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SENATE HANSARD 18 December 2018 28-22
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 18th December, 2018
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p. m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. PRESIDENT OF
SENATE
PROMOTION OF WORLD AIDS DAY THEME
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I wish to inform Honourable Senators that the National AIDS Council (NAC) and its strategic partners are planning a public testing day for Parliamentarians, public personalities and public figures to promote the World Aids Day Theme “Know your status, my status, my health my life”. There will be availing of free health services for Parliamentarians and the public on this day, including HIV testing, TB testing, TB screening, cancer screening, diabetes testing, blood pressure checking, sugar testing services and other non-communicable diseases testing and screening services.
The objective of this event is for Parliamentarians to lead their Constituencies in accessing these services and demystify the stigma and discrimination surrounding HIV and AIDS.
The event will be held on the 19th of December, 2018 at Africa Unity Square from 1000 hours to 1600 hours, where the First Lady of Zimbabwe will be the guest of honour and will lead the public testing.
Honourable Members are kindly requested to attend.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADRESS
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. S. K MOYO: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 19th December 2018.
MOTION
PROTECTION OF CATTLE AGAINST TICK-BORNE DISEASES
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the call to control tick borne diseases affecting livestock in Zimbabwe.
Question again proposed.
*HON. SEN. SHUMBA: I would like to contribute on the motion which was moved by Hon. Sen. Chimbudzi on tick borne disease. Our cattle are dying because of these ticks and it is true that the number of beasts in Zimbabwe has decreased. There are many diseases caused by these ticks. The Hon. Senator talked about the January disease; most of our cattle have perished because of this January disease because there will be no chemicals in our dip tanks.
However, I am surprised that dips run out of chemicals. We have a lot of dip tanks in my constituency, Mwenezi; there are 119 dip tanks and 8 which are not functional. The area is very big, there are so many cattle in that area hence there is need for more dip tanks. In Mwenezi, we have a lot of cattle such that per household, there are a maximum of 200 beasts and a minimum of 50. So, each cattle has got a dip card which is subscribed for every month at a cost of $2. If one has 200 beasts, they have to pay a total of $400 and I am surprised that there is no dip tank chemical – where is that money going to? It is those funds that are supposed to purchase chemicals.
I inquired and found out that the funds are taken to the consolidated revenue. So, for the disbursement of these funds to the people; that is where the challenge is. I did my calculations and found out that there are many dip tanks. My constituency stretches from Mwenezi to Chivi. In Chivi, there are also 102 dip tanks. If all these beasts in my constituency were getting enough of their funding, chemicals for the dip tanks would always be available. The beasts in Chivi are 112 462 and in Mwenezi, there are 196 000 beasts. If the $2 per beast was being paid, all these beasts are paying $2 each, chemicals would be enough. An investigation should be carried out into this matter; if the monies are being collected and dip tanks being fully utilised, our cattle would not have died. Livestock are an asset for our people.
The Hon. Senator moved a very good motion, these funds should be used to buy chemicals so that the beasts do not die. May that issue be addressed? Recently I was just thinking to myself, now that the beasts have died, how then will Government be able to ensure that these people get their livestock through Command Agriculture and ensure the chemicals are found so that these beasts, which are our assets do not die?
I thank you Mr. President.
HON. SEN CHIMBUDZI: I move that the debate do now
adjourn.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 19th December, 2018.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE 139TH ASSEMBLY OF THE INTER-
PARLIAMENTARY UNION (IPU)
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the 139th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Geneva, Switzerland.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. TIMVEOS: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday 19th November, 2018.
MOTION
NATIONAL POLICY ON PERSONS LIVING WITH DISABILITY Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the need to formulate a comprehensive National Disability Policy and review the
Disabled Persons Act.
Question again proposed.
+HON. SEN. CHABUKA: Thank you Mr President for the opportunity to debate on this motion which was moved by Hon. Sen. Timveos on matters to do with the disabled. She expressed that an act should be put in place so that their welfare should be aligned to the Constitution of Zimbabwe, because they are people just like us. I am happy to debate on the disabled because being disabled does not mean inability. They have many talents which should be recognised and looked into. They should have their own ministry which is within the Constitution so that they can be recognised as a people and the ministry should cater for their welfare.
I do not know whether some of you managed to watch television yesterday. I cried when I saw a child who was so intelligent but disabled. The child was playing the guitar and singing Sulumani’s song.
She said she was inspired by Sulumani and Jah Prayzah. Even today I woke up and switched on the television to see some able bodied people crying for assistance, yet this child who was in a wheel chair was raring to go and raised the Zimbabwe flag by showcasing her talent. The people were talking about their history. The other lady said my husband divorced me because the child was an albino. They are very important people Mr. President. The Government should value them and recognise them as a people like us.
In the Eighth Parliament, we had Hon. Sen. Mashavakure and Hon. Sen. Shiri here. When they would debate in English, you would see that these are learned people but these are disabled people Mr. President. These are people whose welfare should be looked into. We should ensure that the Constitution recognizes them as a people who can also uplift the country better than those who are able bodied. Mr. President, I stood up to say as a people, let us do things which are tangible and lead by example so that whatever we mention should be in accordance with the Constitution. The disabled should have their Act. I do not have much but I was touched by the talent of the young man. I thank you Mr.
President.
MINISTER OF STATE FOR MIDLANDS PROVINCE (HON.
SEN. MAVHIMA): Thank you Mr. President. I would like to add my few words and thoughts regarding this very important motion, which in my view is a motion which is way overdue considering the number of disabled people that we live with in this country. If I recall, somebody mentioned to me that the total number of disabled people in this country was in excess of one million. I do not have the exact number but to me, when you look at our population, that is a significant number of people that need to be attended to and have special consideration by
Government. For anything to have special consideration by
Government, there must be a very robust Act that is administered by the appropriate Ministry that addresses the concerns of the disabled people.
I have seen many Government buildings that fail to meet the basic standards of accommodating disabled people. There are no easy access ways for disabled people to enter buildings or to escape buildings should there be a fire or some other hazardous activities that might occur, yet we go on and build beautiful mansions and buildings and not consider the basic access required by the disabled people. When we talk about disabled people, we always think of “vanhu vakaremara” but disability comes in many forms. Some people are blind, mentally disabled and also require specialized treatment. If indeed as a nation we are to achieve a middle income economy by 2030, then we need to embrace everyone that is part of our population.
I do believe as the Hon. Member said just now, these contributions coming from disabled people into our economy in various forms, one way or the other, we should not look at them as people who are on the receiving end. These are people that have exceptional capability, exceptional intelligence as has been already alluded to. However, one of the important things that is required when we talk about formulating a policy on disabled persons, we must not formulate a policy for them; we must engage them completely and clearly understand the nature of the disabilities and clearly understand what the requirements are and their expectations. Only when we clearly understand their needs and their views we can have a policy drafted and send to the appropriate Ministry or departments for final review.
I must say that I have seen in the last two weeks in my office disabled people coming through to see me. You can tell that there is not proper organisation in terms of how they are structured. You will see that they are people who want to engage but fail to do so in the right authorities, let alone the ability just to get into my office. My office is on the first floor in Gweru and disabled persons came in, they wanted to see me and I had to send two of my aides to actually go down and lift the wheelchair whilst the person was seated and they were wheeled into the office. I found that to be medieval to say the least, to say these are people we consider to be citizens with full rights and benefits yet we cannot modify our buildings to accommodate them.
I think it is only when you encounter such inequality or unfairness that you begin to feel what if I were in that position, how would I feel or support the policies that are implemented by Government. Clearly, we have not paid enough attention, not only as Government but as a nation to this class of people that has various disabilities or maybe it is our own misunderstanding of the disabilities that we tend to think that they are not important or irrelevant in as far as our daily lives are concerned. I fully support this motion by Hon. Sen. Timveos and I hope that all Members of the Senate are of the same opinion because tomorrow who knows who could end up disabled and will be in that position. I thank you.
HON. SEN. TIMVEOS: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. B. MPOFU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 19th December, 2018.
MOTION
DEVOLUTION OF POWER
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the call for devolution.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MWONZORA: I move that the debate do now
adjourn.
HON. SEN. MAVETERA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 19th December, 2018.
MOTION
CASH SITUATION IN THE COUNTRY
Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the call to solve the cash crisis in the country.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. TIMVEOS: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. ZIWIRA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 19th December, 2018.
MOTION
NATIONAL DRUG POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK
Seventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on National Drug
Policy and legislative framework to effectively regulate drug use.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. TIMVEOS: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. CHINAKE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 19th December, 2018.
MOTION
SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS OF VENDING
Eighth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on finding solutions to challenges associated with vending.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. CHABUKA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. TIMVEOS: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 19th December, 2018.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. PROF. MAVIMA), the Senate
adjourned at Twenty One Minutes past Three o’clock p.m.