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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Feature
TWO women who hold key roles in the Gwanda Municipality engineering department have blown to smithereens stereotypes that have led to society believing women are incapable of blue-collar work.

Ms Beauty Dube (54) is employed by the council as a painter while Ms Sijabulile Moyo (32) is an electrician. They are the first females to ever hold these positions in the council.

Ms Dube and Ms Moyo have excelled in their duties, despite sometimes facing negative attitudes from some clients who will be doubting their capabilities. Ms Dube has been painting for more than 30 years.

She was painting buildings as long ago as 1989 under the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works. She has been involved in painting major infrastructure such as the late Vice-President Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo’s house in Harare, Joshua Mqabuko Polytechnic College, Llewellin Barracks and INkomo Barracks among other buildings.

Ms Dube joined the Gwanda Municipality in 2009.

“The first job I got was of an assistant painter with the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works in 1989. I had an interest in being a painter but I didn’t have the training. I picked up the skill along the way as I was doing the job. I then received formal training in 1994 at the Harare Polytechnic College where I studied painting and decoration. I have been involved in major painting jobs during the course of my career,” she said.

Ms Dube said at times people think painting is an easy job that anyone can do but it requires a lot of skill and knowledge.

“When selecting the kind of paint to use one has to take into consideration the room and activities done there. For example in the living room from chest level going down I can put oil paint because people touch that area a lot making it dirty. Oil paint is ideal because you can wash it when the wall becomes dirty. In the bathroom we have to use PV paint so that when one is bathing the water will run down and not be trapped by the walls,” she said.

Ms Dube said in the kitchen a painter has to apply oil paint on the wall surrounding the sink. In the corridor oil paint is ideal so that the wall can be cleaned easily. She said oil paint was also ideal for the doors as it does not absorb water. Ms Dube said some people were struggling with doors which were expanding when it is raining because the wrong paint had been used which absorbs water when it rains.

She said when painting doors there was need to apply two coats of wood primer first, followed by an undercoat then the finishing paint.

“The problem is that some do short cuts when doing painting jobs. At first I have to remove impurities using sand paper and I apply the undercoat and let it rest for the night. On the following day I apply the first coat and leave it overnight, then I apply the second coat and let it rest for the night. Lastly I apply the finishing layer. Some places have cracks and might need filling first. Sometimes other painters do shortcuts and may apply another coat without allowing the first one to dry,” said Mrs Dube.

Ms Moyo joined the Gwanda Municipality as an electrician in 2019. She graduated from Joshua Mqabuko Polytechnic in 2012 with a National Certificate in Electrical Power Engineering. She attained a National Diploma in Electrical Power Engineering from the Bulawayo Polytechnic College.

At JM Polytechnic, she was one of three ladies who studied the course out of about 40 students. At Bulawayo Polytechnic she was the only female in a class of 15.

“We have pump stations in the town which have pumps and motors. I’m responsible for these motors and their starters. I also attend to towerlights and I’m also responsible for house wiring and tubing. I also fix robots and anything electrical, under the municipality. Some people might look at my job and think it’s dangerous but for me I see it as any other job and I just have to be cautious just like in any other job,” Ms Moyo said.

She developed a liking for electrical engineering while she was at primary school. Ms Moyo said she liked to experiment on radios together with her brothers while at a tender age. She said she was happy that more women were now taking up courses and jobs that were previously dominated by men.

Ms Moyo said women should not be afraid but they must pursue their dreams and take up opportunities that come their way. She said a job should not be limited to a certain gender but anyone who meets the requirements has to be given an opportunity.

Ms Moyo said some clients looked down upon her but it was always her pleasure to prove them wrong and do her work diligently.

Gwanda Municipality Town Clerk Ms Priscillah Nkala said they have a strict gender policy that seeks to elevate women to key leadership roles, especially those that were previously dominated by men. She said Ms Dube and Ms Moyo had proven to be equal to the task.

“We continue to urge women to apply for jobs and we are glad that they are responding and they are doing a good job on the ground. Gone are the days when the secretariat role was for women and manual work for men,” – @DubeMatutu.