I knelt before Mugabe as sign of respect: Makarau

Source: I knelt before Mugabe as sign of respect: Makarau – DailyNews Live

Farayi Machamire      22 September 2017

HARARE – Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) chairperson Rita Makarau has
said she kneeled and curtseyed for President Robert Mugabe as a sign of
humility and respect.

This comes after a picture of Makarau – a Supreme Court judge – kneeling
before Mugabe at State House during the launch of biometric voter
registration went viral on social media.

The opposition has also expressed outrage, saying Makarau was showing that
she was subservient to one of presidential candidates in crucial elections
scheduled for next year.

Makarau, who is also the secretary for the Judicial Services Commission,
told Ruvheneko Parirenyatwa in an interview that culture demands that she
respects her elders and saw nothing untoward about her actions.

“I have been brought up to say that when you are speaking to someone older
than you, you kneel down.  That’s how I have been brought up and it was
difficult for me to change just like that when he called me to his side,”
Makarau said, adding that she also finds herself kneeling when conducting
her duties as a Supreme Court judge.

“I find myself kneeling to the Chief Justice (Luke Malaba) if I have to
speak to him. I can’t get rid of that upbringing, like I said.

“Even at work, I find myself kneeling. Maybe I need to go for training.”

Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC said it respects Makarau as a woman and as a
judge.

“We know that she grew up in Goromonzi District where culture dictates
that women should kneel when greeting or talking to male elders,” MDC
spokesperson Obert Gutu said.

“But then for a whole judge to kneel before Mugabe at an occasion that was
supposed to be Stately and official, is perhaps taking African culture way
too far.

“In that science of communication, Makarau was sending out a message that
she is subservient and loyal to Mugabe. But then, Mugabe is also a
politician who is going to be a presidential candidate in next year’s
elections, or so we are made to believe.

“As such, Makarau shouldn’t have knelt before Mugabe because he is a
political contestant amongst other contestants. Would Makarau kneel before
Morgan Tsvangirai or Nkosana Moyo the same way she knelt before Mugabe?
Most probably not.

“With due respect, we suggest that Makarau should read some books on smart
strategies to help her communicate more effectively. She should read a
book called 27 Powers of Persuasion written by Chris St.Hilare; the
message strategist who handled Arnold Schwarzenegger’s historic victory as
governor of California some years back.”

But Makarau said she was “very detached (from politicians) and when I was
speaking to him (Mugabe) I was speaking to him in his capacity as the head
of state.”

“I think what people forget is that in 2013, I also spoke to the then
prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai, no questions were raised about that. I
speak to any office bearer in my capacity as commissioner of Zec,” she
said.

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