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SENATE HANSARD 02 MARCH 2021 VOL 30 NO 21
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 2nd March, 2021
The Senate met at Half-past Two O’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
LOGGING IN ON VIRTUAL PLATFORM
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I wish to inform the Senate that all Senators are required to log in using their full names for identification purposes or indicate their name on the chat platform. This will assist officers in capturing their names on the attendance register.
Senators are also advised that they must keep their gadgets on mute and only unmute when called upon to speak by the Chair.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that Order of the Day, Number 1 be stood over until all 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
Second Order Read: Adjourned debate in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
*HON. SEN. CHIFAMBA: Thank you Madam President. I stand up to add a few words on the Presidential Speech. Firstly, I am grateful for what the President said. I would also want to thank our President Mwonzora for allowing us to debate these motions. This is because all along, we were yearning to debate but because of our laws which were there, we were not able to do so. The President presented a very good speech…
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Can you please unmute your gadget.
*HON. SEN. CHIFAMBA: Thank you Madam President. I want to thank the President for his Presidential Speech. I also want to thank our President Hon. Douglas Mwonzora who is allowing us to contribute on the Presidential Speech because for a long time, we were not able to debate. We would just be sitting there but we will be yearning to contribute but we could not contribute. When the President talked about youth empowerment, he said they should be supported because they are the heirs of this land. We are ageing and are not geting any young. The youth should attend vocational training colleges so that they are trained in skills and be able to look after themselves. Nowadays, formal employment is a challenge. So, if our youths find something to be engaged in, it means they will be protected from drug abuse and criminal activities. They would not spend most of their time idle. If they are taught skillful things, it will be helpful to them because youths, many a times if they are idle become armed robbers.
The other thing which is very important is that youths should be involved in leadership positions. Leadership is not only for elders but they are our future leaders. I was very happy when he said that youths should be involved in leadership positions in all sectors. They should hold leadership positions so that they grow up knowing something. So I am happy that we should remain like that and support the youths. The youths should also be taught horticulture for they will benefit something from there. Youths are very important in our society. They should be uplifted as has been articulated by the President. We should follow what the President said, that we should uplift lives of the youths in politics and in everything.
The President also talked about “Pfumvudza”which has gone very well this year. However, we are saying those who benefited from the inputs should be productive. When some are given the inputs they sell them. Some do not utilise them fully. By being given inputs, the President wants our lives to be uplifted, he wants to empower us. This is because not all of us are farmers. Some people live in urban areas. So if people become productive, it helps everyone, even those who are in the urban areas would be able to buy the food that has been grown in the rural areas. You find people selling the inputs instead of putting them to good use. The President is aware that people are facing challenges of acquiring inputs. It is very painful when people sell inputs that they are given. When inputs are given, they know the hactrage that should be covered. People should be honest because the President is working very hard so that people are fed.
Coming to horticulture, it is very good because everything will be in season. Also, construction of dams will be helpful, especially for those who are engaged in horticulture. They will be able to irrigate their crops. The President also supported farming of small grains. People are shunning away from our culture of growing small grains because we say they are eaten by birds. However, these grains are very good to our health. We should go back and grow those small grains. Cotton used to be grown in Zimbabwe to the extent that we did not import textile materials from other countries because we would get that from our own cotton.
Looking at the inputs that the President gave to people, he gave a lot of things that we should not face any challenges as a nation. We would want to thank the Lord because this year we received good rains. I want to thank those who are utilising the inputs that they were given. If we have many dams, it means we will not have challenges of hunger in this country. What I saw is that our land is our resource. Zimbabwe is the bread-basket of Africa. So by investing in land, we are investing in our economy. Inputs were very expensive and that is why the President decided to give us inputs. I think in the future, the President should give all his people as some are not getting the inputs. I am pleading that when the President is giving out inputs or anything else he should give them to everyone. Distribution of inputs should not be partisan but should be given to every citizen of Zimbabwe. With these few words Madam President, I thank you.
HON. SEN. CHIRONGOMA: Madam President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 3rd March, 2021
MOTION
REPORT OF THE 47TH PLENARY ASSEMBLY SESSION OF THE SADC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM HELD VIRTUALLY IN NAMIBIA
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the report of the 47th Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC Parliamentary Forum held virtually on 9th October, 2020 in Windhoek, Namibia.
*HON. SEN. MOEKETSI: Thank you Madam President for giving me the opportunity to contribute on the motion raised by Hon. Sen. Mohadi. Firstly, I would like to thank my president Douglas Togarasei Mwonzora who encouraged us to participate in motions raised by other senators. I would like to thank him very much. I would like to also thank the movers of the motion on Covid. I would like to thank them very much for their contribution because the dreadful disease has caused many deaths in this country. I would like to thank them because when they were assigned this duty, they did not refuse. I would like to thank them for representing this country.
Madam President, I have a question. I might be mistake but allow me to express myself. I know that Zimbabwe is an independent country freed by the spirit mediums of this country. Those who went to fight in the war of liberation had spirit mediums that led them on which direction to take and which base to stay at, to run away or to avoid. Madam President, my question is do we not still have these spirit mediums with us? The President might have gone and asked for vaccination but can the spirit mediums not advise on which medication and which herbs to take so as to help fight the pandemic? We do have traditional leaders in this country, can they not help us?
Madam President, it is true that we have people who went to war and never came back. Those who came back had spirit mediums who led them during the liberation war. I do not want to praise my uncle, Rekayi Tangwena. He had his homestead burnt down but the following morning they would find him at his homestead. We have spirit mediums in Masvingo, we have spirit mediums from Buhera and even in Kariba. We have spirit mediums of this country, let us go back to them and they will tell us which medication to take to help fight the pandemic in this country. We should not wander about just gallivanting without direction, without consulting the spirit mediums.
In case I have lost it, I think I have expressed myself. I think we should consult spirit mediums to get direction. Other people mentioned the use of the zumbani and others were using snuff, who told them it will cure COVID? People had an idea of the solutions but because we have been embroidered into the English culture, we have forgotten those people who led us and saved us during the liberation struggle. Those people lived with us and protected us. We have chiefs within our country and they know which spirit mediums within their communities who can give us direction on the medications. That is why the white men never wanted to leave this country. People refuse cooperation because they do not know where the medications are coming from. Even I was not sure of what was being injected into people. It is because people never had information of the vaccine which was being injected into their bodies. Madam President, it is my wish that we come together and put our heads together and have sustainable traditions ways and solution to this pandemic so that we do not continue to beg for vaccinations and continue suffer. We are a blessed nation because we have everything in this country. With those few words Madam President. I thank you.
+HON. SEN. A. DUBE: Thank you Madam President for giving me this opportunity to add my voice on the motion that was tabled by Hon. Sen. Mohadi on the meeting of SADC which was virtually conducted. This is one of the important meetings which is a reflection that the Southern Region countries are working together, especially in such difficult times like these discussing the issues of COVID-19 and its effect to the whole world. So many people succumbed to covid-19 pandemic. We have seen some of our colleagues who passed on because of the pandemic which is an indication that this meeting was important so that countries can share ideas on how they can help their citizens to survive this pandemic. This is a pandemic - we do not even know which term to use to refer to it. The meeting was very important when the Vice president of Namibia was also present in this virtual meeting, which is an indication of how important the meeting was. I would want to thank all the Zimbabweans who were representing us at this meeting. They were able to get new ideas from other countries on how they were controlling this COVID-19 pandemic in their countries. This is a pandemic that caught people unaware and it spread very fast that people could not tell where it was coming from.
We want to thank His Excellency, the President because he managed to quickly handle and put lockdown measures in order to control this COVID-19 when it started in the country. All the guidelines and regulations that Government pronounced show that His Excellency was committed as a President of a nation. It is so sad and painful to lose so many citizens in the country. However, the regulations and WHO guidelines were able to safeguard the nation from the attacks of COVID-19.
I would also want to thank even the Zimbabweans for listening and following all the regulations that were put in place. There were a few deaths recorded during the first wave of this pandemic and had it not been for the strict regulations pronounced, we could have lost so many people. However, others were expecting a number of deaths in Zimbabwe because we did not have enough health facilities to take care of this COVID. Therefore, we want to thank God for His devine intervention.
Another wave of COVID-19 hit our country early this year which spread fast and was more deadly than the first one. We, therefore, recorded a number of deaths though we managed to follow all the set regulations and guidelines by WHO to prevent this pandemic. Zimbabweans were so vigilant and considered taking our traditional herbs like Zumbani tea which has become very popular nowadays because of its medicinal properties that help fight COVID-19. Some were steaming using the herbal tea and some were taking it as tea.
A lot of people tested positive to COVID-19 but because of the traditional herbs that the people have resorted to, a lot recovered from the deadly pandemic. We were also following all the regulations that were announced by the Government especially on prevention of COVID-19 such as sanitising and masking up all the time. Yes, the pandemic is still there but the statistics of new cases and death records are showing that the graph is now dropping.
I really want to acknowledge those who participated in this SADC meeting which was conducted virtually. We had different Members of Parliament from 12 different Parliaments who were sharing ideas on how to help each other as Members of Parliament in preventing and safeguarding our people from this deadly Coronavirus.
I would also want to acknowledge that the Government has managed to secure the vaccine for COVID-19. So far a number of people have been vaccinated already against COVID-19 especially Members of Parliament. We are hoping that this vaccine will prevent people from contracting this COVID-19. The first person who was vaccinated was the Minister of Health which was a reflection that he also acknowledged that the vaccine is a way of trying to safeguard people against COVID-19.
So many people have misconceptions about this vaccine but now I am sure they have seen that the vaccine is not here to kill people but to prevent them from contracting COVID-19. For example, the Minister of Health and Child Care who is also the Vice President volunteered to be the first person to be vaccinated. This was a way of making people to gain confidence in the vaccine because if he knew the vaccine was here to kill people, there was no way he was going to be vaccinated. Ever since the onset of the programme of vaccinating people, we have not had cases of negative effects on our people.
Once again, I want to thank the President of our country and Zimbabweans at large for welcoming this vaccine which was brought into this country so that it will reduce the number of people contracting COVID-19. So the number of new cases and deaths recorded has since reduced. Therefore, as Members of Parliament, especially the Senate, we should work harder in our constituencies, telling people to get vaccinated so that they can safeguard themselves and their families.
Yes the lockdown measures have been eased but we still need to be vigilant and safeguard ourselves against this virus. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. CHIRONGOMA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 3rd March 2021.
MOTION
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE AFRICAN PARLIAMENTARIANS NETWORK ON DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION (APNODE) HELD IN ABIDJAN
Fourth order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Zimbabwean Delegation to the 5th Annual General Meeting of the African Parliamentarians Network on Development Evaluation (APNODE).
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN MOHADI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 3rd March 2021.
MOTION
REPORT ON THE VIRTUAL EXTRAORDINARY SESSION OF THE GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION (IPU)
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report on the Virtual Extraordinary Session of the Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
Question again proposed.
*HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI: Thank you Mr. President for affording me this opportunity to add my voice to this report tabled by Hon. Sen. Muzenda. In the report, it was reported that the delegation from Zimbabwe was headed by Advocate Mudenda with Hon. Sen. Muzenda and Hon Tsvangirayi in attendance. We want to thank the delegation for representing Zimbabwe. This was a virtual meeting because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting was looking at policy and other important issues in preparation for the 2021 budget. We know that each and every organisation needs a budget for it to be on the go. That is what IPU set out to do. They were looking at their budget so that their work could run smoothly.
I want to touch on one of the issues that were raised in a report that was tabled there on human rights pertaining to how Johana Mamombe is being treated here in Zimbabwe. The report was submitted by the Human Rights Activists. A lot of things were raised such as Mamombe was abducted, ill treated, violated of freedom of expression and opinion, violated of freedom of assembly and association. Those are some of the issues which were raised but Hon. Mudenda replied by articulating how our Constitution works. He explained that there was separation of powers and the issue of Hon. Mamombe was being handled by the courts. He went on to say that Parliament of Zimbabwe cannot interfere with the Judiciary but he gave an undertaking that as Parliament, they would monitor how the issue is being handled in the courts and check for anomalies. Let me say that we are seeing that the Human Right Activists’ reports are not supposed to go straight to IPU without being submitted to Government. Government should be made to know the challenges so that they rectify the issues.
Coming to the recommendations given, Parliament of Zimbabwe was encouraged to work with the Committee on Human Rights and we are in support of that. Parliament was also tasked to work with the Ministry of Finance because money is needed where Zimbabwe was encouraged to pay their subscriptions in time so that they will not be in arrears and we also support that because if that money is paid in time, it will give pride to us as a country. Many countries agreed to the subscriptions and Zimbabwe agreed to engage in these meetings. We support that report. It is important that the good things happening in Zimbabwe are welcomed at the IPU. Thank you Mr. President.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN MOHADI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 3rd March 2021.
MOTION
PREVALENCE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on 16 days of activism against gender based violence.
Question again proposed.
^^HON. SEN. MOHADI having started to debate on the motion
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA): Hon. Sen. Mohadi, our records show that you debated on this motion before.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Mr. President, I cannot remember.
+HON. SEN. A. DUBE: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity. I seek the indulgence of this Senate to adopt this motion that I tabled in this Senate on gender based violence. I believe we all take cognisant of the fact that this motion is very important especially during this lockdown period where we have a higher number of cases of gender based violence. Almost every day, you read of a story based on gender based violence and there are so many cases that were recorded. Therefore, as Members of Senate, I am appealing to you that we should try and find a way of guarding against issues to do with gender based violence. I thank all the Members of this Senate who contributed and supported this motion, I thank you. Mr. President Sir. I now move that this Senate adopts this motion;
That this House;
COGNISANT that the Republic of Zimbabwe is signatory to the Beijing +25 Declaration, the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
RECOGNISING that Sections 17, 56, 78, 79, 80 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provide for gender equality and other rights of women.
NOTING the commemoration of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence Campaign from 25 November – 10 December 2020 under the theme “Orange the world: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect”
MINDFUL that domestic violence and sexual abuse in our communities constitutes a scourge that has caused devastating social ills on women folk, among them, trauma, murders and suicide;
ALSO MINDFUL that the prevalence of domestic violence results in grievous physical, emotional, psychological harm among women and the girl child, leading to untold sufferings to minors;
COGNISANT that cases of domestic violence are contributory to high incidents of rape, incest, child marriages, depravation of love and financial support and other anti-social practices;
AWARE that failure to deal with this cancerous pandemic of gender-based violence is a serious indictment on the part of our nation;
DESIROUS to curb challenges of domestic violence;
NOW, THEREFORE, calls upon;
- Law enforcement agents to strictly enforce law on domestic violence and bring all culprits to book.
- Parliament to legislate for stiffer penalties to deal with domestic violence
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
CONDOLENCES ON THE DEATH OF HON. SEN. AIR CHIEF MARSHALL RTD. PERRANCE SHIRI
Seventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the death of Hon. Sen. Rtd Air Chief Marshal Perrance Shiri.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: Thank you Mr. President for allowing me to debate on the motion pertaining to the death of the late Hon. Sen. Rtd Air Chief Marshal Shiri, a motion that was raised by Hon. Sen. Tongogara and seconded by Hon. Sen. Chimutengwende. It is also quite important that Hon. Members who have debated this motion before made very valuable contributions but I want to add more flesh to the motion.
My presentation Mr. President, is going to cover a few things that I feel have not been properly covered. Firstly, I will unmask who the late Hon. Sen. Air Chief Marshal Shiri is, how he crossed this country via Botswana to Zambia in an endeavour to liberate this country up to 1980, his contribution from 1980 in the Air Force of Zimbabwe beginning as the second in command eventually taking over as the Air Force Commander and at a later stage, how he became the Minister of Lands.
Mr. President, the late Senator was born on 11th January, 1955 in Chikomba District of Mashonaland East and he passed on, on 29th of July 2020. He is one of the many men and women who abandoned school in this country and fled the country to join the liberation struggle after having witnessed the suffering of the people of this country at the hands of the white settler regime. He felt it was not necessary to go to school while fellow citizens were being brutalised day in day out when fellow citizens were being treated as second class citizens in their own mother country. In a very rare display of bravery and dedication to the liberation of the struggle, the late Hon. Senator, in the year 1973, in the company of the now Hon. Vice President Dr. Rtd Gen. Chiwenga crossed the country clandestinely into Botswana on their way to Zambia where they received initial military training in order to launch the armed struggle to liberate this country.
Mr. President, the late Hon. Sen. Air Chief Marshal Shiri later moved to Tanzania, Mugagawo Training Camp which by then was the main training camp for liberation fighters and other liberation movements. Here, he received further training and on completion he was deployed to the warfront kick starting a very long journey to liberate Zimbabwe, a country that had been re-named Rhodesia in the owner of one other white man, Cecil John Rhodes. His deployment also marked a very long service totaling 47 years of uninterrupted dedicated service.
Mr. President, it is important to mention that the late Air Chief Marshal Shiri, on being deployed to the war front took over many positions in the command structure that saw him become Operation Commander of the Tete Province. He took many daring missions against the well-equipped Rhodesia Front’s 1RAR. One such mission which became the turning point in the history of the liberation struggle was the famous bombing of fuel tanks in 1978 in Salisbury now Harare …
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order, order, you sit down when I say Order Hon. Senator. I am advised that your gadget is not connected, so a technical person is coming to assist you.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: My sincere apologies Mr. President. Does this mean that I have to start afresh, with your authority?
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I do not know at what point you got disconnected.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: I am also not very sure.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Again, I am advised that you can continue. The first part of your speech will appear in the Hansard.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: Thank you Mr. President, I will continue and in case a record is required, I have something typed here that I am referring to.
Mr. President, on attaining independence, the late Hon. Sen. Perrance Shiri did not remove his liberation clothes neither did he exhibit any signs of fatigue. The Air Chief Marshal Perrance Shiri and national hero was attested into the Zimbabwe National Army. He was also seconded to be second in command of the Air Force of Zimbabwe embarking on yet another long service to defend the hard earned independence. He played a pivotal role in the integration of RF, ZANLA and ZIPRA forming the Zimbabwe National Army that then culminated into him being deployed to deputise yet another late national hero, Josiah Tungamirai at the Air Force of Zimbabwe. He later took over command of the Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ), a post that he only relinquished at the inception of the Second Republic when he was appointed Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement.
Mr. President, on being appointed Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement, the late Air Chief Marshal Shiri threw away the military gear and took over the Ministry with a lot of vigour and determination. He took over the Ministry and executed his duties with honour, dignity, distinction and expertise. After having been involved in Command Agriculture while deputising the now His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Hon. Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, he distinguished himself as Minister very well up to the time of his untimely death. He was more of a farmer than a Minister; this was evidenced by his trade mark dressing that resembled a farmer. He would always be in his work suit. While serving as Minister, he scored a number of successes and I will mention four or five of them. He was involved in Command Agriculture; Farm Mechanisation; kick started the construction of various bodies for irrigation; kick started the resuscitation of irrigation schemes to enhance food security and he was also involved in the Pfumvudza programme that has suddenly become a hit in this country.
Mr. President, the late Hon. Minister who was also an Hon. Senator and leader of Government Business in this House, left a vision that we are challenged to carry through as a last tribute to him. He also made tremendous contributions to Parliament and Government. It is because of the above that we express our deepest sympathies to the Chikerema/Shiri family and Mashonaland Province. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
Mr. President, the late Air Chief Marshal Perrance Shiri was a very hard worker, one who would traverse the length and breadth of this country in general, the length and breadth of Mashonaland Central Province in particular. One day he would be in Rushinga, the other day in Guruve and the day after in Kanyemba spearheading developmental programmes. A good example Mr. President, the late national hero constructed Murongwe Primary and Secondary Schools and a clinic down in Muzarabani as earlier stated by the Hon. Senator who tabled this motion. He was a very respectable father, a loving father and unifier, one who would cool tempers in all our meetings in Mashonaland Central.
Mr. President, I have an insurmountable task personally, a load too big to carry on my shoulders in that my province Mashonaland Central Province chose me to take over the late Hon. Perrance Shiri’s place as Hon. Senator for the province, hence the reason I am standing before you. The late hero was by far senior to me in triple capacity, during the liberation struggle, in the Zimbabwe National Army and Government, and even in my party’s structures where I am Central Committee member. The shoes that I am putting on Mr. President, are too big and too heavy as I have to perform both in this House and back in the province. It will obviously take me long to match his standards by any means. I only hope and pray that his spirit, wherever it is guides me in my endevour to work as much as he did, to behave in the same way and that I be given wisdom by his spirit to be able to fulfill his unfinished business.
Mr. President, let me list the number of medals that he attained during his 47 years of service which are the Liberation War Medal; Independence Medal; Long Service Medal; Long and exemplary service Medal; Mozambique Campaign Medal; DRC Campaign Medal and most importantly, he holds an Operation Sovereign Legitimacy and Grant Officer of the Zimbabwe Order of Merit, which is the most important medal that one can ever get in this country.
Allow me Mr. President to say, the late Chief Air Marshal Perrance Shiri - rest in eternal peace our national hero. This august House, Government and entire nation misses your services as you were not supposed to have departed so soon to see the successes of your programme. Thank you Mr. President and also allow me to say thank you to Hon Members. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. MOEKETSI: Thank you very much Mr. President. I just want to contribute a few words on this motion that was tabled by Hon. Sen. Tongogara in this House with regards to the late Hon. Sen. Air Chief Marshall Rtd. Perrance Shiri. Mr. President, I have a few words on the work that he has done. May his soul rest in peace. He worked so hard to liberate the children of this land. We saw him in here as a Senator who was humble. Let me tell you Mr. President that most who were soldiers, if you meet them on the streets are very fierce, but the Hon. Minister had no such character. He was a man of the people. All I want to say is sincere condolences on the passing on of the Hon. Minister. He fell victim to this pandemic that has affected the whole world. With these few words, I want to say may his soul rest in peace. Thank you very much.
HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Mr. President for according me this opportunity to wind up my motion which I raised in this House in relation to the death of Hon. Sen. Air Chief Marshal Rtd. Perrance Shiri. Firstly, I want to start by thanking you for giving me this opportunity. Secondly, I want to thank the Hon. Senators who contributed on this motion. The elders always said good works will follow you and that is why everyone who debated on the late Hon. Sen. Air Chief Marshal Rtd. Perrance Shiri, all of them were bringing out his expertise, humility and the good works that he rendered to this country from the struggle up to independence – from him heading various departments and everything that he has done.
I want to say that the most important thing that really touched all those who debated was that Hon. Sen. Air Chief Marshal Rtd. Perrance Shiri was a person who did not delegate, especially when it had to do with field work. He would go there and meet the people and would do what he was supposed to do as a person who had been given a job by the President so that there is no hunger in this country. We are all aware that Zimbabweans are hard working. He came up with programmes that everyone should get something from the land that they are seated, which is “Pfumvudza.” Almost all the Hon. Senators referred to this programme.
Mr. President, I want to say the late Hon. Sen. Air Chief Marshal Rtd. Perrance Shiri left us with a gap in everything that he was doing. I want to encourage all the Ministers who have been assigned work to do that they should take the example of Hon. Shiri, he was a hands-on man. He did not delegate and would be dressed in a work suit. I am just encouraging those who have been left behind to walk in his footsteps so that his soul will rest in peace, knowing that what he left is an example, people are following his steps.
Finally, I would like to say that Mashonaland Central lost a gallant son, but the work he left should carry on. As Zimbabwe, we lost but whatever he was doing should go on so that the people of Zimbabwe have enough food. If we do that, it means that we would have honoured him to the extent that he would rest in peace wherever he is. Mr. President, I want to say to the Shiri family, thank you for giving us a son who did good work for us. He did wonders for us. I would want to say to the Shiri family you are not alone, we are together in this loss, especially myself. During the liberation struggle I saw these children growing up doing various works. and the passing of Air Marshal Shiri touches my heart. In conclusion, may his soul rest in peace. I so move for the adoption of the motion that:
This House expresses its profound sorrow on the sudden and untimely death on Wednesday, 19th July 2020, of Hon. Sen. for Mashonaland Central, Air Chief Marshal Rtd. Perrance Shiri.
PLACES on record its appreciation of the services which the late Member of Parliament rendered to Parliament and the nation; and
RESOLVES that its deepest sympathy be conveyed to the Shiri family and the Mashonaland Central Province.
Motion put and agreed to.
On the motion of HON. SEN. MUZENDA, seconded by HON. SEN. MOHADI, the House adjourned at Seven Minutes to Five o’clock p.m.