The new conspiracy theory; "MDC anti-feminist"

Seems this week is all about throwing back to posts I wrotelast week.

Last week, I mentioned that some critics had dismissed Tsvangirai's reshuffling of the MDC shadow cabinet as both evidence of his obsession with power and a trifling. I substantiated that part of my claim with a link to this article on NewZimbabwe and quoted an excerpt from the article.

Now Tawanda Hove from the same site has diagnosed the MDC with an incidence of chauvenist patriachal politics of the same ilk that many believe ZANU-PF has been fraught with;

"This recent political act, deliberately executed, intended in its purpose, has got me and others asking whether feminism’s fantasy with the MDC is over? The reshuffle that has just been completed by the MDC President is a clear message to radical feminists in Zimbabwe; it is that they must accept that ‘in this part of the world it is a man’s world’, it has displayed what ‘we’ have always feared most, that the MDC and especially the ‘aristocrats’ at the top are still male chauvinists who still regard women leadership in the most lowest of grading. The MDC President’s actions have come at a time in which across the African continent women activists have even abandoned the 30% ‘quota’, they are now demanding to have a 50% representation of women and this is crucial because the social structure of patriarchy cannot be challenged unless those sites of power (social/political/economic/religious) begin to reflect the demography of our populations."

The basis of this charge is the exclusion of Priscilla Misihairabwi from the shadow government prompting me to wonder whether that is enough evidence of the MDC's men favoring (especially when other women are still left in cabinet e.g. Trudy Stevenson).

I'm not dismissing the case, I'm just wondering if it is premature yet to conclude that "feminism's fantasy with the MDC is over."

Zimbabwe, MDC, Feminism,