 1990 to 1995.

Cde Chinamano distinguished herself as a dedicated fighter for national unity, social justice, national development and gender equality.
She participated in the Unity Accord negotiations until unity was achieved in December 1987.

As a non-constituency MP, in 1991, she advocated for the abolition of local authority by-laws that were put in place by colonial governments and were not in conformity with African culture. She called upon the Government to abolish all beer halls situated near schools and turn them into domestic science centers where women would learn to look after their homes.

During the second reading and committee stages of the Harmful Liquids Amendment Bill, Cde Chinamano advocated for a ban on alcohol, arguing that it was a cause of many problems including the break-up of families.

She fought against all forms of social evils, especially rape and prostitution. She passionately urged the Ministry of Home Affairs to promote more policewomen into top positions in order to enhance women’s participation in formulating policies designed to address social problems that beset women.

Her fight for social justice was not confined to women and Zimbabwe alone, but was pan-African in scope.

Cde Chinamano castigated the West for what she believed were deliberate attempts to wipe out blacks in Africa through the supply of contraceptives and legalising abortion.

She also dismissed the popular belief that Africa was over-populated, asserting that it was a premise used by the West to justify the scale and use of contraceptives in Africa.

Cde Chinamano argued that contraceptives were meant to “reduce, if not eliminate the black population so that they (the West) can take over Africa.” On these basis, she urged Africans to adopt a critical outlook when considering foreign prescriptions.
As a fighter for women’s progress, Cde Chinamano urged all women to aim for higher positions.

The 4th People’s National Congress of Zanu- PF held in December 2004 was indeed a momentous occasion for Cde Ruth Chinamano, in fact the last political milestone in her inspiring political life.

Not only did the Zanu-PF show its unreserved confidence in her by retaining her in the central committee, but more importantly, it brought to fruition her struggle for gender opportunities by electing Cde Joice “Teurai Ropa” Mujuru to the post of Second Secretary and Vice President of the Party, and subsequently of the country.
Cde Ruth Chinamano lived long enough to celebrate this epochal decision. Though the nation grieved at the passing away of a gallant freedom fighter, it takes consolation from the fact that her struggle for freedom and independence had been realised and within it, gender equality.

Accordingly, the Zanu-PF Politburo found it fitting to accord her the status of national heroine.

At the time of her death, Cde Chinamano was survived by three children and three grand children.

Source: A guide to the Heroes Acre – Some basic facts about Zimbabwe’s heroes and the Heroes Acre. – tendai.manzvanzvike *** zimpapers.co.zw

Labels: LIBERATION, RUTH CHINAMANO

posted by MrK @ 4:18 AM