Thursday, August 25, 2011

No Women to be Found!

[First published on 24 August 2006, under the title ‘Incredible!’]

No Women to be Found!

‘Today,’ explained President HaHa, ‘we shall be interviewing women applicants. We are looking for one or two respectable women who genuinely support our Ponga traditions of polygamy, lobala and the subordination of women.’ The President was addressing the Parliamentary Selection Committee of the UPND, the United Patriarchy for National Discrimination.

‘Only if we can find women who respect men as the head of the household,’ cautioned Patriarch Muchishanya, the Chairman for Drastic Domestic Dictatorship.’

‘Let me just remind you,’ said Madman Kuku, Chairman for Masterful Male Monopoly, ‘that if we can just find one or two women who are able to quietly support and assist us men with our parliamentary duties, then they could do their work better if we also make them members of parliament.’

‘We must certainly bear all these points in mind,’ said HaHa, as he signaled the secretary to call the first applicant. A young woman entered the room and was directed to the single chair on the other side of the table.

‘Mrs Bufuma Chumi,’ said HaHa, ‘I am informed that you have applied to stand in Kasama, even though your husband lives in Choma. Do you have your husband’s permission to be away from home during the election campaign?’

‘We both agreed,’ replied Bufuma, ‘because Kasama is my home area.’

‘Thank you for coming to interview,’ said HaHa. ‘We’ll let you know.’

‘Monstrous!’ snorted Madman Kuku, as Bufuma departed. ‘Obviously a woman has to stand in her husband’s constituency, where she can look after her family and be properly supervised by her husband.’

‘Let’s hope the next applicant is more suitable,’ said HaHa.

‘Kathy Kusasiyana,’ said HaHa, looking sternly at the file, ‘it says here that your husband objected to you standing, but despite this you insisted on filing this application. What do you say about that?’

‘You see,’ said Kathy, ‘my husband was quite agreeable until he had a visit from a whole delegation from the Constituency Committee, who asked him to take control of his wife. Otherwise, they said, I would be known as a hule who was sleeping around in order to seek political favours.’

‘So when your husband withdrew his permission, you just ignored him?’

‘Women need to be able to take their own decisions,’ declared Kathy.

‘Thank you for that, Kathy’ said HaHa. ‘That was all we wanted to know. We’ll let you know in due course. Don’t phone us, we’ll phone you.’ As she left, he turned to his committee members and exclaimed ‘My God, if she won’t even obey her husband, what chance of her obeying me!’

‘Good morning, Mrs Martha Mtendere. There’s just one question I want to ask. Did your husband give you permission to apply for this seat?’

‘Oh yes!’ said Martha enthusiastically. ‘He backed me all the way!’

‘That’s all we need to know,’ said HaHa, as Martha stood up to leave ‘We’ll let you know in due course.’

‘We can’t have that!’ hissed Patriarch Muchishanya. ‘She’s not an independent person. Her husband is the one in control of her, she’s under his thumb. Since he’s the one in charge, we should rather ask her husband to stand!’

‘We can’t do that,’ sneered Madman Kuku. ‘He belongs to MMD.’

‘Even worse!’ snorted Patriach Muchishanya.

‘Miss Charity Chimwemwe,’ said HaHa, ‘make yourself comfortable. We have just one question for you this morning. You are thirty years old and you don’t have a husband. Why is that?’

‘I prefer to be independent,’ replied Charity, so I can make my own decisions. Then I can be on equal terms with men.’

‘Thankyou,’ said HaHa. ‘The secretary will show you out.’

‘My God!’ screamed Madman Kuku. ‘Thirty years old and not married! She must be a feminist or a prostitute or a lesbian! Or possibly all three! Whatever she is, she’s unacceptable and probably illegal! Get her out of here, and out of the party!’

‘Mrs Samira Sanama,’ said HaHa, ‘we just called you in to ask you what you know about the party’s gender policy.’

‘The policy promises gender equality,’ replied Samira, ‘with women being equal in law, and having equal access to all opportunities.’

‘Thank you,’ said HaHa. ‘You may now leave.’

‘Jesus Christ!’ exclaimed HaHa, as soon as she’d gone. ‘Our policy never once uses the word equality. We have always used the word equity, meaning that we men must use our authority to treat our women fairly!’

‘Exactly,’ growled Madman Kuku. ‘Now you see the danger of letting women apply for men’s positions! I told you so from the beginning! I think we’ve heard enough!’

The meeting had now finished, and the party spokesman Patriarch Muchishanya came out onto the steps, into the bright lights of ZNBC cameras. ‘I have to announce that UPND cannot find any woman as a parliamentary candidate.’

‘Why not?’ asked Henry Nkalaushi, thrusting his microphone in front of Muchishanya.

‘We simply cannot find any women!’ declared Muchishanya.

‘You have just heard,’ said Henry Nkalaushi, looking into the camera, ‘a most incredible statement from the least credible of our party leaders.’

Just then a bright red BMW open sports car came swooshing up to the kerb, with a beautiful young at the wheel, her blond hair extensions flying in the wind. She waved energetically to old Muchishanya. ‘Come on Daddyo! she squealed, ‘Time to party!’

As Patriarch ran to the driving door, she clambered over from the driving seat into the passenger seat, carefully negotiating her miniskirt over the gear stick. At which point Henry Nkalaushi leaned over to her with his microphone. ‘Muchishanya says he can’t find any women! Any comment?’

‘He’s telling you the truth!’ she laughed. ‘It was me who found him!’

‘And what’s your role in the election?’ Henry asked.

‘Me?’ she laughed. ‘I’m in charge of his erection expenses!’

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