SECOND ANNUAL SOUTHERN AFRICA LOCAL

GOVERNMENT AND GENDER JUSTICE

SUMMIT AND AWARDS
28 – 30 MARCH 2011
KOPANONG HOTEL, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH
LEADERSHIP

AFRICA
“365 DAYS OF LOCAL ACTION TO END GENDER
VIOLENCE: HALVE GENDER VIOLENCE BY 2015”

LUCIA MKANDHLA
 Please give a brief biography of this
leader. Please attach a face
photography and one that shows this
leader at work
Mrs Lucia Mkandhla
• Local Government Practitioner for 25 years
LEADERSHIP

• An HR practitioner
• Currently Director of Central Administration – Kwekwe
City
• Gender Focal Person for 10 years
• Holder of several Diplomas, Honours in Hr Management,
Masters in Business Administration (MBA), Phd study
fellow – in African Leadership Development (NUST)

LUCIA MKANDHLA
 WHAT ROLE HAS THE LEADER PLAYED
IN CHAMPIONING GENDER AND GBV
ACTIVITIES?
• Promoting gender awareness, sensitivity and
consciousness throughout Kwekwe City.
LEADERSHIP

• Advocating for the equal participation of women and

men in issues of planning .
• Attending to the cause of women where their rights
would have been violated e.g sexual harassment at
work , equal employment opportunities etc.
• Ensuring the placement of competent and qualified
women in leadership positions.

LUCIA MKANDHLA
 HOW HAS THE LEADER INFLUENCED
THE LEVEL OF BUY IN AND
INVOLVEMENT OF MANAGEMENT?
• Lobbying and advocating for gender equality.
• Through organising and facilitating workshops
LEADERSHIP

on gender concepts :
Gender Based Violence.
Gender mainstreaming
Gender Budgeting
• Carried out gender situational analysis and used
the data to lobby for buy-in in addressing the
gender imbalances in the organisation.

LUCIA MKANDHLA
 IS THE LEADER KNOWN WITHIN THE
INSTITUTION, COMMUNITY, ETC FOR
ADVOCATING FOR ISSUES OF GENDER
AND GBV?
• Nicknamed “Chief Justice” on Gender issues.
• National trainer on gender , Corporate
LEADERSHIP

Governance and leadership.

• Lobbying and advocating for gender justice.
e.g. through the leader’s efforts – Kwekwe City, for
the first time in history, since 1904-appointed 2
female Directors (HODs) to lead departments of
critical importance i.e central administration and
health services.
• Is one of the founder members of (WLGF)
Women in Local Government Forum - Zimbabwe

LUCIA MKANDHLA
 WHAT TIMES DOES THE LEADER
DEVOTE TO THIS WORK? IS IT PAID OR
VOLUNTARY?
• The fact that the leader’s roles in the
City of Kwekwe are challenging and
LEADERSHIP

demanding, the leader sacrifices her

free time including weekends to work
on gender issues-voluntary.

LUCIA MKANDHLA
 HOW HAS THE LEADER HELPED TO
POPULARISE GENDER AND GBV
ACTIVITIES AND INITIATIVES IN THE
WORKPLACE?
• Training and sensitizing stakeholders on gender as an integral part of
development i.e. Councilors
- Senior Management
LEADERSHIP

- Worker representatives
- Safety Committees.
- Ward Development Committees.
• Review of organisational Policies to ensure that they incorporate gender issues.
• Currently working on a gender policy document for the organisation.
• Training women in leadership to encourage them to take up leadership
positions.
• Encouraging women to report any cases of violence against them and ensure
immediate redress.

LUCIA MKANDHLA
 WHAT RESULTS HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED?
HOW IS THIS LINKED TO PERSONAL
CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE LEADER?
• Increased gender awareness, consciousness and
sensitivity throughout the City of Kwekwe.
• Changed attitudes and perceptions towards women.
LEADERSHIP

• Improved interpersonal relations as a result of buy-in.

• For the first time in history of Kwekwe there is a woman
Chairperson for the workers Representatives.
• Kwekwe City appointed 2 qualified and competent
female Directors (HODs) to lead critical departments i.e
Central Administration and Health Services.
• Increased participation of women in issues of
governance.
• Increased number of women in supervisory and
Managerial positions.

LUCIA MKANDHLA
 SHORT STORY OR ANECDOTE THAT
ILLUSTRATES THE PASSION OF THE
LEADER
• In 2009 Kwekwe City advertised nationally for three vacant positions of Directors
(HODS).
• Several applicants responded to the advertisements.
LEADERSHIP

• Shortlisting was done

• Ten candidates for each post were shortlisted.
• The leader responded to that of Director of central Administration.
• Another female candidate responded to the post of Director of Health Services.
• Both female candidates had masters Degrees and were highly experienced.
• The interview Panel comprised the Town Clerk ,Acting Mayor and Chairperson of
the Finance Committee and two consultants, a Lawyer and a Local Government
practioner.
• The leader and her female colleague scored highly in the interviews and clinched
the first positions.
• When the interview results were presented to a male dominated Council, they
unanimously resolved to alter the results of the interviews in favour of men
against the advice of the Town Clerk, that it was illegal and discriminatory.

LUCIA MKANDHLA
 SHORT STORY OR ANECDOTE THAT
ILLUSTRATES THE PASSION OF THE
LEADER
• Council then made a recommendation to the Local Government Board
for the second round of interviews recommending that the one who
had come first for the post of Director of Central Administration be
LEADERSHIP

placed second and the one who had come first for the post of
Director of Health services be placed third.
• But they did not temper with the results of the post of Director of
Housing and Community Services because a man had come first.
• The leader got to know about this position through the minutes of
Council and wrote a letter of complaint to the Minister of Local
Government, Rural and Urban Development.
• The Ministry ordered a second round of interviews to be conducted by
the Local Government Board and the results came out the same as
the ones done at local level resulting in the two female employees
being appointed the first women Directors of Central Administration
and Health Services respectively making history for the City since its
establishment as a local authority in 1904.

LUCIA MKANDHLA
 THANK YOU

LUCIA MKANDHLA
LEADERSHIP

DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL
ADMINISTRATION – KWEKWE CITY

MBA , IPMZ Fellow,

PhD study Fellow (NUST)

LUCIA MKANDHLA