Senator only joked about women shaving heads to stop HIV

By Lance Guma

Chikomo Senator Morgan Femai generated international headlines in May this year after suggesting that women shave their heads and dress shabbily to look less attractive and therefore reduce the spread of the HIV virus.

Speaking to SW Radio Africa’s Question Time programme, Kwekwe MP Blessing Chebundo, who chairs the Zimbabwe Parliamentarians on HIV and Aids, has defended Femai, saying the remarks were meant as a joke during a workshop.

“I want to say that when that statement came out, I was actually leading the parliamentarians in Kadoma and that was a workshop, mainly to sensitise MPs,” before the public HIV testing and circumcision campaign launched three weeks ago.

Chebundo said Femai was quoted out of context because he and several other MP’s shared jokes during the workshop. Some MP’s said worse things than Femai all in the name of light hearted jokes, Chebundo told SW Radio Africa.

“Unfortunately the press picked that one up and I fear, I don’t want to usually bring in the aspect of politics into the social issue of HIV Aids, but then the way the report was publicized, it appeared like Senator Femai was really 100% saying this is a good solution,” yet he only cracked a joke to ‘lighten up’ the workshop.

Chebundo said Senator Femai three weeks ago attended “the voluntary counseling and testing, he was interviewed, he was very positive, because he knew that he was now talking as a leader and not necessarily in a workshop where you can actually throw jokes here and there.” SW Radio Africa

To listen to the full interview with Blessing Chebundo: CLICK HERE

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