Claver Nyuki
The First Lady, Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa has been receiving a lot of criticism mainly on social media for her hands-on approach and calling Government departments especially the Health departments to order over substandard service to citizens.
The unwarranted criticism which is obviously being spearheaded by opposition members has even gone further to equate Amai Mnangagwa with the former First Lady, Grace Mugabe, even predicting her downfall.
The argument from some of the netizens is that the First Lady is overstepping her boundary and mandate as she is not a Government employee. The NewsDay even has an article questioning her philanthropic work and alleged that she is ‘interfering’ with Government work.
University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer Eldred Masunungure and United Kingdom-based Zimbabwean economic researcher Brighton Musonza were both quoted by the paper saying that she should stick to charity work.
Objectively, the First Lady has done a lot of good since President Mnangagwa assumed office and deserves more credit than criticism. Some netizens have confessed to having seen a lot of difference in hospitals following Amai Mnangagwa’s impromptu visits and her recent visit to NatPham in which she quizzed management on drug leakages and improper drug distribution.
Even though the likes of the National Patriotic Front Spokesperson, Jealousy Mawarire criticized Amai Mnangagwa for taking NatPham to task, other netizens are quite appreciative of her work. Alfred Ncube posted on his Twitter page, “Guys just go to Public hospitals & see the huge difference before you comment here. It’s massive. Very clean and well managed now. It’s easy to complain but go see for yourself. Not everything is falling apart.”
The difference Amai Mnangagwa has made in the Health sector is insurmountable and it’s only befitting that she was appointed Ambassador of Health and Child Care in the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
There was a lot of corruption and complacency that had trickled in the Government hospitals and the health sector as a whole. What the First Lady has done is make sure that the professionalism aspect is maintained in the sector.
Before Amai Mnangagwa’s impromptu visits, there were complains of mistreatment and patients not being attended to, even the cleanliness aspect had deserted but that has all changed.
Amai Mnangagwa’s efforts are commendable; besides founding the Angel of Hope, which has gone a long way in helping the less privileged, including the cyclone Idai victims, Amai Mnangagwa has forced Government departments to up their game on service delivery and fulfil their mandate to serve the people.
Mawarire and company accused Amai Mnangagwa of overstepping her bounds but she has every right to demand proper service as she is also a citizen of the country. Amai Mnangagwa is an ‘Angel of Hope,’ for Zimbabwe and only sceptics are finding fault with the good work the First Lady is doing.
