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SENATE HANSARD 16 FEBRUARY 2021 VOL 30 NO 18
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 16th February, 2021
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE in the Chair)
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Madam President, I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 2 be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the
Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. CHIRONGOMA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MATHUTHU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 17th February, 2021.
MOTION
REPORT ON THE 47TH PLENARY ASSEMBLY SESSION OF THE SADC PF WHICH HELD VIRTUALLY IN NAMIBIA
HON. SEN. MOHADI: I move the motion standing in my name that this House takes note of the report on the 47th Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC PF which was held virtually in Windhoek, Namibia from the 9th – 11th October, 2020.
HON. SEN. MATHUTHU: I second.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Madam President. I rise to move a report on the 47th Plenary Assembly of the SADC PF which held virtually in Windhoek, Namibia from the 9th – 11th October, 2020.
OFFICIAL OPENING CEREMONY
2.1 The 47th Plenary Assembly was officially opened on Friday, 9th October 2020 by the Vice-President of the Republic of Namibia, His Excellency, Nangolo Mbumba, as Guest of Honour.
2.2 Hon. Vice-President Mbumba, recalled that in August 2018, during the 38th SADC Summit, President Geingob, then Chairperson of SADC, declared that the SADC Parliament would among other things, not only help buttress the governance architecture of the region, but also be a key driver of the regional integration and developmental efforts.
2.3 The Regional Parliament would provide a vital platform for the citizens to directly link up with their elected representatives and give input into SADC’s Regional integration agenda. It is, therefore, imperative that the Transformation of the SADC Parliamentary Forum into a Regional Parliament be expedited.
2.4 In her address, Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax, the Executive Secretary of SADC, indicated that the Transformation of the SADC PF into a Regional Parliament was at an advanced stage in line with the August 2019 decision of the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Governments to allow for a roadmap towards the Transformation agenda. Dr. Tax anticipated that the process would soon be finalised culminating in the submission of proposals to the SADC Summit scheduled for March 2021.
3.0 Submissions by Heads of Delegations on the Role of Parliaments in Strengthening Accountability during a Pandemic: The Case of COVID-19 and Address by the World Health Organisation (WHO) Director
3.1 The Plenary Assembly received submissions by Heads of Delegations on the adopted theme for the 47th Plenary Assembly Virtual Session. The theme received reports of predominant devastation of livelihoods due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, Hon. Speakers/ Heads of Delegations shared their country experiences on how their National Parliaments had responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.
3.1.1 In his submission, the Hon Speaker of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe outlined how Zimbabwe had limited the coronavirus casualties primarily through His Excellency, President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa’s initiatives to focus on prevention rather than cure. These interventions were spearheaded by the relevant Ministries and Directorates. Government declared COVID -19 as a ‘deadly pandemic’ on 17th March 2020 and concomitant lockdown measures were put in place since the pandemic had been declared a national disaster.
3.1.2 Furthermore, Government promulgated several Statutory Instruments to bolster the legal framework in combating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 32 Statutory Instruments were gazetted with the Parliamentary Legal Committee (PLC) scrutinising them for their constitutionality. All of them were constitutionally compliant.
3.1.3 The Parliament of Zimbabwe drew an important lesson from the COVID -19 pandemic that in cases of emergency arising from force majeure, Parliaments cannot afford to sit back and leave everything to the Executive. Parliaments must exude innovative leadership in actualising their constitutional mandate of representation, oversight and legislation.
3.2 The Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of the World Health Organisation (WHO), implored Members of Parliament in the SADC Region to unite and build resilient health systems as the best defence against any health emergency. Dr. Ghebreyesus stressed that unity among the region’s lawmakers regardless of political affiliation as well as collaboration by Member Parliaments is the best defence against COVID -19.
4.0 Adoption of the Report of the Executive Committee
4.1 The Executive Committee tabled its report for consideration and adoption during the 47th Plenary Assembly meeting.
4.2 Update on Transformation of the Forum into a SADC Regional Parliament
4.2.1 The Speaker of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe presented for adoption the Strategic Lobby Document which guides the strategic lobby initiatives ahead of the SADC Council meetings scheduled for March 2021.
4.2.2 To eliminate discordant voices within the Region on the Transformation Agenda, the Plenary Assembly resolved to resuscitate the lobby initiatives whose mandate is to elicit the requisite support at both the political and administrative level in the SADC Region.
4.2.4 In this regard, the submission by Zimbabwe on its lobbying initiatives, including the unqualified support given by the Executive on the Transformation process, was indeed well received by Plenary Assembly.
4.2.4 In a related matter, Plenary Assembly received an update on the report by the Consultant, Mr. Kevin Deveaux, a Canadian lawyer and former Member of Parliament who facilitated and reviewed the Transformation Agenda and Roadmap. Technically, the Consultant’s report is in sync with the Plenary Assembly’s thrust on Transformation, hence the need to provide a common approach to lobbying up to March 2021.
4.3 Update on the Official Residence of the Secretary General
4.3.1 The Plenary Assembly adopted a recommendation to dispose of the official residence of the Secretary General, situated at Erf 3422 (1), 66 Erosweg, Eros, and resolved that a new property situated at Erf 2052, Klein Windhoek, 89 Joseph Mukwayu Ithana Street, Ludwigsdorf, Windhoek, Namibia be purchased. The Residence will be purchased through a mortgage loan from a reputable bank in Namibia.
4.3.2 This process should see the finalisation of the matter concerning the Secretary – General’s Residence which has hamstrung the organs of the SADC PF, for a long time. Plenary Assembly noted and appreciated Hon. Advocate Jacob Francis Nzwidamilimo Mudenda’s tactful chairing of the ad-Hoc Committee which handled and finalised this matter.
4.4 Secondment of Staff from National Parliaments
4.4.1 The Plenary Assembly noted and appreciated the secondment of staff from the Parliaments of Angola, Malawi, Seychelles, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Nine (9) staff members have been seconded by their respective Parliaments to various organs of the Forum on a cost-sharing basis in line with the revised Secondment Policy. Other countries will share the remaining slots on the Forum’s administrative paradigm.
5.0 Motions Adopted During the 47th Plenary Assembly Meetings
5.1 Motion to Ratify the SADC Parliamentary Forum Special Rules of Procedure for Virtual Meetings, In Case of force majeure
5.1.1 Following the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic in working arrangements for all regional and international organisations such as the SADC Parliamentary Forum, the Plenary Assembly debated and adopted the Special Rules of Procedure aimed at avoiding paralysis of business due to inability to convene physical meetings. The Rules are aimed at being innovative and using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and teleconferencing software such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Skype as an adaptation strategy to the COVID-19 pandemic.
5.1.2 Motion to Amend Article 8 of the SADC PF Constitution to introduce an Oath or Affirmation of Adherence by SADC PF Representatives
5.1.2.1 Plenary Assembly adopted the provision for an Oath or Affirmation of Adherence by SADC PF Representatives (Members of Parliament). This will be done to enhance accountability to the Forum and promote the SADC identity amongst SADC PF Members of Parliament
5.1.3 Motion to amend The SADC PF Administrative Rules and Regulations to align with Namibian Employment Laws Governing Local Employees other than those holding Managerial Positions
5.1.3.1 The Plenary Assembly adopted a motion which synchronised the Administration’s Rules of Procedure with the Namibian law placing non-managerial Local Staff of the SADC PF to be employed on indefinite contracts whilst holders of Managerial posts can serve two five-year contracts. The motion stated that diplomatic privileges shall apply only to Regional Staff of the Forum in accordance with the SADC Protocol on Immunities and Privileges (1992).
5.1.4 Motion by Consensus to Support Hon. Duarte Pacheco as the next Inter- Parliamentary Union President
- Advocate Jacob Francis Nzwidamilimo Mudenda, Speaker of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe, moved a motion to support the candidature of Hon. Duarte Pacheco of Portugal for the position of President of the IPU. The motion noted the solid professional antecedents that Hon. Pacheco possesses. Subsequent to this support, Hon. Pacheco won resoundingly and will serve as the next President for the next three years.
- Recommendations and Way Forward
6.1 It is recommended that the diplomatic interventions on the Transformation Agenda to SADC Countries be resuscitated. The missions will include the countries that have expressed dissent on the establishment of a Regional Parliament, including those countries that have new Administrative configurations post-elections such as Botswana, Malawi, Mauritius, Seychelles and Tanzania. This Lobby Team comprising the Hon. Speakers from Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe will be led by Hon. Advocate Jacob Francis Nzwidamilimo Mudenda.
- The Lobby Missions to take advantage of Mozambique’s unreserved support for the Transformation of the SADC PF into a Regional Parliament. The team to Lobby the current Minister of Foreign Affairs in Mozambique, Hon. Veronica Macamo Dlhovo, who is the immediate past President of the SADC PF. The missions to begin in November 2020 to March 2021. This whole process will logically culminate in the Lobby Team being on the side-lines of Summit in March 2021 to ensure that they are ready to clarify any matters that might arise during Summit deliberations.
- Parliament of Zimbabwe to arrange Courtesy Calls with both the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to appraise them on the developments on the Transformation Agenda. Both Ministries are to remain in sync with the Executive’s supportive position on the Transformation of the SADC PF into a Regional Parliament.
- The Plenary Assembly recommended the strengthening of interventions on the challenges brought in by the COVID -19 Pandemic. The Portfolio Committees on Health and Child Welfare and the Portfolio Committee on Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to ensure that there are safety nets that are put in place towards the welfare of the public during COVID 19 induced exigencies. Members of Parliament to contribute on the need to ensure that resources are channelled towards mitigating the effects of COVID-19 epidemic.
7.0. CONCLUSION
7.1 Hon. Esperanca Laurinda Francisco Nhiuane Bias, Speaker of the National Assembly of Mozambique and President of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, concluded the Plenary Assembly by urging delegations to continue the enhancement of Lobbying strategies for the Transformation of the Forum into Regional Parliament. Credit is also acknowledged to the Secretary-General and her team at the SADC Parliamentary Forum for successfully putting up a well-polished 47th Plenary Assembly Meeting.
7.2 The Hon. Speaker of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe was privileged to move all the motions during the 47th Plenary Assembly Meeting. In earnest, the Lobby Team headed by Hon. Advocate Jacob Francis Nzwidamilimo Mudenda, has to continue its mandated mission to ensure that all countries in the region are symmetrical regarding the Transformation Agenda.
Madam President, you will find that it is still very difficult for us to come to terms with the virtual system. We are still trying to cope with the virtual system and you will find that some of the information might not be very correct but I hope that what I have presented today is very correct. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MATHUTHU: Thank you Madam President of the Senate. I rise to support the motion by Hon. Sen. Mohadi on the 47th Plenary Session of the SADC PF which was held virtually on the 9-11th October 2020. There was no time for the Forum to meet and discuss about the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic. The Plenary Assembly showed great initiative to take the issues of regional concern. Madam President, let me report pursuant to its mandate, the Executive Committee of the SADC PF met virtually on the 28th-29th September 2020. In this regard, the Executive Committee tabled its report for consideration and adoption during the 47th Plenary Assembly meeting. Among many other Hon. Members, there was a consideration on the update of transformation of the forum into a SADC Regional Parliament.
Mr. President, the Plenary Assembly adopted to continue pushing for the transformation of the regional forum into a Parliament. The Plenary Assembly also adopted with profound gratitude the strategic lobby document on the transformation of the forum into a SADC Regional Parliament. The Speaker of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe led the team in drafting the document to the Plenary Assembly.
The Plenary Assembly also noted and appreciated the secondment of staff from the Parliaments of Angola, Malawi, Seychelles, Zambia and Zimbabwe. These countries responded positively to the secondment invitation. Nine staff members have been seconded by their respective parliaments to various organs of the forum on a cost sharing basis in line with the revised secondment policy. Other countries will share the remaining slots on the forum’s administrative paradigms.
In conclusion, the Plenary Assembly appreciated the initiative and efforts made towards the successful hosting of the 47th Plenary Assembly of the SADC PF. The Parliament of Zimbabwe stands to benefit by adopting and implementing the resolutions of the 47th Plenary Assembly as they summarised the collective concerns of citizens in the region including the need to transform the SADC Plenary Forum into a Regional Parliament.
The delegation from Zimbabwe is commended for being able to fly the national flag high as it made pointed and evidence-based contributions on various issues of regional concern. It is important to note that going forward, the lobbying team headed by Hon. Adv. Francis Mudenda begins its mandate mission to ensure that all countries in the region are on the same page regarding the transformation agenda. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI: Thank you for affording me the opportunity to add my voice on the motion raised by Hon. Mohadi on the 47th Plenary Assembly SADC PF meeting held in Namibia which touched on a number of important issues, but I am going to dwell on the issue of COVID-19. I want to also thank the Zimbabwean delegation that attended the forum which was led by Hon. Adv. Mudenda as they went there to represent us.
COVID-19 is one of the issues that was discussed and this pandemic is something new to us. We want to thank the Zimbabwean delegation and SADC PF on the views that were aired with regard to this virus. We still have people who are denying that COVID-19 is real and there. We are hopeful that this delegation will be able to share ideas on how to educate our citizens on COVID-19 and even in our own constituencies as Members of Parliament. We still have people who are quick to point fingers to say, you are the ones that are bringing the virus from the cities but this should not put us off. We still have a long way to go in educating people on COVID-19 awareness and prevention as a Government.
I also want to thank our Government led by His Excellency, Cde. E. D. Mnangagwa for the stringent COVID-19 preventive measures in the form of the lockdown. People are crying of hunger saying they want to work to be able to sustain their livelihoods but are not looking at the danger that is in their midst. We should be thankful because these policies are meant to protect us. Look at ideas that can help us in future so that we are prepared and we work together as Zimbabweans to curb this pandemic. So I want to thank the delegation for a job well done. Thank you.
HON. SEN. DR. MAVETERA: I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity to add my voice on the report which has been presented to the august House by Hon. Mohadi. Mr. President, the theme of the meeting if I got it correctly was, “The Role of Parliament in Strengthening Accountability during an Epidemic. Mr. President, I think the theme of the meeting was very relevant to what has been happening within the region over the past few months.
As a region, we had become an epicentre of COVID-19 and our neighbour has almost a million people infected with COVID-19. As we share borders and common living, it goes without saying that this meeting was very pertinent for regional governments to share their experience and try to look at the role of Parliament and how Parliament can play its role during situations of national emergencies like the current COVID-19 epidemic.
Allow me Mr. President, to thank our delegation which was ably led by the Speaker of the National Assembly for sharing our experience and highlighting some of our successes in terms of managing the COVID-19 pandemic. I think Mr. President we say in Shona “hauzviuchiriri kana kuzvireverera” but allow me Mr. President to acknowledge and congratulate the leadership of the country for doing a sterling job to minimise the effects of COVID-19 in our country. I know a lot of people may take that for granted but we think the world-over governments have fallen and there has been social unrest as a result of failure to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. I must say we are blessed that we did not experience such things. We urge all the citizenry to rally together in a non-partisan manner to make sure that we increase the gains which we have already achieved so far.
Allow me Mr. President Sir, to acknowledge the policy decisions, some of which were quite nasty and unpopular with the citizenry where the Executive had to put very strict lockdown measures. I am sure we all know of the outcry from the populace but at the end of the day, I think as Zimbabweans we have lived to our legacy of being on the forefront of preventative medicine. We managed to control COVID-19. We are still seeing pockets of COVID-19 in the country. We are not yet out of it but I think if we continue with the same leadership and support, and as a citizenry to acknowledge that these are difficult times we need to continue supporting, we will actually conquer the COVID-19 pandemic.
Having said that, right now Hon. Mohadi among her recommendations, she implored that there was need for governments to put in social support networks during national disasters like this, I think this is what we should do also as Parliament asone of the things that we need to make sure that we really take care of the needs of the citizens and I think we might not have pushed this enough. If you look at the number of people who were breaking the COVID-19 regulations, they were not criminals but they wanted to survive. As such, I hope in future when we come across such situations we will be more prepared than we were so that people will abide by the rules.
One of the recommendations was to say that the Regional Parliamentary Forum constitute a Regional Parliament. The idea is very noble as the world is now operating as regional blocs and that strength is very important for bargaining purposes and also for sharing experiences. I hope Mr. President, if we had such fora or a Regional Parliament, as of now our response as individual countries to the COVID-19 pandemic would have been better because we would have shared common strategies and solutions. Right now, we know there is a scramble for vaccines. We have heard that Europeans have actually bought all the vaccines and other regional organisations have done the same. That is the basis of the strength of regional organisations. If we were in that format, SADC would be able to meet the needs of our citizenry and also bargain for at the world market to influence the welfare of our people.
With these words, I just want to end by acknowledging and appreciating the role which has been played by Zimbabwe, the Public Sector in general who have worked so tirelessly to make sure that we manage to survive the COVID pandemic as a nation. I thank you Mr. President.
HON. SEN. DR. SEKERAMAYI: Mr. President, Hon. Senators, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for giving me this opportunity to say a few words about the report that has just been given to us by Hon. Sen. Mohadi - the report of the recently held meeting, the 47th Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC PF.
These meetings are very important and there are times when these meetings are held as a matter of routine but there are times when there are really serious issues that need to be discussed. As the situation stands now and as her report has advised us, one of the issues that was raised was the COVID pandemic. It is a pandemic that we are all facing. It is one of those situations where you are fighting an enemy but you cannot see the enemy. The enemy is invisible.
There are recommendations that have been made by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and as Zimbabweans; we are following these very seriously. There is the aspect of social distancing, face masking and sanitisation – we should take these very seriously. There are diseases that you know that so and so is suffering from this disease and we write a prescription; one goes to the pharmacy and buys the medication. Within 24 hours or so, the person will improve but this particular pandemic is invisible and it is very difficult to treat.
I want to take this opportunity to thank our own Government for communicating with countries like China, India and so forth so that we can get some vaccines. It was a real pleasant experience to see our own leadership at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe airport receiving vaccines from China. It is not enough to receive the vaccines. As Members of Parliament, we should also now undertake the public relations exercise to persuade and encourage our people to accept the vaccination. There are areas where some people are sceptical but I think it is incumbent upon us to do the necessary public relations and persuade our people to say this is necessary. The President has emphasised it vigorously and I think in line with what our President has said, we should also now be the foot soldiers advocating for vaccination.
You hear a colleague or relative has been admitted into hospital, you are not sure whether he or she will come out alive. In terms of our own traditions, when there is a death in family X, we go there kunobata maoko – to be together and to be able to share the pain with our relatives but we now have a situation where you cannot even go and sympathise with them in person. If we did not have cellphones, I do not know what we would do because now it is very difficult to go anywhere.
We are following very diligently the recommendations but emotionally, I think it is quite painful to see your relative being buried and you cannot go there. It is not easy but this is the pandemic that we are facing. That is why I am saying, let us do the necessary public relations to go and persuade our people that these vaccinations are necessary. That way we will reduce the amount of pain and fatalities that we are observing.
Having said that Mr. President, I just want to say that the idea of transforming the SADC PF into a regional Parliament is something that we should accept and welcome. We are all here, we assisted each other in SADC during the armed struggle; I do not see any reason why at this point in time we cannot come together. Unity is strength. Let us be together with all the other countries in SADC, have a SADC Parliament and it will facilitate development in the region. When we say to our grand children when I was young, I used to herd cattle but now you just eat beef, you do not have to herd cattle; they should be able to see the advancement that has occurred since we became independent. If that can be done by us as a region, it is something that is very welcome. Regional unity also removes regional conflicts. That will be a platform – if there are any difference between country X and Y; that will be the platform to resolve the differences.
I just want to end by expressing gratitude at how our leadership, led by President E.D. Mnangagwa has led the country during this pandemic. It is a pandemic we should, to the best of our ability; refer to as part of our history and not as part of our destruction. With these few words, I just want to say to colleagues here, Hon. Senators, let us do our bit individually and collectively to fight against COVID. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Thank you very much Hon. President. Firstly, I would to thank Hon. Sen. Mohadi who gave us a detailed report on what transpired at the SADC Parliamentary Forum meeting. I would like to say a job well done to the SADC Parliamentary Forum. I looked at the theme, ‘the Role of Parliament in Combating COVID-19 in a Pandemic’, you have lifted the bar very high for Parliament in a difficult time. As parliamentarians, we would like to thank you for uplifting us highlighting the good things that are done by Parliaments during difficult times.
Let us continue to fight hard and be strong. I was reading about a white individual in South Africa who was affected by this disease and she was describing how she felt when she was hit by this pandemic. The individual detailed how she went back home and the dog ran after her with joy that the owner was back but the owner had forgotten the name of the dog. Here in Zimbabwe we have a lot of people who have passed on and we continue to say may their souls rest in peace. I kindly ask everyone to come together to fight this pandemic. No one should take this as an opportunity to pursue their own goals.
Some of you may be surprised that I am here. Some even said the Hon Deputy President of Senate and many of us were declared dead by individuals. Some thought it was true. Some were even afraid to contact us. We should condemn the peddlers of fake news who spread fake news.
I would like to thank the Government for the good work that it has done. If you compare Zimbabwe to other countries, you will see that we are doing a good job. I would like to praise the good work that is being done by His Excellency and the manner in which they are conducting business with regard to this pandemic. I would like to commend the words from Hon. Sen. Dr. Mavetera, those were very good remarks to praise the Government for the good work they have done.
We used to have an opposition that even when someone dies, they would rejoice and continue to hammer over a corpse. I would like to say thank you to Hon. Sen. Mwonzora and this can only be said by a Chief and no one can say this. I speak as a Chief and I read some of the things that you are doing. Just a few days that you have been nominated as President of MDC-T, what I read, I can see you are doing a very good job. What a good opposition you are. There is constructive criticism coming from Hon. Sen. Mwonzora. When you fail, we will inform you and when you have done good, we will also tell you. We want Zimbabwe to be united and become one, whether you are from opposition or not. We want everyone to be given a chance so that they contribute to the development of the nation. Individualism does not benefit the country. Keep it up Hon. Sen. Mwonzora.
This pandemic needs us to be united. Right now we have vaccines that are coming into the country and we should communicate relevant information to the people. I would like to thank China for giving us the vaccines. There are so many vaccines such as Astrazeneca, Sinopharm, Sputnik V, Pfizer Biontech and some other vaccines. I could see Cabinet had a resolution for us to choose which exactly is the best vaccine. We also had the case of South Africa which had to withdraw later on the vaccine that they had administered to the citizens because of its efficiency on the disease. When you look at these vaccines, the truth is that this is real medication.
Sometimes it is lack of knowledge from us individuals on which herb treats which ailment. It is just lack of knowledge. When we accept and receive medication from outside the country, let us come together and find sustainable solutions to problems such as this. We need to come up with a vaccine that will assist others. As Africans, we should come up with sustainable solutions. We should not wait to receive from beyond our borders. We are educated as a nation and let us come up with something. This is a big issue and I would like to support the resolution by Hon. Sen. Dr. Sekeramayi and Hon. Sen. Mohadi, you are the ones who brought this issue.
In conclusion, I would like to say the word Forum should be removed at the end so that it becomes SADC Parliament.
*HON. SEN. CHINAKE: Thank you Mr. President for according me this opportunity to add my voice on this report which has been tabled by Hon. Sen. Mohadi. This COVID is affecting the whole world. It is not only us but the whole world. Many of the things have been talked about but if you look into our country, you will find that we did not have the chance of visiting other countries but we know companies, markets, roads and borders have been closed and this has affected a lot of things in our country. It is all about COVID.
When people are moving around they are not wearing their masks properly. They only do so when they see security agents. We told them that the person who is affected is not the soldier or police but it is you. It is our duty as parliamentarians to engage people and educate them. People should be prosecuted but they should be aware why we have police in the streets.
I am thankful of the meeting that took place at regional level. We should have a repeat of this meeting. Hon. Sen.Chief Charumbira has talked about it but we need another meeting like this as a region so that we come up with our own vaccinations; our doctors and scientists should come together so that we can come up with our own vaccination which will be recorded that SADC came up with a thing like that. Yes, importing from other countries is good but I think we should come together and see ways on how we can come up with our own vaccines. The herbs that were talked about by Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira come from this region. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 17th February 2021.
MOTION
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE AFRICAN PARLIAMENTARIANS NETWORK ON DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION (APNODE) HELD IN ABIDJAN
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Zimbabwean Delegation to the 5th Annual General Meeting of the African Parliamentarian Network on Development Evaluation (APNODE)
Question again proposed.
HON SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 17th February 2021.
MOTION
REPORT ON THE VIRTUAL EXTRAORDINARY SESSION OF THE GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION (IPU)
Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Extraordinary Session of the Council of the Inter Parliamentary Union.
Question again proposed.
HON SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 17th February 2021.
MOTION
PREVALENCE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Seventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on 16 days of activism against gender based violence.
Question again proposed.
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR MASHONALAND CENTRAL PROVINCE (HON. SEN. MAVHUNGA): I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume, Wednesday, 17th February, 2021.
MOTION
CONDOLENCES ON THE DEATH OF HON. SEN. AIR CHIEF MARSHALL RTD. PERRANCE SHIRI
Eighth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the death of Hon. Sen. Air Chief Marshall Rtd. Perrance Shiri.
Question again proposed.
*HON. SEN. DR. MAVETERA: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to say my condolence message on the passing on of our hero, Hon. Sen. Air Chief Marshall Rtd. Perrance Shiri.
Death has always been there but no one can get used to it. When death comes to us, we are greatly pained and we are left with a lot of questions. Two weeks before Hon. Sen. Air Chief Marshall Rtd. Perrance Shiri died, he was fit and we had meetings with him. We never heard that he was sick but we heard that he had succumbed to COVID-19. This is very painful. I will not dwell much on his history but I would like to add one or two things that I observed on him.
His history about liberating the country does not need to be elaborated. He went to war as a teenager – he gave himself and the Lord was with him until independence. He did not become tired because of the war. He went on to work in Government and he showed dedication and commitment. He was very patriotic. As a country, we want to remember the good work that Cde Shiri did. Looking at his character on the Second Republic, he lived the life of a civilian. When he was appointed, people were very much in doubt saying, what will soldiers do now that they have come into power. People had doubts because of his military background. Instead, he proved people wrong. He worked very hard. He was always on top of his job and was one of the best Ministers ever to be appointed here in Zimbabwe. He was a humble person who had the country and people at heart despite his political affiliation. He did not concentrate on his political affiliation but looked at individuals as they are and not because of their political affiliation. God should have given him more years so that our country develops but we cannot decide for God – He does his own will.
Hon. Sen. Air Chief Marshall Rtd. Perrance Shiri was a hands on person and hardworking. He was not just a Minister who focussed on reports but went on the ground to see what was happening. He did not survive for a long time to see the fruits of his labour, for example Pfumvudza. I am not a farmer but I go around seeing what other people are doing. God has blessed us this year, we have a lot of rain. If there was no plan, we would have weeds on the land and we would be swept away by the river. People have done a lot in terms of farming because of Cde Shiri’s Pfumvudza programme. We have never had such a programme before. We had so many years of farming in this country but we never had a programme of that nature. No one had such an approach.
As we remember him, let us thank him saying at least this time around we are not going to beg in other countries, we are going to have a bumper harvest. It is not a joke or game. We should appreciate and accept the good work that he did. Hon. President, our prayer is that may his soul rest in peace. It is now our task or responsibility to develop this country. We are very lazy as a country. We are rich but poor.
Hon. President, there are some Ministers that as soon as they were appointed, they were already in the newspaper over corruption issues. If you are to go through Hon. Sen. Shiri’s footsteps, I do not think you will hear such stories. He was exemplary to us as a country. It is our wish as citizens that we at least develop our nation so that we are a respected nation not to be seen as a begging country all the time. It does not come easy into your hands but we need to work hard just like Hon. Sen. P. Shiri who was a hard worker. With these few words, Hon. President, allow me to sit down but leave these words of condolence to say may his soul rest in peace? Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF MASHONALAND CENTRAL PROVINCE (HON. SEN. MAVHUNGA): Mr. President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 17th February, 2021.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF MASHONALAND CENTRAL PROVINCE (HON. SEN. MAVHUNGA), the House adjourned at Five Minutes past Four o’clock p.m.