Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings on Leadership, Legacy, and Rising Above Abuse

Accra, September 30, 2025 – Korle Klottey Member of Parliament Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings has spoken candidly about the personal attacks she has faced throughout her life, calling out those who lack the courage to confront her directly.

In a recent appearance on JoyNews and monitored by vista news gh.com, Dr Agyeman-Rawlings made clear her position on critics who operate from the shadows. "I have no respect for people who are cowards. If you have something to say, own up and say it. Let's know that you have said it and you are owning what you've said," she declared.

The MP revealed that abuse has been a constant presence in her life, beginning in childhood and continuing into her political career much of it stemming from her father's controversial legacy. Even during her primary school years, classmates would make disparaging comments about her family.

The hostility followed her into Parliament. During a session on February 4 this year commemorating the 60th anniversary of Joseph Boakye Danquah's death, an unidentified male voice from the parliamentary backbench shouted, "Daughter of a murderer, sit down!" while Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin was addressing the House.

The Speaker of Parliament issued an apology to Dr Agyeman-Rawlings and her family, launching a formal investigation to identify the responsible MP and warning of stricter consequences if the individual failed to come forward voluntarily.

Dr Agyeman-Rawlings emphasized that those in public office must exemplify restraint and decency. "I don't appreciate people who feel that they should be callous because they can," she said, adding that true leadership requires humility, decorum, and respect not the mere ability to wield power.

She questioned the maturity of those who target children for their parents' actions. "In society, when you have people who feel they must have a swipe at the child of someone because of their disdain for the parent, I'm not quite sure if it shows a certain level of maturity."

The MP shared that she has learned to manage such attacks through prayer and focus. "To a large extent, I do pray a lot. You just surrender certain things and pray for the grace to move on and keep focused on what your purpose is." She believes that her destiny is determined by God alone, and that critics cannot derail it through their distractions.

Drawing on advice from her late father, she recalled him telling her: "Don't make enemies of your parents' enemies." This guidance has stayed with her throughout her life and political career.

Dr Agyeman-Rawlings acknowledged the complexity of her father's legacy, noting that he had apologized for the excesses of the revolution, even on behalf of those whose actions he did not know about. She observed that many people who know the truth about that period remain silent for their own reasons.

Despite this, she maintains unwavering loyalty to her parents. "I will not publicly or privately turn my back on my parents, because I know what they did. I'm also aware of the sacrifices they made."

These experiences have shaped how Dr Agyeman-Rawlings conducts herself politically. She does not tolerate abuse on her own platforms, understanding personally what it means to be targeted for things beyond one's control. "I do not take kindly to people on my platform abusing or assaulting other people. It's not something I like to endorse, because I understand what it's like to be on the receiving end of something you may have had nothing to do with."

She has also learned not to become merely a reaction to others' hostility. "You can choose to rise above it and be who you will be, rather than be a reaction to how people are behaving. Each of us has a destiny. When you start looking too much at what somebody else in their path is doing, you may lose your path."

For Dr Agyeman-Rawlings, attacks from critics often reveal their fear of her convictions. "Sometimes people see the level of conviction you have. They know that perhaps if they attack you enough, they can get you to move away from what you believe in. So you have to try not to be reactionary so much that you lose your pathway. Then they've won."

The MP's message is clear: she will continue to focus on her purpose, undeterred by those who attack from positions of cowardice rather than engaging with courage and honesty.