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NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HANSARD 11 JANUARY 2018 VOL 44 NO 30

PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE

 

Thursday, 11^th January, 2018

The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.

PRAYERS

(THE HON. SPEAKER in the Chair)

ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. SPEAKER

ERROR ON THE ORDER PAPER

THE HON. SPEAKER: I wish to draw the attention of the House to an error on your Order Paper where notice of presentation of the Public Health Bill [H.B. 7, 2017] was inadvertently omitted from today’s Order Paper. The notice should be inserted above the Notices of

Motions and Orders of the Day. Are we together there Hon. Chibaya?           Your Order Number 1 becomes the Public Health Bill and therefore the rest of the numbers will change accordingly.

DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS TO CDF COMMITTEES

THE HON. SPEAKER: In terms of Article 6 (1) (b) of the CDF Constitution, the Parliamentary Staff Management Committee shall disburse money to constituencies for project implementation. This requirement empowers the CDF Parliamentary Staff Management

Committee to release money for identified projects only. Constituency Development Committees are required to identify projects within their constituencies by conducting consultative processes with all stakeholders in the constituency which must then be approved by the Constituency Development Committee in terms of Article 9 (1) of the CDF constitution.

Constituencies that have submitted their bank account numbers are now required, in terms of Article 6 of the CDF constitution as read together with Section 12 of the Accounting Officer’s Manual, to submit:

• A list of identified projects;
• A minimum of three quotations for each project showing the estimated cost of each project;
• The total estimated cost for all identified projects must not exceed

$50 000;

• Signed minutes of the CDF Committee showing approval of projects.

Those four conditions must be met. Please note, the quotations are required for purposes of calculating the estimated cost of each project and not for approval of projects by the Parliamentary Staff Management

Committee.

Constituencies are therefore urged to comply with the above instructions in order to enable the Parliamentary Staff Management Committee to release money into the Constituency Development Committee bank accounts. To date, only 129 constituencies have submitted the initial documentation and their bank accounts. Out of that figure only two have fully complied with the CDF Constitution and the Accounting Officers’ Manual and have submitted their project list as well as the estimated cost for their identified projects.

The Management Committee has set in motion the process of disbursing their money which is expected in their bank accounts anytime soon.  Five submissions did not comply with the provisions of the Constituency Development Fund Constitution and 74 have not made any submission at all.

Hon. Members, you are urged to attend to this matter urgently. This is to your advantage in promoting development in your respective constituencies. This circular, I have asked staff to ensure that this circular is in your pigeon holes.  Collect it so that you are guided accordingly.

FIRST READING

PUBLIC HEALTH BILL [H.B. 7, 2017]

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON.

1. PARIRENYATWA) presented the Public Health Bill (H.B. 7, 2017).

Bill read the first time.

Bill referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee.

MOTION

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

HON. MATUKE: I move that Orders of the Day Numbers 1 to 53, on Today’s Order Paper, be stood over until we dispose the rest of the Orders of the Day.

HON. RUNGANI: I second.

Motion put and agreed to.

MOTION

CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE ON THE INUAGURATION OF

HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT

HON. ZINDI: I move the motion standing in my name:

That this House:

INSPIRED by His Excellency, The President E. D. Mnangagwa’s sterling inaugural address to the nation on Friday 24 November 2017 at the National Sports Stadium, envisaging a new dispensation;

ACKNOWLEDGING the measures already taken such as:

• Efforts to stamp out corruption at all levels as demonstrated by the 90-day moratorium on those who externalised cash and assets, and
• The meetings held with Permanent Secretaries and Public Service Commission highlighting the need to downsize Government structures and appoint a lean Cabinet, and retiring civil servants who have reached their retirement age.

FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGING the need to strengthen

institutions of governance  through separation of powers among the three arms of the State namely; the Judiciary, the  Legislature and the

Executive;

COGNISANT of the call by His Excellency to shun any forms of retribution and  divisions as a way of fostering unity among

Zimbabweans regardless of colour, creed, gender and ethnicity;

MINDFUL of His Excellency, the President’s desire to revive the economy leading to the creation of jobs;

APPLAUDING the sentiments expressed towards restoration of international relations through engaging the international community;

NOW, THEREFORE, expresses its unequivocal and deepest

appreciation and support     for the measures being taken to rebuild Zimbabwe.

HON. RTD. BRIG. GEN. KANHANGA:  I second.

HON. ZINDI: Thank you Hon. Speaker.  Hon. Speaker, I rise to move a congratulatory message to His Excellency the President, Hon.

Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa as the second Executive President of Zimbabwe.  I just want to be mindful of the fact that change is a necessity and as it is so, we need to embrace change.  We saw in the events that took place in November which then resultantly saw His Excellence E. D. Mnangagwa being installed as President despite the resistance to change, by the former President Robert Mugabe.

It was really an opportune moment for change to take place.

Hence it was embraced by everybody in Zimbabwe and the International

Community.  I hope you will allow me to read or to refer to my speech here and there because I do not know the background of His Excellency off hand.

Hon. Speaker, His Excellency, Hon. E.D Mnangagwa, was appointed as the Executive President and 3^rd President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and assumed his duty, on Friday, 24^th November, 2017;  I need to extend also my welcome and also warm congratulations to Amai Auxilia Mnangagwa as the First Lady of Zimbabwe, on the same day.

Mr. Speaker, His Excellency, the President, Hon, Mnangagwa’s appointment as a second Executive President of Zimbabwe, was no surprise to many of us in this House after enduring some humiliating meetings.  His Excellency, E.D Mnangagwa demonstrated His political maturity and I am saying his political maturity which he demonstrated particularly after nasty words were hurled at him in his presence but he kept his cool, he never responded; hence, I have to mention this.   Those insults were a clear demonstration that he was the heir apparent and it came to pass.  All said and done, Hon. Speaker, the man demonstrated his political maturity beyond no doubt in his inauguration speech to shun any forms of retribution and revenge after having been humiliated and insulted publicly.  In support of his words, as I have stated above, here is a man who at one time described himself as soft wool; hence his words of non-retribution and also revenge.

Hon. Speaker, I think it is also prudent for me to describe in brief who Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa is.  Born on September 15,

1942 in Zvishavane then known as Shabanie and qualified as a lawyer.  His Excellency, the President, Cde. Mnangagwa who is and was a close ally worked with the former President of Zimbabwe for over five decades.  He is a senior member of the ruling ZANU PF party and served as the first Vice President of Zimbabwe from 2014 until his dismissal in early November 2017, which then prompted him to assume the presidency in November 2017, after the intervention of the

Zimbabwe Defence Forces.  He demonstrated his political shrewdness to all and sundry when he took over as the President to the disbelief of those who were opposed to it.

His Excellency the President, Cde. Mnangagwa was a guerilla leader during the Rhodesian bush war.  He held a series of senior

Cabinet positions under the former President of Zimbabwe Cde. Robert Mugabe.  Nick named ngwena or garwe which describes his political shrewdness.  Cde Mnangagwa’s parents were politically active and also farmers.  His family fled to Zambia due to political activism against the white settlers in Rhodesia.  Cde. Mnangagwa escaped a death sentence over charges of sabotaging a locomotive train in Fort Victoria then known, which is now Masvingo.  He was tried under the Law and Order Maintenance Act and served a 10 year imprisonment.  His lawyers who defended him during trial, J.J Horn of Scanlen and Holderness pleaded that he was under 21 and could not be executed.  He was released and then deported to Zambia to join his parents.  While in prison, he became friends with the former President R.G Mugabe and attended his prison classes after which he passed his O levels and A levels.

He trained as a guerrilla fighter in Egypt and China as part of the first group of ZANU leaders sent oversees for training.  While in China, Beijing in particular, he attended the Beijing School of Ideology which was run by the Communist Party of China.  His Excellency, President Mnangagwa, in Mozambique became a security chief for ZANU and also the assistant and bodyguard to the former President Mugabe.  He also accompanied the former President to the negotiations that led to the signing of the Lancaster House Agreement which recognised the

Republic of Zimbabwe.  Cde. Mnangagwa became the first country’s

Security Minister and led the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) in 1980 when Zimbabwe gained its independence from the British colonial rule.  He also took over as the Chairman of the Joint High Command after General Peter Walls was dismissed.  Having said that in brief, Hon.

Speaker, I now refer to His Excellency’s inauguration speech.

Measures taken in the new dispensation

Downsizing of Government Structure

Mr. Speaker, in addition to the above, I would like to express

my sincere gratitude to His Excellency’s inspiring inaugural speech on

24^th November 2017, in which he set out the tone on a number of reforms and that it was no longer business as usual.  His speech envisaged a new dispensation and already some measures have been taken that include an initial meeting with the Permanent Secretaries and Public Service Commission to discuss the need to downsize Government structures, appointment of a lean Cabinet and retiring civil servants who have reached their retirement age; with the ultimate result to cut down on Government expenditure.

90% Government Expenditure is Labour Cost

It is common knowledge that Government expenditure takes up to 90% of the National Budget and His Excellency the President has hit the ground running to curb that expenditure so that Government employs more financial resources into development and service delivery.  We welcome the school of thought to retire those who have reached their retirement age so that they open a gap for the young unemployed youths in the civil service.  This is inspiring particularly when it is coming from the Head of State, setting the right direction to take as a Government and we are in full support as Parliament.

Lean Cabinet - taking a cue from the Chinese Leadership

Model

Subsequently, a lean Cabinet will definitely reduce the cost that comes with a large Cabinet.  On this concept of a lean Cabinet, borrowing from our all-weather friendly nation China, Lawrence and

Martin (2013) states that China’s highest decision making body, the Politburo Standing Committee (PSC) comprises of only seven members with each member having a specific portfolio and it is descriptive of collective leadership and 25 Politburo members in the larger Politburo.

Thus, China has no supreme leader since the death of Deng Xiaoping in

1997 in comparison to our situation where we had more than thirty Cabinet Ministers with a population of only 14 million while China has

1.35 billion.

Lawrence and Martin (2015) further observed that although Xi Jinping is ranked as the first among the seven and has responsibility for convening Politburo Standing Committee and the larger 25 Politburo meetings, also controls the military and foreign affairs, however, Xi must win consensus from the rest of the group for major decisions.  Forging agreement can be difficult in part because members of PSC owe their jobs to horse trading among different constituencies, interest groups and influential retired party elders whose interest they represent informally on the PSC.  Reaching decisions, though consensus as a tool for leadership reduces conflicts, leading to unity and peace creates a conducive environment for development.

Therefore, with the tone set by His Excellency the President,  it would be prudent that he also takes a cue from such leadership style models both as a ruling party and Government.  I would like to suggest that we do away with one person holding multiple positions both in the party and Government as was the old order.  No to godfathers and godmothers in the political provinces whose behaviour is characteristic of dictatorial and autocratic leadership styles, favouring their own preferred party structure leaders at every level of the party organs while creating factions and causing disharmony in the party.

We call upon our new President to ensure that political bullies have no space in the ruling party and Government.  It should be understood that ZANU PF party’s instability has a potential to destabilise the whole society due to its magnitude as we witnessed in the couple of years due to its factional fights which led to the intervention by ZDF in order to stabilise the country and subsequently the army’s intervention led to His Excellency Mnangagwa’s ascendancy to presidency.

There should be a clear distinction between the party and

Government, those appointed as Politburo members should not be Government Ministers as well, as this will ultimately compromise performance as we have experienced time and again with the opposition in the House having to raise the issue of Government Ministers failing to attend Parliament for Wednesday Questions Without Notice Sessions because it is the same day when Politburo members meet.  I would advocate for an idea that if one is appointed a Politburo member, the ideal situation should be that such members should be full time working at the party offices with a similar package such as the Government policies which are then implemented by the Government since the party is supreme to Government.  China is doing it and South Africa too, for example the Secretary General of ANC, just to mention a few examples.

 Meritocracy Guiding Public Officials Appointment

Mindful of His Excellency’s authority to appoint public officials  including Ministers, we encourage observation of our Constitution Section 9 (a) which says that appointments to public offices must be made primarily on merit.  In the old order, we witnessed public officials being appointed on the basis of nepotism, with the potential to breed corruption in the public institutions and violation of the Constitution. Appointments were done on the basis of how connected one is to the powers that be, regardless of one not having the qualifications for the particular position.  Therefore, we applaud our new President for having shown interest to deal with such malfeasances.

Corruption

On the issue of corruption, the President set the tone for zero

tolerance to corruption and has already given a 90 day moratorium on those who externalised cash and assets.  As Parliament, we definitely applaud such measures to deal with corruption which has had a negative impact on economic growth.

Public Officials should be Well-Remunerated

As Parliament, we say public officials should be well-remunerated and should declare their wealth.  Public officials are servants of the people and should not use politics or public positions that they occupy to accumulate wealth instead of improving the standards of living of the general population.  There should not be red tape when public officers sign deals with foreign investors as this will make our country not investor friendly with a negative impact on our economic growth.  Our current situation is that most of the public officers are running big businesses such as retail, farming, energy and transport.  Thus, there is great temptation that they may use their influence or power to award each other or their close associates lucrative tenders or business licences, thus conflict of interest.  Therefore, there should be separation between State offices and business.

Dismissal of Current Board Members and CEOs

         Let us talk about the current boards. His Excellency has enunciated in his new dispensation that we should see those boards which are not operating profitably being privatised. That is positive as compared to the era of the past and I am encouraging that it should be done, and also to make sure that those who have been appointed on the boards should not exceed at least two terms, then they should give an opportunity to others.

We have said this over and over, but we never saw it being practiced. I am hopeful His Excellency is going to ensure that this is implemented. E-governance should be installed in all our Government departments. Why am I encouraging that? This is simply because it reduces the interface where people will talk to each other and envelopes exchanging hands. With e-governance, somebody just communicates, gets his information, and pays for whatever fees that one is supposed to pay and whatever levies without that interface where there is a possibility of corruption taking place.

Freedom of expression and association as it is enshrined in our Constitution on Section 59, it is important that people should be in a situation where they can freely air out their grievances to the Government and the Government in the process, should put corrective measures other than having to thwart that freedom of expression as we witnessed in the past. I can go on and give examples.

We have seen war veterans being incarcerated in the past for expressing themselves and we are saying in this new dispensation, freedom of expression as it is enshrined under Section 59, should be allowed. We have seen that in this new dispensation and the positive inauguration speech of His Excellency, we are going to ensure that freedom of expression is going to be practiced.

Let me come to laws which cause unnecessary disharmony in society, for example AIPPA and POSA. These laws are nothing but bring disharmony in society. I am saying for purposes of peace and harmony in society in this new era, we should see such laws which cause unnecessary division among ourselves being repealed.

On the doctrine of separation of powers, it is important and let me quote for example what Shore 2012 states about the doctrine of separation of powers. ‘He says that the principle of separation of powers as the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary ensures that powers of Government are divided into different branches and not concentrated in one. The author further explains that these departments should be separated and distinct because of the corrupting nature of power’.

For example, if the body that makes laws could also enforce them and adjudicate disputes, it would likely do so in preferential manner, undermining the rule of law and basic fairness. Thus, power must be checked or it will be abused, hence my call for the principle of separation of powers to be observed in the new era as opposed to what was happening in the old order.

Hon. Speaker, in this new era I have noticed, seen and heard from

His Excellency who is talking about the growing or growth of the economy, and mining is one area that we should look at. For example on mining, Williams (2011) whom I should quote here cited by Mark Van Bosshore an expert on the foot-printing or the location of diamond sites in Zimbabwe based at the world diamond centre in Belgium says,

“Zimbabwe has the largest diamond deposits worldwide and they are a

billion years old”.

The kimberlite diamonds do stretch over 70 km from Chiadzwa district of Marange to the Chimanimani Mountains on the Mozambican border. Our diamonds are said to be worth up to US$800 billion. Further, William 2011) says, as he is cited by Belfast Telegraph, estimated that the fields could meet a quarter of the world’s demand for diamonds with potential revenue estimated at US$1 billion to US$1.7 billion per year, which is about half the crisis ridden country’s total GDP. This was said by 2010, and enough to end our economic wars almost at a stroke as it is reported by economists from U.K., cited by

William (2011).

I am saying as we are talking about economic growth, we should look at how best we can utilise...

Hon. J. Tshuma having passed between the Chair and the Hon.

Member speaking.

         THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Tshuma, you may not cross between the Speaker and the Hon. Member speaking.

HON. ZINDI: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I was saying as we are talking about growing our economy, the diamonds, this much, this worth, we should ensure in the new era that they benefit the country, citizens and everyone because we have them. On the platinum group metals, I understand there are six metals which are found in platinum. These are ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium and platinum itself. These are the six which are found in platinum. They have similar physical and chemical properties and tend to occur together in the same mineral deposits.

According to Azonet Network (2017), it says, RioZim reported 8

600 metric tonnes of copper and nickel in 2010. Zimplats Holdings Pvt.

Limited of Gansey, Ngezi Mine accounted for 3.9 milion metric tonnes of ore in 2010. The ore included the following: 2500 tonnes of copper, 340 tonnes of nickel, 4.6 tonnes of palladium, 5.6 tonnes of platinum,

600 kgs gold and 500 kgs of rhodium. Mimosa Mine owned by the Mimosa Investments Limited of Mauritius, accounted for 2.3 million metric tonnes (mt) of ore in 2010.  The ore included 2 792t of nickel, 2 396t of copper, 79t of cobalt, 3.2t of platinum, 2.4t of palladium, 430kg of gold and 250kg of rhodium.  Thus, experts feel that in the future, the Government needs to realise that mining investment is crucial to economic recovery as this industry accounts for nearly 65% of exports and more than half of the country’s foreign exchange revenue here in Zimbabwe.

Thus, there is need for the Government to put in place measures to ensure the Government is not fleeced……

THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, can you please refer to the notes rather than reading the speech?

HON. ZINDI: Thank you Hon. Speaker.  Some of the notes I have to read because I do not know them by head, this is why I was making reference to the details.  Nonetheless, I will.

THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, do not contest the Chair.  I

allowed you the mathematical side because it is only fair that you refer - but when it comes to the narrative, please.

HON. ZINDI: By your indulgence I will observe that Hon.

Speaker.  Thank you.  I have given all these statistics on the principle of growing our economy Hon. Speaker, that Zimbabwe has got the potential.  It has got the potential, particularly when we are looking at our minerals, the gold and everything that I have made reference to but the worrying factor is that all this platinum the ore is being processed outside and we are actually being informed of whatever that has been gotten from that ore.

In this new era we need to put measures to make sure that smelters have been constructed in this country and this ore is processed locally.   There is need for the Government to put in place measures that ensure the Government is not fleeced of its minerals by investors through putting in place policies that encourage payment of what is due to Government without prejudice to the fiscus.

With these words and with this contribution as my congratulatory message, on the installation of His Excellency, Emmerson, Dambudzo Mnangagwa, we are so hopeful that the economy is going to grow.  We are so hopeful that we are in a new dispensation and that he is going to drive.  He is going to be the captain of the ship and we are going to be sailing smoothly.  I thank you

THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order.  Yesterday, after leaving the Chair, a number of Hon. Members started trickling out and in the end we did not have a quorum.  Now, if you consider what items are on the Order Paper, there are so many of them.  You are expected to be here at least up to 7 o’clock.  When you do a bunk of the session, you are not indicating your seriousness to the cause of Parliamentary debate and presence.   So, I am appealing to Hon. Members that as much as

possible, try to debate the items so that we reduce those items on the Order Paper, by your presence.

Vehicle registration AEF 2364 has blocked other vehicles in the parking bay.  The responsible Hon. Member please adjust your parking accordingly.

HON. RTD. BRIG. GEN. KANHANGA: Thank you Mr.

Speaker Sir.  Allow me to start by congratulating His Excellency, Cde E.

1. Mnangagwa on his ascension to the high office and also to thank Hon. Zindi for moving this important motion.

As I rise Mr. Speaker, I do so in the belief that the country has crossed the Rubicon and that there will be no going back after the departure of the former President.  The journey that we have travelled; the terrain and terrain features we have traversed as a nation has been rough.  It has had its pains and hardship but at the same time it has also brought its joys and a new hope for the future.

The leadership qualities of His Excellency, the President have been amply exuded in his Inaugural Speech and Keynote Address at the Special National Congress and the State of the Nation Address (SONA), which set the tone and trajectory of his desires.  All I would like to share with the House are things, hopes and dreams which we as Members of Parliament and as representatives of people at large pray for during the incumbency of His Excellency, the President.

The President, as we know him is a sort of man; he is a sort of person who will not waste another day, week or month in coming to grips with issues on the national agenda and among those will be the whole question of providing inspiration in leadership in order to bring new hope to the young who are without jobs.  These jobs can be created by expediting the establishment of the National Productivity Institute, which will serve to promote the competitiveness of the local industry.

As we speak, he has laid out various initiatives towards economic recovery which include combating of corruption and here I want to emphasise his determination when he made mention of no sacred cows and if I may quote him, he said, “I mean it.”   He has also highlighted the issue of promoting good governance, revamping or disposing of nonperforming parastatals.  He has mentioned robust reengagement with the international community to include the removal of sanctions and engagement with the international finance institutions like the Bretton Woods institutions.  He also talked about revamping the health delivery system.

Madam Speaker, I want to refer to Parirenyatwa Hospital.  During the days when it was set up, it was called Andrew Fleming; it used to be a regional and international referral centre.  However, all of a sudden, that has gone to zero, not because there is any change at Parirenyatwa, the equipment is still there, the expertise is still there but what is only needed is just a few resources to quick start, re-kit or retool and then we are back in business.  It is one area which I think can be addressed very quickly as a low-hanging fruit.

He also mentioned of the infrastructure renewal, that is retooling and re-kitting of industry.  I think we can carry out an audit to look at the various levels of our dysfunctional industries, they are not all the same.  Some just require maybe one cog in a wheel, which will cost maybe $1000 but we are taking it and classifying all of them as – to quote my friend here, “moribund,” they are old and cannot be rehabilitated.  We should look at those which can be revived quickly and put in resources so that the industry is revived.

He also made mention of a commitment by this nation to holding a credible, free and fair election.  Here we are saying; leveling the playing field so that everyone is at par and we look forward to that.  The President has moved a step further in setting up a platform where all parties are coming together trying to find one another and sort out differences, in BVR, national registration or any other issue that other parties feel are not fair before the holding of elections.  In that regard, we think it is a positive step and we hope to see free and fair elections.

The President also mentioned the ease of doing business, the OneStop Shop we have all been talking about, I think for years now, I do not know but maybe three to four years.  Legislation has been changing, today, tomorrow and so on, we have not come to any meaningful One-

Stop Shop.  I think this issue needs urgent attention.

As a first step towards achieving all these other areas that I have alluded to, he has directed Government Ministries to operate on a clear set of targets to be implemented within 100 days and I am sure some of the ministers are sweating under their collars to meet the 100 day moratorium.  Equally, we think that this should not only be restricted to ministries, it must be spread across the board.  It is no longer business as usual, we want to make sure that we complement the efforts of His Excellency in trying to make sure that we show that we want to quickly realise the aspirations of the people within the shortest possible time.

The President has also gone further to implore public officials to use resources efficiently.  Some time back, a Permanent Secretary could have three to four vehicles, all allocated to him and a Minister; four to five vehicles allocated to him, including one for ferrying his children to school.  That has to stop and we have to make sure that we have efficient use of our resources.

On the issue of land, Madam Speaker, I have a few recommendations which I want to put to the House;

1. Allocation of land should be to passionate farmers, we cannot all be farmers and that is a fact of life. Let us reorganize where we see that Hon. Kanhanga had just taken up land for speculative purposes, let us reduce that piece of land to a minimum size to allow him to just feed his family and give the chunk of land to people who are productive.
2. I am recommending that farms that have been lying idle for five years and above should be repossessed by the State and redistributed, because Zimbabwe is running hungry - not because there is no land, but because the people who were allocated land are not fully utilising the land – [AN HON. MEMBER: Especially

G40.] –

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Member.

HON. RTD. BRIG. GEN. KANHANGA: I think it is only prudent that to achieve that; the Land Commission be resourced enough to be able to carry out a comprehensive audit and make sure that we name and shame these people who are sitting on land with their offer letters, pretending to be farmers when they are just people using those farms as holiday homes.  I also recommend that in the process of land allocation, there was a lot of corruption within the District Lands Committees.  I recommend that investigations be carried out on these corrupt District Lands Officers who have enriched themselves at the expense of the nation.  Surely, we must bring sanity to this sector.

On exporters, I just want to make a recommendation.  Exporters bring in foreign currency, we need to support them so that they can retool and re-kit but what is happening is that; if you are a tobacco farmer who earns about $2 million and want to buy a diesel pump to augment your irrigation facility, when you approach the Reserve Bank searching for foreign currency, there is none. I am therefore proposing that, to incentivise farmers, why not give the exporters, 30% of their earnings in hard currency and leave 70% to the Government so that the farmers or whoever the exporters are can retool and re-kit.

On Command Agriculture, just a recommendation, it is a very noble programme but I recommend that instead of Government running Command Agriculture. Why not let it be run by the banks who have mechanisms for recovering in terms of default if one defaults because Government does not have any mechanisms for recovering.  Apart from

that, it is a noble idea.

To conclude Madam Speaker, I believe that this nation should consider itself very lucky in that we continue to have stability in Government which is very rare in this troubled world.  Compliments must go to our Defence Forces.  Sure the vagaries of climate change and weather will continue to worry this nation but one thing that we have not had a drought of is leadership and that is worth more than gold.  I thank you Madam Speaker.

HON. MARIDADI:  Thank you Madam Speaker.  I wish to thank the mover of the motion and the seconder, Hon. Rtd. Brig. Kanhanga.  Madam Speaker, I rise here to debate this motion.  I have gone through it very carefully and there are a number of issues that I want to raise.  I think congratulations to His Excellency are in order for assuming the position of President of this Republic.  Madam Speaker, if you look at this motion here, the first point is that; Acknowledging the Preamble of the Constitution of Zimbabwe which among other endeavours is to commit ourselves to build a united, just, prosperous nation founded on the values of transparency, equality, freedom, fairness and dignity of hard work.

We, as Zimbabweans must be dignified and we must be honest people.  Those values are sacrosanct.  If we look at events leading to the ascendancy of Hon. Mnangagwa, they make a very sad reading, if we are going to put it in a book.  Madam Speaker, it was in this House that I rose to debate a motion on some issue.  As I was debating that motion, I raised the point that it was not right for a sitting President to go to a public forum and insult his deputy.  There was a chorus of disapproval from your right Madam Speaker.  The Vice President I was talking about is none other than Hon. Dambudzo Mnangagwa, now the President.  Actually, one of the Members of Parliament sitting to your right raised a point of order that I was no longer debating a motion but I was debating the President; yet they are the same people today who are falling over each other, congratulating Hon. Dambudzo Mnangagwa; the same person they were insulting two weeks earlier.

Madam Speaker, it was in this House, on this microphone, that I

stood up to debate when Hon. Dambudzo Mnangagwa, as Vice President had been insulted at ZANU PF Headquarters.  There was a chorus of disapproval from your right.  They are the same people today who are standing up to say, he is a man of vision, where did the vision suddenly come from – [Laughter.] – [AN. HON. MEMBER:  Vave natenzi wechipiri.] – Zimbabweans must not be...

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Order.  Can we hear the Hon.

Member please?

HON. MARIDADI:  Zimbabweans must not be hypocrites.  The Holly Bible, even Jesus Christ said, people that he detested during his time were hypocrites and he called them stiff-necked people of callused feet, vanhu vane man’a nemitsipa yakaomarara.  People must not be hypocrites.  I have realised that in Zimbabwe, there are people that do not follow principles but they follow people.  If Madam Speaker, by some stroke of I do not know what miracle, if President Mugabe were to come back today as President, the same people fall over each other congratulating him – [HON. MEMBERS:  Hear, hear.] – Madam

Speaker, it was in this House, on this microphone, using the same leave that I am using today when I spoke about the former First Lady, Mai Grace Mugabe.  I was saying, ko vanofambireiko vachituka vanhu?  People on your right disapproved.  Points of orders were raised from all over the place.  Mapoints of order akanyuka kuita kunge howa.  Point of order that side, point of order that side.

Madam Speaker, people must tell the truth.  What I know is that I was invited to a function three four days before Hon. Mnangagwa was dismissed as Vice President of this country.  Most Members of Parliament sitting in this House were also invited.  I was invited by a special invitation card because the owner of the company, I am friends with him.  When I went to that function, despite the fact that more than 50 Members of Parliament of this House had been invited, there were only two Members of Parliament and I was only one of them from the Opposition.  I stood there and looked around, there was not a single Minister to support the Vice President.  There was not a single Member of Parliament.  The only Member of Parliament who was there was Hon.

Owen Ncube, I am going to mention him by name.  Only Hon. Owen Ncube was the Member of Parliament there.

As I was walking out, I said to one of them, aaah, ko vanhu hamusi kuzo supporter Vice President sei?  Zvikanzi aaah, tovasuporterei?  Vane chiikowo ivava? – [HON. MEMBERS:  Ndiani akadaro?] – Take it easy.  I am debating, take it easy, I am coming there, take it easy.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Order Hon. Member.  Can

we have order?  I think if you did not say anything, why do you worry.

Can you leave the Hon. Member to debate?

HON. MARIDADI:  Madam Speaker, three days later, the then Vice President, Hon. Dambudzo Mnangagwa was sitting in some House

...

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Hon. Mliswa please!

HON. MARIDADI:  Hon. Dambudzo Mnangagwa was sitting in some House, as Vice President and he had just been dismissed and there were only five people in that room.  His wife was one of them.  His phone did not ring for about three to four hours.  When Hon. Mnangagwa jumped the border to go to South Africa and things happened in this nation and it was a day before he came here, I am told his phone was ringing off the hook.  He switched off his phone but it continued to ring because people were continuing to phone – [Laughter.] – When he came back to Zimbabwe as President and his wife came and sat there, people were almost climbing on her to say, congratulations.  She was almost suffocated but it is the same Auxillia Mnangagwa whose husband was dismissed in public and people laughed at her.  Barely three days later, people were falling over each other congratulating her.  Isisu taitaura navo, we could not even talk to her. Up to now, I have not even spoken to her because you cannot even go through because people are busy phoning from your right.

Madam Speaker, let me tell you and this is a warning to the President, His Excellency, those people who are going to his office and those people that are sending congratulatory messages, those are wolves in sheep’s skin.  They do not like him, they like his power – HON. MEMBERS: Yes.  Wabata pane mari.] – Madam Speaker, I am one person who did not like the Presidency of the former President Cde. Gabriel Mugabe.  That is why I tried to move a motion to impeach him from 2013.  I tried from 2013, until I had to go to the Constitutional Court.  Madam Speaker, today I would never rise to say anything disparaging of Cde. Mugabe. Handife ndakavatuka in his personal capacity, but a Member of Parliament from the right once stood up and said Mrs. Mugabe is a prostitute.  It is there, it is in the public domain.

If you want I can copy it.  It is there in the public domain.  Hon. Chinotimba in an interview said Mrs. Mugabe is a prostitute and we told him that you do not say such things about someone’s wife.

Let me tell you, if you are a senior in ZANU PF today and you are a Minister and you hear people say that, they could say the same thing to your wife tomorrow.  They will say exactly the same thing to Hon. Auxillia Mnangagwa, they will say exactly the same thing to the wife of the Speaker because these are people without principles.  What they follow is power, they do not follow ideals.

Madam Speaker, we must not be a nation of hypocrites.  If things had not gone the way they went, I am telling you Madam Speaker, you would not be sitting in that Chair.  I am telling you Hon. Kashiri you would not be a Minister.  Hon. Kashiri, you would be living in

Mozambique in exile and Madam Speaker, you would be living in Mutoko in exile.  Madam Speaker, congratulating Hon. Mnangagwa has no value.  It does not add value to anything.  It does not add value to him; it does not add value to this nation.  What we must focus on is work.  We are an institution of the State and what we must do is to hold the President to account.  We must be saying to ourselves, President Mnangagwa, these are the things you promised us, how far have you gone and what are you doing about these things instead of saying makorokoto, makorokoto.  Ekuita sei makorokoto?

Madam Speaker, today we were told there are hoards and hoards of t-shirts printed R. G. Mugabe with a signature.  Now they do not even know what to do with those t-shirts.  It is because people are hypocrites.  I am challenging ZANU PF today to give me those t-shirts so that I can give them to the less privileged people of Mabvuku and Tafara.  I am challenging you because you do not want them.  Give them to me.  Madam Speaker, just two weeks before Hon. Mnangagwa became

President here, this car park was full of cars which had the signature of

President Mugabe and the face of Grace Mugabe with the words ‘Munhu wese kuna amai’.  We have videos here of people three days after Hon.

Mnangagwa was fired saying ‘Munhu wese kuna amai’, but they are the same people who almost climbed on the President when he came here.

Literally climbed on him.  What nonsense is that?

At least what I like about Cde. Mugabe is that when he came here, people did not try to climb on him to say congratulations.  Why are they doing it to Cde. E. D. Mnangagwa?  They will remove him from focusing.  What Hon. Mnangagwa needs now is support and the support is not to go in front of him and say, we are supporting you.  No, you support from the background.  You support by action by what you are doing.  What you must tell the President is that he is the President of ZANU PF and he is also President of the nation, so he is also President of MDC-T people.

Madam Speaker, just last week, I was told rice is available for Members of Parliament at the Ministry.  I go to the Ministry and I am told no, it is no longer available for urban MPs, but Hon. Makari got hers, Hon. Mazivisa got his but now it is not available because it is Maridadi who supports the MDC-T.  Is MDC-T a party from

Mozambique?  Those are the things Hon. Kashiri you must be telling

President Mnangagwa, that he should depart from Cde Robert Mugabe’s legacy.  Go on a new trajectory.  This is the new trajectory where I must be able to come into your office as an opposition person and say

Honourable, I want this and this and you must be able to grant them.

That is what we want, but we have young Ministers who think like 90 year olds.  They think like people born in 1922 and yet they are young, they are in their 40s and in their 50s.  What nonsense is that?

Madam Speaker, what we want now – I am also going to give recommendations to the President.  The President of this country, Hon. E. D. Mnangagwa must never receive presents from people.  Not birthday presents, not even a birthday card.  He must not because when you do that, you compromise him.  Former President Mugabe’s cake which was the size of this table would come from Premier Medical Aid

Society. Just see how difficult it was for us to deal with the issue of

Premier Medical Aid Society because the President was compromised.

I wish Hon. Auxillia Mnangagwa was here and I would say to her, if you see people from ZANU PF coming to your house, tell them to go away.  If they want to see the President, they must go to ZANU PF Head Quarters and make an appointment.  Why do they want to go to his house, say what?  That is when they tell him Hon. Nduna said this and that and Hon. Maridadi said this, trivial things – [Laughter.]-

Madam Speaker, we want to build this country.  This country belongs to all of us, whether you are ZANU PF.  Whether you are from Chimuti party or from the MDC-T, at the end of the day, the country comes first and the party comes second.  So, this idea of thinking that if you belong to this party you are more patriotic than people who belong to this party is wrong.  Also let me give another recommendation to the President.  President Mnangagwa must not allow people to go around wearing t-shirts printed ‘E. D. Kutonga Kwaro’.  I will tell you what that means.  I saw a group of young boys who were driving a Mercedes Benz with a picture of the President.  When they get to a road block police do not stop them, their vehicles are not searched. They are not subjected to what other citizens are subjected to because they say can you not see that I am driving a vehicle with the picture of the President.

The same people used to do that in the previous dispensation.  They would drive around.  In Mabvuku and Tafara what they would do is they would get a piece of land and Hon. Kashiri here knows it, they would come to an area, find an empty space, take a flag which is written ‘Munhu wese kuna amai’ put it there and the rest is history.  Police cannot even come there and cooperatives are given names such as R. G. Mugabe, Grace Lands, Amai Mugabe Cooperative, ZIM ASSET and what have you.

Madam Speaker, I am going to repeat myself for the purposes of Hansard.  A Member of Parliament from this House, Hon. Chinotimba, in an interview said Grace Mugabe is a prostitute.  Madam Speaker, that must never be repeated – [Laughter.] -

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order.  Hon. Chinotimba,

could you please take your seat.  Hon. Maridadi, I think you should refrain from repeating yourself.

HON. MARIDADI:  I was doing it because he is here.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  No, I do not allow you.  Just continue with your debate.  Also mind you…

HON. MARIDADI:  Okay the light is on, that is fine but I have dealt with them.

HON. CHINOTIMBA:  On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  What is your point of order

Hon. Chinotimba?  Hon. Maridadi, could you please take your seat.

*HON. MARIDADI:  That is what they would also do when former President Mugabe was there.

*HON. CHINOTIMBA:  Madam Speaker, you have warned Hon.

Maridadi that he is repeating himself.  My point of order, is I once had a discussion with Hon. Maridadi and informed him that this august House it is not a place where you have to snatch other people’s wives and he is repeating that.  He always wants to snatch other people’s wives because he is a radio personality – [Laughter.]-

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Order, order. Can we have

order please?  Order!  Hon. Maridadi, would you please wind up.

HON. MARIDADI:  Thank you.  This is a very good House,

Madam Speaker, because even those that have nothing to say are also given a platform to just show their ignorance and to share their ignorance.  It is okay.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Order Hon. Maridadi, this is where you go wrong.

HON. MARIDADI: I am sorry Madam Speaker...

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  I said please proceed and

wind up, just concentrate on your debate.

HON. MARIDADI: In conclusion Madam Speaker...

HON. HOLDER:  On a point of order Madam Speaker.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?

HON. HOLDER:  Madam Speaker, my point of order is that, can you add another 5 minutes to Hon. Maridadi, I am enjoying this - [HON.

MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  I did not hear what the Hon.

Member said - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Let us have order please, there is no need for making such noise.  Hon. Maridadi - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Is there an objection?

         HON. CHINOTIMBA:  I object.

HON. MARIDADI: In conclusion, Madam Speaker - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Madam Speaker, I want to be heard in silence.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  If there is an objection, you cannot proceed Hon. Member.

HON. MARIDADI: Madam Speaker, the issues have been raised; I thank you so much for your time.

HON. CHASI: Thank you Madam Speaker - [HON. MEMBERS:

Inaudible interjections.] –

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  My appeal Hon. Members -

[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order, Hon. Members, can we have order in the House.  I am appealing to you, I know Hon.

Chasi has a very small voice, so I want to hear what he is saying.

HON. CHASI:  Thank you very much Madam Speaker.  I believe

that congratulations to His Excellency the President are in order and  I say so for a number of reasons.  The first one being that we are all familiar with the humiliation that he was subject to.  I am personally familiar with that humiliation - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members, do you

not you want to hear what your colleague is saying.  Now you are busy having meetings, I do not want to mention names.

HON. CHASI: I was making the point that congratulations contrary to what Hon. Maridadi has said are very much in order to the President for the obvious reasons that we are all familiar with the humiliation that he was subjected to.  Not many of us have experienced that type of humiliation in this House and in this country, it has never happened. It was the first time for a sitting Vice President sitting next to his wife to be insulted left, right and centre by the former First Lady of the country in his presence, yet at no time did he reflect any emotion nor did he retaliate to the very harsh words including at one point where he was repeatedly referred to as somebody who is mad.  The former First

Lady repeatedly said ‘unopenga, unopenga’ and so I think that, to have survived that type of abuse and become the President of the country deserves congratulations from all of us.

I also want to say it is common knowledge that the President miraculously survived. He is now here, he is the President of this country and congratulations are in order. So, I want to correct the Hon. Member with regards to those sentiments.  There are reasons also why we must congratulate him; the quality of loyalty that he exhibited to the former President for such a long period and then to be humiliated and not only that, to be expelled from a party that he had served loyally for a very long time.  We all know that he held so many portfolios in Government since independence; Minister of State for Security, Minister of Defence, Minister of Finance, Minister of Justice and Minister of Rural Housing.  There is not one individual in this country who can claim to have had similar extent of experience in Government.  So, I think I want to say that he is very experienced and he is an appropriate person to be in Government as Head of State at the moment.  The qualities that he has exhibited require that we all emulate him.  Part of our problems in this country is that we are not patient; we are quick to retaliate if our politicians would like to get at somebody as quickly as possible and destroy them.

What we have seen in the President is, since the troubles that resulted in the action that was taken by the armed forces on the 15^th of November, 2017 arose from a lack of principle as Hon. Maridadi has mentioned, and a failure to comply with rules and the law;  I want to say that political actors like me and Hon. Members within our respective parties, we must respect the principles that are contained in the Constitution.  In so far as we talk about the pre-eminence of the law, we must respect our own Constitution within our own political formations, respect the national Constitution and also respect the Judiciary and its decisions.   When those decisions are made, they are binding on everyone and they must be complied with.  I want to illustrate the fact that our respect for the rule of law was amply demonstrated when people in Manzou won a court order barring the former First Lady from occupying and the State from removing those people.  That court order was never complied with - the police refused to ensure compliance.  So, when blame is cast on the former First Lady, we must also know -

[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order in the House.

HON. CHASI: We must also know that there were very senior officials in the Government who were complicit in all these things that were happening.  When I was abused at an orphanage, it was because individuals were going to the First Lady saying completely wrong things which are completely uncharacteristic of me.  When land was being distributed in Mazowe, there were people who were encouraging her to carry out those acquisitions and to evict people during the midst of the night when it was raining, when they had not harvested whatever it is that they had planted and to go dump them in the middle of nowhere with reckless regard to the health of the minor children that were there, to the possibility of those children getting education.  Their lives were completely disrupted and so, blame must be found and those individuals who aided and abated those illegalities must be accountable without reference to their political affiliation but simply looking at what it is that they have done.  The President has exhibited extreme humility.  The former Vice President has not been abused. In fact, we all know that he has been given a fairly lucrative package.  The former First Lady is still in Zimbabwe.  She has not been the subject of any abuse which one would term illegal or unlawful.  Those are characteristics that we really need to follow.

I would like to pick up on a point that Hon. Maridadi made reference to, the issue of hypocrisy and dishonesty.  Both aspects are the fulcrums of corruption which is an evil that the President has declared war against.  In order for us to deal with corruption, we must operate on the basis of principles as I think the war veterans in this country have done consistently since the war and up to now.  The criticisms about militarisation in my view are misplaced.  In 1980, some war veterans went to the army, private sector and Government departments.  But for political gain or out of ignorance, others would like to pretend that this is something that is happening now.  We have people like the two Vice Presidents and the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Shiri - they are accomplished military people and decorated combatants for this country.  What is it that is wrong for somebody who has served their country for over forty years to want to go into politics?  I do not think that there is any problem.  The combatants have simply moved along a continuum of the liberation ideology to be able to participate in the policy making of the country.

I would like to suggest as I have said, that transparency is key in governmental operations. Unless we deal with that, we will not be able to deal with corruption.  The opacity of the operations of Government create a very fertile environment for corrupt activity.  One of the hall marks of corruption or of corrupt individuals is arrogance.  Civil servants who are arrogant to the public are motivated by desire to instill fear into people so that their decisions are not questioned and that their management style which is corrupt is not mentioned.

As a country, we must ensure that there is adequate information.  If people are not given adequate information, it breeds mistrust.

Government must simply cleanse itself of perception, real or imagined in some circumstances of corruption by ensuring that there is an overdose of information to the public.  People must know what is happening.  There must be no unnecessary or unlawful hiding of information that concerns the public.  It must be given freely all the time.

We now refer to the new era – there must be a break with the past.  I think the President has made that point very well.  There is also reference to the new economic order but I want to suggest with particular reference to Parliament, that we also require a new legal order which brings into sharp relief the function of this House; the need for proactivity in ensuring that we deal with the very pith matter of alignment of our legislation to the Constitution.  The public in my view, is entitled to feel unhappy at the pace at which the process has gone.  I think this House must cease itself with that responsibility to ensure that all our laws are in line with what the Constitution says.  Where the Constitution is inadequate or unacceptable in some respect - we must agree as a nation that there must be an amendment to those portions.

I will turn to another point that was raised by previous speakers; the need for continuous engagement within the country.  We must be able to….

Cellphone rings.  

HON. CHASI:  I am very sorry Madam Speaker.  Please forgive me.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Honestly, you need to be sorry because that cellphone is not supposed to be on – [HON. ADV. CHAMISA: Inaudible interjection.] - Hon. Chamisa, you have to respect the House.

*HON. ADV. CHAMISA:  It is true, that is why I am saying that the cellphone should be off.

HON. CHASI:  Madam Speaker, I was making reference to the need for a new legal order.  Constitutionalism does not only start at the national level.  In our political formations, we must be passionate about our respective constitutions.  Part of the problems that ensued with respect to my own party, I must confess – was the imbecile…. – [AN

HON. MEMBER: May he speak up, we cannot hear him.] –

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  There is a request that you

raise your voice a bit because people are struggling to hear what you are saying.

HON. CHASI:  I am very sorry.  I am normally a man of few words.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  I know that.

HON. CHASI:  I am a man of few words and of a low voice.  I will try and shout as much as I can.  I wish I had the voice of Hon. Shiri that bellows out even outside this court but unfortunately, I am not.

I am saying that Parliament must be ceased with the law making process. It is not adequate to blame the Executive for the failure to align our laws to the Constitution.  I do not believe that there is any legal hindrance to Parliament taking over certain aspects or all aspects of alignment.  I also do not believe that there is any prohibition against members in this House coming up with private Bills.  They are permissible.  As a country, we need to come up with a timeframe within which this process must be completed.  It cannot go on ad infinitum.  The engagement intra-party, I think the President has done well.  He has shown that he is bona fide. He is a good President.  His visit to ‘his adversary’ recently shows that he is a human President.  I want to encourage that such engagement must still continue to happen as a matter of course.  Otherwise as a country, we cannot continue to live as a pariah state in the world.  We need to be a very active member of the nations in the world respecting international law and respecting our own laws locally.

I have already dealt with corruption in the public sector but let us not fool ourselves to believing that corruption only exist in Government.

We know that it does exist in the private sector and we know that ….

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  May I remind you that you

are left with a few minutes.

HON. CHASI:  Thank you Madam Speaker, I am winding up.  We know that corruption exists in the generality of the public and sometimes as a result of inefficiencies that exist in Government.  We need to deal ruthlessly with corruption.  When people are arrested, it must be on the basis of facts.  They must be quickly prosecuted and the sentences must reflect the seriousness of the problem that we are facing as a country.

I want to agree with Hon. Kanhanga with respect to all of his recommendations.  I think we need to follow them through.

I want to conclude by thanking the veterans of the struggle for Zimbabwe who have come into play to ensure that the vision that the liberation struggle envisioned continues – which is to deliver service to the people of Zimbabwe.  I also want to make special mention of our Defence Forces who valiantly defended the Constitution. There was no blood that was lost and if there were instances where errant individuals within the forces did things that were untoward, it was clearly not the policy of the army.  I thank you.

HON. DR. MUKANDURI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to

contribute on this motion which was introduced by Hon. Zindi and seconded by Hon. Rtd Gen. Kanhanga. First of all, I would like to congratulate His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde E.D Mnangagwa for his ascension to the higher office on this land. Here is a man who survived being hanged during the 1960s when he was sentenced to death. Some of his colleagues were sentenced to death but he narrowly escaped death because it was noted that he was still under age but of course, God had a purpose for this man.

Late last year in August, here is a man who was poisoned at a function and on a Friday, only became conscious that he was in South Africa. Lucky enough, he survived because God had a purpose for this man. Now, he is the man leading this country and leading those people who tried to kill him. Let me be very frank, His Excellency the President of Zimbabwe is one of the few loyal cadres who were very loyal to the party and the former President – [AN. HON. MEMBER: Inaudible interjections.] – Give me a chance. I need your protection Madam Speaker.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Can we have order?

HON. DR. MKANDURI: This is a man who has compassion. He

is a compassionate person. A week ago, His Excellency visited the leader of the opposition party Mr. Tsvangirai because we all know that he is not feeling well and the President and his Deputy took time out of their busy schedule and visited Mr. Tsvangirai. Mr. Tsvangirai was very grateful because I saw in the newspaper that he really appreciated and said this is a compassionate person – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.].

On corruption, I think we have noted that during his inaugural speech on the 24^th November, he said he is somebody who is against corruption and there would be no sacred cows, instead masamba asiyana. We should all be accountable to the people of Zimbabwe. We are legislators here but we are servants of the people. People in positions in the private sector and Government structures should all realise that we are servants of the people and should desist from corrupt activities.

Corruption is a societal evil that will destroy the entire nation.

I do not want to repeat what has been by my colleagues but let me say to date, there are some people who have said, ah he came into power on the 24^th November what has he done. You know, if we are very honest people we had problems on our roads. The police force had gone out of control and were really looting – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – until the Defence Forces saved us and were also prepared to serve, and save the people. They are our saviours, not us here but they are the saviours of the people of Zimbabwe. The people out there were afraid. If it is lady driving a car, she would be stopped and they would take turns to say you must pay $20. It was daylight robbery and we had a functioning Government that was not taking any action until the Defence Forces said we have to save and also serve the nation. Those are two roles.

The current President, Cde E.D. Mnangagwa has promised us as a nation and even the international world that come 2018, we are going to have free, fair and credible elections. Let me say to my colleagues here, the problem in Africa or all over the world is that some people have prepared templates. As long as they are beaten on the Election Day, elections are not free and fair. They already have a prepared template but not here in Zimbabwe. I am not saying here in Zimbabwe but in other parts of the world people want to participate in elections where they win – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – No, an election is where you fight, not physically but it is a political fight. When you lose or win an election you must accept.

All what I am saying is that the people of Zimbabwe are our judges. The decision of the people of Zimbabwe is final. They do not like me because I am Samson Mukanduri, no - they are not fools. I just want to comment on an issue that happened soon after the inauguration of the President of Zimbabwe. We heard there are a few guys;

Welshman Ncube and Tendai Biti who flew to Washington. What for? Where did they get the money? The story is that some of these people –

[AN. HON. MEMBER: How much is a plane ticket? $800.] – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Give me time.

The American Government has a mission here. They have their

Ambassador stationed here. If we have problems we can just go to the

American Ambassador and say we want to meet you. There is this A, B, C and D, do not waste foreign currency to go and try to crucify your nation. These sanctions are real and are caused by us here in Zimbabwe. we should not sell our nation and people but we should serve our people – [HON. DR. LABODE: Watanga.] – Thank you Hon. Labode, give me

time.

I now come to the issue of national resources. Zimbabwe is endowed with –

HON. TOFFA: On a point of order Madam Speaker. I am sure when we are debating in Parliament we need to be very factual. The

Hon. Member, Hon. Dr. Mukanduri says Prof. W. Ncube flew to America. It is not true. He did not go. Thank you.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I think that is true that he did not go to America. If you want to mention names, mention those who went to America. If he did not go, say the facts. I think you are right Hon. Member.

HON. DR. MUKANDURI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to say that we were misled by our media because they were saying three leaders from the opposition, one of them…

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Hon. Mukanduri, I do not

think that we deal with what comes out in the press but let us say the facts here.

HON. DR. MUKANDURI:  Thank you very much.  Let me now

come to the issue of natural resources.  Madam Speakers, Zimbabwe is a very rich country.  We are endowed with natural resources and in fact on the continent, I think that Zimbabwe is the richest country.  We have platinum, gold, lithium and nickel, yet we are one of the poorest countries because we are failing to manage our own resources.  So, the current President has appealed to us as a nation when he said that we want to harness our own resources for the benefit of our own people and of our own country.

*HON. MUTSEYAMI: On a point of order.  Thank you Madam Speaker and good afternoon Madam Speaker.  This was a good motion and if they were part of G40, they should exonerate themselves on their own.  I think that they should find other means of exonerating themselves slowly and slowly.

*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Hon. Mutseyami, you are

out of order.  Hon. Mukanduri, you can proceed.

HON. DR. MUKANDURI:  Madam Speaker, thank you for your

protection.  I am saying Zimbabwe is a rich country which is endowed with a lot of natural resources – precious metals.  I mentioned that we have platinum and in terms of platinum, I think that Zimbabwe is the richest country with the largest quantity of platinum on the continent and if not in the world.  We should try by all means to add value to our natural resources.  On platinum, I understand that a year or two ago, we had some Russians who said that they were going to invest and perhaps bring in a smelter.  We should encourage these people so that we add value to our natural resources.

We have palladium – the reason I said we should have smelters is that platinum as a mineral has a lot of by-products but we export it in raw form and ignore the fact that there are a number of by-products.

So on the issue of land; I would not want to add to what has been said by the Hon. General Kanhanga and Hon. Chasi.  We should not be lazy people.  If you are given a piece of land, to those beneficiaries of the Land Reform Programme, please let us utilise the land, because we have people who sacrificed their lives and fought for the independence of this country.  They died, perished and shed their blood because they wanted Zimbabwe to be independent and to be free from the colonial yoke or bondage.  So, I am not mincing my words – those who benefited from the Land Reform Programme should utilise the land productively so that as a nation, we benefit.

People are saying why are we not introducing our own currency; our own currency can be introduced if we have resources to back our currency.  We should have billions of gold to back our currency.  We should sell our resources and perhaps put six billion as reserve and we introduce our own currency.  We should not be lazy people.  So Madam Speaker, I am appealing to the people of Zimbabwe and I know that my colleagues here are very productive.

Hon. Gangarahwe having passed between the Chair and the Hon.

Member on the floor.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Order.

HON. DR. MUKANDURI:  Madam Speaker, let me now go to

the last item which is that, as a nation, the President said that we do not want to be isolated.  We should not isolate ourselves.  We are living in a globalised village and we should be participating at international forums and even the Commonwealth.  If we sought out our problems with the Commonwealth, why not go back to the Commonwealth.  But of course, we do not want any dictatorship from any nation.  We should have the choice to represent the interests of our people.

So Madam Speaker, I just want to thank His Excellency the

President’s endeavours for us to benefit from this new political dispensation but it requires hard work from all of us.  We should be united as a nation and as political parties because this is our country.  Zimbabwe is for Zimbabweans.  This is our country and if we sellout, we are going to disadvantage ourselves.  Zimbabwe will remain Zimbabwe, let us be united.  People from the left and the centre, we should have common national interest.  Let us defend our national interest because Zimbabwe was born out of the sacrifice of some people who paid a high price.  Madam Speaker, let me say with these few words, I thank you for giving me this opportunity.

HON. MAJOME: I thank you Madam Speaker for giving me this

opportunity to debate this motion of congratulations to His Excellency who is the third President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and who happens to be the second Executive President of the Republic of Zimbabwe.  I want to support the view that we should be shorter on congratulations, adulations and praise and be longer on insisting and holding to account as my colleagues have said.  Because, I fear that if we perpetuate the legacy of bootlicking, hero worshipping and personal worshipping, we are going to land in exactly the same place that this country landed that then required this very radical surgery that was conducted on our Government.  So in that vein Mr. Speaker Sir, I will say that I do wish His Excellency the President of Zimbabwe Hon. Emmerson Mnangagwa well.  It is actually something that is starting to become familiar on the tongue to say, His Excellency because after 37 years of saying the name of the former President Mugabe, it is quite a pleasing novelty to be able to say another name that is not Robert Mugabe when you refer to your President.  So, I wish him good health so that he discharges his mandate and wisdom, the kind of wisdom that Solomon who was the son of David had. Likewise, I wish him good health. I also wish the President of my political party Morgan Tsvangirai good health as well. Having said that, I want to just look at two issues regarding the very difficult task that His Excellency the President has of presiding over a nation that has been ruined systematically and brutally for 37 years.  I am so glad that I am not in his shoes because the sheer weight of expectations that Zimbabweans like myself and those that I represent is so high that we almost want to wish that in the six to eight months that there is to the election, we want him to wave a magic wand and fix all the problems. But alas it cannot happen.

Given that what I want to talk about is two issues; in his speech, I do hope that he was sincere and meant each and every word that he said in fostering a new mood in our nation where we come together as a nation, heal the wounds of the past, try to forge a future ahead of rescuing our nation from the very different directions and points that we each love our country from.

With that therefore is the issue of good governance. At this early stage, I welcome his address and in particular I would want him and I hope he will read this to pay attention to the issue of sincerity and particularly good governance. I want to sound alarm bells. There is a truism that as you start so you finish. In these very early days of his term before the election, I want to express my concern so far that when I read his speech, I am very encouraged but there are certain signals that I have been seeing that I believe he should pay particular attention to so that he demonstrates sincerity and generate good will and support of his objectives. If he does not pay attention to the following issues, it will become apparent or to Zimbabweans like myself and those that I represent and others that the more things change the more they remain the same. I think he must work extremely hard to discard certain tendencies that had crept into Government and also to promote hope.          The first one is the issue of constitutional implementation which as the motion by Hon. Zindi says, the new dispensation. I believe that the issue of constitutional implementation is very basic and I want to raise an alarm for certain things that have already happened that I do hope he will move with speed and pay more attention towards so that we do not get entangled.

The first issue is around securing judicial independence. In my view, I was dismayed to see what I saw as a disregard of Section 164, the independence of the judiciary when as soon as he was inaugurated, I saw in the media the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice,

Legal and Parliamentary Affairs announcing the appointment of judges. Now that I said to myself but in terms of our Constitution the judiciary is independent. It is an independent institution. It has even got a Judicial

Service Commission.

In my view, what I would like to see in this new thrust of implementing the Constitution, if there are going to be judicial appointments of judges, the Judicial Service Commission itself must speak. It is empowered to do so by the Constitution. The Permanent Secretary cannot speak and say we have appointed judges and explained their criteria. It will make it look like…

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MARUMAHOKO):

Order.  Hon Chasi, can you come back to where you have been.         HON. MAJOME: It might look like a simple observation but these signals speak volumes. The Judicial Service Commission is independent and let it speak about judges. Let us not see the Ministry of Justice speaking like it owns and runs judges. It used to but it does not do so anymore.

Secondly, there is the issue of traditional leaders. I was very excited and I said now this is a new President who is appointing a new Government. One of the biggest problems we have had is the issue of traditional leaders. I was excited because there was a congress that was coming very soon of his political party ZANU PF. What had become the norm under the rule and governance of Robert Mugabe was the abuse of the institution of traditional leadership and the total disregard of their independence in terms of the Constitution.

Section 213 of the Constitution provides that traditional leadership is independent and in particular it provides that traditional leaders must not act in any partisan manner. I have been seeing traditional leaders going to successive ZANU PF congresses speaking no differently from let us say a commissar of the political party or a chairman of a ward, branch or district. One of them is even remembered as saying and I have to use the Shona word and I will translate that he was expressing support kuti VaMugabe vachatonga kusvika madhongi amera nyanga. It was so secret that Mugabe shall rule until the donkeys have grown horns. Maybe he was prophetic. Maybe there are some donkeys somewhere that have grown horns because the former President Mugabe is no longer ruling Zimbabwe. That was partisan conduct and they were espousing support for that and even campaigning in elections.

I was dismayed to see that in the first opportunity that the President and his Government got to show that they meant what they said and that going to a new Zimbabwe, alas I saw again traditional leaders. For me that was the mark that I was waiting for. I said even these ZANU PF congresses, they are going to depart from the pattern where traditional leaders go and act like ZANU PF card carrying holders, then it is a problem because Section 81 (2) provides that traditional leaders must not be members of any political party or in any way participate in partisan politics.

If you attend a congress of a party not as an observer but as a participant who expresses views and is showing support, you are participating in partisan politics. I was dismayed to see our new President making that pass. They must not act in a partisan manner and they must not further the interests of any political party or cause. My expectation of my new President is that he must..

HON. MLISWA: Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order in terms of Standing Order 56 (1) pursuant to the provisions of Section 137 of the Constitution. The quorum of the House must be 70 Members. The Hon. Speaker just addressed the issue on how serious we must be as Members of Parliament in the new dispensation. This is a debate on His Excellency and they seem not to have heard what Hon. Maridadi said that they are hypocrites. This is the hypocrisy that he is talking about.

They are not even here to debate His Excellency. They have gone.

We cannot continue wasting taxpayers’ money all the time. What are they doing when Parliament has paid them and they are not here? It is important that we discharge our duties professionally and I shall not stop raising this point of order until we know what we are here for. We are here to serve the nation. This debate is important and Hon Maridadi said the President is surrounded by hypocrites all the way. They seem not to listen to the debate which was raised by Hon. Maridadi. They have just confirmed it. It is important that people come here for the business of Parliament, nothing else. Not for what they are doing. They have been paid. What else are they doing out there? When we came here, we lobbied for money to come through. They have got their monies. Their kids are in school, what else are they looking for out there?

There are no more factions in ZANU PF unless they are starting to create other factions in ZANU PF and so forth. Can we be progressive as Members of Parliament? This is criminal, unacceptable and as such, that is why I got up to raise a point of order. I thank you.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Member can you

approach the Chair.

        Hon. Mliswa approached the Chair.

Bells rung.

Quorum formed.

HON. MATUKE: I move that the debate do now adjourn.

HON. MUKWANGWARIWA: I second

Motion put and agreed to.

Debate to resume: Tuesday, 16^th January, 2018.

On the motion of HON. MATUKE seconded by HON. RUNGANI, the House adjourned at Twenty Nine minutes to Five o’clock p.m, until Tuesday, 16^th January, 2018.