PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 25th July, 2024
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair)
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. NCUBE): I move that leave be granted to present 2024 Mid-Year Budget and Economic Review Statement. The Review Statement…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Minister, please may you hold on for a moment.
HON. M. C. SIBANDA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to congratulate the team of seven national athletes for representing us in the 2024 Athletics in Paris. However, the number in composition of the officials is of public and national concern, given that the Ministry and Government is committed in other areas such as the National Sports Stadium and our roads from Bulawayo to Victoria Falls. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Sibanda. I advise you to bring a motion to this House in that regard. Thank you.
*HON. HAMAUSWA: Thank you Madam Speaker and good afternoon. I was just looking at the Constitution of Zimbabwe and other Conventions, which preserve political rights and the right to assemble, particularly as we are looking forward to hosting the SADC Summit and visitors who will be coming. The continued incarceration of the Zimbabwean citizens, which is covered by the Constitution, allows people freedom of assemble. If there are tangible reasons of why people are being incarcerated, this should be brought even to this august House. Yesterday, ZINASU students …
*HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: On a point of order, Madam Speaker Ma’am, the Hon. Member is talking about issues that are before the courts. We do not talk about what is happening in the courts in this august House.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Zhou, I will allow the Hon. Member to finish.
*HON. HAMAUSWA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. The issue I am talking about is not before the courts, like every Harare MP is not allowed to have feedback meetings. The issue that I was talking about is an issue which pertains to what happened yesterday where ZINASU students were having a capacity building meeting and they were arrested. The issue of the continued incarceration, arresting of people every day does not paint a good picture. We will be having ambassadors from the SADC region. This is painting the country in bad light – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]-
Hon. Togarepi and Hon. Z. Ziyambi having stood up.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Togarepi, please may you take your seat. Hon. Minister, what do you want to say?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Madam Speaker, this is not a forum for Hon. Members to abuse and come with falsehoods. We do not have a crisis, the police are carrying out their duty. If he has any issues with the conduct of the police, he knows what he is supposed to do. He should not abuse the audience that he has here in the House to speak about issues of the police.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Let me respond to Hon. Hamauswa. I have heard you but I request that since it is a specific request, please put it in writing so we can ask the responsible Minister to bring the response.
HON. MANGONDO: I rise on a point of national interest. I want to speak on an issue that weighs heavily on my heart and the conscience of our nation. Madam Speaker Ma’am, I feel compelled to address the plight of the Palestinian people and our deep-rooted solidarity with their struggle for freedom of justice. Our silence on this matter will be written as our complicity in the pages of history. May I therefore, with your indulgence Hon. Speaker and with the indulgence of all Hon. Members in this august House, ask that we all rise to observe a minute of silence in memory of the tens of thousand of Palestinians who have been callously murdered by the Zionist State of Israel. I thank you. May we all rise with your indulgence – [AN HON. MEMBER: Simukai uko hamunyari!] –
Some Hon. Members having stood up to observe a minute of silence.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Members, please may you take your seats and wait to hear from me. Hon. Mangondo, you are wrong on your point of national interest. I advise you next time to seek guidance from the Chief Whip.
HON. MANGONDO: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I had asked the Deputy Chief Whip to book me for a national interest, but I take note of your ruling. I thank you.
MOTION
2024 MID-TERM FISCAL POLICY REVIEW STATEMENT
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): Madam Speaker, I move that leave be granted to present the 2024 Mid-Year Budget and Economic Review Statement.
INTRODUCTION
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, I move that leave be granted to present the 2024 Mid – Year Budget and Economic Review Statement.
- The Review Statement gives an update on fiscal and economic developments during the first six months of the year, as well as progress on the implementation of the 2024 National Budget.
- The Review also provides the macro-fiscal economic outlook to year end and proposes measures to support the current economic stability being experienced.
- This is in compliance with section 298(1)(a) of the Constitution as read with section 7(2)(a) of the Public Finance Management (General) Regulations of 2019 and section 2(1)(c) of SI 127A of 2021 (Public Finance Management (General) (Amendment) Regulations, 2021 (No. 1).
- Let me begin by expressing my gratitude to the guidance and leadership of His Excellency, the President Dr. E. D Mnangagwa during the implementation of the 2024 Budget, as well as the formulation of this Mid - Term Budget and Economic Review.
- I also recognise the valuable inputs from the two Vice Presidents, Hon. Gen (Rtd). Dr. C.G.D.N Chiwenga and Hon.
Col (Rtd). K.C.D Mohadi, as well as from colleague Hon. Ministers.
- The Review also benefited from useful inputs from the Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance and Investment Promotion, Line Ministries, business organisations, civil society, churches and other key stakeholders.
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, let me now turn to the Review Statement itself:
RECENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS AND OUTLOOK
Global Economy
- In 2024, global economic growth is now projected at 3.2% according to the IMF World Economic Outlook Report of April 2024, compared to the October 2023 projections of 2.9%.
- The growth projections have been revised upwards on account of anticipated higher economic activity in the advanced economies, which are expected to grow slightly higher by 1.7% in 2024.
- The Sub-Saharan Africa economy, is now projected to grow by
3.8% in 2024, from the October 2023 projection of 4%.
- The downward revision is on account of the negative effects of weather shocks and supply chain bottlenecks.
Global Inflation
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, global headline inflation is now projected at 5.9% in 2024, a 0.9% down from 6.8% recorded in October
- The projected fall in global inflation is attributable to the impact of persistent tight monetary policies, the softening in labour markets and the fading pass-through effects from earlier declines in relative prices, notably the price of energy. The effects, however, differ from country to country.
Domestic Economic Developments
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, the domestic economy is now projected to grow by 2% in 2024, down from the 2024 National Budget projection of 3.5%.
- This downward revision is mainly attributed to the more severe than expected impact of the El-Nino induced drought on agriculture output.
- The growth projection is, however, subject to upside potential as wheat output during this winter season could be higher than projected.
- This would reduce the contraction of the agriculture sector and ultimately improve the overall GDP outcome for this year.
Inflation Developments and Outlook
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, Government undertook currency reforms culminating in the introduction of the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) replacing the Zimbabwe dollar on 5th April, 2024.
- In that regard, the ZiG month-on-month inflation remained stable at 0% in June from -2.4% in May 2024, while the US$ month-on-month inflation stood at -0.3%, from 0.1% in May 2024.
- In the outlook period, inflationary pressures are expected to remain subdued due to the tight monetary and fiscal policies being pursued by the authorities aided by the dissipating negative inflation expectations as the local currency unit remains stable against major currencies.
Balance of Payments Developments and Outlook
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, total foreign currency receipts increased by 9.5% to US$6.2 billion during the period from January to June 2024, from US$5.6 billion received during the same period in 2023, largely driven by the growth in export receipts, mainly from gold, agriculture commodities and manufactured products, as well as diaspora remittances.
- In line with this improvement in foreign currency receipts, preliminary estimates indicate that the current account recorded a surplus of US$19.2 million in the first half of 2024, a turnaround from the deficit of US$13.8 million recorded in the same period last year.
- To year end, the current account surplus is projected to narrow to US$44.5 million in 2024, relative to a surplus of US$133.9 million recorded in 2023.
- Remittances grew significantly by 16.5%, from US$1 billion in the first half of 2023 to US$1.2 billion in 2024, reflecting higher inward remittances from the diaspora, resulting in a favourable impact on the current account balance.
FINANCIAL SECTOR DEVELOPMENTS
Banking
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, the banking sector remains safe and sound and continues to play an important role in the growth and development of the economy.
- As at 31st March, 2024, all banking institutions were adequately capitalised, with reported capital ratios which were in compliance with the prescribed minimum capital adequacy ratio of 12% and tier 1 ratio of 8%.
- This is also evidenced by the sustained maintenance of low aggregate non-performing loans, to total loans ratio (NPL) of 2.2% (below internationally acceptable threshold of 5%) as at 31 March 2024.
- During the first half of 2024, financial literacy programmes have been rolled out to a number of provinces and will further be extended to the remaining provinces in the country in the second half of the year.
- In this regard, the number of loans to women and youth increased during the period under review.
Monetary Developments
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, the stock of reserve money stood at ZiG6.6 billion in May 2024, compared to ZiG6.5 billion in April 2024.
- On the other hand, broad money stock stood at ZiG41 billion at the end of May 2024, reflecting an increase of 5.9% from ZiG38.8 billion recorded at the end of April 2024.
Stock Market
- The stock market is on a growth trajectory, with the number of participants on the VFEX having increased to 15 instruments during the first half of the year.
- Since the adoption of the currency, the ZSE market capitalisation went up by 35%, from ZiG25.6 billion in April 2024 to ZiG38.7 billion in June, while the VFEX market capitalisation increased to US$1.3 billion, as at 30 June 2024.
PUBLIC FINANCE DEVELOPMENTS
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, the 2024 National Budget was formulated using the Zimbabwe dollar as the functional currency and a projected economic growth of 3.5%.
- Resultantly, total revenue collections were estimated at Z$53.9 trillion, (18.3% of GDP) and expenditures of Z$58.2 trillion with a financing gap of Z$4.3 trillion (1.5% of GDP).
- The introduction of the ZiG as legal tender on 5 April 2024 has necessitated reconfiguration of the 2024 Approved National Budget to reflect the change of our currency.
- Budget developments during the review period and outlook to year end are, therefore, being presented in ZiG.
- In this regard, the approved expenditure for the 2024 Budget of Z$58.2 trillion, converted to ZiG results in a budget envelope of ZiG87.9 billion, broken down by MDAs as follows:
Converted 2024 National Budget
Vote Appropriations |
App Budget (Z$b) |
Conv Budget (ZiG$m) |
Office of the President and Cabinet |
2 157.0 |
3 255.0 |
Parliament of Zimbabwe |
700.0 |
1 056.3 |
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare |
2 371.0 |
3 577.9 |
Defence |
3 637.6 |
5 489.2 |
Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion |
1 824.7 |
2 753.5 |
Audit Office |
127.0 |
191.6 |
Industry and Commerce |
135.5 |
204.4 |
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development |
4 285.9 |
6 467.5 |
Mines & Mining Development |
132.7 |
200.3 |
Environment, Climate and Wildlife |
135.5 |
204.4 |
Transport and Infrastructural Development |
1 153.2 |
1 740.2 |
Foreign Affairs and International Trade |
976.0 |
1 472.8 |
Local Government and Public Works |
1 220.1 |
1 841.2 |
Health and Child Care |
6 167.4 |
9 306.6 |
Primary and Secondary Education |
7 899.0 |
11 919.5 |
Higher & Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development |
2 314.4 |
3 492.4 |
Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises |
208.1 |
314.1 |
Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage |
2 870.6 |
4 331.7 |
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs |
1 078.0 |
1 626.7 |
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services |
122.4 |
184.6 |
Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training |
260.2 |
392.7 |
Energy and Power Development |
90.1 |
135.9 |
Information Communication Technology Postal and Courier Services |
185.3 |
279.6 |
National Housing and Social Amenities |
353.0 |
532.6 |
Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs |
221.8 |
334.7 |
Tourism and Hospitality Industry |
81.1 |
122.3 |
Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture |
136.2 |
205.6 |
Skills, Audit and Development |
43.0 |
65.0 |
Judicial Services Commission |
274.0 |
413.5 |
Public Service Commission |
1 246.2 |
1 880.6 |
Vote Appropriations |
App Budget (Z$b) |
Conv Budget (ZiG$m) |
Zimbabwe Council of Chiefs |
39.9 |
60.3 |
Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission |
42.1 |
63.6 |
National Peace and Reconciliation Commission |
56.0 |
84.5 |
National Prosecuting Authority |
98.3 |
148.3 |
Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission |
59.6 |
90.0 |
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission |
116.6 |
176.0 |
Zimbabwe Gender Commission |
48.5 |
73.2 |
Zimbabwe Land Commission |
52.9 |
79.9 |
Zimbabwe Media Commission |
34.9 |
52.7 |
TOTAL |
42 956.1 |
64 820.8 |
Other Constitutional & Statutory Appropriations |
15 266.7 |
23 037.6 |
Total Expenditure & Net Lending |
58 222.8 |
87 858.4 |
Source: MoFEDIP (2024)
- In terms of performance during the first six months of the year, revenue collections amounted to ZiG36.5 billion, against expenditures of ZiG38.9 billion. Expenditures are therefore, approximately 44.2% of the total approved Budget.
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, let me now elaborate on specific projects and programmes supported during the first half of the year.
Human Capital Development
- Human capital development is one of the 9 pillars of the 2024 National Budget, given its central role in inclusive economic growth and development.
- To this end, during the first six months of the year, Government expended an amount of ZiG6.7 billion towards provision of education, ZiG2.5 billion for health and ZiG140.9 million for social protection.
- In addition, Development Partners disbursed US$85.1 million towards these three areas, complementing Government efforts.
Health
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, the 2024 National Budget committed resources amounting to ZiG9.4 billion towards consolidation of the recovery of the public health system in all levels through provision of the necessary medical personnel, medicines, accommodation, rehabilitation and construction of health facilities, as well as provision of the appropriate medical equipment.
- Of this amount, ZiG3.8 billion was earmarked for rehabilitation and construction of health infrastructure and procurement of medical equipment.
- In this regard, during the first six months of the year, ZiG2.5 billion had been extended to the sector with the bulk, ZiG2.3 billion going towards employment costs, as well as ZiG166 million for hospital support and ZiG66 million towards Infrastructure Development.
Education
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, under the 2024 National Budget, an allocation of ZiG15.4 billion was made to enhance access to quality and equitable education at both basic and tertiary education.
- In this regard, an amount of ZiG6.7 billion was disbursed to support the two Ministries of Primary and Secondary Education and Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development during the first six months of the year.
- The education sector also benefitted from US$12.6 million, which was disbursed by the Global Partnership for Education.
Social Protection
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, His Excellency, the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa declared a State of National Disaster in April 2024, as part of initiatives to mobilise support to address the adverse impact of the El Nino-induced drought during the 2023/24 agriculture season.
- This follows a projected shortfall in local grain production of 764 000 MT against national grain requirement of 2.2 million MT.
- As part of the disaster preparedness framework, a three-pronged strategy was developed in response to the national disaster, namely, search and rescue, mitigation and resilience building being implemented through the following flagship programmes:
- Food Deficit Mitigation Programme;
- Cash for Cereal Programme;
- Grain importation; and
- Agriculture input support.
- These measures are complementary to the existing social protection schemes that include school feeding programme.
- To implement the various social protection programmes, ZiG243 million was disbursed to Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare during the first half of the year.
- Government received US$31.8 million as payment for sovereign drought insurance from Africa Risk Capacity Insurance.
- In addition, Development Partners disbursed US$18.9 million during the first quarter of 2024 to complement Government efforts.
- Furthermore, the African Development Bank (AfDB) contributed US$1.1 million in support of agriculture productivity & resilience, infrastructure development and institutional strengthening under the Post-Cyclone Idai Emergency & Recovery Resilience Programme.
Women, Gender Equity and SMEs
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, to inculcate emerging issues in advancing gender equality, Government finalized the review of the National Gender Policy for gender mainstreaming across sectors.
- The National Action Plan was also operationalised during the first half of the year towards safeguarding women’s rights and gender equality in the context of peace and security.
- To support women empowerment initiatives and SMEs, an amount of ZiG43.4 million was disbursed during the first six months of the year.
Infrastructure
Transport
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, the focus of the 2024 National Budget on transport is to enhance access and connectivity of various sectors of the economy, including the promotion of regional and international trade, and high impact projects.
- In this regard, Government registered notable progress in major roads projects including Harare - Beitbridge highway upgrade, Mbudzi Interchange construction, Harare - Kanyemba Road upgrade and projects under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme.
- In total, ZiG4.2 billion was disbursed during the first six months of the year towards transport infrastructure projects.
Energy
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, the country is facing shortages of electricity mainly due to the low electricity generation capacity at Kariba Hydropower Power Station on account of El-Nino weather conditions that have ravaged most parts of Southern Africa.
- In addition, the improved use of renewable energy sources in the country, particularly solar energy by companies and households continues to contribute immensely by reducing power demand and enhancing the supply situation.
Water and Sanitation
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, ZiG382 million was disbursed during the first six months of 2024 towards water and sanitation projects and programmes including the following:
- Rehabilitation and maintenance of water and sanitation infrastructure;
- Completion of ongoing dam projects;
- Capacitation of local authorities; and
- Borehole drilling in rural areas.
Housing Delivery
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, during the period under review, resources amounting to ZiG1.1 million were channeled towards housing delivery, mainly targeting construction, upgrading and rehabilitation of both residential and institutional accommodation nationwide.
ICT and Digital Economy
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, in order to facilitate smooth hosting of the 2024 SADC Summit, resources amounting to US$1.5 million have been disbursed, for the period under review, towards upgrading of existing fibre network, establishment of base stations and telecommunications services through service providers which include TelOne, Africom and NetOne.
Inter- Governmental Fiscal Transfers (Devolution)
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, the devolution agenda being implemented by Government, especially the allocation of financial resources to the lower tiers of Government as espoused by the Constitution is having a real impact on the livelihoods of the people through enhanced provision of basic social infrastructure services.
- The major milestone achieved under the devolution agenda this year is the adoption and approval of the Zimbabwe Inter- Governmental Fiscal Systems Administrative Manual by Cabinet on the 7th of May 2024 and subsequently launched on 10th July, 2024.
- This manual will go a long way in ensuring that there is transparency and accountability in the utilisation of Inter- Governmental Fiscal Transfers by lower tiers of Government.
- A total of ZiG200 million was availed under the Programme, during the first half of the year, 2024, with significant progress being achieved in various categories, including the construction
of schools, thus ensuring provision of quality education, as well as reducing distances travelled by pupils to access educational facilities.
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, I have a table that provides a detailed summary of expenditures during the first half across all Ministries.
Budget Financing
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, during the period January to June 2024, central government borrowing for budget financing was done through the mobilisation of resources on the domestic debt market.
- The total gross Treasury Bills (TB) issuance, for budget financing for the period January to June 2024 amounted to ZiG2.3 billion.
PUBLIC DEBT
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, the country’s stock of debt as at end of June 2024 amounted to ZiG287.2 billion, comprising of external debt of ZiG168.5 billion and domestic debt of ZiG118.7 billion. The debt stock is broken down as 58.7% external debt and the remainder being domestic debt 41.3%.
Development Partner Support
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, the country mobilised development assistance amounting to US$120.5 million from Development Partners during the first quarter of 2024.
- The resources which complemented the 2024 National Budget, were disbursed outside the Budget, and mostly through implementing agencies, and in some cases directly to beneficiaries.
OUTLOOK TO YEAR END
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, the fiscal policy thrust and macro-fiscal framework of the approved 2024 National Budget remains unchanged under the theme “Consolidating Economic Transformation”.
- Priority areas, however, may slightly change during the last half of the year, to reflect the impact of the drought on food security and the availability of water.
- In this regard, the currency reforms, together with economic developments during the first six months, as well as the recalibration of the Budget to ZiG, results in a Macro Fiscal Framework with revenue projections to year end of ZiG93.2
billion (22% of GDP), against expenditures of ZiG96.8 billion and a resultant deficit of ZiG5.6 billion (1.3% of GDP).
- Since the introduction of the ZiG currency, the economy is experiencing relatively stable prices and exchange rate. In this regard, the fiscal policy thrust is sustaining the prevailing stable environment necessary for inclusive economic growth to achieve the objectives of the NDS 1 and Vision 2030.
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, going forward, fiscal policy is being further reconfigured to increase usage of the local currency to sustain macroeconomic stability.
- On the monetary policy front, the Monetary Policy Committee is expected to utilise all monetary policy tools at its disposal to ensure prices and exchange rate stability.
- In addition, the Committee is required to ensure that any changes in monetary aggregates are in tandem with changes in the value of the reserve assets.
- To ensure the stability of the new currency, the private sector inclusive of manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, public transporters, informal sector players and the rest of the economic players are expected to embrace the new currency for both transactional and savings purposes.
- Measures to ensure stability of the currency include the following:
- Reserve Accumulation Strategy is ensuring that the ZiG circulating in the economy is fully backed by adequate international reserves;
- Strengthen the demand and use of domestic currency by Government, the corporate world and the general public. In this regard, some taxes will now be payable exclusively in local currency, including payment for Government services;
- Continuous improvements in the functioning of the market based willing buyer willing seller foreign exchange market;
- Effectively managing liquidity injections into the market, including ensuring an optimum quantity of ZiG notes and coins is maintained at all times, in order to balance the need for transactional convenience, with that of preserving the store of value properties of the local currency.
- Fiscal consolidation measures that ensure a sustainable fiscal deficit and avoidance of monetisation of the Budget deficit;
- Maintaining the current tight monetary policy stance and avoidance of any quasi-fiscal operations;
- Furthermore, confidence building measures will be instituted and clearly communicated to the market.
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, let me now turn to specific tax measures meant to support the ZiG currency and fine tuning of the existing tax policies to enhance their effectiveness:
TAX POLICY AND REVENUE MEASURES
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, the tax and revenue measures that I am proposing seek to provide relief to taxpayers, enhance tax administration, augment recently introduced monetary policy measures, as well as consolidate gains realized from existing measures.
Revenue Enhancing Measures
Presumptive Tax
- The dynamic nature of the economy requires a review of the presumptive tax regime, cognizant of the significant contribution of such operators to the Gross Domestic Product.
- In view of the above, I propose to review the presumptive tax structure downwards, in order to provide relief, thereby enhancing tax compliance.
Excise Duty on Electronic Cigarettes
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, in order to curb the negative externalities associated with the consumption of electronic cigarettes, I propose to introduce Excise Duty at the rate of US$0.5 per ml of contents of every electronic cigarette product.
Measures to Complement Monetary Policy
Payment of Taxes and User Fees in Local Currency
- Honourable Members would be aware that, the introduction of the new currency, the Zimbabwe Gold, has already started bearing fruits in anchoring price and exchange rate stability, thus, preserving currency value and rebuilding market confidence.
- There is, thus, need to create more demand for the use of Zimbabwe Gold through Fiscal Policy Measures.
Corporate Income Tax
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, Government, in June 2024, allowed companies to account for Corporate Income Tax in both local and foreign currencies on a 50:50 basis, or with the option to settle such obligations in line with the proportions in which income is earned.
- I, therefore, propose to amend legislation to regularize the above intervention.
- Going forward, I propose to amend legislation and compel any corporate whose revenue exceeds 50% in foreign currency to account for Corporate Income Tax on a 50:50 basis.
- Furthermore, where a company’s revenue exceeds 50% in local currency, tax shall be payable proportionately in the currency of trade thereof.
Presumptive Tax
- In order to promote the circulation of the ZiG within banking channels, curtail practices of money laundering, thereby combating financing of terrorism, I propose payment of all Presumptive Taxes in local currency, regardless of currency of trade.
Foreign Currency Dutiable Products
- In order to promote usage of the local currency, I propose payment of customs duty in local currency on selected products.
Payment of User Fees in Local Currency
- Going forward, all user fees for Government services shall exclusively be payable in local currency unless, specifically provided otherwise.
Tax Relief Measures
Value Added Tax on Livestock and Meat
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, following the recent changes in Value Added Tax (VAT) legislation, where live animals and meat is now standard rated, the industry has experienced a decline in demand due to low disposable incomes, which is attributed to the El Nino induced drought and increased informalisation.
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, in order to encourage formal trade, thus, restoring demand of meat products, I propose to exempt live cattle, pigs, goats, sheep and bovine semen from VAT.
- Furthermore, I propose to exempt poultry meat and kapenta from VAT.
Special Surtax on Beverages Sugar Content
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, in view of the need to provide relief to some businesses, I propose to waive the Special Surtax on Beverages Sugar Content payable for the period 1 January, 2024, to 8 February, 2024.
Tax Administration Measures
Transit Fraud
- Honourable Members would be aware that Government, in 2017, introduced the Electronic Cargo Tracking System (ECTS) that uses electronic seals and transmitters to monitor cargo, in particular fuel, in response to increasing incidences of transit fraud, whereby goods imported under the Removal in Transit (RIT) are offloaded on the local market without payment of the requisite duty.
- Despite introduction of the Electronic Cargo Tracking System, rampant cases of transit fraud continue unabated, hence, the need to curb such illicit practices.
- I, therefore, propose to secure duty and levies on fuel imported under Removal in Transit Facility, by imposing payment of duty at the Port of Entry. Such duty and levies shall be recovered on acquittal at the Port of Exit.
- This measure, which takes effect from 1st August, 2024, will not apply on fuel uplifted from National Oil Infrastructure Company, Msasa depot.
- The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority is directed to manage the duty refund process efficiently through dedicated bank accounts.
Fiscalisation of Domestic Fuel Sales
- Cognisant of the opportunity by operators to under-declare fuel imports, as well as abuse of the Removal in Transit Facility, I propose to introduce mandatory Fiscalisation of domestic fuel sales, with effect from 1st November, 2024.
Legislative Amendments
Introduction of Zimbabwe Gold as Legal Tender
- Honourable Members would be aware that Government, on 5 April, 2024, introduced the Zimbabwe Gold as legal tender through the Presidential Powers (Temporary Powers) Regulations.
- I, therefore, propose to amend legislation to provide for the Zimbabwe Gold as legal tender.
Reserved Sectors
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, the Indigenisation and Empowerment Act provides for a specific list of business operations that are reserved for Zimbabweans.
- I propose that legislation be amended to provide for additional sectors which include haulage and logistics, customs clearing, shipping & forwarding, borehole drilling, brick manufacturing and pharmaceutical retailing.
- The detailed list of additional reserved sectors is provided in the main Budget Review Statement.
CONCLUSION
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, the economy is showing signs of economic transformation, as evidenced by the resilience to the drought reflected by several sectoral robust growth nodes.
- The stability brought by the new currency (ZiG), provides further impetus to the transformation process which seeks to broaden the range of locally produced goods and facilitate production of high value and complex products which will make the economy more resilient to global and domestic shocks.
- The thrust and theme of the 2024 National Budget remains of “Consolidating Economic Transformation”. With determination and cooperation of all stakeholders, the country can withstand any challenge and progress is inevitable.
- Madam Speaker Ma’am, as I lay this Mid-Year Budget and Economic Review to this August House, I am also presenting the following documents:
- The Finance Bill;
- The 2025 Budget Strategy Paper;
- The Public Debt Report to Parliament; and
- The Citizen Budget.
The above-mentioned documents were laid on the Table. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I want to thank the Hon. Minister for the Statement and move that the debate do now adjourn – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]-
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Members, we follow the procedures. – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]- Hon. Members, may you take your seats, may you take your seats Hon. Members! – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]- We follow procedure Hon. Members. – [HON. MUSHORIWA: Yes, you said is there any debate? We said there is debate, that is what we said. There is debate.] - May you take your seats Hon. Members! – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Madam Speaker, let me clarify. Maybe some of the Hon. Members are new but I know that some have been here for a long time. It has been the practice that after the Statement, Hon. Members are allowed time to study and then debate – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]- We have never had a practice of debating without even the Statement - they have not even had sight of the Statement. – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]- So, I move - [HON. MUSHORIWA: On a point of order Madam Speaker!] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Mushoriwa please, may you approach the Chair – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]- May we have order in the House Hon. Members, may we have order! – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 20th August, 2024.
- [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
Some Hon. Members having been standing up.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members. May we have order in the House and can you please take your seats.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Madam Speaker, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 20th August, 2024.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI), the House adjourned at Half past Three o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 20th August, 2024.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 24th July, 2024
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER
APPOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM MINISTERS
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have got a list of apologies from Hon. Ministers and Deputy Ministers who have sought leave of absence from the House. Hon. M. N. Ndlovu, Minister of Industry and Commerce; Hon. M. Mavhunga, Minister of Veterans of Liberation Struggle Affairs; Hon. D. Garwe, Minister of Local Government and Public Works; Hon. B. Rwodzi, Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry; Hon. T. Mnangagwa, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry; Hon. T. Moyo, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education; Hon. A. Gata, Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education; Hon. K. Kazembe, Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage; Hon. C. Sanyatwe, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage; Hon. M. Mutsvangwa, Minister of Women Affairs Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development; Hon. J. Mhlanga; Deputy Minister of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development; Hon. D. K. Mnangagwa, Deputy Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion; Hon. D. Marapira, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Resettlement; Hon. E. Jesaya, Deputy Minister of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture; Hon. J. Paradza, Deputy Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife.
Ministers who are present in the House; Hon. Professor Murwira, Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development; Hon. E. Moyo, Minister of Energy and Power Development; Hon. Dr. A Masuka, Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement; Hon. R. Moyo, Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce; Hon. Y. Simbanegavi, Deputy Minister of Energy and Power Development; Hon. M. Ncube, Deputy Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities; and Hon. M. Dinha, Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare.
HON. MUSHORIWA: On a point of order Madam Speaker. We note your pronouncement in respect to the Ministers that have given apologies and also the Ministers that you have indicated that they are in this House. Notably Hon. Speaker, there are three substantive Ministers and then the Deputy Ministers. I think this is an issue that we have actually raised. The question time on Wednesday, in respect to the question and answer is provided for in our Standing Orders. The reason for this is to allow Members to ask the Executive policy questions pertaining to issues that affect the generality of Zimbabweans. We know that there have been quite a number of Ministers, some of them have actually been religious in absenting themselves from the Wednesday question time. We ask you Hon. Speaker, to possibly publish the list of the Hon. Ministers, their attendance list on Wednesdays and those that have given apologies. You will then see a pattern that there are certain Ministers who are supposed to be in this august House on Wednesday that have decided to absent themselves every now and then.
We also have other Ministers who have done well, who have been coming to this august House every Wednesday. Madam Speaker, I think this is prudent for the people of Zimbabwe. The people of Zimbabwe see all of us here. They are looking forward to this day so that we ask questions to Members of the Cabinet. Madam Speaker Ma’am, to have Members who continuously, week in, week out, give apologies. I do not think it helps Zimbabwe. It also defeats the narrative of the Second Republic theme of leaving no one behind. If they absent themselves, it means that the question that Hon. Members have are going to be left out, the message from their constituents is not going to be taken on board. We cannot have such a situation Hon. Speaker. Allow us to have the attendance list of Ministers on Wednesday so that we can deduce the pattern. Even when you see the pattern Madam Speaker, I think even yourself you will be ashamed of some of these Ministers what they have been doing. I thank you so much.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Mushoriwa, your point has been noted.
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you Madam Speaker. Let me clarify, I think the Hon. Chief Whip of the Opposition is misdirecting himself by defining Ministers and Deputy Ministers. In the Standing Orders, they are all Ministers. If there is a Deputy Minister, it means the Minister is present. I do not think we need the document that he is talking about, we are not supervisors of Ministers.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: On that aspect, Hon. Togarepi you are correct. Deputy Ministers are also Ministers in the House.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
HON. MANANZVA: Thank you Madam Speaker. In the absence of the Leader of the House, may we know the Leader of Government Business – [HON. MEMBERS: Hon. Deputy Minister Modi!.] -
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: May we have order in the House.
HON. TOGAREPI: Hon. Masuka is going to be the Acting Leader of the House.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Masuka is our Acting Leader of Government Business.
*HON. MANANZVA: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare. We are grateful for the maize that is being distributed but my question is, maize is coming but only a few are benefiting. One family can take up to six bags whilst another does not. What measures are you taking to ensure that everyone gets the maize grain because everyone is facing starvation?
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Members to my left, if you come to this House, you are called Hon. Members, please behave like your title.
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. DINHA): I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the question. At the moment, people there are 6 100 000 beneficiaries of grain in rural areas. What is happening is if there is a household that is receiving maize, it is a household consisting of father, mother and six children for example, all of them receiving grain. Each person receives 7.5 kgs of maize. What is happening is people are receiving grain for three months allocation at one go. One person receives 22.5 kgs which means, father and mother plus children which is 22. 5 times 6. That is why some receive a number of bags whilst some have not received yet. That is an allocation of the chosen beneficiaries and the criteria has been that there are the most needy at that moment. They are considered as needing the grain at that moment.
*HON. MANANZVA: The maize that is being allocated in six months, is it in advance or it is backdated. If it is backdated, it means that people have survived, why do we not give grain to people in advance so that we all benefit.
HON. DINHA: I think right now the maize that we have been distributing is for May, June and July. The distribution process will end in July. It was for those three months. If we say May we rush and distribute, June or July, the transport cost as well as administration cost become more. We realise that if we give them maize for three months, it will be good, it reduces costs especially for transport as well as administration and ensuring that people do not travel up and down to receive the maize. At the moment, the allocations were for May, June and July. After that, we start distributing for the next three months; so it will be in batches of three months till March next year.
*HON. KARENYI: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question to the Hon. Minister is, according to their assessment, it shows that in rural as well as in urban areas, people are starving. So, it means that when one person goes with six bags, others get nothing. The Hon. Minister admitted that some get as much as six bags, but the fact of the matter is that everyone is starving. As Government, why do they not distribute the maize to everyone for the three months batch? It is better to give a bag per household than distributing six bags to one household. Can the Ministry not come up with another method to ensure that everyone receives maize on time? I thank you.
*HON. DINHA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I think that criteria is being used. It is a rule gazetted by Government, so if that has to be changed, it means Government has to sit down to change that system and ensure that everyone benefits and ensure each household gets a bag of maize. But at the moment, we are following the laid down procedure. I thank you.
*HON. MANANZVA: My supplementary question is directed to the Deputy Minister. If you say Government laid down that procedure, we are the Government and we are saying in Mutoko, no one at all received rains. So, we want to know how you are going to distribute the maize expeditiously because everyone is starving. The situation is dire out there.
*HON. DINHA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I think we will sit down and ensure that we follow your recommendations. I think on Monday, we will sit down together with the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure that we act accordingly.
HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: Since this is a topical issue, I was thinking that it is good if the two Ministries concerned can bring a Ministerial statement to this House because we cannot play with an issue that has to do with hunger. Hunger can lead people to do anything and it is a security threat to have hunger in the country. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Nyamupinga. I am sure the Ministers concerned have taken note of that.
*HON. MAKUMIRE: Madam Speaker, I am of the opinion that this is a very pressing issue because people are starving out there. May you please increase the time so that we understand the situation?
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You will debate on it extensively when it comes as a Ministerial statement.
HON. MABURUTSE: My question is directed to the Minister of Agriculture. Can the Minister explain to this House how the ward drought mitigation centres will operate to assist in reducing cattle deaths in dry regions?
THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): Thank you Madam Speaker. I thank the Hon. Member for the very pertinent question in the midst of this ravaging drought induced by the El-Nino phenomenon, the worst drought in 43 years. It will affect us from a household food consumption perspective as we have heard, but it will also affect our livestock in four principal ways. The first is that the livestock will not have sufficient water on account of there not having been sufficient rainfall. The second aspect is pastures, which will be much depleted and therefore we will not have enough pastures for the cattle. Then there are diseases associated with the dryness and that can be picked from the ground such as anthrax, so that will also see heightened incidents of debilitating diseases.
The fourth aspect is that some of our best genetics in terms of cattle may be lost and perhaps the fifth one is that there will be panic sales of cattle by households and they will get reduced return though we know that cattle, in the context of our Africanness, are a business and also a social status. So, Government’s response has been to re-prioritise the drilling of boreholes and availing water to the rural communities by focusing on the 1620 rural wards and principally prioritising regions 4 and 5 - the 1035 wards in regions 4 and 5. So, at this ward drought mitigation centre, the intention is to be able to do the 1035, resources permitting in as short a time as possible so that in the next four months to November, we are able to save as many livestock as possible.
2.5 million of the 5.7 million cattle that we have in the country are at risk. So, at this drought ward drought mitigation centre, the central point is the village business unit; a borehole which is solar powered and drip irrigation so that the community can have safe and clean water, nutrition gardens and drinking troughs for livestock and feeding troughs for supplementary feeding. We are mobilising supplementary feed for 1620 wards. We have signed contracts with companies that supply silage and other supplementary feeds for distribution to these drought-stricken wards.
We also put a spray race to enable the cattle in that particular area to be able to be sprayed for the diseases. We have also appointed focal persons for all these wards and created a WhatsApp group for communication so that we do not lose cattle. The essence of this ward drought mitigation centre is that it is a relief centre for the particular ward. I thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. P. MOYO: My question to the Minister is, what plans do you have in terms of mitigation of the drought problem in areas where there is no water?
HON. DR. MASUKA: I thank the Hon. Member for the question. Perhaps, this is so specific and I would like to know where this particular area is. We have recently procured drilling rigs that can go as deep as 400 metres, and it would be good to know where this specific issue is so that we can investigate all the means that are available to enable them to get some water. I thank you.
HON. L. SIBANDA: How far have you gone to operationalise the proposed ward-based unit cattle sales, the one that was mentioned by the Deputy Minister to say that they would try and make sure that they guide the sales of cattle at ward-based level?
HON. DR. MASUKA: I want to thank the Hon. Member for the pertinent question. I did say that one of the major issues, especially in the drought stricken provinces like Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North, Midlands and Masvingo, which hold about 60% of our national cattle herd is that as a result of this drought, households may be forced to panic-sell cattle thinking that the cattle would deteriorate and eventually die and they would not get anything out of them.
What we have done as a Ministry, is to ban all household-based cattle sales, ban all village-based cattle sales so that the cattle sales can now take place at these ward drought mitigation centres on designated calendar days that are advertised in advance. The cattle clearance takes place at this ward where everyone else is on reducing theft but more importantly, we then bring in an auctioneer and buyers who are then able to bid and compete for the cattle. Hopefully, through the bidding process, we will see an increased price for these cattle.
When we did the sample run in Gwanda at Garanyemba, we saw that the price for the cattle was 25% to 40% higher in terms of the prices that they were getting. We have now said, for the 1 620 rural wards, we want a sales calendar developed by next week. The Deputy Minister in charge of livestock, Hon. Marapira is actually seized with that. We will be able to avail that calendar to ensure that happens. I thank you.
*HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: My supplementary question is about livestock close to national parks. Those cattle are straying into national parks for pastures. What is the plan to prevent the spread of diseases, especially amongst the livestock that stray into national parks?
*HON. DR. MASUKA: Firstly, buffaloes are the ones that transmit foot and mouth diseases which spread to animals that have hooves. We have erected fences and we erected 197 km of fencing along Gonarezhou National Park. In other areas, we also want to prevent the contact between livestock and wild animals. We are liaising with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife to be able to cut grass that may be abundant in other areas so that we may use them as feed for livestock.
The other issue is on drinking points. We are also working with the National Parks so that we may also have areas where our livestock may access water but being separated by a fence to prevent contact with wild animals. If we can be alerted on such areas that have high risk of contact, we will act immediately.
HON. MUROMBEDZI: The Hon. Minister mentioned village cattle sale pens. My question is, what measures are going to be put in place to prevent overcrowding and health risks at these village-based cattle pens? How is the Ministry going to protect farmers from potential exploitation by middlemen at these central selling points having seen that it is going to reduce their access to markets?
HON. DR. MASUKA: I thank the Hon. Member for the very pertinent question. Firstly, we have said that we are banning cattle sales at household and village levels so that we can go to this ward. If there are seven or eight villages in the ward, there is this designated sales point where the cattle ordinarily go to have water because that is the only relief point in these particular ward and then we put in the feeding troughs so that they can have relief feeding. Unlike in 1992 where we selected one heifer per household to save, we now want to save all the cattle.
We also realised that the cattle are a business, so we must provide an avenue for sale without causing transmission of diseases. For example, we have said the locals must improvise through food for work. Where we launched the programme at Garanyemba, we put in a spray race as dip tanks will have run low on water. This is the only place where we can get water so that the cattle get dipped at that particular place. This is actually enhancing disease control and reducing mortality of our cattle.
In terms of middlemen, this is actually eliminating middlemen. What is happening ordinarily is that the buyer goes to your household asking to buy cattle and they negotiate with you on a household and buyer basis. That reduces your negotiating capabilities as an individual. Whereas if all these cattle that are due for sale are brought to a centralised place on a known date, it means that everyone who is selling - like at this centre, we had 28 cattle that were offered for sale and we had buyers that had come….
*HON HAMAUSWA: On a point of order. I hear the response of the Hon Minister but I am shocked, is what he is talking about practical? If he says dip tanks are the selling points, how many thousands of dip tanks are there in this country, because in the constituencies, people want practical responses. So the Hon. Minister must give practical responses…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I encourage you to listen so that you understand what the Minister is explaining.
HON. DR. MASUKA: Let me explain, we have 4 009 dip tanks in this country. The actual number is…
*HON. MATAMBO: This is an Hon. House, with Hon. Members. We encourage that …
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Do you have evidence that the Minister is lying.
*HON. MATAMBO: The Hon. Minister should give us evidence of what he is saying. What the Minister is saying, he is not telling the truth. Where did that come from? I am saying that the Minister did not lie but his facts… [HON. TOGAREPI: vanenge vanoda kudhibha ivo.]– [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Can we have order in the House? – [HON. MATAMBO: He cannot insult me. I ask through your Chair that he withdraws.] – Please may you take your seat? – [HON. MATAMBO: I am human, it is either you have to chase me out of this House, handi dhibhe, he has to withdraw his statement] – [AN HON. MEMBER: Baya.] – Hon. Member, please may you take your seat?
The Hon. Deputy Speaker having called the Minister to proceed - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] – May there be order in the House? – [HON. MEMBER: Vachiti munhu imombe anodhibha, moti Parliament ienderere mberi pakadaro? Hon. Togarepi, sa Government Chief Whip, must withdraw statement rokuti vanoda kudhibha ivo, muno umu mune maHonourables.] - May we have order? May we have order, please? Manje mukada kuita zvokudaro ka, aiwa. May we have order in the House? Hon. Members, please may you take your seats?
The Hon. Deputy Speaker having wanted to proceed – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Hon. Chief Whip of Opposition, may you please approach the Chair? Hon. Zhou, may we have order in the House. May the Hon. Minister proceed?
HON. DR. MASUKA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I was indicating the number of dip tanks in the country and was being precise that they are 4 009. In rural areas we have 1 620 wards in the eight rural provinces. We obviously have more dip tanks per ward, depending on the ward. The selection of these ward drought mitigation centres is ward specific. We have encouraged the communities to see to it that if there is an existing dip tank that already has the faculties like sales facilities that this be chosen ahead of a new centre. Obviously, it is the water availability in that ward that determines the choice for the ward drought mitigation centre. This is what we are doing. At some stage I would be very pleased to favour this House with the 1 620-ward drought mitigation centres once the team completes the exercise and we can reveal this as early as next week. I thank you.
An Hon. Member having wanted to ask a supplementary question.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Three supplementary questions were already asked.
HON. MATEWU: Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. My Standing Orders in terms of Standing Order, Number 98 (1) (d), ‘no Member, while speaking to a question may use derogatory, disrespectful offensive or unbecoming words against the President, Parliament or its Members’. Madam Speaker, ask the Chief Whip for the Government to withdraw his words. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What do you want the Chief Whip to withdraw?
HON. MATEWU: Madam Speaker, the Chief Whip said to the Member that iye anoda kuenda kudhibha.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: So, what is wrong in dipping? Dipping is similar to bathing – [HON. MATAMBO: No, no, you are out of order Madam Speaker. I think you are now rubbing in the salt. You are out of order; you cannot continue like this. You also have to withdraw that statement. I feel very much insulted. You are out of order Madam Speaker. – [AN HON. MEMBER: Gara pasi iwe.] - May we have order. Hon. Togarepi, please may you withdraw that statement?
HON. TOGAREPI: Madam Speaker, I want to be very clear, before I withdraw. I cannot withdraw lies. Madam Speaker, I asked a question, I never said any Hon. Member anodhibha, I asked – [AN HON. MEMBER: Withdraw]-
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: May we have order in the House. Hon. Togarepi, please may you withdraw that statement.
HON. TOGAREPI: Madam Speaker, I want to be very clear before I withdraw. I cannot withdraw lies – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Madam Speaker, I asked a question. I never said any Hon. Member anodhibha. – [HON. MEMBERS: Withdraw.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: May we have order in the House!
HON. TOGAREPI: I asked a question – munodhibha here? Does it mean it was applying to anybody? If the Hon. Members are insulted by kudhibha – [HON. HAMAUSWA: The Speaker ruled, please withdraw.] -
HON. MATAMBO: Madam Speaker, you made a ruling and the Hon. Member is yet to withdraw that statement, and I await that he withdraws that statement.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, I think you are drunk – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
HON. L. SIBANDA: My point of clarity is, I want to know the statistics of the dip tanks that dip human beings? I thank you.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, you requested that Hon. Togarepi withdraws and he withdrew – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – You were making a lot of noise because that is what you came to do here, especially when there is live broadcast. The Chief Whip withdrew while you were making noise.
HON. JAMES: We take it that the Chief Whip is too scared to withdraw. My question is directed to the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. Can the Minister highlight the Government policy regarding the SADC Tribunal with the euphoria surrounding the pending SADC Summit to be held here? Will the Second Republic take the opportunity to withdraw the country’s signature from the Protocol that was signed in 2012 and 2014, which effectively denied some 400 million SADC citizens their human rights to approach this epic course should they need? This will be a monumental act of righteousness and will enhance the credibility of Zimbabwe as a pillar within SADC, promoting the SADC Treaty principles –
HON. TOGAREPI: On a point of order. My point of order Madam Speaker is, that is not a question. He is addressing us about issues. Let him ask a question.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. James, please may you ask your question again.
HON. JAMES: I am asking the Minister to highlight the policy regarding the SADC Tribunal and the signature they had denying some 400 million SADC citizens their legal right to approach the SADC Court. I think that withdrawing that signature will be a monumental act of righteousness to enhance the credibility of Zimbabwe and the SADC Treaty principles of democracy, human rights and rule of law for the prosperity and development of us all. I am asking –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. James, that is a specific question and I advise you to put that in writing – [HON. JAMES: Inaudible interjections.]
HON. CHIGUMBU: I kindly ask you to indulge me Madam Speaker. You are one of the best Speakers that this Parliament has ever had. I want to thank you for the commendable work that you are doing, but I have noticed something. Every time you are sitting on that Chair, it seems that people on your right are always trying to bully you when executing your work – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – We want you to be free. If you are seated on that Chair, you are representing the interests of every Zimbabwean.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: That is not a point of privilege Hon. Member, please take you seat.
HON. SHONGEDZA: My question is directed to the Minister of Health and Child Care. Since the COVID – 19 pandemic, there has been an increase in the number of children impregnated by adults. What is the Government doing to protect these children?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON. KWIDINI): I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question, but I am not so sure which children are being referred to; school going age or college. As a Ministry, our mandate is to treat and make some preventive awareness in terms of diseases which affect people, including those children. I do not know now in terms of pregnancies. I think if these are school going children, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education can also come in to make the awareness campaigns such that the children are told the dangers of indulging at an early age. Even at home, it is the responsibility of the parents to make sure children are protected from these dangers. I thank you.
HON. I. NDUDZO: My question falls under the purview of the Ministry of Local Government. What is the governing policy in respect to the installation, discipline and jurisdiction of village heads in the A1 resettlement areas, seeing to it that in the communal lands and in the old resettlement, we have village heads who are installed and are on Government payroll? In the A1s, we have got haphazard appointments and people claiming to be village heads. What is the actual policy in terms of installation, discipline and jurisdiction?
THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): I thank the Hon. Member for the question. The agricultural areas, its administration is under the purview of the Ministry of Lands. The difference with the communal areas is that the communal areas are governed by three Acts. First is the Rural District Councils Act, Traditional Leaders Act and of course, the Communal Lands Act, which I co-administered with the Minister of Local Government and Public Works. In agricultural areas, the power is ceded by the Minister for a temporary governance and we will be bringing to this House the Agrarian Reform Amendment Bill which will try to streamline the governance system within the agricultural land. At that stage, we hope that we will be able to eliminate the issues that were raised by the Hon. Member and ensure that the governance in that sector is for development. I thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: Thank you Madam Speaker. My supplementary question to the Hon. Minister is that in the current moment, there are some who claim to be village heads in agricultural land. Under whose jurisdiction would you have put those people and using which powers? Thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. DR. MASUKA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I thank the Hon. Member for the question. The Hon. Member will recall that when we undertook the Fast Track Land Reform Programme, we put in temporary governance structures, principally a committee of seven that would be superintending over, especially A1s. That is where they draw their power from until the new legal arrangement is put in place. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
HON. P. DUBE: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Health. Would the Minister highlight to this House what the Ministry’s policy is to improve the health conditions of the health professionals so as to retain all our health professionals in our referral hospitals? Thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON. KWIDINI): Thank you Madam Speaker. I would also like to thank the Hon. Member for the question. Yes, it is true. As the Ministry, we now have what we call a compact criteria or strategy which has been signed with other developmental partners which will see and make sure there is more training of health professionals. There is going to be retention of those health professionals and improve the ethics of the health professionals which will make them sure to deliver quality health care to the people of Zimbabwe. I think this policy, very soon the Minister when he is going to present the National Health Insurance Policy which has been crafted, I think he is also going to encompass what the Hon. Member has asked. I thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. P. DUBE: Thank you Madam Speaker. What would the Minister say on the reaction time by the doctors because there are cases where citizens refer sick people to our referral hospitals and doctors perhaps take forever to attend to patients resulting in death in some instances?
HON. KWIDINI: Thank you Madam Speaker. It is now a comment which is now being requested but sometimes comments are dangerous because you comment on something which you have not witnessed. As far as we are concerned as the Ministry, we are aware that because of high attrition, especially in the health professionals which has been witnessed since around 2000 up to date, as a Ministry, we are trying to train more doctors and nurses such that all those referred cases, especially to the central referral hospitals, will be seeking highly specialised treatment where we need specialised doctors who take care of those ailments. As for now, there is a process where more of those specialists are being trained such that the turnaround which is being said is going to be reduced. The Ministry is aware of that one. I submit Madam Speaker.
*HON. GWANGWABA: Thank you Madam Speaker. How are you? I would like to thank the Deputy Minister…
*HON. T. ZHOU: On a point of order Madam Speaker. The Hon. Speaker made a ruling that there is no need to greet the Chair first before posing a question. May the Hon. Member withdraw the greeting?
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: The Hon. Speaker said greeting the Chair is not necessary but did not say it must not be done.
*HON. GWANGWABA: Thank you for the protection Madam Speaker. My question is directed to the Deputy Minister. Regarding the staff and health services delivery, what measures are they putting in place with regards to training? We realise when the intake is advertised, five thousand applicants apply but only 30 are recruited. We want a lot of them to be recruited so that there is efficiency in the sector, instead of taking a small number.
HON. KWIDINI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the supplementary question. It is true that when I spoke about compact, that is the programme that also includes the training of health delivery system workers to be increased. We are in liaison with the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education to ensure that the training is increased so that we cover most of our hospitals, in line with Vision 2030. By then, we want to ensure that we double the workforce in the sector. I thank you.
*HON. S. MOYO: Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is, we see you training our doctors and nurses, but after going to hospital they then open private surgeries because they say they are not paid adequately. What is Government doing because Government trains those doctors and nurses and they do not remain in public hospitals? Instead they opt to open private surgeries because …
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You are only supposed to ask one question.
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON. KWIDINI): Thank you, Hon. Speaker Ma’am. We only hear that as a Ministry but according to policy, the nurse or the doctor must be at the hospital during their working hours until they work adequately, but that may be mischief if they do that during working hours. I know that indeed even our ancestors were never satisfied by the wages or pay. If there is any information on any such workers running private surgeries during working hours, they are supposed to be reported, we do not allow that.
*HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: Thank you, Madam Speaker Ma’am. My question is directed to the Minister of Health about abortion. Madam Speaker, excuse me I was checking if the Deputy Minister is available. The law in this country allows abortion for specific reasons such as health or rape case or incest. In that case, abortion maybe allowed. The problem we are facing as women is when we start that process, the bureaucracy involved till the process is concluded, leaves a lot to be desired. What is Government policy with regards to that instance where the person is legally entitled to abortion, the victim may end up getting all the way to seven months. The time will have lapsed and it ends up becoming more or less like murder, yet abortion should have been made earlier.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Nyamupinga, may you bring that as a motion. Although I will allow the Deputy Minister to respond, I think that issue should be debated.
*HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: Madam Speaker Ma’am since I was really eager to be responded to.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: We allow this question to be responded to.
*HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: I really accepted your recommendation. My question is about gays or lesbians. Madam Speaker, please do not cry. Somebody maybe born with two sex organs. Doctors consider which one should be removed and which one should be retained but when they remove one organ, that person may feel more…
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order. Hon. Nyamupinga must ask her question directly. Today is question and answer time, she must ask her question.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Nyamupinga, ask your question.
*HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: If that person is regarded as a homosexual, what is Government policy because that will be a problem caused by the doctors who may have operated or removed an organ that was not supposed to be removed.
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON. KWIDINI): Thank you, Madam Speaker Ma’am. I would like to thank Hon. Nyamupinga for those questions. Those questions are good. When a child is born, there are a lot of tests carried out and doctors make a determination on where the dominant sex will be. As the child grows, hormones may change but that becomes a problem for the child. If the child is let to grow with two sex organs, it may become difficult to operate at a later age. Like you said earlier on, may the Hon. Member, put the question in writing so that we do proper researches in order for us to give a comprehensive response. For now, that was the method that was recommended that the operations are much more successful at a younger age than later. Thank you.
HON. BAJILA: I want to thank the Minister, a similar question appears on today’s Order Paper as question number 46. I am sure since you are asking for time and a similar question has already been brought to you, when it is time for questions with notice, the Minister will be available to respond because question number 46 is essentially the same.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Bajila. I am sure the Hon. Deputy Minister has taken note of that.
*HON. MAHACHI: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. My question is directed to the Minister of Agriculture. What is Government policy with regards to people who are relocated due to construction of dams? How can such people benefit from the nearby dams, especially with regards to irrigation? When Osborne Dam was constructed in 1994, Nyamajura Irrigation Scheme which is close by did not benefit from it. What is Government policy with regards to ensuring that nearby surrounding communities benefit from irrigation?
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: When you pose your questions, please do not mention areas because it becomes specific. I will allow the Hon. Minister to respond because the question is good at the beginning.
*THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): I am grateful for the question from the Hon. Members. In the past, we used to say when we construct dams, we would relocate people paving way for the construction of the dam so that we avoid floods but from 2017, we said we will no longer be doing that. We said because of rural development, when a dam is constructed the dam is part of that development. The first beneficiaries are those locals.
So, we are no longer going to do that, for example, the Hon. Member referred to Osborne or Tugwi-Mukosi. We will not do that anymore. We want to follow the example of what we are doing in other dams like Kunzvi and Gwayi-Shangayi. We are no longer relocating, but reorganising for development.
So, what is happening is, that area is supposed to be the first beneficiary of development. That is what we are going to be doing for all the dams we are going to build. In English, a dam is an economy. We construct irrigation for people who are there. Experts will come to survey how many settlements will be affected by overspills from the dam and we negotiate with nearby village heads to ensure that we construct water for drinking, fisheries as well as other such infrastructure. I am so sorry about what happened, especially for the dams that were constructed a long time ago. There is funding that is meant for special drawing rights and I am sure if that funding comes, we are going to help such people. I thank you.
*HON. P. ZHOU: Is there a plan like that to also be extended to A2 farmers resident in areas with dams. There are farmers who are close to the dams, but they do not have access to water. Looking at the drought that we are faced with, people around those dams cannot do any farming for lack of water. Is there anything being done to assist A2 farmers? I thank you.
*HON. DR. MASUKA: Thank you Madam Speaker. Let me thank the Hon. Member for this question. The issue of hunger when we have lots of water in our dams is an issue which Government is seized with. That is why our President, on 5 July, held a meeting to see how we could secure funding for the revamping of our irrigation. One of the issues that we talked about was that where we have dams, how can those with land and no money partner with those with money but no land? So, we talked about joint ventures for fast development and that can be done. I have said that those who benefited from the land can disclose their status so we can see how best we can help them. In my Ministry, we have a department which is called joint venture. It looks for people with money and vet them to ensure they are genuine so they can join with those with land but no money so that we move forward. Companies like ARDA are given money by Government so that they go to areas with dams and revamp those areas.
Those A2 farmers can also come together as a consortium then approach a bank to give them money to put up their own irrigation. There are lots of things that we can do. If there are people with any ideas, they can come so that we help each other. I thank you.
*HON. NYABANI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to thank the Minister for the work that he is doing. We have dams that we should target for irrigation. I did hear what the Minister said concerning irrigation, but most of the dams in the rural areas are silted. Removing the sand is very expensive so, I need to know how those dams can be protected so we can continue with irrigation. How are you protecting them against siltation?
*HON. DR. MASUKA: Thank you Hon. Nyabani for the question. It is posed each and every week.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: It is very true, but last week it was about how to remove the sand and this week it is how you can protect it from being silted.
*HON. DR. MASUKA: Thank you Madam President. The issue of sand comes from the activities we do in those areas. Deforestation, cutting trees for our gardens and building as well as constructing in veld areas. EMA has come up with plans to guard against siltation. In our Ministry, we also have directors who are doing conservation so that we come back to contour ridges and stop the soil from being washed away into the rivers. Also removing sand from those dams is very expensive as compared to protecting against siltation.
*HON. MAKUMIRE: Thank you Madam Speaker. The Minister of Lands talked about a very good thing that they are now doing reorganisation instead of relocation. There are some other places targeted by Government for irrigation and cattle feed. Does the issue of reorganisation apply to those areas or you are going to resettle those people?
HON. DR. MASUKA: Thank you Hon. Makumire for the question. I think this question is particular, so I think the Hon. Member should put it in writing because it is specific. If a question is specific, it does not come into this portion. I thank you.
HON. SHIRIYEDENGA: My question is directed to the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare. Taking note of the dire working conditions and poor salaries for civil servants, civil servants have not enjoyed collective bargaining in terms of Section 65 of the Constitution and the International Labour Organisation, Conventions 89 and 98. We also note that collective bargaining mainly in Zimbabwe relies on the outdated Section 141 of 97 which does not promote inclusive dialogue and does not provide binding decisions. My question therefore is, when will Government align labour regulations and institute collective bargaining among civil servants in line with Section 65 of the Constitution in order to cushion civil servants against the economic hardships and poor working conditions? I thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. DINHA): Thank you very much Madam Speaker and I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question. The Government, business and labour are always meeting from time to time, that is the Tripatite Negotiating Forum. I think if you put your question in writing, I will give you a comprehensive answer of collective bargaining. I thank you.
HON. SHIRIYEDENGA: On a point of clarity. I know the issue of working conditions and poor salaries has been discussed. My issue concerns the fact that we have not had a comprehensive response to the poor working conditions and the salaries relating to the collective bargaining. The fact that she said there is a Tripatite Negotiation Forum sitting, we are not getting effective responses from the Minister regarding salaries and the working conditions.
HON. DINHA: Can you specify on the poor conditions because I do not know what you are talking about when you refer to poor conditions.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON TSITSI ZHOU): You requested to be given a comprehensive response which she has agreed to do. With your indulgence, let us allow her to give you that written comprehensive response.
HON. MUTOKONYI: My question is directed to the Minister of Information Communication Technology. Postal and Courier Services. Given the digital era that we are in, what is the Ministry doing to regulate the disruptive technologies, the Artificial Intelligence and internet in as far as the security of the nation is concerned?
THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY, POSTAL AND COURIER SERVICES (HON. DR. MAVETERA): Thank you Hon. Mutokonyi for that question, which is very important considering the new digital order that we have upon us. Artificial Intelligence, definitely as a country, we really need to adopt and we are already coming up with an Artificial Intelligence Policy to provide for regulations that will give us a safe environment for us to operate in. Again, we have realised that there is need for us to come up and upskill our staff, especially when we are talking about the public sector. It is quite important that at least we can then be able to see how they can adopt and utilise Artificial Intelligence.
As much as it maybe, we are learning a lot from Artificial Intelligence and at the same time, Artificial Intelligence also has to learn a lot from us. As a country, we have also realised that in terms of training, definitely we need to make sure that we upskill, reskill in terms of the public sector and that is a must. We need to make sure that we protect our citizens like the Hon. Member has said. In that way, we are coming up with a Security Operations Centre which we have put in place to make sure that we can be able to detect any other cyber security attacks that can come through, especially with us being able to utilise Artificial Intelligence. What we are hoping to do, is to conclude on our Security Operations Centre which is going to enable us to track and see what will be happening in the Artificial Intelligence space.
HON. MUTOKONYI: With regard to the digital infrastructure that is going to ensure all what she has said will happen, what is also the Government position with regard to that?
HON. DR. MAVETERA: I really want to thank the Hon. Member for that follow up question. It is quite important. Definitely, there is never a time you can speak of us being able to deploy any of Artificial Intelligence programmes without us having the requisite infrastructure. So, in terms of that, definitely we need to look at that infrastructure and also even connectivity and data which we have always spoken about in this august House. If you look at the consumption of Artificial Intelligence programmes, you will realise that they consume a lot of data. So, it is important that we have access of data since it is our national backbone. We need to make sure we enhance it so that at least we have got more fibre connectivity in the country.
We also need to make sure that we deploy more base stations. In that way, we make sure that at least our connectivity is quite in place. We are also looking at us upgrading our National Data Centre. Our hope is for us to make sure that at least we have a data centre hoping that by the end of next year we can be able to do it. If there are any other innovations that could come through, we believe we can be able to utilise that. We are working together with the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education in terms of us utilising their Higher Performance Computing Centre because we believe that there is need for us to investigate and do a lot of research and development for us to adopt Artificial Intelligence going forward. It is a collaborative way that we need to adopt and at the same time, it is a whole of Government approach that we need to work for us to make sure that we are going to adopt and be in line with other jurisdictions in the whole world.
HON. KAUNGAUSARU: What measures has our country put in place to protect our digital sovereignty and prevent data breaches?
HON. DR. MAVETERA: Initially, what we have done in terms of the policy - we have got our Data Privacy and Protection Act that we have put in place whereby it has already set the tone in terms of the legislation that is needed by knowing what is supposed to be happening, especially in the cyber space. There are a lot of attacks that are happening and it is important that at least in terms of the legislation, we have put that in place.
Secondly, like I have said, there is need for us to invest more in our Cyber Security. We are going to be commemorating our Cyber Security month in the month of October, whereby we will be having a lot of events to make sure that at least we create the Cyber Security awareness to all citizens of Zimbabwe. That is quite important, we really need to invest more, especially in terms of us coming up with applications that are going to make sure that we are protected in terms of Cyber Security.
Again, we really need to equip our security operations centre so that we will be able to make sure that at least nationally are going to protect every citizen in terms of any issues that any cyber attacks that can occur in the Cyber space.
HON. MATEWU: Thank you Madam Speaker. Artificial intelligence should not only be seen in the realms of security but actually artificial intelligence should be seen, like what other countries are doing in terms of medical science, robotics, agricultural economy, what is the Ministry doing to ensure that we harness artificial intelligence for the benefit of the economy of this country?
HON. DR. MAVETERA: Thank you very much Madam Speaker. Let me thank Hon. Matewu for that question. As a country, definitely we need to look at use cases that we have that we can make sure that we deploy artificial intelligence. For example, what he has asked, in terms of health, as a country, we are realising that there is now need for us to be able to make sure that at least we engage into tele-medicine. I am sure you have seen our First Lady launching a cytogram ambassador of health. She launched tele-medicine booth. I think she has launched four now.
Already, she has shown us what we are supposed to be doing. We are also doing as a Ministry in terms of making sure that at least we do tele-medicine as well as tele-health. Like you said that it is not only to do with security, I totally agree with you, it is not just about security. We are utilising artificial intelligence in agriculture. You will see that there is need for us to come up with innovative ways, let us see, let us be able to detect any diseases coming through. We need to be able to be utilising it. Even in terms of also against any chemical we might have. This is what we are going to be doing.
I still feel it is not only today, we have come up with a plan which is going to make sure that in terms of us being able to adopt artificial intelligence, we come up with case studies. In these case studies, we have taken mining, agriculture, health and also education. I am sure you have seen it but it is quite important that we went on and launched virtual classrooms which we believe that this is the way to go and definitely we have to digitalise operations. We need, at the same time, to also make sure that we are utilising artificial intelligence as we go. All I can say is yes, I agree with you. Let us continuously be able to do this and we are still pushing on doing that.
Like I have said before that we really need to learn from others. Let us see use cases, everyone does not really understand what we are supposed to be doing but it is a matter of us trying and then seeing how best we are going to take this forward. I know we are going to get there. As Zimbabwe, we are unapologetic about us adopting artificial intelligence and we are going for that.
HON. MUKOMBERI: My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. What is the Government’s position in relation to conducting of holiday lessons by schools, especially for examination classes, as we are approaching August school holiday?
THE MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY EDUCATION, INNOVATION, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. MURWIRA): Thank you Madam Speaker. First of all, the policy of Government is to try and educate our students and make them pass so that we can utilise their brains for national development. It therefore, means that when we provide them with opportunities to get more lessons, especially during the time towards examinations, so the Hon. Minister of Primary and Secondary Education has recently announced that students will be allowed at some time in August to have their extra lessons. All the rules have been set, which are the school rules to make sure that they are able to do it in a conducive environment. So the policy is to give them extra time during the holiday and it is going to start this August.
HON. MAPFUMO: What is the policy of Government in relation to those who undertake these extra lessons at the backyards of their homes, thereby causing, especially the girl child to risk. As the Minister actually indicated the conducive environment in the school environment.
HON. PROF MURWIRA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to say that we are not here looking at criminal activities. We are talking about students going to their schools not to back yards. Those ones who are going to back yards, it is not allowed to go to back yards. Our policy talks to the people who are within the school infrastructure, who would be putting on uniforms with teachers that we know, that will be looking after our children to learn. Those ones who are going to backyards and facing abuse, I am sure that it can be reported to the next police station. Thank you.
HON. P. NDUDZO: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of ICT, what is the progress in migrating to E-Government to ensure that Government services are available online and what has been done to ensure that Zimbabweans can access these online services from anywhere in Zimbabwe.
THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY, POSTAL AND COURIER SERVICES (HON. DR. MAVETERA): Thank you Hon. Speaker. In terms of E -Government, what we have done as a Government is we have initiated what we are calling enterprise architectural modelling which is seeing us being able to make sure that at least we come up with a plan which is going to make sure that we digitise all Government departments. What we have also done is that we have already started this so that we can then be able to come up with a framework. What is needed is for us to be able to come up with a model which is also a framework of how we are going to make sure we institute this. We have realised that it is important that we also learn from other jurisdictions.
We are using the case of Estonia, which has been known very much in terms of E-Government. We are working together with the E-Government unit which we believe that it is also going to assist us in making sure that we are able to implement. Where we are now, as asked by the Hon. Member is that right now, we are getting facts and also the data that is needed so that we at least we can then be able to come up with this model. Then the next part of the question is what are you doing to make sure that you get connected. Definitely we need to make sure that at least we set favourable infrastructure which is needed. Infrastructure in terms of us making sure that our national data centre is up to the task so that at least we make sure that our data is protected. I think the other previous question was to do with data sovereignty. Definitely we need to look at that whereby at least we can house our own data locally here in Zimbabwe. It is important that we have to come up with a way that is also making sure, even the way that we communicate we will be able to do this. You will realise in terms of E-mails, right now we have done about 10 ministries which we have already gone on the .gov domain, which was previously now when they used to be using Gmail, it is important that at least now they are using .gov domain. We are hoping that we will be able to make sure that all ministries will also be able to use the .gov domain.
However, this is a thrust that we have that at least we push towards the digitilisation of all Government departments and all ministries. That is what we are doing to make sure that this is put in place and that will be able to be done. I thank you.
HON. CHIGUMBU: Thank you so much Madam Speaker. I would also want to thank Hon. Minister for the initiatives to implement e-governance. What are steps have you taken to implement password management policies as you are implanting e-governance programmes. We have recently heard some issues where some ministries have failed to access important platforms due to the issues whereby the super users of those platforms have died without revealing their passwords. What are you doing as a Ministry to ensure that we have proper password management policies as you are implementing your e-Government programmes?
HON. DR. MAVETERA: Thank you very much for that question. That is very important. This is why we were talking that definitely, for us to be able to make sure that all these initiatives really come to pass, we need to make sure that our cyber security is very much intact. I am sure that is a very high technical issue but of course, policy wise we are saying we need to make sure that we will be able to make sure that is not done. I agree with you, we have heard instances, if a person dies, they die with all the passwords then you will now need to start tracking them which is a problem.
What you then need to do as we go, since I said right now, we are still on the modelling and I am sure that is one of the key issues that we need to invest more on. Definitely, we will be able to upraise you as we go but this the plan that we are undertaking. Of course, firewalls and being able to make sure that we can be able to protect in a way, that has to be done but all I can say is as much as it is highly technical, the policy is so clear. We want to make sure that at least we institute everything in place to make sure that we are protected and all the passwords are protected. That we will be able to do but of course, the technical modalities, I am sure as we go, we will be able to unpack how we are going to be doing it. Thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: We have about 49 questions on the Order Paper, so Hon. Ministers on the Order Paper, we appeal that you remain and respond to the questions which were directed to your Ministries so that we get answers and some of the questions have been on the Order Paper for too long.
HON. T. CHIKOMO: My question is directed to the Minister of Local Government. What is Government policy on people staying in peri-urban areas in terms of regularising their stay in those areas?
*THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): Thank you Hon. Member for the question that those people who are staying in peri-urban areas, what is Government policy concerning their stay. The Government of President E.D Mnangagwa, in the past two years came up with a programme of looking at those areas surrounding our cities. Some people settle there legally while some illegally. His aim was to resettle these people and that the areas would be serviced. The law is there but the Government policy is that our people should be settled well. What I want to refer to is how we can settle these people properly. A lot has been done and our urban planners looked at it. This is still work in progress and the results will be seen in due time.
*HON. T. CHIKOMO: In the past five years, the President visited these places and he said, for example places like Southlea Park, Churu Farm and Ushewokunze, these areas should be regularised. So, for five years up to now, what is hampering progress on these areas because the President gave a go ahead that they be looked at with speed.
HON. DR. MASUKA: Thank you for the supplementary but because you have mentioned a place it means that the issue has to be investigated.
*HON. MANGONDO: My question is directed to the Minister of Youth Empowerment. Looking at giving our youth skills so that they are able to sustain their livelihoods, especially those who would have dropped out of school. What is Government policy to see that VTCs are countrywide so that they are in each and every constituency because many children are dropping out of school on a yearly basis? What is happening in the existing VTCs so that they can be improved to be able to enrol a lot of children and add more courses?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING (HON. MUPAMHANGA): I want to thank the Hon. Member for the pertinent question. The Ministry responsible for youth has 45 vocational centres and satellite centres. Yes, it is true that our vocational training centres are not found in all constituencies but we work hand in hand with local business people and church leaders so that we improve our vocational training centres. On top of that, we have outreach programmes in areas where we do not have training centres. We go out there, meet the people and teach children skills. I thank you.
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order Number 68
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I once gave an announcement pleading with the Hon. Ministers, who have questions on the Order Paper that they should remain behind and have responses to their questions that we have today. Thank you.
HON. MANGONDO: On a point of order, I was suggesting that if the question could have been finished given that part of it was answered and he had asked for the supplementary question, Madam Speaker. I am requesting for an extension of time. Thank you.
HON. MUTOKONYI: I second.
HON. MAKUMIRE: I object.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: There has been an objection – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order, order. Let me plead with you Hon. Members that if a question is answered fully, it will help us. Yes, we can object. If there is an objection, there is an objection. It is just a plea that if it is possible, let us just finish the question – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order, order.
Question No. 1 having been deferred
HON. BAJILA: On a point of privilege Madam Speaker…
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Members, when we want to work and put spanners in the wheel, it will not help us. We asked those who have questions to remain behind.
HON. BAJILA: Madam Speaker, the specific question by Hon. Hlatywayo, has been on the Order Paper for quite a long time. The Minister of Foreign Affairs never comes to the House. Is there anything that your office can do to get us the Minister of Foreign Affairs to come to the House, because the question has been there forever?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Bajila. You have raised this important point. For the first time, we are going to communicate with the Hon. Minister to ensure that this question is responded to. I thank you.
EFFICIENT AND TRANSPARENT DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD HAND-OUTS
- HON. MUROMBEDZI asked the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare the mechanisms put in place by Government to guarantee the efficient and transparent distribution of drought relief food hand-outs to the intended beneficiaries without any pilferage.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. DINHA): Thank you for the question Hon. Member. I would like to inform the House that the Government has a mandate of ensuring that deserving food insecure people are reached with assistance. In order to reduce issues of inefficiencies and pilferages of grain…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Minister. Hon. Member next to Hon. Nyathi, please can you approach the Chair. Please proceed Hon. Minister.
HON. DINHA: Thank you Madam Speaker. In order to reduce inefficiencies and pilferages on grain meant for beneficiaries, the Ministry has put in place various mechanisms and these include: -
The establishment of Drought Relief Committees from national to sub-national levels, which have a mandate to supervise and monitor all grain distribution processes;
The involvement of traditional leaders in the entire distribution process. Traditional leaders, that is chiefs, headmen and village heads are key in all the processes of food distribution. Hence they are there to identify and receive any grievances to do with any mismanagement regarding food distribution;
The adoption and use of the Food Deficit Mitigation Strategy Manual, an implementation guide which gives a step-by-step process to be undertaken from the registration of beneficiaries till the last mile of acquitting by all stakeholders, including the beneficiaries themselves.
There is also full involvement of all community members in the food distribution process. Food distribution is for the community. Anyone can be a whistleblower where anomalies are observed and the law will take its course as evidenced by cases that are before the courts. Then there is also capacitation of the workforce involved in the drought relief programmes. The officials involved in this programme received capacitation, that is training of trainers for supply chain management which include tracking of trucks, e-management of all the processes from the initial processes of targeting registration, distribution and acquitting of the disbursements done.
The aim of this capacitation being to improve efficiency, transparency and reduce pilferage of food aid. Another mechanism is that there is no truck carrying grain that is allowed to live the Grain Marketing Deport to the distribution point without being escorted by a Police Officer. This is meant to safeguard the food that is intended for the vulnerable people.
Lastly, at the distribution points, we have also put in place measures to ensure that grain is delivered and distributed on the same day and during daylight. Thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Can I request Hon. Members that we can only have one supplementary question from the question so that we cover a lot of ground. I know you may be burning due to this burning issue but let us move on.
HON. BAJILA: On a point of order Madam Speaker, specifically the Minister and the Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development were in this House. They have questions on the Order Paper, they are no longer in this House. May we have a ruling from you specifically with respect to Ministers who left while we were watching them that they were here. We might need to move further, the Minister and the Deputy Minister were here, we have questions for them, they both left. These questions will be on the Order Paper forever, you are making good rulings for us to clean the Order Paper but if Ministers are coming to the House and just walk out, a few minutes after your ruling, it is bad.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Bajila, you rightfully said that I actually requested Hon. Ministers to stay and respond to questions. I have taken note of that request and I am going to communicate through our Administration likewise.
HON. MAKUMIRE: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Makumire, please take your seat. We have had a point of privilege and I have made a ruling. We want to allow Hon. Murombedzi to give her supplementary question and we will get a response. If we get one point of privilege and a point of order, we are not going to be progressive in this House. Please take your seat so we allow Hon. Murombedzi to make her supplementary question.
HON. MUROMBEDZI: Thank you very much Madam Speaker. I would like to thank the Hon. Minister for that answer. I would like the Minister to know that the policy is very good on paper but that is not what is happening in our communities. Maize is being stollen Madam Speaker. For example, in Mhondoro, 50 bags of maize were stolen and recently in Masvingo, in Gutu East 170 bags of maize were stollen. This is maize that is meant for relief, this is maize that is meant for the vulnerable of which a cup of grain might be a difference between life and death for someone.
I would like to pose a question to the Minister that can they not come up with a more watertight distribution channel which is not porous. Maize is not reaching our communities, bags are being stolen along the way. I so submit.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: As you indicated, there are cases where maize is being stolen, an example and that becomes specific. Therefore, if you have such information, it needs to be channeled to the Zimbabwe Republic Police and corrective measures should be taken because like you rightly said, every cup is essential …
HON. TOGAREPI: On a point of order Madam Speaker. I think the Hon. Member is correct, these are specific questions, she then give specific examples, it is still okay, that applies only to questions without notice but if it is a question with notice, I think you should allow the Minister to respond.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Well noted Government Chief Whip.
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. DINHA): As I have said, there are guidelines that we have put as a Ministry that are to be followed during the distribution of maize. If there are any defaulters, you are the ones that are on the ground. I think you should report those cases to our Ministry so that those people can be arrested. As I have said in my presentation, there are cases that are before the courts of people who had defaulted, who stole maize, wheat and so forth. So we urge you to report so that the perpetrators can be punished.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Tshuma, we need to cover a lot of ground, the Chair has already made a ruling that we are going to have a follow-up question from the questioner.
BACKLOG FROM THE BASIC EDUCATION ASSISTANCE MODEL IN SCHOOLS
11. HON. MADZIVANYIKA asked the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to inform the House on measures put in place by Government to address the backlog in payments from the Basic Education Assistance Module in Schools, and to state the steps being taken to ensure that these funds are disbursed timeously.
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. DINHA): Thank you Madam Speaker. I refer to the question by Hon. Madzivanyika. In view of the outstanding tuition fees and levies payments for BEAM beneficiaries, the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare is collaboratively working with the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion to ensure that outstanding school fees arrears are settled.
The Ministry has so far submitted a comprehensive request to Treasury for the release of BEAM funds citing the total amounts owed to schools across the country. However, it is important to note that special schools for children with disabilities were prioritised and received payments during the first term of 2024. To avert future challenges the Ministry is lobbying Treasury for timely disbursements of funds in accordance with the BEAM calendar. Adding on to that, the Ministry has since decentralised the administration of BEAM to sub-national tiers of Government. Data capturing functions were allocated to all the ten provincial offices to enhance efficiency in the capturing, verification and pay sheets generation within a devolved structure. Moreso, a new electronic management information system has since been developed and is ready to go live. This BEAM online solution will significantly improve the BEAM business flow and real time submission and processing of payments by the Ministry. I so submit.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you very much Hon. Minister for the comprehensive response. My follow up is, when do you think you can ensure that the backlog is cleared in light of the fact that all the eight Government and Council schools in my constituency are owed as far back as 2021 in terms of BEAM? When do you think you can regularise this?
HON. DINHA: Thank you Madam Speaker. It is true that there are some schools that are owed as far back as 2021. We have since engaged Treasury so that they can give us all the arrear funds. The figure is around US$46 million. Right now, Treasury allocated us $50 billion, but the amount so far released is $30 billion. So, we await Treasury to avail the funds.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: We are going to defer question numbers 15 to 32.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order Madam Speaker. I do not know how we are going to treat this because I saw that the Minister of Industry and Commerce was here and then we are now forced to defer when he left after you made a ruling. What is the recourse Madam Speaker because we cannot come to sit here and sit for leaving, yet they are fully aware that today is question time? These questions have been deferred from the 29th May. The Minister always comes and leaves. I do not know how you can assist us in light of the circumstances.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Well noted Hon. Madzivanyika. It is actually worrisome after having announced that the Hon. Ministers with questions on the Order Paper should stay and respond to these questions. We are going to communicate again with the Minister of Industry and Commerce through our administration so that they can give us a written response as well as to come and respond to these questions.
IMPLEMEMENTATION OF WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS ON ROADS
- HON. BAJILA asked the Minister of Transport to apprise the House on whether Government has plans to implement weight restrictions on roads as part of its strategies to manage and maintain good roads, thereby increasing their life span.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. SACCO): Thank you Madam Speaker. I heard Hon. Bajila was misrepresenting the truth that I had left the House. But I do not think I need his permission to go the gents unless that is a new rule. I thought Hon. Bajila would actually commend us for responding timeously to questions. In response to the Hon. Member’s question, the Ministry has with concern observed the movement of a number of vehicles namely; trucks on routes that connect the country’s ports of entry. Such corridors include the Beit Bridge-Harare-Chirundu Corridor, Harare-Nyamapanda, Plumtree-Harare-Mutare and the Beit Bridge-Victoria Falls roads as well as the routes serving mining towns and major industries. In light of this and in conformity with regionally accepted standards, the upgrading of these roads will include the design and installation of modernised static and weigh in motion weigh bridges as we move forward. I so submit.
MAINTENANCE AND REHABILITATION OF THE ROAD TO THE HOMESTEAD TELECOMMUNICATION BASE STATIONS IN WARD 3 OF MATOBO RURAL DISTRICT COUNCIL
- HON. BAJILA asked the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Development to inform the House what Government plans are regarding the maintenance and rehabilitation of the road to the Homestead telecommunication base stations in Ward 3 of Matobo Rural District in Matabeleland South Province.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. SACCO): The Homestead Telecommunications Base Station in Ward 3 is part of the road network managed by Rural Infrastructural Development Agency (RIDA) in Matabeleland South Province, Matobo District. The road is also part of RIDA’s 2024 Annual Road Maintenance Plan. RIDA currently has two functional graders in the province which are responsible for maintenance grading and these are shared by way of rotation around all seven districts in Matabeleland South. The one responsible for carrying out road maintenance grading in Matobo District is currently in Bulilima and it will be transferred to Matobo District upon completion of the ongoing works in Bulilima.
INTRODUCTION OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE-PARTNERSHIPS FOR ROAD REHABILITATION
- HON. BAJILA asked the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development to inform the House what Government plans are regarding the introduction of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) for the rehabilitation of the following roads:
- Gwanda-Maphisa-Plumtree Road;
- Bulawayo-Nkayi Road;
- Beitbridge-Victoria Falls Road;
- Bulawayo-Maphisa-Manama Road; and
- Bulawayo-Tsholotsho Road.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. SACCO): The Government has taken a stance to adopt a model where Government invites through a Public Private Partnership as an alternative means of mobilising resources for infrastructure development and at the same time ensuring technological transfer. Given that the PPPs involve a substantial amount of investment by the private partner, the projects availed by Government for PPPs should be bankable and attractive for purposes of the private partner realising return on investment. However, notwithstanding the above I wish to report on my Ministry’s plan as follows:
1. Gwanda-Maphisa-Plumtree: In 2022, 5km of the road was upgraded to surfacing. Initially we had planned to do 10km but due to delayed payments and the then movement of the exchange rate, the contract had to be terminated mutually as contractor cited incapacitation. The remainder of the road (10km) has been included in the programme for the extended ERRP2.
2. Bulawayo-Nkayi: 2km of surfacing out of the 14km contracted under ERRP2 were completed in March this year. The contractor is in the process of procuring more bitumen to surface the next 3km which is ready. The contract was expected to run for 6 months however, due to delayed payments from Treasury, the contractor is now expected to complete the remaining works (9km) by the end of September subject to certificates being honoured. The scope works involve the upgrading from narrow mat to wide mat inclusive of two shelverts and two culvert crossings (1200mm dia). The remainder of the road (10km) has been included in the programme for the extended ERRP2.
3. Bulawayo-Maphisa-Manama: Shoulder gravelling was done for 23km of the 33km narrow mat was carried out and pot patching and verge clearance for 114km. in the 2024 work programme 10km will be tendered out for the upgrading of the road to surface standard from 45km to 55km pegs.
4. Bulawayo-Tsholotsho: 5km of the narrow mat was upgraded to a surfaced wide mat in 2022. The remainder of the road (40km) has been included in the programme for the extended ERRP2. An advert for tendering 10km of this road was flighted in the Government Gazette on Friday 12 July 2024.
SURFACING OF THE HARARE-MHONDORO-MUBAIRA-CHEGUTU ROADS
- HON. MUROMBEDZI asked the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development about the progress made on the surfacing of the Harare-Mhondoro-Mubaira-Chegutu roads.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. SACCO): Allow me to respond to the question raised by Hon Murombedzi as follows:
Chegutu-Mubaira-Skyline is a secondary road that traverses and connects Chegutu and Mhondoro-Ngezi Districts in Mashonaland West Province. The road is 104km which is predominantly gravel with 2km from Chegutu and 7km from Mubaira business centre surfaced. My Ministry carried out sport graveling and maintenance between 66km and 86km peg in 2021.
Furthermore, in 2022 motorised grading was carried between 90km and 103km peg to improve trafficability of the gravel road.
To date, my Ministry has constructed a 3x4 square metre shelvert bridge across Svisva River at 104km peg where previously there was no bridge. What existed before the bridge was a slab on the river bed that would easily flood during the rainy season preventing both pedestrians and motorists from crossing until the water subsided.
HON. MUROMBEDZI: I would like to thank the Hon. Minister for that response. I want to find out how far they have gone in the preparation for the resurfacing of that road before the onset of the rainy season.
HON. SACCO: I would like to assure the Hon. Member that we have taken on board your concerns and we are going to look into the issue. I would not want to tie myself down to a timeline. So allow us to look at your road as a priority and we assure you that work will be done. I so submit.
CONSTRUCTION OF SPEED HUMPS AT HIGH RISK SPOTS
- 38. HON. BONDA asked the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development whether there are any plans to construct speed humps to reduce the speed at high-risk spots such as Cross Mabale, Cross Dete, St. Mary’s, and Old Gwai River Hotel and also to state what the expected deadline would be.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. SACCO): The section being referred to by the Hon. Member is along a major regional road which is the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road, in the Hwange National Park area. Caution should be exercised throughout this portion as it passes through the game reserve. Whilst the area is not densely populated, in terms of pedestrians and vehicle traffic, there are junctions and access cross roads that cross Dete, St Mary’s and Old Gwai River Hotel, where ramble strips can be considered to calm traffic. Research is being carried out on the junctions in question by my Ministry through the relevant departments to assess the major cause of accidents and determine the extent to which rumble strips can be installed. This is work in progress and we have already instructed our technicians on the ground to do a study of the space concerned.
PLANS TO RE-ESTABLISH LAY-BY BINS ALONG HIGHWAYS
39. HON. MADZIVANYIKA asked the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development to explain the plans in place to re-establish lay-by bins along highways in order to address challenges of littering by
motorists.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND
INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. SACCO): Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. Hon. Members will be aware that Government is currently rehabilitating the Harare-Beitbridge and Harare-Chirundu Highways, commonly referred to as the North South corridor, in line with SITCC Standard Guidelines agreed by SADC Member States. Due to limited resources some rehabilitation has been on the carriageway itself, there were plans to ensure existing lay-byes are resuscitated and bridges repaired and or replaced, especially at points of natural and historical interest.
Due to the vandalism and crimes such as mugging that have
become prevalent at remote lay-byes, there are plans by my Ministry to invite private sector players to develop state of the art and modern truck stops and ultra-city centre and motels along highways to serve motorists in a safer environment. The recently approved PPP to rehabilitate and upgrade old Gwanda road in Matabeleland South is one such project where modern facilities will be incorporated in the scope of works. We are looking at such a model on other roads going forward.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: I would like to thank the Hon.
Minister for the good answer. However, Hon. Minister, I am concerned about the danger which litter is causing to wildlife and domestic animals. Most of the people park at those lay-byes and then they dump those plastics with salt and so forth. So domestic and wild animals are dying because of that situation. How far does it take for the Minister to correct that situation before it gets out of hand?
HON. SACCO: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. Thank you
Hon. Madzivanyika for your supplementary question. I understand that litter is causing hazard to livestock and also wild animals along our roads. I believe that there is need for collaboration between the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development as well as the Ministry of Environment to look at ways on how this waste management can be contained. Also, my appeal to Hon. Members in this House as well is to educate our communities around the importance of waste management and salts where communities can make money out of waste. Waste can be sorted at source and recycled as a means of income for our communities. I believe there is need for collaborative effort between ourselves as Ministry of Transport but with other relevant Ministries as well to see how we can deal with this scourge.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I would
like to thank the Minister of Transport, the Minister of Energy, the Minister of Public Service, those are some of the Ministries that have been coming to respond to questions. Can we clap hands for these three Ministries? –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
EMPLOYMENT OF LOCAL COMMUNITY RESIDENTS IN PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
- HON. D. MOYO asked the Minister of Public Service,
Labour and Social Welfare to inform the House what Government policy is regarding the employment of local community residents in public infrastructure projects and other Government Employment programmes.
THE DEPUTY MINSTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE,
LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. DINHA): Thank
you Madam Speaker. Let me inform the House that my Ministry through the Department of Employment Services and Promotion is tasked with the responsibility to coordinate employment promotion in Zimbabwe in line with the target set in the National Development Strategy 1. This Department of Employment Services and Promotion has two major functions, which are employment services and employment promotion respectively.
In relation to the employment services’ functions, the department provides employment opportunities nationwide by offering, search assistance to job status, placement services, registration and regulation of private employment agencies. On the employment promotion side, the department focusses on promoting employment initiatives that are sustainable and aimed at improving the livelihoods of the vulnerable. In carrying out its mandate, the department is guided by the national Employment Policy 2001, which is currently under review, whose overall objective is promote and secure sustainable pool productive and freely chosen descent employment for all under conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity.
Employment of local community residents in public infrastructure projects and other Government programmes is offered through my Ministry’s employment offices, which are available in all the 10 provinces of Zimbabwe. Registration of job seekers is ongoing and placement is based on a first come, first serve basis. As such locals are advised to register with the department. Allow me to cite an example of the ongoing Harare-Chirundu Highway upgrade project. It is important to note that a Provincial Employment Committee was established so as to ensure that locals from this province are employed during this ongoing upgrade. The Provincial Employment Committee, consists of the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, who is the Chair of the Committee. The traditional leaders, who will be there to identify their community members for job placements. Employment officer from my Ministry - that is the Ministry of Public Service, who is responsible for the registering and placement of job seekers from that local community. Also, the Ministry of Transport representatives.
To ensure that no one is left behind, as road maintenance reaches a particular area, for example, when it reaches Nyabira moving to Banket, Chinhoyi and so on, placements will rotate according to members in that area.
In relation to other Government employment programmes, the employment of local community residents is prioritised. It is key to note that it is the community members themselves who are identifying natural resources available in their respective communities that they can utilise as capital for projects. These projects we then employ the very same locals, for instance, for Umguza Agricultural Project Employment Promotion Programme, which is being carried out in Matebeleland North Province. In this particular project, the Government offers technical support and provides starter packs to the locals to then run the beekeeping project. I so submit.
WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
RENOVATION OF VENGERE STADIUM IN RUSAPE
- HON. SAGANDIRA asked the Minister of Local Government and Public Works to inform the House what plans the Ministry is putting in place to renovate sports stadia at local levels, particularly Vengere Stadium in Rusape.
THE MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. GARWE): Madam Speaker, Ma’am, Vengere stadium is in the approved 2024 budget for repairs and maintenance and Council is mobilising resources for its maintenance any time soon. Currently, Council was prioritising preparation of Valuation Roll and Masterplan, as instructed in the Call to Action Blueprint.
CONSTRUCTION OF HOMES BY RESIDENTS UNDER THE NYATSIME HOUSING SCHEME IN CHITUNGWIZA
- HON. MAZHINDU asked the Minister of Local Government and Public Works to inform the House on the measures being taken by Government to ensure that those residents who brought stands from Chitungwiza Municipality under the Nyatsime Housing scheme in 2007 can build their homes.
THE MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. GARWE): Madam Speaker Ma’am, I would like to thank the Honourable Member, for asking the above question and I wish to advise that, the area under Nyatsime Housing Scheme falls within a zone jointly managed by Chitungwiza Municipality and Manyame Rural District Council. At law, the Minister of Local Government and Public Works may, in terms of Section 224 of the Urban Councils Act (Chapter 29:15), as read with Section 83 of the Rural District Councils Act [Chapter 29:13], establish a Joint Committee to look into the joint management of land or an area of joint interest.
The Manyame-Chitungwiza Joint Committee was established through Statutory Instrument 211 of 2021, (cited as the Manyame-Chitungwiza Declaration of Joint Committee) to jointly manage Braemar, Longlands, Cawdor, Edinburg, Tantallon and Dunnottar farms (areas under Chitungwiza Municipality and Manyame Rural District Council), inclusive of the Nyatsime area.
Whilst queries are duly directed to the Ministry, and the two Local Authorities in question (Chitungwiza Municipality and Manyame Rural District Council), the delays in addressing the issues emanating from Nyatsime are primarily due to the dormancy of the Manyame-Chitungwiza Joint Committee. This Joint Committee was established in 2021 with the primary purpose to handle issues emanating from management of the six farms Braemar, Longlands, Cawdor, Edinburg, Tantallon and Dunnottar, which fall within shared territory of the two councils. It is evident that the Joint Committee has not been dealing with issues such as the Nyatsime case, let alone siting, as expected.
Whilst the Ministry stands ready to support the Joint Committee, it is the obligation of the Joint Committee to resolve issues raised by beneficiaries of the Nyatsime Housing Scheme since they fall within the boundaries of the farms stated in SI 211 of 2021.
To this end, the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works has since instructed the Mayor of Chitungwiza and Chairperson of Manyame Rural District Council to resuscitate the Manyame- Chitungwiza Joint Committee and ensures it functions in accordance with SI 211 of 2021.
CONSTRUCTION OF MUDA DAM IN CHITUNGWIZA
- HON. MAZHINDU asked the Minister of Local Government and Public Works to inform the House what the Ministry’s plans are regarding the construction of Muda dam, which will help ease water shortages in Chitungwiza.
THE MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. GARWE): Madam Speaker, let me start by thanking the Hon. Member for asking the question. However, you may need to redirect the question to the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development who are responsible for dam construction.
FEES AND RATES CHARGES TO RATE-PAYERS IN CHECHECHE GROWTH POINT IN CHIPINGE SOUTH CONSTITUENCY
- HON. C. HLATYWAYO asked the Minister of Local Government and Public Works to apprise the House on why rate payers in Checheche growth point in Chipinge South Constituency are charged exorbitant fees and rates as compared to other Rural Local Authorities.
THE MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. GARWE): Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the Hon. Member for asking the above question. However, the question lacks clarity as to what rates are being alluded to since the language used is comparative.
REASONS WHY LUPANE STILL RESORTS TO THE OUTDATED SEWER SYSTEM
- HON. NKOMO asked the Minister of Local Government and Public Works to explain to the House why Lupane town still resorts to the outdated sewer system, which comprises septic tanks, a situation which is more of a major health hazard and needs urgent attention.
THE MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. GARWE): Madam Speaker, Lupane Local Board is planning to construct a conventional sewer reticulation system. All the necessary surveys and designs were done by Engineering consultants and some of the materials to kick start the project have been procured, which is an indication that Lupane Local Board is serious about implementing this project. However, these efforts are being hampered by the following:
Inadequate funding for the project; and For the past few years budgetary provisions for the sewer were made hoping it would be funded through IGFT (Inter Governmental Fiscal Transfer) but unfortunately since its inception the Local Authority has never received full allocation of the funds, hence the project has been rolled over for years now.
COMPLETION OF THE HARARE-WEDZA ROAD
33. HON. MAZHINDU asked the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development to inform the House when the construction of the Harare-Wedza road will be completed as it has been outstanding for almost 10 years now.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Madam Speaker, From Harare to Mutare, the length of the road is 70.6km to Wedza. Initially, the road was constructed as a narrow mat with a surfaced width of 3m. However, with the increased traffic there is need to widen the road to a wide mat. The upgrading of the 10km peg which stretches from Wedza to Fells road was implemented between 2016 and 2019. A further 2.5km was constructed between 2019 and 2020. Since the commencement of ERRP2, the road was listed as one of the priority projects. As such, the rehabilitation of 22.2km of the outstanding 33km up to Mushandirapamwe was tendered out and awarded to a contractor in 2022. To date, 13.5km has since been completed and opened to traffic and the contractor is working on the remaining 11km.
ESTABLISHMENT OF LAY-BY BINS ALONG HIGHWAYS
DELAYS IN THE REHABILITATION OF ROADS IN BINGA DISTRICT
- HON. CUMANZALA asked the Minister of Transport and
Infrastructural Development to explain to the House reasons behind the inordinate delays in the rehabilitation of two roads of national significance in Binga District, namely:
- Cross-Dete- Binga Town tarred road, which has not undergone rehabilitation for over 15 years; and
- the 15km stretch from Gwai River to Lusulu via Lubimbi road, which has remained unsurfaced since the early 1980s.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND
INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. SACCO): The Cross-Dete-Binga Road is a priority to the Ministry, in 2007 10km of the road was resurfaced. During the ERRP programme the whole route was rehabilitated. In 2023 with the assistance of Kamativi Mining Company, 3km of the road was constructed near the Kamativi area.
The Gwai-Binga road is the alternative route to Binga town via
Kariangwe Mission hospital but due to limited financial resources only the Cross Dete-Kamativi-Binga Road is surfaced to date. However, during the ERRP 2 phase the whole route was regraded and regravelled to make it trafficable and the route is continuously being graded with the assistance of Muchesu Mine. Plans are there to upgrade it in phases of 10km. however, it should be noted that the upgrading of roads in the province is being prioritised according to the volume of traffic that each road is carrying.
ELECTRIFICATION OF LUPANE
- HON. NKOMO asked the Hon. Minister of Energy and Power Development to inform the House when Lupane, the provincial capital of Matebeleland North, will be electrified?
THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. E. MOYO): I thank the Hon. Member for the question. Mr. Speaker Sir, the Ministry’s response is as follows:
- Lupane, the provincial capital of Matebeleland North is already electrified through the Gwayi 33kv feeder from Hwange bulk supply point.
- Line construction is underway for low density residential areas.
- Other residential areas like Mtshibini (200 houses, shops) and Lobengula (400 houses), designs for reticulation are underway
- To cater for future expansion (growth rate estimated at 5%), a 33/11kV substation will be constructed by 2026.
- Further growth will be catered for by a 132133kV substation to be constructed by year 2030.
ELECTRIFICATION OF SCHOOLS IN LUPANE
- HON. M. NKOMO asked the Hon. Minister of Energy and
Power Development to inform the House when the Ministry will do the electrification of schools in Lupane so that the zero-pass rate in Lupane is addressed.
THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. E. MOYO): I thank the Honourable Member for the question. Allow me Mr. Speaker Sir to respond as follows;
- Lupane has a total of 141 schools (114 primary, 37 secondary). Of these, 34 schools including administration blocks and school cottages are completely electrified.
- Construction of power lines outside Lupane Centre to cater for Schools is ongoing under REA Projects. Somgolo and Makheekhe schools were recently completed.
- Other schools have had solar systems installed through REA and Development partners collaborating with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
RURAL ELECTRIFICATION AND MAINTENANCE OF POWER LINES IN PUBLIC PLACES
44. HON. M. NKOMO asked Minister of Energy and Power Development to explain the following;
a) What is Government Policy in regard to rural electrification and power sustainability in rural areas?
b) What Government Plans are regarding the maintenance of power lines in public places?
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. E. MOYO): The Ministry through the rural Electrification Agency (REA) collects 6% on all electricity sales made by ZETDC and other retailers. The Rural Electrification Fund (REF) is used to provide access to reliable electric power supply for rural dwellers, irrespective of where they live and what they do, in a way that would allow for reasonable return on investment through an appropriate tariff that is economically responsive and supportive of the average rural areas. REF hands over the network to ZETDC for operation and maintenance to bring about efficient grid expansion and total access strategy.
The REF establishment was done through section 88, sub section II of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act of 2005 to complement ZETDC by providing support for the development of the on and off grid sectors for the power / energy sector to thrive by:
- Achieving more equitable regional access to electricity
- Maximising the economic, socio and environmental benefits of rural electrification subsidies
- Stimulating innovative approaches to rural electrification, provided that no part of the REF shall be used as subsidies for consumption.
Funds are used to promote cost effective expansion of electricity access in un-electrified rural areas, using renewable off grid and on grid electrification solutions through partial one-off capital subsidies and technical assistance to ensure access to reliable and affordable electricity with the ultimate goal of improving the living standards, socio-economic and environmental conditions of rural dwellers. REF offers discount on all rural electrification applications quotations;
- 50% discount on group schemes
- 40% discount on individual electricity applications
The Ministry has managed to achieve the following through the collaboration of ZETDC and REF in the rural community:
Summary of Solar Status as at June 2024
Solar Micro Grid |
Mobile Solar Units |
Total |
|
|
|
486 |
437 |
923 |
Status on Biogas Digester Plants as at 30 June 2024
Number of Biogas plants |
Number of Domestic Biogas Plants |
Total number of Biogas Commissioned |
107 |
159 |
266 |
ZESA is doing its best in all lines in public places. However, shortages of funding’s have led to delays in maintaining some lines. Power lines in public places are maintained for clearance of bush and grass through local communities. These communities come through their community leadership to sign contracts for maintenance of lines in their jurisdiction. ZESA pays the community for the maintenance work, at a rate agreed between ZESA and the community.
On the motion of HON. TOGAREPI, seconded by HON. KARENYI, the House adjourned at Nine-Minutes past Five o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 24th July, 2024
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE
SWITCHING OFF OF CELL PHONES
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Senators are reminded to put their gadgets on silence or better still switch them off.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I move that Order of the Day, Number 1 be stood over until all the Orders of the Day have been disposed of. Thank you.
HON. SEN. MAKAMBA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE JUDICIAL SERVICE COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2023
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Judicial Service Commission for the year 2023.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MAKAMBA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 25th July, 2024.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE ELECTORAL COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2023
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission for the year 2023.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Mr. President. Before I debate, I would want to find out whether I have debated on it before.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: You are not sure, you do not remember?
HON. SEN. MOHADI: I do not remember.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Let us find out from the Clerks-at-the-Table. You may proceed.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Mr. President for giving me the opportunity to add my voice in this august House on the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) Report of 2023. It is with no doubt that this report provides a comprehensive overview of the electoral process in our country, highlighting both achievements and challenges encountered during the electoral cycle.
Mr. President, the Constitution of Zimbabwe, on Section 67, enshrines the principles of democracy including the right to free and fair elections. It is our duty as representatives of the people to ensure that the electoral process upholds these principles and is conducted in a transparent and inclusive manner.
Furthermore, the NDS1 outlines the Government’s vision for the country, including goals related to governance and democracy. The ZEC Report should be considered within the context of these development objectives and any recommendations should align with the broader goals of the NDS1.
In addition, in his 2023 State of the Nation Address, His Excellency, the President Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa highlighted the importance of electoral reforms to strengthen our democracy and ensure that elections are credible and transparent. No doubt the ZEC Report provides valuable insights into areas where reforms are needed and we must heed the President’s call to take action on these issues.
Of particular importance are the recommendations in the ZEC Report, which offer concrete steps to improve the electoral process. These recommendations must not be overlooked as they have the potential to enhance the integrity of our elections.
One of the issues concerns voter registration which has been identified as a significant challenge in the report. The low voter registration numbers, especially among the youths and marginalised communities does raise questions about the inclusivity and representativeness of our electoral system. It is imperative that we address these issues to ensure that every eligible citizen has the opportunity to participate in the democratic process.
Furthermore, the report contains a number of recommendations aimed at improving the electoral process in Zimbabwe. These recommendations range from enhancing voter education and awareness campaigns to improving the accessibility of polling stations for persons with disabilities. It is crucial that we carefully consider these recommendations and take concrete steps to implement them in order to strengthen our electoral system and uphold the democratic principles upon which our nation is founded, along with the principle of inclusivity.
The recommendations from the ZEC Report of 2023, offer several advantages, including:
Enhanced Credibility: Implementing the recommendations can enhance the integrity of the electoral process, leading to greater public trust in the outcomes of elections.
Increased Inclusivity: The recommendations aim to increase inclusivity in the electoral process, particularly among marginalised groups. This can lead to a more representative Government that reflects the diversity of the Zimbabwean population.
Improved Transparency: Implementing the recommendations can improve transparency of the electoral process, making it easier for stakeholders to understand and scrutinise each step of the process.
Stronger Democratic Institutions: By addressing key issues identified in the report, such as voter registration challenges, the recommendations can contribute to the strengthening of democratic institutions in Zimbabwe.
International Recognition: Implementing the recommendations can enhance Zimbabwe’s reputation internationally, demonstrating a commitment to democratic principles and good governance.
Conflict Prevention. A fair and transparent electoral process, facilitated by the recommendations, can help prevent electoral disputes and conflicts, contributing to overall peace and stability in the country.
Citizen Empowerment: By improving voter education and awareness, the recommendations can empower citizens to participate more actively in the democratic process, leading to a more engaged and informed electorate.
In summation, let us work together to improve our electoral process. Overally, implementing the recommendations from the ZEC Report of 2023 can bring about significant positive changes to the electoral process in Zimbabwe. I thank you.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MAKAMBA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 25th July, 2024.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2023
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Human Rights Commission for the year 2023.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Mr. President, for affording me this opportunity to rise and add my voice on this motion based on the recommendations outlined in the Report of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission for the year 2023. This report provided critical insights into various Governmental responsibilities and their impact on human rights and societal well-being. Specifically, the recommendations highlight areas where our Legislative and Executive actions can significantly enhance complaints with human rights standards and improve governance.
Firstly, from the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission Report, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce is urged to enforce procedures ensuring that companies consult with local villagers before accessing land for their operations. We will foster a sense of community ownership and partnership in the development process. This will not only mitigate conflicts and displacements but also empower rural population to have a meaningful say in their projects and directly impact their lives and livelihoods. Such an approach will promote social cohesion environmental sustainability and ultimately the sustainable growth of our economy.
Secondly, Mr. President, the report emphasizes the need for the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion to adequately fund the ZHRC, ensuring the timely disbursement of the financial report. Adequate funding is essential for the Commission on effectively carrying out its mandate of protecting and promoting human rights across Zimbabwe.
Mr. President, providing adequate and timely financial support to the ZHRC will greatly enhance capacity to fulfil its critical mandate. This independent board will be empowered to effectively monitor, investigate and report on human rights issues across the country. Their findings and recommendations will inform policy making and serve as a robust mechanism for accountability; ultimately improving the lives experiences of all Zimbabweans.
Lastly, Parliament is urged to advocate for increased budgetary allocations to the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service. This funding is necessary for the refurbishment of prison facilities, procurement of uniforms for staff and inmates and construction of staff quarters which are critical for improving conditions within our correctional facilities and upholding dignity of all individuals in custody.
Mr. President, the implementation of these recommendations is not merely a matter of compliance but a strategic investment in the long term will be of prosperity for our nation. By addressing these human rights concerns, we will strengthen the foundations of our society, promote social harmony and position of Zimbabwe as a shining example of the country that prioritises the dignity and rights of its citizens.
To sum up, these recommendations from the ZHRC highlight key areas where legislative and executive action can significantly enhance human rights production and governance in our nation. Therefore, I urge all Hon. Senators to support this motion and collaborate across party lines to ensure the effective implementation of these recommendations for the betterment of all Zimbabwean citizens. I thank you.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MAKAMBA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 25th July, 2024.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. GOTORA: Mr. President, I move that Order of the Day, Number 5 be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day on today’s Order Paper have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. MAKAMBA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: Thank you very much Mr. President for according me this opportunity to wind off this motion. Firstly, Mr President, I would like to express my disappointment in that quite a number of Hon. Senators did not debate on this motion which is in reply to the speech by the President and I do not want to guess why.
Secondly, I am also equally disappointed by our own Ministers. We have more than two dozen of Ministers who were supposed to come and respond to this but embarrassingly, only one Minister came to respond and I will mention who that Minister is - Hon. Minister for Youth Development, Hon. Machakaire.
HON. SEN. ZINDI: On a point of interjection Mr. President, and clarification. Noticing that most of the Ministers did not respond, is it procedural that Hon. Senator Kambizi perhaps may stop proceeding with winding up the motion and maybe through you, summon the Ministers to respond because these are important issues.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank you, you may sit down. The Hon. Ministers are aware and we will not postpone the winding up of this debate because it will lapse. You may proceed Hon. Senator Kambizi.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: Thank you Mr President. However, I would like to thank Hon. Senators who took time to debate this motion and those who did so extremely very well and articulated the issues that were contained in the speech very well from an informed point of view because less than half the number participated. I still say Mr. President, thumbs up to those who saw it fit to debate SONA and with that short sum up, I would like to say thank you Mr. President.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: You have to move for adoption.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: Thank you Mr. President, I accordingly move for the adoption of the motion.
Motion that a respectful address be presented to the President of Zimbabwe as follows: -
May it please you, your Excellency the President:
We, the Members of Parliament of Zimbabwe, desire to express our loyalty to Zimbabwe and beg leave to offer our respectful thanks for the speech, which you have been pleased to address to Parliament, put and agreed to.
MOTION
IMPROVEMENT ON SERVICE DELIVERY BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES
HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: I move the motion standing in my name that this House;
COMMENDING the sterling efforts by His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa in the construction and rehabilitation of our country’s roads which are critical for service delivery and development;
DISTURBED by persistent challenges bedevilling service delivery in local authorities which are adversely affecting the quality of life for the people;
COGNISANT that years of neglect and mismanagement by the local authorities have left indelible foot prints in urban centres;
ALSO SADDENED by the lack of will by local authorities to execute their mandate;
NOW, THEREFORE, implores this House
a) To call upon the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, through its local authorities, to improve service delivery which includes water reticulation system, waste management and healthcare system which meets the needs and expectations of urban dwellers.
b) To reaffirm its support for the devolution of services and functions of local government as enshrined in the Constitution, recognising the potential for improved service delivery.
- c) To urge all relevant stakeholders, including central and local government authorities, to work collaboratively towards achieving significant improvements in service delivery, thereby enhancing the well-being of all Zimbabwean citizens.
HON. SEN. RUNGANI: I second.
HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to present this motion on service delivery in this august House. I want to strongly pay particular attention to service delivery by urban councils around Zimbabwe. For far too long, residents across Zimbabwe have been subjected to inadequate service delivery by their local councils or local authorities. This has resulted in a significant decline in the quality of life for many citizens with negative impacts on health hygiene and economic well-being in urban areas.
Mr. President Sir, every Member of this House can agree with me that service delivery is the co-function of development by local government or local authorities. The provision of services such as waste management, water and health services is closely associated with the well-being of urban dwellers. In the period leading to the adoption of the Zimbabwe (2013) Constitution, many people supported the devolution of services and functions to local government, especially to councils including urban councils.
It was a major victory when local government was elevated and given constitutional protection by the Constitution. There was great expectation that service delivery would improve in the cities, towns and smaller urban centres. Eleven years later, that expectation appears not to have been realised.
Mr. President Sir, due to corruption, our communities are suffering. I will not even sugar-cot because it is the reality of things on the ground. They are parcelling each other residential and commercial stands unscrupulously while not concentrating on their mandate, what they are paid for, which is to give service to the communities. To say they are wasting resources is an understatement. The correct wording is larcenous which is taking without authority, Mr. President Sir. These unscrupulous activities are undermining the Government, hence I advocate for punitive measures to individuals who are caught engaging in such dubious acts.
I am deeply concerned by reports that local councils are prioritising the collection of revenue, including parking fees to fund their own salaries rather than channelling these resources towards essential service delivery for the people. This unacceptable practice is a clear dereliction of council’s primary responsibilities and I believe it is imperative that we implement strict oversight and accountability measures to ensure that all revenue collected is transparently and appropriately allocated towards the provision of vital public services, infrastructure development and the upgrading of amenities rather than being used solely for administrative costs and salaries.
Mr. President Sir, the people of Zimbabwe deserve local governments that are focused on improving their quality of life, not enriching themselves at the expense of the communities they serve and I urge this esteemed House to take immediate action to address this concerning issue and hold our local councils accountable for the responsible use of public resources.
Our once vibrant public spaces have become neglected and unsafe. Potholes on critical roads have become gaping wounds in urban councils causing a constant threat to motorists, pedestrians and cyclists alike. Broken street lights cast long shadows, creating heavens for criminal activity and hindering the free movement of residents, especially during the dark hours.
Overgrown parks and neglected playgrounds stand as a stark reminder of the lack of investment in community well-being leaving residents with few options for safe and healthy recreational activities. This deplorable state of our roads and public spaces not only hinders economic activity and reduces the quality of life for residents, it also creates a sense of disinvestment and neglect, further eroding community spirit. A shroud of secrecy surrounds the decision making process of many local councils. Residents are often left out in the dark about budgetary allocations, project justifications and the rationale behind service delivery cut-backs.
This lack of transparency brings public distrust and hinders meaningful participation in holding councils accountable. Furthermore, avenues for residents to voice their concerns and seek redress for service delivery failures are frequently limited or bureaucratic, leaving them feeling powerless and unheard. This lack of accountability creates a vicious cycle, discouraging residents from engaging with their local authorities and ultimately hindering efforts to improve service delivery and community well-being.
Mr. President Sir, the once reliable water supply had become a source of anxiety for residents. Rusty pipes, old and leaky, delivering discoloured water at unpredictable intervals in urban councils is the order of the day. Many households are forced to resort to fetching water from unreliable sources like shallow wells or distant streams, raising concern about contamination. Meanwhile, overflowing garbage bins and blocked drains paint a grim picture or inadequate waste collection
creating unsanitary conditions and posing potential health hazards for the entire communities in urban centres where we normally witness diseases like cholera.
Mr. President Sir, this decline in water and sanitation infrastructure has become a daily struggle for residents jeopardising their health and well-being. Our local councils are failing when it comes to water infrastructure. Residents are forced to rely on unsafe contaminated water sources in many areas due to the councils’ neglect and underinvestment. Boreholes are left in disrepair, water treatment plants are crumpling and pipe networks are leaking, leaving families with no choice but to draw water from polluted wells and streams.
Our people deserve access to clean reliable drinking water yet this basic necessity is being denied to them. This crisis is not only a public health hazard, but also a symbol of the councils’ utter disregard for the well-being of their communities.
Mr. President Sir, His Excellency, the President has undertaken a comprehensive borehole drilling initiative to address the widespread water crisis in our nation recognising the urgent need for sustainable solutions through rigorous surveying and expert execution. The Government is establishing a network of high-quality boreholes across urban and rural areas complimenting the efforts of rehabilitating existing water infrastructure.
Additionally, the Government is focusing on the development of major water sources such as Muchekeranwa and Kunzvi Dams, which will be used to supply water, particularly to the capital city, Harare, and towns like Norton and Marondera as well as the Gwayi-Shangani Dam in Matabeleland, which will be a crucial water source for the city of Bulawayo and also Lupane.
This multifaceted approach encompassing borehole drilling, infrastructure upgrades and the harnessing of major water bodies aims to provide immediate relief and lay the foundation for long-term security, demonstrating the President’s commitment to ensuring that all Zimbabweans have access to the fundamental human rights of clean and reliable water.
Mr. President Sir, the councils are falling short when it comes to waste management. Litre and uncollected refuse or garbage have become eyesores and breeding grounds for diseases across our communities in urban centres. Piles of garbage rot on street corners while overflowing dumpsites spill refuse into our neighbourhood. Effective comprehensive waste collection services are a hallmark of a well-functioning municipality yet our local authorities have failed to deliver. This blight not only upgrades the appearance of our cities but also poses serious environmental and sanitary risks to our citizens.
In addition to the comprehensive water security initiatives, the Government has also taken significant strides in addressing the critical issue of waste management through the innovative Geo-Pomona project, which focuses on recycling and energy production from the waste collected. This project harnesses advanced technologies to transform waste into valuable resources, diverting a substantial proportion from landfills, generating revenue through recycled material and producing electricity to contribute to the national energy greed, while aligning with global best practices and the principles of circular economy.
The Geo-Pomona project represents a forward-thinking and holistic approach to sustainable development and environmental protection. I urge this House to provide the necessary support to ensure the continued success and expansion of this project. The lack of reliable street lighting leaves our communities shrouded in darkness compromising safety. Functional well placed street lamps are a mark of a safe liveable city, yet our local authorities have neglected this basic infrastructure. Residents, especially women and the elderly fear venturing out at night due to the dangers posed by poorly lit streets. Criminals take advantage of the darkness making our neighbourhoods less secure. Poor street lighting is a fundamental public good that our councils have failed to provide.
Mr. President, I propose the solarisation of street lights as an additional initiative to contribute to our nation’s development and sustainability. By harnessing abundant solar energy resources, we can transition to an environmentally friendly solar-powered street light reducing reliance on the unreliable electricity grid lowering maintenance costs and aligning with global best practices in renewable energy. In areas where solar street lights may not be feasible, the implementation of hybrid systems combining solar and grid-connected backup power would ensure reliable elimination. I urge this esteemed House to consider this proposal as the solarisation of street lights would enhance our infrastructure reduce our carbon footprint and demonstrate our commitment to innovative sustainable solutions for the betterment of all Zimbabweans living in urban centres.
Moreover, I am saddened by the neglect of our sports stadiums and the refusal of local councils to partner with private entities willing to undertake renovations. The state of Rufaro Stadium for example, a once iconic venue is a prime example where the council has only addressed the parking lot while the playing field and facilities remain in disrepair, rendering the stadium effectively non-functional. This negligence has had a devastating impact on our vibrant sports sector with prominent clubs being forced to play their home matches elsewhere, depriving our citizens of the opportunity to engage with the support their beloved teams should have from their supporters.
I firmly believe that by partnering with private investors and entities willing to undertake the necessary renovations, we can breathe new life into our sports stadiums, revitalising our sports sector and providing our citizens with the world-class facilities they deserve.
I urge this esteemed House to compel local councils to prioritise the restoration of our sports infrastructure and collaborate with private stakeholders as the rejuvenation of our sports stadiums. We will uplift the morale and well-being of our citizens and have impact on our national image.
Mr. President Sir. We must look to examples excellence abroad and learn how to deliver the services our citizens rightly demand. Take the city of Dubai, for instance, through strategic investments and with focus on innovation, Dubai has transformed itself into one of the cleanest, most modern cities in the world. Their municipal authorities have prioritised water treatment, waste management and public infrastructure – ensuring residents enjoy a high quality of life. Dubai’s water desalination plants, efficient waste collection and state-of-the art street lighting are the envy of the global community. By emulating their commitment to excellence, we can raise the standard of living for our in all cities of Zimbabwe.
Moreover, consider the city of Moscow in Russia. Once plagued by the Soviet era of decay, Moscow has undergone a remarkable renaissance with its local Government spearheading major upgrades to water, sewer and street lighting projects. The results are evident in the clean, vibrant streets that Muscovites now enjoy. Through a combination of robust funding, technological innovation, and a customer-centric approach, Moscow has become a shining example of what can be achieved when local authorities truly prioritise the needs of their people.
Mr. President Sir, we must emulate these success stories. It is time for our local councils to step up, prioritise basic public services and to deliver for the people. With the right leadership, the proper funding and commitment to excellence, there is no reason why every community in Zimbabwe cannot have access to clean water, effective waste collection, functioning sewers and reliable street lighting. Our citizens deserve nothing less than world-class public services.
I call on this House to demand accountability from our local authorities. It is time to raise the bar and build the 21st century Zimbabwe, we all know, it is possible. Our people have waited for too long for the basic necessities that should be the hallmark of a modern, thriving society. Let us seize this opportunity to transform our communities and deliver the quality of life of our citizens.
Hon. Senators, Mr. President Sir, I propose that we establish a system to ensure our local councils are populated by learned and qualified individuals, with stringent educational and professional requirements such as a minimum of Bachelors degree in a relevant field and demonstrated experience in public administration, urban planning, finance or community development.
Mr. President Sir, by raising the bar for council membership, we can attract and empower individuals equipped to make informed data-driven decisions that prioritise the well-being and progress of our citizens, oversee the efficient and transparent allocation of public resources, ensure the delivery of essential services and champion the development of sustainable, livable communities. Furthermore, I recommend implementing ongoing professional development and training programmes for local council members, equipping them with the latest knowledge and technology, tools and best practices in municipal governance and service delivery, transforming the capabilities of our local governments and realising our collective aspirations for a more prosperous and equitable Zimbabwe.
I therefore, urge this esteemed House Mr. President Sir to: -
1. mandate a comprehensive audit of local authorities to assess
their financial management, service delivery performance and adherence to good governance practices;
2. Allocate adequate resources to councils to enable them to invest
in essential infrastructure upgrades, maintenance and service provision but with strict monitoring to avoid corruption.
3. Institute capacity building programmes for council officials to
equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to deliver effective services.
4, Empower citizens through participatory budgeting and
Community forums to engage in decision-making processes and hold councils accountable for service delivery.
5. Call upon local councils to enhance their efforts in providing
essential services such as waste management, water supply and healthcare, ensuring that these services meet the needs and expectations of all urban dwellers.
- Reaffirms its support for the devolution of services and
functions to local Government as enshrined in the 2013 Constitution, recognising the potential for improved service delivery through decentralised governance.
- Urges all relevant stakeholders, including central and local Government authorities to work collaboratively towards achieving significant improvement in service delivery, thereby enhancing the well-being of all Zimbabwean citizens.
Mr. President Sir, as I conclude, it is imperative that we take
decisive action to address the shortcomings in service delivery by local authorities in Zimbabwe. By working together, we can ensure that all Zimbabwe have access to the essential services they deserve and can live in safe, healthy and thriving communities. Nevertheless, I want to thank our President His Excellency Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for the way he has taken into action the rehabilitation of our roads in urban centers, especially in Harare and those roads leading to this Parliament Building – that is very commendable. As a nation, we are very grateful. I thank you Mr. President – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] –
*HON. SEN. MUPFUMIRA: Thank you Mr. President for giving me the opportunity to share a few words on the motion that was moved by Hon. Senator Mavenyengwa.
This is a pertinent issue, the issue of local authorities because this is where our people are. He explained a lot of things and we are just supporting. I just want to add a few words emanating from where we come from and where we live in. The issue of water is a problem. Where I come from, there is no running water. People scramble for boreholes and the water level is low. People used tap running water. We aspire city status to be a world class, but where I live, we are digging wells because the borehole is not giving us any water.
We need alternatives which can make life easier and those alternatives are not there. In Chinhoyi, the roads are in a deplorable state. Motorists are using such roads. We appreciate that because of the state of emergency that was declared by His Excellency, President E. D. Mnangagwa, our major roads are now in very good condition. Roads under local authorities are in a bad state and this is affecting cars. Even without tarred roads in the past, we used to have gravel roads. We could travel from Chegutu to Bulawayo with good gravelled roads. If there is no tar, maybe it might be an alternative to put gravel which would cover potholes so that motorists would be able to drive on better roads.
There is an issue which we normally discuss here, the issue of drug and substance abuse in urban areas. This has cascaded down to rural areas. Some school leavers and school drop-outs who do not have anything to do are now abusing drugs, cheap alcohol and brews like mutoriro and others. This is not only a problem of water and roads, but it is a problem of social service. There is a department of Social Amenities which we believe should be covering such things. Children should be given facilities where they are trained vocational skills. I remember in Mzilikazi in Bulawayo, in the past, young people were trained in art and pottery. I have some pottery, cups and artifacts from that centre.
There are women who were taught how to cook, hygiene issues, childcare and other life skills. I believe this is something that needs to be looked into. We cannot continue complaining about drugs whilst not giving them an alternative. We need to empower them with vocational skills. I do not know whether it is the council or what. There are some recreational parks, recreational areas which are being allocated to people as residential stands. You find stands, houses and flats being built in recreational areas and you wonder how this is done because these are gazetted areas which are supposed to be meant for football pitches, parks and other leisure centres.
At the end of the day, you would find that such houses will be destroyed. You wonder because when we were building houses, inspectors were coming to inspect the progress. Now, this is double trouble that one resident does not have accommodation. They have struggled to raise money for building their houses and eventually, the houses are demolished. There are some areas where people are not supposed to build, but you find houses everywhere. Where is the order that we knew that you will not go to the next level without the council approving?
The council officials should be empowered so that they would work and apply council by-laws, whether it is the sewer lines or any form of service that is done. Now, there is no difference between urban areas, rural areas and peri-urban areas. The biggest challenge that we find is that they are busy chasing vendors. So, we do not know whether they confiscate vendors wares and whether the wares are forfeited to the State, or it is benefitting individuals.
Moreover, we also want to focus on cemeteries. There is a department which is supposed to look after cemeteries in urban areas. There is a particular department but it is surprising that you would find that there are times some people burn the whole cemetery. You wonder why because there are council employees who will be there putting on overalls. We are supposed to be a clean city. It is not about the highways, but it is about where we live. We have places like cemeteries where we have our relatives who lie there. As our heritage, this should be protected.
Furthermore, the issue of bills is serious. We do not use water. As an individual, I do not use council water but I find bills coming, refuse removal and what-a-view. When you go to the Geo Pomona Waste Management Centre, you find bills coming. I am charged for water which I am not using. As a resident or as residents, we are not clever enough. Why do we pay for water which we do not use? Why do we pay for waste disposal which is not being disposed? We are decent people.
In other countries, there will be an uproar of why council officials are charging people for water which they do not have, waste disposal which is not disposed or collected. Some people are now disposing their waste along the roads. You find school children stepping on the waste and this becomes a hazard. It is a responsibility of our local authorities to ensure that our people are well protected and even motorists.
I want to support what the Hon. Senator just said. I did not want to wait for writings so that I write something down. I am talking about something that I am experiencing every day that I know of. We need this issue to be corrected. It is not about Harare, Masvingo, Chinhoyi but this is all over the country. You find disease outbreaks happening in different cities. We need to correct this. This is where we formulate policies. This is where we can start correcting these things, playing our oversight role so that we restore Harare to its sunshine city status, a clean city where you do not skip over refuse collection around the roads. I thank you Hon. President.
HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: Thank you Mr. President for this great opportunity to discourse around a most important motion that has been brought to the floor by Hon. Senator Mavenyengwa. Mr. President, it goes without saying that every single citizen interface with, from birth to death. If you are born in a council clinic, you will get buried in a council clinic. So, this is a very important tier of our three tiers of Government. In between death and birth, there are lots of other things that do happen, we want water, refuse removal, housing, you name it. Local Government is the most important tier of Government in a nation and for this reason, I wish to thank Hon. Senator Mavenyengwa for bringing forth a very important debate and subject matter that needs all of us as Hon. Senator Mupfumira said; put heads together and find solutions to the challenge.
To look at the problem honestly and thoroughly and move over from problem finding to solutions design, for me that is more important than chronicling all the difficulties that we all know about. We must spend time more on solutions and Mr. President, I have got an eight- point plan for Zimbabwe Local Government sector to begin to perform at the same level as Local Government in South Africa for example.
Mr. President, the key point around service delivery is money. Service delivery is resources, without the necessary resources, we can shout our voices high, it will not help anybody. In looking at this problem, we need to be very holistic, to look at the totality of Zimbabwe rather than certain sectors of Zimbabwe and seek to score points rather than to look for solutions. The saddest thing in our nation is that we forever perpetually in an electoral vote canvasing mode. As a result, we do not find solutions to real problems.
I am just praying that one day – I was speaking to a colleague who amazed by saying perhaps it is not worth it to have political parties because this is how debate is designed, it is not designed to solve the problems for the people of Zimbabwe. It is designed to score points and hope that one would reap big. These are strategies that do not work because the voting patterns do not seem to change, whether you have got a pothole in Mukarati Road or not you will still get people in a certain direction. So, really, what we need to do is to sit down and look for solutions for the people and we are not doing that. First solution in my opinion, legacy issues. What are the legacy issues that stand in between improved service delivery and bad service delivery?
Mr. President, if you wish to turn your clock back to 2013, you will know that all urban local authorities had their balance sheets badly affected by bad political opportunity decision- where a whole Minister decides that one side of the balance sheet should be killed and yet the other side remain surviving. We celebrated when Minister Chombo said zvikwereti zvese ndabvisa no one is paying. We did not realise that the other side of the equation remains where the local authorities’ creditors kept on wanting to get their payments done.
This big problem, this cancer will live with us for a long, long time because the balance is not there, zvikwereti zvakaramba zviripo on the one side of the equation and cancelled on the other. We celebrated that because we thought that was a benefit. What we are seeing today is a result of that bad decision, is a result of legacy issues that must be dealt with. So, where is the solution? The solution is for Central Government to sit back and say, how much money did local authorities lose as a result of that bad decision? Then look for that money to compensate the local authorities so that they can deliver services. That is key solution number 1, I am talking about an eight-point plan to revive local authorities in this country. One of those things is for Central Government to compensate local authorities for revenue lost as a result of Central Government bad decision making.
So, once that happens, local authorities can begin again to recapitalise their refuse removal apparatus, issues on water delivery networks, housing et cetera. The second thing Mr. President, point number two. In 2013, the people of Zimbabwe all sat down and said one of the key things we must do is to constitutionalise and protect Local Government, and in the process demanded what is called devolution, and this is a very key thing that we must do. We must devolve in earnest and I would like to educate certain people who might not be savvy enough around Local Government. As Central Government, a centre to local transfer of money is not devolution, this has existed, even Smith used to do it. Smith used to give local authorities some transfers, but that was not devolution. Devolution is about allowing people to make decisions at local levels, basing that on their strengths and good citizenship so that hauna waunoblamer. If you transfer a few coins of money to the periphery without giving them power to make decisions, without giving them power to manage and to employ for themselves, without giving them power to sit down and make decisions for themselves, you are not devolving, pane zvauri kuita, but you are not devolving.
Let us go for devolution because the people asked for it, let us go for it, it is good for the people because they made that decision. Give them the power to run their affairs. Mr. President, I will go back to issues of legacy again and I say so from a point of information. I was once the Deputy Minister of Local Government and I am very well informed around the disease called interference. Well, whole ministers because the people have decided that yes you are minister but at local level, we have decided to do this. Whole ministers then make decisions based not for the good of the people, but for something else.
In 2011, the City of Harare sat down and said, ‘look, where is our problem?’ Our problem is financial capacity to mobilise funds. So what do we do? Let us employ a qualified town clerk and up-step James Mushore a top banker, a man who knows so much about financial engineering. They employed him, but let me tell you what former Hon. Minister Kasukuwere said. He said, ‘he will not function there because he is not one of us.’ This is a quotation I am not creating this, you will never be a town clerk because you are not one of us.
James Mushore is a well-known Zimbabwean banker and you say he is not one of us - good Lord, what are you saying? This is a man with serious capacity to engineer financially for the help of the city. Everything collapsed because he was not one of Hon. Kasukuwere’s ilk. So legacy issues. We need to devolve. Let people make their decisions and they will move.
Issues of employment, as I have just epmhasised it is a cycle that repeats. If you are not the Minister’s relative or if you do not share the same political card with the Minister, you cannot be a Town Clerk. This is the truth.
So all I am calling for is the voice of God. The people said they want devolution and President Mnagangwa is well known for saying the voice of the people is the voice of God, and you cannot reject what God says. The voice of God said devolution. Give them physical devolution, give them administrative devolution, give them political devolution, hold them to account and let us see what happens.
HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: Point of order Mr. President. I want to request that whilst our Senator debates, one of the points that he said that if you are not related to a Minister, you are not going to be employed withdrawn. When we debate about corruption in councils, we are talking about what we are seeing, what is happening, where people are taking council money and pocketing the money. Instead of receipting that money, they are pocketing the money. So we want the Hon. Members to explain the relative of the Minster who was employed. He must talk about what is happening not what he thinks is happening.
HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: I have said and I will repeat, I am saying this from a point of information. I am not dreaming. In 2011 the City of Harare went through a very tenacious and very tortuous process, picked James Mushore to be their Town Clerk. They engaged James Mushore, Mr. President, but then I quote former Minister Kasukuwere who said James Mushore will never be a Town Clerk in the City of Harare because he is not one of us.
It is a quote and if we find time out of here, I will show you the date he said that for your pleasure, this is the truth. I will never come before this august House to fabricate a story. I was Deputy Minister of Local Government and Public Works. I am talking facts. So you do not want to look further than James Mushore. If you want you can look everywhere else. I can give you 1, 2, 3, 4, 16 and 23 but I am not going to do that. James Mushore’s case is sufficient to drive the point that local authorities should be allowed to manage issues administratively.
Thirdly on the eight point plan, I think I do not have the time but I have eight points that can assist local government in this country to prosper. Share resources equitably.
THE. HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Senator, you have five minutes.
HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: Share resources equitably. What we are saying is central government has set back and weakened urban local authorities. Deliberately they have taken away one of the soupiest revenue stream, money from vehicles. They have taken away a lot of other resource streams. We need that back because service delivery is money.
Fourth point plan, reduce poverty. Those people you see walking the streets of Harare, Masvingo, Mutare, Bikita and Zaka are too poor to meet their obligations to pay for water. They are not paying. These local authorities are saddled with huge debts because of poverty. Deal with poverty and people will be able to pay for debts.
Fifth point planning, allow creativity. Do not interfere with people that are creative. There are a lot of creative people in these local authorities but the leash is too tight. You cannot even move a foot, the Minister pulls you back. You cannot even decide how many tea spoons of sugar to put in your tea because the Minister wants to see how many you put in there. Jack up the economy because you might want to talk about local authority but central government is failing. If you go to Mpilo today it is not a hospital it is a death trap. It smells death when you walk there. If you go to a local authority that is not urban you smell death, you smell lack of service delivery. So holistically, let us look at jacking up the economy so that money can trickle down from the center to the local.
Mr. President the other very important thing to do is dealing with what I want to call centralised corruption. Centralised corruption arises from the fact that all the purchasing capacity, you know these local authorities used to be purchasing authorities. That has been taken away and it has gone to PRAZ so that all the corruption goes to the central place. So we must fight centralised corruption and centralized corruption is a baby of central government.
THE. HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: You can wind up Honourable.
HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: Thank you very much Mr. President. I will wind up by saying local government is the most important part of Government and the Constitution provides for a minimum of 5% of budgetary money to go to local authorities. How much goes there? 1%, 2%, 0.5%, 0.05% because there is no will to put the money where the mouths of the people are. There is more will to stand money where there are no people. People are in local authorities and resources must go there.
The last thing Mr. President is we need to always be dealing with these issues because this is a matrix of relationships. Local government and governance are a matrix of relationships where center to local relationships, if they are not warm they are not moving, hamuna president. If those relations are not warm – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]- Muchazoitawo ma president, hamusi.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE (HON. SEN. KAMBIZI): Order, order!
HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: Thank you very much President.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Next time Hon. Senator Zvidzai, it is my duty to protect you unless if you want to protect yourself. So always refer to me and I will protect you, but if you try to protect yourself, it will not work.
HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: Thank you Mr. President.
*HON. SEN. RUNGANI: Thank you, Mr. President. I want to add my voice to the motion that was moved by Hon. Senator Mavenyengwa who said a lot of important things concerning our local authorities in terms of the welfare of residents. Urban councils get funding but we want to know how they use their money and we need to make sure there is transparency in funds.
His Excellency, President E.D. Mnangagwa declared that on the first day of every month, people should have a clean-up campaign that does not need funding but the willpower of people only. Mr. President, we expect to see our councils delivering in urban areas.
In Harare, where there is a furniture industry, particularly in Glenview, that area is always catching fires perennially and we wonder whether the Harare City has ever investigated the causes of fire. The City Council said they once spoke to the carpenters about the fires but nothing fruitful came out. We expect local authorities to engage these home industries in their areas so that our people have good livelihoods and are safe.
In rural areas, some dams have water yet some local authorities are failing to pump that water from the dams to residential areas, yet people spend two or so weeks without water. We expect our local authorities to make sure that our people have good livelihoods.
Mr. President, there are some schools, clinics, and hospitals that were built by local authorities, and most of them might collapse due to maintenance. In some local authorities, you will find that they get funding, whether through hunting quota or mining but you will see the management buying cars. As a resident, every day you go to work you do not have a car but you find them buying luxury cars. When they get money, we expect them to support the residents and develop social amenities of that particular area. However, as Members of Parliament, we are quite aware of what they would have covered in terms of development as well as areas they are lagging.
The urban toilets should be cleaned and it is the responsibility of our municipal authorities, so charity begins at home. They must start with the small things. We might say that they do not have money but the budget they have should be used efficiently. If they cannot perform in terms of service delivery, how about their workers when they only take all the money as executives of councils but the lower grades go home with meagre salaries?
So we need to make sure that our people are well taken care of because when you lead people, you need to have people at heart. You must lead them properly. Even in terms of business centres, this has been said before, that some areas were designated as leisure centres for sporting activities but such areas are being allocated stands, and people build on commercial stands and pocket the money. This is corruption.
We are now in the new dispensation, we have done a lot of things but if corruption was done in the past, we are saying let us start from here. Our people should have good livelihoods and we need to make sure that we perform better in terms of service delivery.
When you look at even solar panels, we have SEDCO which is funding people who are in rural areas. Some are building houses; some are looking after their families but you would find that the wives of council officials are the ones who are benefiting from such Government schemes. So, we want them to hear this so that they make amends.
I might have worked in council; I might know the rot and everything that was happening but this is the new dispensation. Corruption in local authorities should be stopped, we want to make sure that councils operate professionally. If people are doing that, if people are allocating stands in unserviced land without proper sewerage systems, and proper drainage systems, people might be vulnerable to disease outbreaks because of that. Sometimes there will be a borehole, or a protected well near these facilities and this is not right. So, council officials should do their duty. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. MANYENGAVANA: I want to add my voice to the motion that was moved by Hon. Senator Mavenyengwa regarding councils. This is a pertinent issue. Councils have a responsibility to provide decent accommodation, clean water, and good roads.
Councillors who are employed by municipal authorities are elected, they are not full-time employees but they are elected as board members who sit now and again yet there are management officials who are at operational level who operate day to day activities of the council. These are people who are employed on party lines.
Why I am saying that, Mr. President Sir, is because Councillors sit in the Human Resources Committee. After meeting, they choose three people who qualify then Hon. Minister chooses one person from amongst the three. The discretion that is used by the Hon. Minister, history shows that the individual is chosen on party lines. It is disheartening Mr. President Sir, that you may be on the board, but you do not have control over the day to day running of council management.
I am happy because people were talking about clean water. Clean water is quite important but the challenge Mr. President is that in Harare, when we attained Independence in 1980, we had 700 000 citizens, but now we have over three million people in Harare. We are talking about Harare and Chitungwiza. We were supposed to have constructed Kunzvi Dam and also Muda Dam, which was supposed to supply Chitungwiza, but it is not possible because Government is not approving the programmes.
There is PRAZ which was introduced in 2012, councils cannot have unapproved expenditures by Government. So, Government plays the oversight role. The issue is not about Councillors, but it is about the Executive which is interfering in council activities and prohibiting councils from operating properly. When you buy a bottle of water, there is tax which goes to the council directly. There is a percentage that goes to the council when you buy water from the council and goes to council revenues. The challenge is councils are not getting these monies. When we were growing up, we knew that when you have car, you would pay your taxes at the council offices.
Mr. President, when we were growing up, we were paying our car licenses at the Council Offices, but this was taken over by ZINARA. When ZINARA gets its share, you find that the allocation of the money is not going to local authorities. Local authorities are not benefiting from ZINARA, but a lot of cars are destroying our roads yet we blame Councillors when the issue lies with the Executive…
HON. SEN. GOTORA: On a point of order Mr. President. I think, it is not fair to work on assumption. The whole purpose of this debate is to find solutions and not to create aspersions. Motor vehicle licences have always been a preserve of the Department of Roads always. You could go and pay for your motor vehicle licence at OK Supermarket and OK would get a commission. You could pay for your motor vehicle licence at the Post Office and the Post Office would get a commission. Likewise, you could pay for your motor vehicle licence at local authorities and get a commission, but the local authorities abused this thing early at Independence. They then started stealing the money from the Department of Roads because they thought it was their money. It was never their money.
So, we need to speak with facts. When we fail, we must admit that we have failed and must then be able to say, what is it that we must do? The urban local authorities, let me tell you, have 54 powers. They are using …
HON. SEN. MANYENGAVANA: On a point of order Mr. President. The Hon. Senator is now debating.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: You are now debating Hon. Member. You may proceed Hon. Senator.
*HON. SEN. MANYENGAVANA: Thank you Mr. President Sir. I am not going to respond to what my elder said because when we grew up, we never used to respond to our elders.
Mr. President Sir, I would like to inform this august House that whatever was said in Harare in the roundabout area, we said that they have to construct 21 bridges in 2019. Engineers came from South Africa to design the diagram there. It showed us that it was supposed to be built using $43million. The bridges should have been completed within a year and six months but before proceeding, Government announced that they had already used $97 million. Right now, one can see that Government has spent more than $100million. We fail to understand it Mr. President Sir.
I would like to thank Hon. Senator Mavenyengwa who helped to disclose what has been hurting us inside. As he was talking about corruption, corruption is not within local authorities, but is within the Executive or the high-positioned people. You can verify the figures that I just mentioned, if you go to 2021. We had an issue to do with Pomona, whereby council said that they could not collaborate with Pomona, which was a Ministerial directive. It had been sourced by the then Hon. Minister, July Moyo. A lot of councillors were tasked to state as to why they were refusing to partner with a foreigner.
Currently, Harare City is paying a lot of money to Pomona because of something that was done by the Executive. Mr. President Sir, what is being done within the Executive is tantamount to disrupting council service delivery. I heard him talking about boreholes. Honestly speaking, you want us to be drilling boreholes in town in this 21st century? We actually have tap water in our rural areas and you are talking of boreholes in towns; that is not development Mr. President Sir.
When we grew up, we used to have those Executive Mayors. I am happy when he was saying he was once a Deputy Minister but, he was an Executive Mayor for Gweru where he did his mayoral duties, which was excellent.
Now that they introduced the ceremonial mayors without Executive powers, I feel that they have to bring back the issue of Executive Mayors to run all the cities independently without Government’s interference. As Parliament, we will then do our oversight role. I am very happy when somebody mentioned the issue of Rufaro Stadium. It was once closed because we could not meet the modern standards which were expected.
It was not only Rufaro Stadium which was closed, even the National Sports Stadium was also closed. I agree with the previous Speaker that the National Sports Stadium which is being run by the Government, it is not open as we speak. It means that the Council is working very hard. Right now, Harare City Council is working on having those plastic baskets for people to sit. Even if you go into their changing rooms, you emulate Manchester Stadium. I am simply saying Council is working very hard and the problem is from the other side.
Mr. President Sir, the other duty of councillors is for people to have decent accommodation. Our parents used to do the wedding ceremony and then they were given the houses. For someone to become a landlord, you have to be affiliated to a certain land baron and that land baron should be affiliated to a certain political party. This country is not running on well, simply because land barons are not being arrested.
In Chitungwiza, we have 10 000 unregistered land barons and they are not paying any rates to the council. They were allocated by various political councillors. We used to say if you want a stand in Chitungwiza, we could go to Dr. Mabamba, and may his soul rest in peace. All the wet lands and everything, there are no recreational areas simply because of these land barons.
So, Hon. Mavenyengwa, I believe that you are going to change your prayer because you never heard another angle of seeing these which we are seeing as people who stay in urban areas. I do not want to continue speaking, I thank you Mr. President Sir.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank you Hon. Senator for your debate. Whenever you want to debate in future, do not debate as if you are responding to someone who raised the issue to you but address everything to the Chair. Thank you.
HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. RUNGANI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 25th July, 2024.
On the motion of HON. SEN. GOTORA, seconded by HON. SEN. MAKAMBA, the Senate adjourned at Twenty-Six Minutes past Four o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 3rd September, 2024.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 23rd July, 2024
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER
CHANGES TO MEMBERSHIP OF PORTFOLIO COMMITTEES
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders met on Thursday, 18th July 2024 and approved the following changes to the membership of Portfolio Committees:- Hon. Tsungirirai Rungwave – Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development and Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement; Hon. Diana Marikano – Foreign Affairs and International Trade and Sports, Arts, Recreation and Culture; Hon. Vivian P. Chitimbe – Foreign Affairs and International Trade and Primary and Secondary Education; Hon. Nyasha Batitsa – Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement and Primary and Secondary Education; Hon. Samantha Mureyani – Transport and Infrastructural Development and Public Accounts Committee; Hon. Melphiner Gwabeni – Foreign Affairs and International Trade and Sports, Arts, Recreation and Culture; Hon. Nomvula Mguni – Information, Media and Broadcasting Services and Foreign Affairs and International Trade; Hon. Sukupukile Dube – Information, Media and Broadcasting Services and Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training; Hon. Otilia Sibanda – Information, Media and Broadcasting Services and Higher Education, Science and Technology Development; Hon. Sibongile Maphosa - Information, Media and Broadcasting Services and Foreign Affairs and International Trade; Hon. Lungile Ncube – Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture and Foreign Affairs and International Trade; Hon. Tendayi Nyathi – Energy and Power Development and Mines and Mining Development; Hon. Prosper Mutseyami – Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs; Hon. Susan Matsunga – Environment, Climate and Tourism; Hon. Francisca Ncube – Defence, Home Affairs and Veterans of Liberation Struggle and Security Services; Hon. Caston Matewu – Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and Hon. Simelisizwe Sibanda – Environment, Climate and Tourism and Local Government, Public Works and National Housing.
PETITION RECEIVED FROM THE CHIREDZI RESIDENTS AND RATE PAYERS’ ASSOCIATION
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that on Wednesday, 26th June 2024, Parliament received a petition from the Chiredzi Residents and Rate Payers’ Association, beseeching Parliament to protect the Zimbabwean youths in and out of school by ensuring that crystal meth is classified under dangerous drugs in the laws of Zimbabwe. The petition has since been referred to the joint Portfolio Committees on Health and Child Care and Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.
RULING BY THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER
HON. MATEWU’S POINT OF PRIVILEGE ON CDF, HON. MEMBERS AND STAFF WELFARE
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Matewu raised a point of privilege on the 9th of July in regards to CDF, Hon. Members and staff welfare. I would like to update the House that the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders is seized with the matter. A meeting with relevant ministries has been scheduled for next week and I hope we will get favourable results.
VISITORS IN THE SPEAKER’S GALLERY
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have to recognise the presence of the Parliamentary Committee on Gender Equality, Social Development and Family Affairs from Namibia in the Speaker’s Gallery – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – The delegation is led by Gothard Kasuto. You are most welcome Hon. Members.
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I rise on a point of national interest. I grew up in the period when the people of Zimbabwe were fighting for their freedom. I have scars of that protracted war. After we won, we raised our flag as a symbol of us having won the fight against colonialism. I observe with dismay when you move around towns, young people, mature people, probably some Hon. Members - you find them with stickers or other nations flags – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] - I am dismayed that this House refuses to see the Zimbabwean flag and the Zimbabwean bird. Why did we fight? It is because the only symbol that shows that we are free is when we raise our flag.
Madam Speaker, I would want to remind Hon. Members that at one point, around the year 2000, we had different political parties, all these political parties had the Zimbabwean flag on their political logos, meaning that they respected that they are Zimbabweans and they respected our flag. I call for a Privileges Committee so that we correct that. I see all the Officers of Parliament here, they have a Zimbabwean flag, why are we not chasing them from this House.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order Madam Speaker, Standing Order Number 65, on a point of Order Madam Speaker…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You cannot stand on a point of order when someone is standing on a point of national interest…
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: No, it is on the national issue that he has raised.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Madzivanyika, I will give you time after Hon. Togarepi has finished. Hon. Madzivanyika please, take your seat.
HON. TOGAREPI: Madam Speaker, as I conclude, I really want a process. I do not know, maybe the legal gurus in this House would assist us. We want to look at the ruling that was done against the flag of our country – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – We want an investigation, we want that corrected, otherwise we are not supposed to be in this House if we violate our flag – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – May we have order in this House.
HON. MATEWU: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I will give you time Hon. Matewu, please may you take your seat.
HON. CHIGUMBU: On a point of order.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Please take your seat. Thank you very much Hon. Togarepi, your point of national interest has been noted, but – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Please may you allow me to give a ruling over that – [HON. HWENDE: You cannot make a ruling on top of a ruling.] – Order Hon. Hwende. Hon. Togarepi, I cannot reverse or rule over Hon. Speaker’s ruling – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Hon. Togarepi, at the moment I am deferring the ruling until the Speaker is back – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
HON. CHIGUMBU: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, if you want to talk about my ruling, my ruling is final on this matter. Please, take your seat. Order, may we have order in the House please.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I stand on a point of privilege with reference to what happened last year. This House sat and debated on the budget. We did an appropriation and allocations were done. I am talking specifically to issues that affect the constituencies of MPs and their privileges. Firstly, we approved the CDF and secondly as Parliament, we approved that Members should have access to loans for vehicles to the tune of US$60000. After that process and all debates were done with people sleeping very late debating, all of a sudden people are notified through the grapevine, social media connections and all other connections through verbal talk that the loan facility has been reduced from US$60000 to US$50000. In that process, already there was an Appropriation Bill which had approved that and the Finance Bill as well was approved. Who had the power to go against an Act which had already been assented to, to affect the privileges for Members to be allocated CDF to develop their constituencies to a tune of US$50000? Up to now, no-one has received anything. Secondly, for Members to be denied access to a loan which had been approved. All of a sudden that loan has changed and Members have been short changed. Who had the powers to go against an Act which is already in place and what powers were used to go against that Act? Madam Speaker, I seek your guidance to get clear information and as to who directed that position. I thank you.
THE HON DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Mutseyami. I am not sure if you were in the House when I gave an announcement in response to Hon. Matewu’s point of privilege.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: Yes, Madam Speaker, I was present in the House, but my prayer is totally different from what Hon. Matewu spoke about if you go through what I just said.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: All the matters which you are raising Hon. Mutseyami are being discussed by the CSRO and next week, a meeting has been scheduled to meet the Minister of Finance and Local Government to shed light on the issues. Please be accordingly advised.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I take note, but the prayer with regards to the loan was not on the table.
HON. S. DUBE: On a point of national interest Madam Speaker. My point of interest is with regards to child mortality around the country. Child mortality refers to death of children under the age of five years and may include still births. Neonatal deaths and deaths for those under five years among other types of child mortality. Madam Speaker, Zimbabwe has faced an increase in child mortality during the first half of the year 2024, with the most alarming figures coming from Mpilo Hospital where 98 children are reported to have died in the month of March 2024 alone. Between January and April 2024, a total of 280 children are reported to have died at Mpilo Hospital alone. Madam Speaker, given that the National Assembly comprises of 280 MPs, this means that Zimbabwe potentially lost its entire future lower House in four months from one hospital. More children were lost in other hospitals and this is a cause for concern. Madam Speaker, I rise to call for the whole society approach to curb child mortality, which should include an investigation by relevant Portfolio Committees on the cause of the rise in child mortality, a dedicated programme of ensuring all expectant mothers and mothers of infants have access to nutritious diets, adequate wages for nurses as well as availability of medicines at all baby clinics around the country. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Dube. You have raised very important issues, but I advise you to raise a motion on this particular issue so it can be debated in this House.
HON. S. DUBE: I thank you Madam Speaker.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: Madam Speaker, I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 14 be stood over until Order of the Day Number 15 has been disposed of.
HON. KAMBUZUMA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
LEGISLATION TO PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF PREVIOUSLY MARGINALISED LANGUAGES
Fifteenth Order read: Adjourned debate on Motion on the officially recognised languages of Zimbabwe.
Question again proposed.
HON. MALINGANISO: Madam Speaker. Frank Smith argued persuasively that language is not a genetic gift, but a social one. Learning a new language is becoming a new member of the club, the community of speakers of that language. Ludwig also argued that the limits of my language mean the limits of my world. Even the holy book on Proverbs 18 vs 21 says, the tongue has the power of life and death. Psalms 119 vs 173 says, may your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts. We are vessels of a sovereign lord. He accorded to each having known us before we were born, not only a tongue, but a language. Sixteen such dialects in Zimbabwe because he is a God of diversity who ought to be worshipped as such. The Bible says in truth and in spirit. The question then is, have we chosen his precepts when each time we commence Parliament business we pray a prepared prayer and in English? Hosea Chipanga would say, ‘makomborero kuvachena.” Perhaps religion is trying its best. The Bible is available in almost every language but what puzzles one’s mind is, why can we not extend the same to economic texts, ICT, Mathematics, et cetera? Corinthians 14 v 9 also says, “so it is with you unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying. You will just be speaking into the air”.
The question that arises is, with whom is our curriculum conversing? The best mathematicians in the world are the Chinese and the reason is simple. Their Maths teachers do not speak into the air, but they speak intelligibly into the minds of their students in a language they all understand and that is Mandarin. Would it not be prudent for our texts if in Binga, to speak to our children in Tonga, in Matabeleland, be it in Kalanga or Ndebele and in Beitbridge, maybe in chiVenda. It can be argued that the current Maths champions are from America and I am submitting to us that they are Americans of Chinese origin.
Professor P.L.O Lumumba always reminds us that the Chinese have chosen what they want and they are on course to achieve same. Perhaps it is time we too choose as we must learn from Prophet Elijah who boldly admonished us from wavering between opinions. We must choose now to make available all our texts including Mathematics, ICT, Science, Heritage in all our languages. Zimbabwean heritage is being taught by Zimbabweans in English. One would wonder whether or not heritage that is so crucial to our existence is being understood by our learners. We must arrive at a place of unveiling texts of heritage in all our languages.
In her book, Cat’s Eye, Margaret Atwood argued persuasively that time is not a lie, but a dimension like the dimensions of space that only those that know enough to bend the space and travel faster than light can exist at two places at once and travel ahead of time. In the same spirit, our own national hero, the good singer, the late Oliver Mtukudzi, may his soul rest in peace; said, hatina nguva yatinofunga kuti tinayo. The time is now that we must come together as a people to give a deserved value to our dialects for purposes of deliberate preservation and promotion of our diversity.
In his book, Torn and New, An African Renaissance, Ngugi wa Thiong’o posits that whenever there is a situation of domination and subordination between two groups, whatever their colour and creed, this will be reflected in the language relationship. I do not seek to over-emphasise our history, particularly at the deliberate decimation and merciless annihilation of our tradition by our erstwhile colonisers. Hon. Bajila has already chronicled same very well. That I am airing my views here, in this borrowed language and I believe what we are all following, is testament to the fact that we are indeed subordinated and in need of emancipation from mental slavery as Bob Marley would put it.
We must exorcise ourselves of the Stockholm syndrome bedeviling even this House that being conversant in English is viewed to be equally being smart. Fishman would say, the destruction of languages is an abstraction which is concretely mirrored in the concomitant destruction of intimacy, family and community via national and international intrusions, the destruction of local life and of the weak by the strong. Hon. Bajila already alluded to our history about 1923, 1932, 1987 and 1994 and it is not for me to repeat.
The world-over, language education policies serve a powerful mechanism for the eradication of indigenous and other minoritised mother tongues. By restricting education to socially dominant languages, such policies erase and replace linguistically encoded knowledges and cultural identification with those associated with dominant group speakers. Ngugi wa Thiong’o referred to these as linguicide. We must employ education policies that promote the so-called minority languages so as to reclaim and promote same, lest we perish in division.
The idea of language reclamation is not merely a linguistic one as it is immensely married to issues of equity in education, indigenous self-determination and the construction or reconstruction of community well-being through culturally distinct world views, identities and life orientations. As argued by Reiner (2006), schools and their medium of instruction policies have been major catalysts for language shift. What remains an issue however, is whether or not schools alone constitute efficacious sights for language reclamation. Perhaps, as posited by Fishman (1991), this is a feat that requires deliberate social restructuring to restore family-based language transmission from where schools can be on tap rather than on top. The idea however, is striking a balance and it would appear that the schools and not the family institution is what we can control as State instruments of socialization. As has been the theme from awakened minds in this House, availability of texts in schools in all national languages and perhaps adopting a policy through consultations with communities for a third language at every school speaks well to language and identity preservation, reclamation and promotion.
The taskforce of Aboriginal Languages and Cultures (2005), puts it correctly that people are nations, not only because they do possess the legal and political attributes of nationhood in accordance with Europeans definitions, they were and they remain nations because of the undeniable fact of their distinctive languages, cultures, traditional forms of political organisation, inherent self-governance status and a collective desire to maintain such distinctiveness. I believe it is in the pursuit of these distinctions that this House must support the motion in question.
What we are grappling with is not unique. When Europeans landed in America and Canada, indigenous socialisation practices were decimated as was the case in all colonies, including Zimbabwe. In 1819, the US Congress passed the Civilisation Fund Act to support missionary schooling with the goal of exterminating indigenous languages so as to clear the path for take-over of native lands. By the end of the 19th Century, punitive-segregative schooling in English, only boarding schools became a primary mechanism for linguistic pacification. In Canada, the country’s two official languages, that is French and English, according to Patrick (2010), reflect a two-founding people ideology that marginalised and ignored the 70 indigenous languages still spoken.
The British North American Act of 1867 followed by the Indian Act of 1876, informed a deliberate course of genocide and linguicide, moving indigenous people to reserves and creating segregated residential school systems. Mission schools were taken over by Government in Canada and like in the US, the medium of instruction became solely English. In fewer places, French accompanied as forwarded by Sachdev, Arnold and Yapita (2006) by derogation of and often severe punishment of even the minimal use of indigenous language. We too were made to speak in English when we were attending primary school, lest we would be subjected to some form of punishment.
The residential school system, however, had unintended effect of uniting survivors. In the late 20th Century, civil rights groups and progressive movements in the US posed alliances that secured passage of the 1972 Indian Education Act that funded native languages and culture programmes. In 1975, Indian Self Determination and Education Assistance Act, enabled native Americans to operate their own schools. It is a no brainer that we run our own schools. The question is; what is the medium of instruction and what are we seeking? Who controls our education and are our communities involved?
Proper development springs from grassroots. I believe it is time that our communities are allowed to determine in what language learning must be conducted in their schools. The legislation I have just alluded to laid a legal and financial framework for placing native America Education under community control. It is instructive that sharing the history of subjugation, there are lessons we can take from certain States in America and Canada, if we are to deliberately reclaim and support our languages. We definitely need a sound policy to inflame a legal basis and financial support to communities, groups and schools seized with this important subject of our existence.
Whilst there are communities in which English has not claimed ownership, in many of our communities, children and families have no choice about the language they use. In everyday speech, school work and the majority of our routine daily practices occur in English and everything is increasingly becoming English. We therefore, require a deliberate action, deliberate policy with which to preserve our languages, promote the same in a manner that salvages our identity from this marauding quest by the erstwhile colonisers to actually down our heritage.
Madam Speaker, the Mohawk of New York have reclaimed, promoted and now have their language well established in tertiary education, with those that learn in Mohawk, outshining their fellows who learn in English. It can be done in Zimbabwe and it must be done and the time is now. Having attained political independence in 1980, if Mbuya Nehanda and other fallen heroes were to wake up today and pose a question, have you written an obituary to all vestiges of colonialism? What are we, a select few who are here assembled going to tell them? Nehanda would ask in whose way and language are you communicating to the higher power when commencing Parliament business? We, who are honest, would tell her in English and I can almost see the anger in her eyes as she poses yet another question, ‘how then you the law makers enact laws that seek to promote the greater good when 126 years after we died violently for your freedom, you are still a colony of the world’s minority?’
We need to adopt the motion and extend it, not only to primary education but to tertiary and particularly mainstreaming that all texts that speak to ICT are available in all our dialects.
*HON. TOMPSON: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am for giving me this opportunity to also debate on this motion. Teaching of our languages in the country is very important and I support it. This will help us in various places as we visit or work so that we understand each other without an interpreter. That can help us very much to bring success, especially in teaching since people will learn in the languages, they are conversant with. Trying to speak in a foreign language may lead to a breakdown of communication because you may not express yourself clearly. I think the accidents that are on a rise on the roads is because people try to cram highway instructions instead of knowing them.
If someone were to learn sign language, it would become easy for everyone to understand and be able to communicate because in case of emergency, they may burn a house, there may be a breakdown of communication and lack of averting the accident. Language also carries culture because when children greet their parents or elders, they are supposed to kneel. Learning of languages is very important from the onset of education instead of starting at university level because this may lead to ignoring some of the languages. I thank you.
HON. MASUKU: Thank you Madam Speaker for giving me this opportunity to debate on promoting and teaching languages. I support the motion that local languages should be promoted and taught within our educational system. This motion is not merely a nod to cultural preservation, it is a profound step towards fostering inclusivity, enhancing comprehension and fortifying our national identity.
Firstly, promoting and teaching local languages is a cornerstone for inclusivity in a diverse society, many individuals grew up speaking local languages as their mother tongue. When these languages are integrated
into the education system, we create an environment whereby every child feels seen and valued. This inclusivity bridges gaps and ensures that no student is left behind due to language barriers.
Madam Speaker, it acknowledges the linguistic diversity that characterises our nation and transforms it into a strength rather than a hindrance. Furthermore, understanding and retaining concepts is often more efficient when taught in one’s native language. Research supports the idea that students learn better and grasp complex ideas more effectively when instruction is delivered in a language they fully understand. This leads to improved academic performance higher retention rates and a more profound grasp of subject matter.
By teaching local languages, we empower students to excel and cultivate a love for learning. In addition to enhancing individual comprehension and inclusivity, promoting local languages plays a crucial role in fostering national unity and cohesion. Language is a key important cultural identity and when a nation embraces its linguistic diversity, it nurtures a sense of belonging among its citizens. Teaching local languages in schools sends a powerful message that all cultures and languages within the nation are valued equally. This inclusivity can help reduce ethnic tensions and promote harmony as every group feels recognised and respected also.
Moreover, local languages are repositories of indigenous knowledge and wisdom. They carry the essence of our history, traditions and world viewers. By preserving and teaching these languages, we ensure that this invaluable knowledge is passed down to future generations. This is not only enriching our cultural heritage, but also provides unique perspectives that can contribute to innovative solutions in various fields from environmental conservation to community health practices.
Madam Speaker, I cannot over emphasise that promoting languages also strengthens our national identity in an increasingly globalised world. It is easy to lose sight of what makes us unique. Our local languages are integral to our identity as a nation. By fostering pride in our linguistic heritage, we build a stronger, more cohesive national identity that stands resilient in the face of globalisation. This unity is essential for national progress and development.
Lastly, and as I conclude, the economic benefits of multilinguistic should not be overlooked. Individuals who are proficient in multiple languages, including local ones, often have better employment opportunities. They can serve as bridges in trade, tourism and international relations, bringing economic advantages to our nation. That is, promoting local languages can contribute to both personal and national economic growth. We must therefore, fully support and impress our linguistic diversity and work together to build a more inclusive understanding and united nation.
I was in South Africa, some countries were speaking their language, comfortably but we were busy, as you see I am reading here, it is English and it is not my mother language. So, it is good for us to learn our mother language and teach our local languages. Thank you.
^^HON. S. MOYO: Thank you for awarding me this opportunity to add my voice on this motion. I am really happy about this motion which pertains to the discussion of having children being taught in their native languages so that they grow up articulating and appreciating their mother language. If children are raised without knowing their mother language, they will fail even to understand the principles of our culture, especially us in Venda, we have a habit that we do pertaining to the greetings. If one is not taught this language, he/she cannot articulate how we greet the elders. If the teacher cannot understand Venda, it is very impossible for him or her to teach the children to reach a level that they can understand.
This also pertains even to Ndebele, Shona or all the native languages that we have. This means that when a child is growing up, he or she has to be trained in their mother language so that he or she can be able to understand this tradition and value his or her culture because as we grow, each and every tribe and religion has its understanding.
Even in dressing, we have a different attire that we wear and the way we dress is different from the way that the Shonas or Ndebeles dress. If a child fails to dress in a particular way that is prescribed by the culture, it shows that the child would have failed to follow other principles of the culture. This comes to the issue that, even if the child gets into a marriage, that child will fail to behave properly and be accepted fully because they will end up with connotations that the child is ill-mannered and the character is not well because he or she would not have been trained in such a way. This is because you did not follow the language which is part of the culture of each and every society.
I will come back to the issue of respect. A Venda child, as he grows up, if he greets a Venda adult in an improper way, the elders usually get provoked. Shaking a hand of an elder in a Venda culture is actually an insult. This is because the child can do this because he would not have been taught at school. I say that the teachers that are articulate the mother language of an area or the culture were supposed to teach in that area.
It is possible that a Shona can come and teach in Venda areas but it also has disadvantages because the Venda children will show a cultural gap or cultural dilution. They will fail to understand their tradition. Teachers that come from other religions and provinces are also a challenge to the other teachers because they end up being insulted from other provinces. There is nothing so painful, like you sacrificed that you want to go and teach children in another province and when you come to Beitbridge you get insulted by people saying, these people from the East, resulting in the teacher feeling uncomfortable due to not understanding the culture. I suggest that teachers should teach students from their area so that they can be able to articulate issues and share the knowledge and cultural values in full.
I will also come to the issue of teachers from primary schools, ECD. Looking closely, we see that our children are now failing to speak their mother language correctly. You will find that even their language is now filled with slang. They are failing to use proper language to their adults; here we say bho, in Venda which is not the proper intonation or is the improper term to our culture.
This is not okay with our culture. We just end up leaving the children to speak as they wish because they will have failed. This will end up even going to the issue of drugs because they are just copying their culture. You are supposed to teach the children as they say charity begins at home. We have to train the child from the grass roots. This is incorporated through the use of their language as they learn it from the tender age. As they learn their language from the tender age, it also makes them appreciate their cultures and value their traditions. Hence, I urge this House that it should see that it is important for the children to learn their mother language because it encourages them to grow up knowing their culture and also valuing their culture. I thank you Madam Speaker for giving me this opportunity to say my views pertaining to the motion raised by Hon. Bajila.
HON. PINDUKA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I would also want to thank you for giving me this opportunity. I would like to thank the Hon. Members who debated before me on this motion, on the promotion of local languages. Language is a dynamic, symbolic, creative system of communication that consists of gramma that includes semantics and morphology, vocabulary that is words and phrases, pragmatics, context and implications. With that Madam Speaker, it is prudent to also note why we do have language across or in its diversity.
Madam Speaker, with language, the community or society can be able to convey meaning and ideas, express emotions and attitude, establish relationships and identities, create and negotiate social interaction, represents, creates and construct reality. The Second Republic has done quite remarkable in terms of promotion of local languages. I would also like to acknowledge that as Zimbabweans, we have also contributed greatly in terms of the promotion of local languages. To start with Madam Speaker, we have almost 16 official languages in Zimbabwe, even though we still need more to be taken on board, the 16 official languages is also a milestone in terms of making sure that all languages in their diversity are also included as our national languages.
This effort has made national languages be included in our local syllabi through the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. Of course, there is room for improvement and in terms of making sure that these languages are also taught, especially in elementary and primary institutions in Zimbabwe.
Madam Speaker, I would also want to share that through the Second Republic’s effort, institutions of higher and tertiary education, for example the Midlands State University has gone further to come up with the national language institute that has a mandate for empowerment of local languages to ensure that no one is left behind in socio economic and scientific advancement of the nation.
This is a great milestone as we know that this research institute will put forward the development of our local languages and the vision of the Midlands State University National Language Institute, ‘To be the leading and one-stop shop, innovative, technologically driven, world class language research consultancy, techno scientific service centre dedicated to the development and modernisation and internationalisation of Zimbabwe for the empowerment of society and wealth creation.
This national institute Madam Speaker, is also going further in terms of research in making sure that national languages are also developed, preserved and recommended for implementation.
Another area which is also important in terms of the promotion of our local languages is taking advantage of our media platforms. For example, the establishment. I think this time around, the Government has also made strides in terms of the establishment of community radio stations, which I think in my view, will also contribute significantly to the promotion of local languages across the country. These community radio stations will also come up with programmes that share different languages in different regions so that Zimbabweans can be able to learn and also appreciate our different languages in diversity.
Madam Speaker, it is also important to note that language is important and language is our pride. Language defines our identity as Zimbabweans. As such, language forms part of our cultural inheritance and intangible inheritance as well. Out tradition beliefs, values, norms, practices are passed from generation to generation through language in its diversity. As such, in my view I also recommend for an improvement or a strengthened support in terms of cultural diversity or programmes. If we look around Madam Speaker Ma’am, we emulate what is being done or implemented by Her Excellency, the First Lady Dr. Auxilia Mnangagwa through the traditional food cookout competitions. That can also be done even in terms of promoting our local languages across the regions to make sure that Zimbabweans can also learn our diversity in terms of languages.
Madam Speaker Ma’am as you are aware that from the 24th to the 30th we are also going to have a Gastronomy Conference happening in Victoria Falls. I think this can be done across provinces in terms of the promotion of local languages and also have conferences and workshops that look into the promotion of local languages.
In conclusion Madam Speaker. Cultural programmes like these can be strengthened through support in terms of making sure that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is also capacitated. For example, right now we are getting into the budget period where we need to make sure that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is supported with enough funding in terms of the development of material for the promotion of local languages. Madam Speaker Ma’am, the country is better built by its own people and including our languages are best promoted by ourselves as Zimbabweans across the political divide. As such, it is upon us to make sure that all our indigenous languages, traditional languages are promoted. Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
*HON. P. MOYO: Thank you Madam Speaker. I rise to give my support to this motion brought by Hon. Bajila on indigenous languages. Language is very important because it is part of our identity as a people. Many countries, for example, the Indians and French - if you go to France, you will be lost because they do not speak English. It shows that they give importance to their language and anyone who visits them has to look for a book to learn the language in order to find your way around because most of them refuse to speak English. That shows us that language is very important.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, as for us in Zimbabwe, since we were colonised and taught that language is not important in order for you not to be able to speak your own language, you have to learn in English. Our children are growing up being fluent in English as if it is their language. I would like to thank our Government because they are doing a lot of things, helping our children to know that one’s mother language is important. Wherever you go, no matter how fluent you may be in English, if they know that you are a Zimbabwean, people will look down upon you that you are supposed to be identified by your language. For you to be known that you are a Zimbabwean, you are supposed to be known by your culture and language is part of that.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, I want to give you an example of where I come from Mwenezi, there are a lot of languages spoken but there is a language known in other areas. If I say Chipfumbi, no one will be able to know that language. It is one of the languages that we want to advocate to be taught in schools in Mwenezi West especially from preschool so that they identify with their background. There is a prominent musician, the late Paul Matavire, may his soul rest in peace. He was one of the people eloquent in Chipfumbi. You would not understand what he was saying, it is because he was a child who grew up speaking that language. That showed that he comes from Mwenezi. That is what we encourage that each area must promote its own language and that language must be spoken and taught at a tender age at school. Wherever they go, they must be fluent in their language, that way they are able to maintain the identity as Zimbabweans.
Right now, we have these cellphones, our children are going to school and are very literate. Let us also have applications in Shona that can be understood by parents who are not fluent in English. When you try to navigate your way on the gadgets, it is difficult if you cannot understand English. For you to be able to understand, you have to refer to the children who are now specialising in languages and promoting their prominence. We should also have those software applications in local languages so that at least people may know that in Zimbabwe there is an application. I do not even know what an application is in Shona. That shows that we are lagging behind in encouraging fluence in our languages. If you go to other countries, when you go for meetings or conferences, you will realise that a lot of countries have preserved their languages. If you look at China, they have their own alphabet and have their own way of speaking and they preserve that. We can also emulate that because it is difficult for them to be infuriated by outsiders because they will be knowing very well that once somebody speaks in such a way, it is clear that that person does not belong to that area.
A lot of points have been raised but the most important thing is that language must be promoted even in here, most of our Hon. Members do not speak in vernacular languages but prefer English. It shows that we are very much prioritising foreign languages and that shows that local languages ensure that we do not lose our identity. I thank you.
#HON. MAMBIPIRI: Thank you Madam Speaker for giving me this opportunity to debate on languages. I would like to congratulate Hon. Bajila who raised the motion on how we can handle the issue of languages. I would also like to applaud Hon. Moyo who allowed Hon. Bajila’s motion to be debated today. For us to understand the beginning and end of this issue, we must revert to history. We need to understand that language and the Constitution go hand-in-hand. It all started in 2013 when we agreed as a country that we want a constitution and that it must be written. We also agreed that in this constitution, we must talk about languages. As we stand today, those who wrote the constitution played their part and they finished their job. The work that remains is now up to us as MPs of Zimbabwe. The outstanding work is to identify where to start, is it from the constitution or on how to assist people in our constituencies so that they understand that wherever we are as Zimbabweans, the issue of languages is at everyone's heart. As we sit here, we do not want to spend a lot of time debating that it is good for us to debate in our languages. It is also good to say learners should be taught in their own languages. I believe that today, we must be making resolutions on the issue of languages and set out what we should do. Firstly, we must understand that learners and teachers did not refuse the issue of languages nor the Zimbabweans, but they are waiting for us to set the direction on how the language issue must be understood. As, I stand here, my prayer is for all MPs…
*HON. MAPIKI: On a point of order Madam Speaker. My point of order is that the Hon. Member is speaking a language from Malawi, but Hon. Bajila’s motion refers to the local languages not languages from Malawi.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Mapiki, the Hon. Member is speaking in Chewa, which is one of the 16 languages in our Constitution.
#HON. MAMBIPIRI: Thank you Madam Speaker. Hon. Mapiki is my relative and he must be able to understand that Zimbabwe has 16 languages and Chewa is one of the languages in this country. I said everyone agreed that we want our languages. Teachers and the learners are not arguing, but the only thing we are waiting for is for the august House to set the policy of how those languages must be taught, be it in schools or wherever we go but my suggestion is that if we set out the framework of how we should proceed, we must also take into consideration the issue of budget because for people to be taught these languages, there must be text books budgeted for to enable colleges to churn out the education so that they are able to learn properly and go to school to assist our children.
In conclusion, I would like to say as Hon. MPs, let us not waste people’s time. Everyone knows that language is at the heart of everyone. All we want to do is to assist each other with the framework, time frame to start and the resources that must be used - where are we taking them from? I thank you.
*HON. MUNEMO: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker. I want to thank Hon. Bajila for the motion on languages that he raised in this House. Language shows ubuntu and gives us our identity as Zimbabweans. But if we do not take seriously the languages that we speak in Zimbabwe and continue to focus on English, it shows that we have lost our culture. The elders said mhembwerudzi inozvara mwana ane kazhumu. Look where it has taken us to. Currently, when school children fail English at O’ Level, they will not be able to proceed with their education. We are still colonised and not independent because English is hindering our children from proceeding with their education because we want English as our main language. We should however, be taking languages like Ndebele, Shona, Kalanga et cetera so that school children will proceed as long as they have passed any of the indigenous languages. This will help us empower each other as a country. This issue of saying if you fail English, you cannot go on with education has deprived most of the children of their education. Most children are now engaging in drug abuse because they could not proceed after they failed English. If you look in the continent of Africa, there are many languages and cultures which show the importance of Africa.
There is a proverb which says ane marengenya haatambire kumoto. There are some of us who love English so much and they forget our culture. This is destroying us. We are the ones who are proving to our children that English is more important than the indigenous languages. This is leading to children losing our cultural values as they are now wearing crop tops. Gavi rakabva kumasvuuriro – children should learn from their elders so as to promote and preserve our culture and languages.
This country has 16 languages and those who teach Ndebele should be deployed to Shona speaking schools so that a new language is learnt in the other side of the country. If we focus on English too much, we will not even be able to gossip about white people because we are mainly using English as our main language. Our language protects our culture and our country. It will also protect us because an enemy cannot hear what we are talking about in our own language. That is the importance of our language.
I would like to request that when the curriculum is being changed, they should consider the issue of languages also. There should not be a dilution of culture through languages. Those who know said kusaziva kufa. When the white came here, there are some people who thought the white people are more superior than blacks. This caused us to be colonised. Mhembwe rudzi inozvara mwana ane kazhumu, we have lost our culture - kazhumu kaya and we have embraced the English language so much. If you see someone who likes English so much, they have a colonial hang-over. The whites left this country but we are still using their language which means we are still colonised as a country.
I am appealing to Government to change the law as alluded to by the last speaker who was speaking in Chewa. He said the issue is now in our hands as legislators because there are no teachers that refrained from teaching languages. As legislators, we are still debating the issue endlessly but it should have been resolved. Proverbs and idioms are so important because there are other issues that cannot be spoken when children are around. The use of proverbs acted as a decoy so that the children would not understand what the elders are saying.
I would like to thank Hon. Bajila for this motion. In addition, I would like to say chakafukidza dzimba matenga, meaning that there are secret things in this country that if we post them on social media, the whole world will know what it means yet it should be a secrete for us only. People from as far afield as Russia, America and Australia can actually tell you all the gold deposits in your constituency. Mbuya Nehanda once said that we should preserve our culture and our land. We should go back to how we used to be taught in our language that we are Ndebele, Shona or Ndau people. Nowadays, people swim in Kariba Dam oblivious of the fact that the place was sacred yet the Tonga people knew that there is a snake called Nyaminyami which protects the people there.
If you are not proud of your language, you are lost and need to be emancipated. A progressive person is one who knows his or her mother language and also speaks another language. This shows empowerment in one’s life because you can go to other countries and work there. The issue of language preservation and promotion is quite important because it teaches our children good cultural values. The teaching of indigenous languages should start from primary school going up to tertiary level. We should take a leaf from the whites who coined the term ‘catch them young’. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MACHINGURA): Thank you so much, you really have taught us a lot of proverbs. What is it that you said about marengenya?
*HON. MUNEMO: I said ane marengenya haatambire kumoto nokuti anotsva kanguva kadiki diki. We should not embrace things that have a negative impact on our country. Let us preserve our mother languages.
HON. I. NDUDZO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Firstly, I want to thank Hon. Bajila for raising an important motion of strategic national importance. As the Bible says, “raise a child in the way he should go and he will not depart from it, when he grows old.” Hon. Munemo has just restated one of the wisest English sayings that commends us to catch them whilst they are young. The motion that is before this august House is very important because it directs us to take care of the foundational bases of our children. Many efforts are wasted when people are grown up and are in positions when you then try to redirect them to speak their mother tongue.
In my view, it is a little too late. As English say “take care of the penny and pound will take care of itself.” If we take good care and caution to make sure that the first day of formal schooling of our children, they are taught to embrace the value and the importance of their mother tongue, it will greatly enrich our population, our culture to make sure that we preserve the importance of our languages. It is tragic that 44 years after independence, we still consider the ability to speak in English as a measure of intelligence – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, Hear.] – It is Albert Einstein who says “everyone is a genius but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid”.
We have so many people who are intelligent, who are brilliant, who have got great ideas, that can contribute to our national building but they are not able to come on board because we have parochially used language as a barrier to deter others from being able to make a meaningful contribution. It is also tragic that even though our Constitution recognises 16 languages, English still remains the exclusive language of record. If you go to the courts of law, you cannot express yourself in any other language without the aid of interpretation. Oftentimes, justice is not duly delivered because we do not always have interpreters who can communicate in all the 16 official languages of this country.
It is therefore, very important to support the motion so that we put emphasis in ensuring that we safeguard our learning spaces, to be spaces where our children are taught to embrace the value of our local and indigenous, vernacular languages. Language is not just a tool of communication, language is also an instrument of power, which is the reason why you will never come across a nation in the world where the conquerors speak the language of the conquered. However, anywhere you go in the world you would find the conquered speaking, embracing and promoting the language of the conquerors. This is the reason why if you go to Latin America today, you will find that all the nations in Latin America with the notable exception of Brazil, are all Spanish speaking. This is because of the Spanish strategy of extermination and elimination of indigenous and local languages.
If you go to Brazil, if you go to Mozambique, Angola, El Salvador, you will see that Portuguese is the central and common, if not exclusive language because of the colonial relic and teaching of Portuguese in those territories. In my view, we need to embrace the value of our indigenous languages, not just by supporting the prayer as proposed by Hon. Bajila. We need to even go further and say, when you say you are supporting anyone or anything, without also deploying resources, you are not giving adequate support.
Mr. Speaker, I belong to the generation that went to school and we would feast on our local novels and we had great writers like Hamutyinei, Shimmer Chinodya, Chenjerai Hove and other literary luminaries but you will struggle even as you walk across town into our bookshops to find any modern literature - be it fiction or non-fiction, that promotes or that publishes local languages. In my view, we actually need to make sure that we support the promotion of indigenous languages through even providing funding for literary works in indigenous languages. Our children must grow up reading novels, reading short stories, reading poetry or prose, which is written in their mother tongues.
Language is not just a tool of communication but language is also the means by which we preserve culture, heritage and tradition – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – It is important to make sure that even in our homes, people see the value of promoting vernacular languages. I am often irritated when I enter into indigenous people’s homes and they want to measure the intelligence of their children by how many English rhymes they are able to regurgitate. We must be able to learn and we must be able to embrace contributions from every Zimbabwean, even when those contributions come in indigenous languages. One of the things that really annoyed me when I was growing up in rural Wedza, was on those great occasions like speech and prize giving day, when we were all indigenous people, who were all conversant with the vernacular language, they would bring in someone, who would be considered the guest of honour. Those people would read long and boring speeches in English and sometimes their pronunciation of the words would leave a lot to be desired.
I find it sad that even today, we continue to perpetuate such cultures and tendencies that prejudice the promotion of local and indigenous languages. I therefore, want to urge all Hon. Members to be fully supportive of this motion, not just by word of mouth but even as we have platforms of interaction with our constituents. Even as we have platforms of interaction with stakeholders in our nation, we need as much as possible to speak in the languages which we are most comfortable.
The Roman Empire became a great empire because it had a language of its own, Latin. When the Roman Empire collapsed,
Latin became a dead language. After the Roman Empire, we had the British spreading their own empire and other European nationalities building their own freedoms after the 1885 Berlin Conference, which officially introduced to the world the scramble for Africa.
It is sad that even now as we speak of a liberated Africa, our people are still not yet liberated as the great musician Bob Marley once said that, ‘we need to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery for none but ourselves can free our minds’. I want to say we cannot free our minds without embracing, practicing, promoting and entrenching the values and importance of our own indigenous languages. It is therefore, my respectful view that we need to do everything within our means but more importantly, to dedicate resources. We need to see to it that when the national budget is presented in this House, we can see what percentage is being channelled towards the promotion of indigenous languages.
We want to see how many scholarships are we able to give to our own people to be able to study and do research in our indigenous languages, cultures and practices even to professorship or PhD level because so often a time, the most brilliant of our people are taken away from our nation through the mainstream scholarships. If you find any Zimbabwean who has been given a scholarship to go and study, for example in Sweden, you will know that firstly, before they study engineering or any other subject of their choice, they will undergo years in studying the local language. The same with almost every progressive society in our world today, yet in our own country at ECD level in kindergarten, you find that we are promoting foreign languages at the expense of local languages.
Madam Speaker, you will not come across any developed nation in the world or any civilisation that became developed through the study of anthropology, where people where able to progress and develop by promoting and by the domination of a foreign language. Our moment of full development and progress as a society will only come upon us when we have fully embraced the value and importance of our indigenous language. It is for those reasons that I fully support the motion and prayer as raised by Hon. Bajila. I thank you.
+HON. D. MOYO: I would want to thank you for the opportunity that you have given me to the motion that has been raised, which pertains to the teaching of children in their mother tongue. As they said that charity begins at home, I want to add that the motion that has been raised by Hon. Bajila starts in schools and teachers that they should develop our languages. This actually entails that all Government entities are supposed to also promote the languages. This even goes to the military where the language of command in the military should be our mother language. Even with the police, hospitals and at border posts. It is good that they use Kalanga in Plumtree and Nambya in Victoria Falls. This does not only touch on the schools to prioritise the use of the mother language, but all the Government ministries.
In addition, I will also say that this also comes to the cultural and creative industries, including authors, artists and producers of various programmes. They are also supposed to promote programmes of local languages. Our country has an opportunity to develop and also broaden its scope. We fought for this, but let me add that the nationality in this country is lacking. We build the nation through these small languages that come and we become one nation, which I can call the foundation that comes through the history of the use of languages. In English, let me say a country we have, but a nation we do not. There is still a gap there.
I will say it in this Hon. House that we have an opportunity to develop this country. We want to develop all languages to be at the same level so that we do not have a language that discriminates other languages. We want all languages to be treated equally, all the 16 languages. It is also important that the boundaries that made our languages to be discriminated, is it also that possible that we do not promote this.
We have Matebeleland South or Mashonaland East or West. We want to destroy the boundaries that were created through colonialism and do away with calling each other names, but just use one common terms as a nation. As I said, a nation is built through these small areas and different languages. The country is like a body, but the nation is a soul. We want the country to have small groups of people that work together so that we can have progress in the country.
We do not need English to be the sole language that is the medium of communication in this country. The medium of instruction should be the mother tongue, which also promotes intelligence and increases understanding capacity which builds confidence in all our children. English is not supposed to be the sole language or medium of communication or instruction at schools. We want schools and other institutions of Government to work together in promoting the use of mother languages in schools and places of work. Thank you Madam Speaker for this opportunity.
HON. MUKOMBERI: Thank you Madam Speaker for this opportunity to allow me to add my voice to the motion which was put forth by Hon. Bajila, to do with the promotion of learning and teaching of local languages in Zimbabwe. Madam Speaker Ma’am, allow me to start my debate by citing the late iconic musician, Oliver Mtukudzi, who was declared a national hero upon his departure from motherland. At one point, he produced a mouthwatering piece of joyous and deep cultural rooted music to say, dada nerudzi rwako, chimiro chako nedzinza rako. I want to underline when he said “pembedza rurimi pwere dzigoyemura”.
On this piece of music by Oliver Mtukudzi, it is very clear that it is language which is central to the preservation of our cultural values and norms. When he said pembedza rurimi pwere dzigoyemura, it implies that in this case, we are saying our teachers therefore are playing a parental role to groom our children at school so that they grow up understanding the value of our local languages. In this case, we are saying, actually teachers are ipso facto custodians of the culture, through impacting knowledge to learners by using local languages as a language of instruction. Madam Speaker Ma’am, teachers are not against the view that local languages should be a language of instruction but some of us parents view speaking English as a barometer to measure how my child is performing at school.
It is a matter of concern that there are too many parents these days who think if their children speak fluent English thereby undermining local languages, that will be a sign of sophistication, intellect and success. They do not realise that to effectively and productively function in a society where the majority of people speak local languages, not speaking mother tongue is actually a huge impediment to one’s progress. The speaking of foreign language such as English works well when children are still in school. When they go home, when they are no longer speaking to themselves at school, they will want to speak to their grandparents and helpers at home. In such a scenario, it is actually a very difficult exercise for those children who speak exclusively in English at school.
One cannot hire a translator only to convey a message from a child to an employee who is actually a maid. It is a very difficult exercise. It must be noted Madam Speaker, that the people who make things move speak nothing but local languages. It is the language of conversation and therefore, a language of production. Take an example, the people who work in an industry where the majority are not that learned, those who work in supermarkets, manufacturing industries, do not need to speak in a language they are uncomfortable with to be productive. They need a local language that they can all understand.
If one imposes a foreign language to them, that actually becomes elimination and a hinderance to progress and productivity. It implies that our children at school should be groomed in a way that they value local language. This is so that when they grow up, when they join such industries, they will also speak such local languages for socialising with co-workers. There is a common Shona lingo that says gavi rinobva kumasvuuriro. It means that the way we groom them is the way they become. According to Mahatma Gandhi, a man is just but a product of his own thought, what he thinks he becomes. It implies that if we think that English is so superior compared to our own languages, that will be our fate. We are going to also be considered very inferior as the Shona, Ndebele and Shangani speaking people. We actually value what is not actually ours.
I always more often than not, tend to soliloquy. This is to say, a general thinking by the majority of Zimbabwean that if our children speak foreign languages such as English, then we have made it in life and we have equipped our children with an important skill that they need to contribute to national development. My answer there is certainly, no. Madam Speaker Ma’am, let me draw your attention to an event on 21st February 2023, which in Zimbabwe is a National Youth Day. The world commemorated international mother language day under the theme, ‘Multi Lingual Education, a necessity to transform education’. The multilingual approach now is to say, our children should be taught a number of local languages as a language of instruction in their different areas so that they become versatile in terms of communication if they move around the country. The international mother language day recognises that languages and multilingualism can advance inclusion and economic development where everyone can effectively function without being hindered by their inability to master a foreign language.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, imagine a situation whereby in Zimbabwe we take English as the key for one to access a certain profession or being taken as an entry requirement for one to pursue a certain professional training. You can imagine how skills are lost through that discrimination to say those who did not pass English cannot proceed to do nursing as if they are going to practice nursing in an English-speaking country. They are going to practice nursing in Zimbabwe. They will be speaking to the patients who speak Shona in Zimbabwe. How can English be taken as a pre-requisite for one to train as a nurse, policeman and teacher as if they are going to practice in a foreign country? That value being given to a foreign language as English is an impediment that leaves others behind.
The President always speaks to leaving no one and no place behind. The value that we give to foreign language such as English, is an indicator that we followed the colonial system by perpetuating its remnants. A lot of human capital is going to be lost by considering English as a primary language that one should acquire if at all they have to make it in life. Local languages are the basis for empowerment and inclusive development. This is why those Honourable Members behind the motion by Hon. Bajila support the fact that the speaking, teaching and learning of local languages should actually be a priority in Zimbabwe.
Madam Speaker, multilingual education based on the mother tongue as first language is a type of education that begins in the language that the leaner masters most and then gradually introduces other languages to the learner after mastering basic concepts. This approach enables learners whose mother tongue is different from the language of instruction to bridge the gap between home and school. To discover the school environment in a familiar language and thus they learn better. Imagine those children who grow up in the rural areas where at home they have never heard even a single word in English. When they go to school, the first day they are introduced to – should I say a strange language, they are going to grasp nothing. So learning is not taking place. My definition of learning is a voyage of discovering new ideas and adding them to a body of knowledge. It means that as they are learning, they are starting from the known to the unknown. If it is from the known, which is their local language, it should be a gradual process whereby they are being natured starting from their language they master at home.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, the lack of investment in the promotion of local languages severely undermines learning, cultural expression and the building of social relations. Significantly, this weakens the linguistic heritage of humanity and the ability of the entire society from being part of the bigger economic human capital. If we consider examples of countries that emerged stronger economically, because there are developments plans that were built on their local cultural aspects such as local languages - those countries which speak English, French, they never include our own languages in their syllabi, it means they value their own languages, hence they strengthen their cultural beliefs.
Madam Speaker, this is why we see today we buy equipment and any technical advancement starting from such countries which embrace their languages but those languages we borrow them and take them as ours - that is actually shame to us. The function of local languages should not be limited to conversing with our grandparents or to fit in a society but should be seen as facilitative function that enables society to get the best out of itself. It is therefore crucial that the local language issue is taken to account in the necessary exercise of transforming education and economic development. Above all, it requires a more general awareness of the irreplaceability but fragile value of local languages. Thank you, Madam Speaker, for the time granted.
*HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: Thank you Hon. Speaker, I want to support the motion that was raised by Hon. Bajila. This issue should be taken seriously, we cannot be a country where one has a grandchild who is in Harare or some of these towns whom he or she cannot communicate with because the child cannot speak Shona. A certain lady came to my home crying saying that her daughter had phoned him and she could not speak Shona. That lady had gone to extremes to send her child outside the country, the issue of language can break families. MPs in this House, especially men can agree with me that those who propose in English are most likely to get positive answers than those who propose in Shona. Only later that the ladies will discover that the one who does not speak Shona is not a good person than the one who proposed in Shona. This shows that the person who proposed in Shona was taught better by their grandparents, cultures and different things.
Whenever we are talking of budget - when the Minister of Finance comes, people in the rural areas will be listening from radios, however English will be used. Those people in rural areas will not understand the economic jargon. We should have interpreters when budget is being presented. Radio stations should broadcast in our local languages. When this motion was raised, I thought the MP was speaking in Malawian language. Languages should be used in Committees and even out of Parliament when we will be having other functions, we should be taught different languages for example the likes of Venda, Tonga, Ndebele et cetera so that Members are able to learn our indigenous languages.
When the other Hon. Member on the left side stood up, as she was gesticulating, I could see that she was speaking a very important issue but I could not understand what she was saying because I do not understand the language. The machines should cater for all languages so that we get interpretation of all the languages and I will be able to listen to the language that I do not understand. There is nothing embarrassing
as when someone is speaking a language and no one understands it. We want to know all the languages spoken by any one of us in this House so that we will be able to contribute or deduce what will have been said. We want to hear every speaker in this House. So, there should be interpretation of all languages and we should all be able to follow the debate. I was disappointed when I could not hear the languages that the other Hon. Members were using. All the 16 languages should be taught here so that at least I can grab a bit of each language from the teachings. One year I went to Sweden and I was very excited to the extent that I learnt a bit more English so that I could go and converse with them properly. Unfortunately, they used their own Swedish language and I could not understand them at all. I went to get some milk for the baby from the supermarket but because I could not read or understand the language, I picked porridge and gave it to the baby. The baby could not digest the porridge and that was not a good experience. Everyone should be able to read a little bit of any language to enable one to read basic instructions. So, we would like to ask that in every shop, the instructions written on products should also be in our indigenous language so that it is easy to read and understand the instructions. All schools should teach indigenous languages.
I would also want to speak on the language for those with disabilities. Those who are deaf cannot talk to the kombi conductors as there is no one to interpret the sign language. We want sign language to be included everywhere. A deaf child in Binga should also be taught sign language in their own language. Currently, sign language is only being interpreted in sign language. It should be interpreted in all the 16 languages and not only in English. We are asking that the issue of sign language be in all languages and in all schools so that every child understands in their own language what is being said. This will make it easier for the children to talk to their grandparents. We also wish that as curricula are being made, there should be teaching of all the indigenous languages. There should also be free education in indigenous languages so that even those in the rural areas can go to other places having knowledge of other languages. When I go to Binga as a wife, we will not be able to understand each other and I will not be able to communicate if I become sick. I might be found dead for failure to communicate well with them. This is a very important issue. We should also discuss the issue of braille. It should be in all languages. It does not mean that if I am blind, I should be deprived of the right to learn. The President says no one should be left behind. So, you can see that the disabled are being deprived of many of their rights. I once asked about the budget because it was delivered without braille and I wanted to know if it had been delivered to everyone because we have those who can only read using braille. The Minister, in his response said something had been put in place to correct that.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. TSITSI ZHOU): Order, Hon. Members! Can you please listen to the Hon. Member who is debating in silence.
HON. S. TSHUMA: Madam Speaker, on a point of order. We are discussing a very pertinent issue and everything is going well, but there is a gentleman running around giving out headphones. I am then asking myself why we are not all having these headphones or why are they not placed under the desks so we can just retrieve them from there whenever we want to use them? I thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: Thank you Madam Speaker, I was saying that braille should be provided so that the blind can also move with the times. They can also join in the debate. As we are preparing for our budget, we want these issues to be included in next year’s budget so that funds should be set aside to teach our children that if you go to Bulawayo, you automatically start speaking Ndebele. No language is more superior than the other. We do not know the languages because we are not putting an effort in acquiring those languages.
All of us used to beat our children when they failed English language because we knew that for a child to progress further in life, they should have passed the English language. We used to think that if our children are good in Maths and English, they have gone a long way. Let me tell you a story which happened to me. My aunt used to stay in Mozambique and she was married to a Mozambican man. When they came to Zimbabwe and my uncle got a job at Rainbow Towers Hotel, I went there to teach him how to speak Shona. He refused to be taught the Shona language because he was of the view that the language would not take him far. That was the truth because the Shona language could not give him a job, instead he preferred the English language which had many opportunities. We should take a cue from Sweden where the Swedish language is the official language. All the documents in Sweden are written in Swedish.
Yes, we do have many languages but on top of that, we should learn all the official languages recognised in the Constitution. The English language should be used by interpreters whereby if foreigners visit our country, the interpreters would interpret for them because all our documents will be in our indigenous languages which they do not understand. By so doing, we would have created a lot of employment opportunities for our young people…
[Time limit]
In conclusion, I want to support this motion which was brought by Hon. Bajila that we should not only talk and debate but we need to see the implementation of this motion during our tenure in Parliament. If we do not implement these recommendations during our time, the next Parliament will continue debating on the same issue. It will take long for us to have all the official languages being spoken. I plead with every Hon. Member to be able to converse in all the sixteen languages so that we uplift the lives of our people. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: On the issue of headphones for use during interpretation raised by Hon. Tshuma, the Hon. Speaker instructed us that there are headphones from the Serjeant-at-Arms offices which are given upon submission of identity documents. All of us are encouraged that before we take our seats, we collect these gadgets and use them during the course of the day.
HON. MATINENGA: I rise to add my voice to the very important motion which was raised by Hon. Bajila on encouraging Zimbabweans to learn more languages. A lot has been said by Hon. Members on the advantages of this motion. I will buttress on three important issues which are access to education, cultural understanding and job opportunities. I will not belabour on explaining these because Hon. Members have extensively touched on them.
I would recommend that we need to start at kindergarten where the Ministry of Education should actually make it compulsory for the children in primary school to learn at least two or three vernacular languages that will make them better communicate as they go to secondary and tertiary education. Leading by example, I would like to add and further expand on what Hon. Nyamupinga said that we should start by this august House learning the other languages so that at least by the end of this Tenth Parliament, as parliamentarians, we should have learnt all the sixteen languages. We are not doing ourselves a favour because we are not understanding what other Hon. Members are debating. We are not even able to respond to issues they would have raised because we will not have understood them.
Just like what Parliament did when they taught us to improve our computer skills, it can be done even when it comes to learning other vernacular languages. This will help us as we encourage communities to do the same, even at household level, we can encourage our children to respect the vernacular languages. This was a very important motion which was raised and we should incorporate it in our budget and as we interact with each other. I want to thank Hon. Bajila for raising this very pertinent motion which will go a long way in advancing our nation.
HON. B. NDLOVU: Thank you for affording me this opportunity to also add my voice to this important motion that was brought by Hon. Bajila. It is motion that talks about languages, teaching and learning of all the 16 languages in schools. I support this motion because we used to pray in our local languages. We would use our local languages to talk to our ancestors who would then take our payers to God. These days I realise that people think that praying in English is the only way that God can hear our prayers. The question is, why is it that such things are changing on a daily basis? What I would like to say is when our children start attending school, they must learn in our local languages. This will be easy for them to learn and it will also be easy for the teacher to teach them.
For example, if we look at professionals coming form other countries like China, it could be an engineer. When he comes here, he comes with an interpreter who interprets for him. If we start teaching our young children the local languages, it will be easy for them to understand what is happening. Most of the times, we spend a lot of time learning to speak in English yet some takes a lot of time learning their professions. What I can say is, you cannot use someone`s utensils to finish your own job because the owner will come any time to collect the utensils. We cannot continue using the colonisers language. We were oppressed by Whites, even our languages and our own wealth. Now, we know that as the people of Zimbabwe, we need to develop our own country. Going back to the Bible, it is important to pray, as it is said when they were in the Upper Room, after they had fasted, they started speaking in different languages. That shows that it is important that people speak their own languages, because the Bible did not say that the Hebrews spoke in the Jewish language. What is important is that each person should speak his own language, be it Shona, Ndebele or other different languages.
I now plead with this House that it should show how important it is for us to speak our local languages. Lastly, there are people in our rural areas who are very talented. You can tell by the way they build their homes or structures. However, they are prevented from learning at colleges because they cannot speak English. What I would like to emphasise on is let us take our languages seriously if we want to develop our country. Thank you.
*HON. MANANZVA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I would want to add a few words on this motion which was tabled by Hon. Bajila on the issue of our languages. The issue of our languages helps us when we understand our languages. You find that in our schools there are other children who are intelligent but because of language barrier they end up going nowhere. So, the issue of our indigenous languages should be encouraged. If you look at the English language, it is a foreign language which was brought by the colonisers because they had an agenda and we have been bewitched by this language. We do not realise that we are Africans who have their own indigenous languages. You find that people are now running away from their culture following foreign culture. There are some of our sisters who are bleaching so that they become white. In the last few days when we introduced our own local currency, some do not even want to use it because we are mentally colonised, we want to use foreign currency. My view is that, when we had our independence in 1980, we did not become independent in terms of our language, we remained colonised in that aspect. When we got back to our land, when we chased away the Whites, we should have also chased away their languages. If we are still forcing our children to understand English, it means that on the other hand we want their culture. People hate their languages and their characters.
When I say that our language has got ubuntu, let me give you an example, I wanted to speak in English and give an example in Shona, which means that when it is our language, they knew that there are certain words you can say in English, but you cannot say them in Shona.
When we were growing up, we could not say elders are telling a lie but in English, you can refer to an elderly person as a liar. In our language you say it lightly that you are not on the right track because they were promoting morality. Our language is very important, but people are running away from our culture and taking the English language. My grandmother used to say that English was brought by the ship and some of it got lost in the sea, but we did not know what our grandmother was saying. If we look at their language and culture, there is somewhere we are not getting it right. That is why I said now we have people who are bleaching, but in the end, they are not doing justice to themselves.
Madam Speaker, I do not want to keep on talking because it has been debated for a long time. When you see the introduction of English, you see that it has brought some challenges like food, which is now causing diseases. The way we are living because of the English culture has caused so many problems. There is a singer, Oliver Mtukudzi who sang that we should be proud of our language and culture. There is also Simon Chimbetu with his song, uyu ndowekwedu kumapako, but has now been influenced by English.
So, I am saying the spirit that has befallen on this country should be exorcised by promoting our languages. If a thing comes from abroad, once it enters our border, it should be changed. The instructions should be translated into our indigenous languages. I do not have much to say Madam Speaker. Thank you for affording me this time.
*HON. S. TSHUMA: I stood up to support the motion which has been tabled by Hon. Bajila on promotion of our indigenous languages. This is a very topical issue which is being supported by all the Hon. Members in this House, but I have a few things to add on this issue without wasting much time.
The issue of our indigenous languages is very important. This is because we were colonised by the whites and that is why we love the English language. Hon. Ndudzo gave an example of many countries that were colonised by different colonisers, that ended talking the language of that country. The same applies to us. I can say that we were lost as a nation and it should be rectified in the shortest possible time so that we can develop as a country.
The issue of languages helps us in our development. Why do I say that? In our schools, children are learning most of their subjects in English, from ECD going up. So, it is very difficult for some of the children who are coming from homes where the parents are not conversant in English. If Kalanga or Ndebele was their home language, then they go to school and start communicating in English, it would take time for them to catch up. English is just a language like the one that I am speaking in or like Chewa or Ndebele. What is important is that when we are talking of skill, it is what you are able to do.
So, our children will speak fluent English when they get to form four, which means that whatever was happening from Grade 1 to form 3, they did not understand well, but they were moving on with the syllabus, not really grasping anything. We have important subjects in school such as Biology, Science, Physics, Chemistry, Geography and even Maths. If you look in our schools, a lot of our children are taking up these subjects because they are forced by our teachers. When they get to form four, they drop them because they are difficult.
What is difficult is just the vocabulary. The words that are being used, especially in Biology, but these subjects are important to us and our children. If they understand like these days when we talk about the reproductive system, if people are able to learn how our bodies function or if one says colon cancer, what does it mean? For example, what Hon. Nyamupinga referred to. She always talks about cervical cancer and to be a woman, you start as a girl. If our girl-child is able to understand from a very early age to learn and understand about cancer, probably they could be able to get rid of things that cause that disease.
If you want to compare all the countries worldwide, they use their own languages like what the other speakers have said. If you are going to another country, you have to learn their local language despite how learned you might be, but you have to learn in order to be able to communicate with the people there. I had a chance to go to China in Shandong province. I had a difficult time because I could not even get a single person who could speak in English. We ended up downloading a translation application that you would write whatever you want in English and it would be translated into Chinese so that they would understand you. Because of that technology, I think we can communicate. If a person can do that then they can communicate in any language. Therefore, I encourage the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to include these foreign languages in the infant’s curriculum. It is easier to learn a foreign language at a very tender age.
Someone was telling me that things like earphones, when you get to China, are not produced by elders but by children, even in primary education, including the phone chargers. Here we cannot do it because our children will be learning English. They will be busy trying to learn English instead of learning production or being innovative. Even if they are learning science, what they are learning is not science but English. So, it takes time for them to understand the concepts of that particular subject. We encourage the issue of our indigenous languages. We should look at it and support it as Hon. Members because it is a very important issue that makes our country go forward. It will also avoid the dropping of special subjects because they will be thinking that they are difficult. They should be able to do experiments in science using their indigenous languages so that we will have a lot of scientists in our country.
Let me give you an example of the Chinese and Russia because they are our friends here in Zimbabwe. If you look at these Chinese, they are the people who came and discovered lithium in Zimbabwe. They were the ones who first discovered lithium after they had explored our country. Yet our children are running away from that because they want to do the easy things like marketing and social work. They want to do easy things because they think it is difficult. For example, my friend’s child said, I cannot do biology but that is a very important subject in our country. Those technical jobs are done because they offer a lot of opportunities worldwide.
If we get sick here, we go to India but the people who are looking after you in India will be speaking in their indigenous languages. You will be speaking English but you do not know how to describe what you are suffering from. Without wasting much time, I support this motion. I think we are late and we should push it so that we see it happening on the ground because our children are lagging behind because of speaking this foreign language. I thank you.
+HON. MANGONDO: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have also stood up to raise my voice in this debate of languages. It is very important to us as a nation that we should come up with a plan to promote our local languages which promote our culture wherever we are.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, when you look at various languages, all the 16 languages in Zimbabwe and our culture resembles our languages. If you come across a person who speaks chiBuja, they have their culture, which is different from the Hwesa people. In the end, because we are not following our languages, we are specialising in foreign languages like English, people are abandoning their culture because they are now doing what resembles the language that they are being forced to speak.
In schools, when children write their examinations, whether Grade Seven, Ordinary Level, or Advanced Level, most children especially from the rural areas, like Murehwa South, where I come from, many do very well in Shona but fail all the other subjects. There are a number of children who do very well in Shona. They are quite high than the children who do well in other subjects. This is an indication that children are not articulate in their subjects because of the foreign language being used. If we change it so that our children can take all these other subjects in their indigenous languages, they will do very well.
If you look at other cultures, we talk of English which was brought by the colonisers, you find that where they come from, they have other people who speak other languages. Even in Britain, where it came from, we have the Scottish, and they have their language. We have the Welsh, they have their language but they continued promoting their language so that their education and culture is not diluted.
However, in Zimbabwe as an independent country that has a new Constitution which recognises 16 languages, I think it is very important that we should promote these languages so that we have teachers who look at those languages and improve them. These days even if you want to look for a dictionary, you cannot find it. I last got a Shona dictionary long back. I do not know who stole it from me. You are saying we are improving our languages when we do not even have a dictionary. How do our children learn Shona when they do not have the literature? Those are the things that we should look at. If you see a person not valuing his or her language, it shows that we have lost out, we do not know where we came from, we do not have any background and we have forgotten our routes.
We have forgotten our value and our ancestors, so if you want to value all our languages, all our cultures the few that I have talked about, that is our wealth as a nation. That is the wealth of a nation not that the many words or many cultures will bring us apart. What is important is that we should give them the same value all these languages. All the cultures should be valued the same. That will bring us together because each and every one of us would want to learn other languages.
You find that even in schools like in South Africa or EU, you do not go to school to learn one language. You are supposed to learn two or three languages so that you can go higher to university. Here if you pass English and others, then you are now learned, you can go to university. That is not it. An educated person is one who can fit in all areas. If you cannot fit in all areas because you cannot converse in other languages, it means that you are not educated.
As a nation, we should bring up our children well so that when they leave school, when they finish Grade Seven, they should be able to speak two or three indigenous languages. If they start early it is easy to learn a language. It is not difficult to them. I witnessed when I was in South Africa. It was not difficult for the children to learn South African languages, but for us the elders, it was difficult. You would find them conversing in Suthu, Zulu, Afrikaans and English. They converse in Shona as well. They are not confused when they come to where people are conversing in Afrikaans, they fit when Suthu or Zulu is being spoken. It shows that the person is now well groomed and is a person who is being prepared to get into the world with a wealth of languages so that they can fit everywhere. From there when they go to high school, they will just be adding because the foundations of languages has been set already whilst in primary school.
If you look closely at our languages, it is just a question of adding. There are similar things, I was listening when the Honourable Member who was debating in Venda - if you listen closely, the Venda words, you find that some of them are similar to Shona, some English and some Ndebele. It is not difficult, it is not hard for us if we bring it to schools. However, we see to it that our children learn a lot of languages and have an advantage in that if they want to speak in other countries’ languages, it will be easy for them to catch up because they are used to converse in different languages.
Madam Speaker, what I want to emphasise is that as a nation, we have a lot of wealth because we have many languages. It is wealth as it is. We should take our culture seriously, it as wealth. We should not look down upon it as like what our colonisers used to do. That is one thing that they were able to do to devalue our language. They made us leave our culture. Our culture comes from our languages. Once you leave your language, you are leaving other part of the culture because you cannot explain it in English. There is a difference, for example if you talk about appeasing the spirits, if you go into English words, you do not know what it means. This means that the idea of appeasing spirits is now bad because in English it is a bad thing. If you go deep in thought, you see that it is just different, but it is the whites who thought that it was bad. They were appeasing their spirits. Even up to now they appease their spirits and we help them appeasing their spirits. This is probably the emanation of our problems because we end up not solving our troubles because we are helping the whites.
If you go to Great Zimbabwe, you find that what they were doing and the birds that were there, the birds there used to help people down here and those above, our ancestors. That was very important for our ancestors, but now we see it as if it is nothing because we were told that this is unspiritual. Those birds were not just birds, we say Zimbabwe bird because it is a symbol of our country. Yes, it is a symbol of our country but what was it standing for. Do we know that those birds stood for? We were forced to throw that away because they thought it was unspiritual and not important. What I am saying is we should improve all our languages in Zimbabwe. We should improve our knowledge of our languages.
It should be funded so that the languages will be improved from the teachers, the books, the dictionaries, which we no longer have. We should have dictionaries for all the 16 languages. I see that if we come together as an august House representing the people, it will show that it is coming from one voice and the Government will be encouraged to come up with ways to improve our languages in the best interests of our people. We can talk and debate in this House and it will just end here because we now have social media and people are aware. But if we broadcast what we are doing country-wide, our people will know the importance of our languages and culture. We will then have professionals, technocrats and doctors who will have learnt the languages. I thank you for according me this opportunity to add my words in support of the motion. This is what the people want - to be able to speak in their language freely and not speak in a language that they struggle to express whatever you want to say. When speaking in English, you think in Shona first and translate into English. Everyone should speak freely in their own language and be able to put across their ideas. I thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. BAJILA: Madam Speaker, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. P. DUBE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 24th July, 2024.
On the motion of HON. KAMBUZUMA, seconded by HON. MUSHORIWA, the House adjourned at Twenty-Minutes to Six o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 23rd July, 2024
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE
CHANGES TO THE MEMBERSHIP OF THEMATIC COMMITTEES
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Good afternoon Hon. Senators. I have an announcement. I wish to inform the Senate that the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders met on Thursday, 18th July, 2024 and made the following changes to the membership of Thematic Committees. They are as follows:- Hon. S. Tshabangu will serve on the Thematic Committees on Climate Change and Peace and Security; Hon. Sen. N. Mlotshwa will serve on the Thematic Committee on Human Rights; Hon. Sen. K. Phulu will serve on the Thematic Committee on Human Rights as well as the Sustainable Development Goals Committee; Hon. Sen. C. Ndlovu will serve on the Thematic Committee on Indigenisation and Empowerment as well as the Human Rights Committee; Hon. Sen. L. Mlilo will serve on the Thematic Committee on HIV and AIDS as well as the Gender and Development Committee; Hon. Sen. T. Kabondo will serve on the Thematic Committee on HIV and AIDS as well as the Gender and Development Committee; Hon. Sen. L. Sibanda will serve on the Thematic Committee on Climate Change as well as the Indigenisation and Empowerment Committee; Hon. Sen. G. Mpande will serve on the Thematic Committee on Gender and Development as well as the Human Rights Committee; Hon. Sen. S. Chapfudza will serve on the Thematic Committee on Peace and Security as well as the Climate Change Committee; Hon. Sen. M. Mdhluri will serve on the Thematic Committee on Sustainable Development Goals as well as the Climate Change Committee; Hon. Sen. Solani Moyo will serve on the Thematic Committee on Culture and Heritage; Hon. Sen. S. Ndebele will serve on the Thematic Committee on Human Rights; Hon. Sen. Tawanda Bvumo will serve on the Thematic Committee on HIV and AIDS as well as the Climate Change Committee; Hon. Sen. Moses Manyengavana will serve on the Thematic Committee on Peace and Security as well as the HIV and AIDS Committee; Hon. Sen. Tambudzai Kunaka will serve on the Thematic Committee on Indigenisation and Empowerment as well as the Culture and Heritage Committee and Hon. Sen. Spiwe Munemo will serve on the Thematic Committee on HIV and AIDS as well as the Peace and Security Committee.
MOTION
APPROVAL FOR THE RATIFICATION OF THE SADC PROTOCOL ON INDUSTRY
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE (HON. MODI): Thank you Hon. President Sir. I rise to present the motion that;
WHEREAS Section 327 (2) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that any international treaty which has been concluded by or under the authority of the President does not bind Zimbabwe until it has been approved by Parliament;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe signed the SADC Protocol on Industry on the 18th of August 2019. Zimbabwe is yet to ratify the Protocol;
AND WHEREAS the Protocol will only enter into force thirty (30) days after two thirds of the Member States have deposited their instruments of ratification. To date, only six (6) of the sixteen (16) Member States that signed the Protocol have completed the ratification process;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous to ratify the said Protocol;
NOW, THEREFORE, in terms of section 327 (2) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, this House resolves that the aforesaid Protocol be and is hereby approved.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
APPROVAL FOR THE RATIFICATION OF THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY (SADC) PROTOCOL ON ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): I move the motion standing in my name that: -
WHEREAS Section 327(2) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that any international treaty which has been concluded by or executed by the President’s Authority does not bind Zimbabwe until it has been approved by Parliament;
WHEREAS Zimbabwe signed the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on Environmental Management for Sustainable Development on 18 August 2014, along with eight (8) other SADC Members States;
WHEREAS the Protocol will enter into force thirty (30) days after the deposit of instruments of ratification by two-thirds of the SADC Member States.
AND WHEREAS to date, four Member States have ratified the Protocol;
NOW THEREFORE, in terms of Section 327(2) of the Constitution, this House resolves that the aforesaid Protocol be and is hereby approved.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Mr. President Sir, I want to move that Order of the Day, Number 3 be stood over until Order of the Day Number 4 has been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
SECOND READING
ADMINISTRATION OF ESTATES AMENDMENT BILL [H. B. 3A, 2024]
Fourth Order read: Second Reading: Administration of Estates Amendment Bill [H. B. 3A, 2024].
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. President Sir. It is a great honour to rise and present to you the Second Reading speech on the Administration of Estates Amendment Bill. The Bill before you today is necessary as it seeks to provide for the better and autonomous administration of the office of the Master of the High Court and to enable the office to better serve the people of Zimbabwe efficiently in a decentralised manner.
Mr. President Sir, accountability and efficiency are necessary for such an office whose responsibility among others, is to cater for our widows, widowers and orphans. Clause 3 of the Bill introduces the setting up of a board which will govern the office of the Master. This clause provides that the offices and office of record whereby all records are kept and may be transferred to any other place under the direction of the Master, thus, ensuring accountability within the office.
To ensure efficiency through decentralisation, documents which required to be lodged with the Master can also be lodged with the assistant Master in provinces, which goes to show that the public outcry has been heard. The clause also provided for a new section, section 4 (a) where the aforementioned board and appointment is established.
To that end, within the appointment of the board, there shall be regard to Section 17 and 18 of the Constitution which speaks to gender balance and fair regional representation. It is necessary to note that the Master shall also be an ex-officio member of the board, given the specialised and technical nature of the office functions, whereby the incorporation of an inside senior and experienced member will certainly add value to the board deliberations due to their better understanding of the organisational culture, technicalities and operational dynamics. Their insights will be valuable to enable better service delivery.
The functions of the board are also provided for, which include administering and supervising of the office of the Master, the appointment of members of staff and dealing with complaints or grievances made by or against members of the office among others. In light of the above, the board is not subject to the control or direction of any person or authority other than for audit purposes.
However, the Bill does empower the Minister to give policy directions to the board in his capacity or in her capacity as policy maker, but within the scope of the minister’s portfolio and subject to certain specifications. The Bill also provides for the continuation of the guardian’s fund under the operation of audience No. 105, of the Cape of Good Hope, to cater for all who are legally incapable or do not have the capacity to manage their affairs and proper accounts shall be opened in respect of the above.
The issue of accountability and transparency is also buttressed in the Bill under Section 4 (c) which provides that the office shall submit annual reports to the Minister who shall lay the reports before Parliament as oversight is a constitutionally mandated function of this House, this will allow the House to assess and scrutinise the implementation of this Act once enforced, as well as the application of the budget and the effective management and administration of the office.
In addition, Mr. President, the appointment of an Auditor to examine the office’s books of accounts and the Guardian’s Fund speaks to the office being held accountable in its operations as failure to produce required documents to the Auditor General is deemed an offence under the Bill.
Mr. President Sir, for an office to be operational, source of funds are an integral part and the Bill provides that the office’s source of funds will include funds from Treasury and fees that are accrued to the office in the course of its operations. As a Government, we have found it necessary for the office of the Master to be administered autonomously in a decentralized manner to ensure better service delivery nationwide and that no one is left behind in regards to accessing the services of the office of the Master, thus within the allocation of funds from Treasury and fees accrued from operations the burden on the ordinary citizen will not be increased, contrary to the general perception.
In addition, the Master’s office through the Board may make regulations for any matter required or permitted by this Act or is deemed necessary or convenient for carrying out into effect this Act and generally for the management and good conduct of business of the Master’s office. Currently, the Principal Act conditions of service of members and employees of the Master are governed by regulations made by the Judicial Service Commission. However, this Bill will now incorporate and empower the Minister specific power to make regulations as an autonomous office as it would be necessary where this Bill be passed in this House.
In consideration of the above, I urge Hon. Senators to support the Bill as it is the right step towards innovation and easy of doing business for better service delivery within the office of the Master of the High Court. In addition, the other reason why we wanted to separate the office of the Master from the Judicial Service Commission is being under the Judicial Service Commission any complaints that rose that need to be placed before the courts would technically be placed before the very same people who are doing the work of the work of the office of the Master and hence the need now to separate it so that the office of the Master will then be a stand-alone. When disputes arise, they go to courts which are independent from the office of the Master. Currently the position that was prevailing is the same employer is the one that was employing officers of JSC and the Office of the Master and they reported to the same secretariat, so there was some confliction in terms of the functions of the Master’s office and that of the JSC.
Having said that, I now move that the Bill be now read a second time.
*HON. SEN GOTORA: Thank you Mr. President, let me start by appreciating this opportunity to add my voice. We were given the opportunity to move around the country talking to people and the feedback we got from the people regarding the separation of the Master’s office from the JSC is like a situation where a football player becomes the referee. Now what it means is that those who will be playing football will be playing football and the referees will be doing their particular role. The separation of roles where the Master’s office is a stand-alone office with its own Board. People expressed their joy in that it is a Board which will be like other boards in the country which will be reporting to the respective Minister of the line Ministry where they will be giving feedback and the Minister will be the responsible for guidelines and supervision.
The third thing is that we did not know issues regarding the inheritance particularly for those who own properties in urban areas, they would hear that their houses were sold. For them to go to the courts to challenge the decision by the master, they would find that the person who would have done that will be in court so they are happy because the law frees them because when they were together with the Ministry of Justice this was perpetuating corruption. They also said that this Board and workers of the Master of the High Court will be accountable and there will be transparency in their operations. The monies they will be handling will be audited separate from what was happening through the JSC. What it means now is the issue of transparency is clear, that is why they were satisfied with that so that if something happens, financially if there is any fraud or if anything happens regarding the Master’s office then they can take the issue to the JSC, the courts because now there is separation of roles; the Master is now standing alone. So the people’s concerns where that if there is money from the fiscus, how about the fees that are being mentioned, is it not going to burden those who are poor because the fees have not been gazetted so they do not know how much they will be and since the board is there and the board will be looking for money for operations. The question regarding fees is a pertinent question which was raised by people and the question is how much the money will be and what the money will be used to do but they were so satisfied with the rest of the things and they say this is a good Bill. I thank you.
HON. SEN. PHULU: Thank you Mr. President. I would like to welcome the move to closely look into our inheritance laws, particularly the Administration of Estates Act as it stands. However, before I launch into my debate, I want to make a few observations that will put us all in context.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Is your microphone on?
HON. SEN. PHULU: Modern inheritance tax has to be taken into context and particularly, the major issue is the death tax or the tax on estates, but the other issue to which the Minister has ably raised is to do with the administration of estates. Certainly, the thrust one can see is to ensure that administration of estates is made easier, becomes transparent and yes, the whole idea of separating the Masters Office from the Judicial Services Commission so that the Judicial Services Commission is able to act and not act in its own case, is welcome and applauded.
There also have been many complaints in the manner in which these estates are run. One of the major complaints has been the conduct of officials in the Masters Office, not all of them, not all the time, but sometimes where small estates lose property as a result of the Master deciding to sell these properties mainly on the behest of executors. It depends on what kind of executor you have. You might have someone from your family whom you have appointed or you might have a professional executor who has been appointed by the Master, especially in those estates where people do not know what to do and they lie in ambience for a long period of time. The Master has the discretion to then appoint the professional executors to ensure that these estates are wound up so that administration is finalised and that the Government might also get its taxes and the executors get paid.
Sometimes these executors become greedy Mr. President, and the main target is to sell something so that fees maybe realised by the executor himself. We would want the Minister, as they deal with this Act, to look at that kind of scenario in that people want more and more accountability, better accountability. We want more judicial review in some of these decisions that are made between the Master and the executors.
What I have seen just looking at the few sections that I have gone through, there is a tendency, particularly Section 26, there is a tendency to make it very difficult to review the decisions of the Master because it says that once the Master makes a decision on the appointment of an executor and somebody is not happy, whether in the family or it is a creditor, that person cannot make the complaint unless he goes around gathering every other interested person to file an affidavit together. It is only then that the judge may give the matter a thought. I was wondering why that hurdle is being put in place which makes judicial review more difficult as opposed to easier because it is impossible to get every interested party to agree to sign one affidavit. It is an impossibility. It really gives the Master a free pass in terms of the decisions that he makes because effectively even if a court can see an injustice, as long as they have not all signed together, the court is debarred from hearing the matter.
I would want maybe when we get into the Committee Stage, to have a closer look at the crafting of that section so that it promotes judicial review rather than waters it down because I think the thrust of the Minister’s presentation was to say, we want greater accountability and certainly, that must mean we want greater judicial review in line with Section 64 of the Constitution, which gives people a right to administrative action, which is fair.
I come back to the issue of tax and say State tax has a long history and in fact, there is a question of whether it is desirable at all because, how the first time the modern tax came into being around 1894, it was introduced in the United Kingdom as a tax on the capital value of land and the idea was to raise money to pay a four million pound Government deficit. So there was a purpose. They sat down and said, ‘how can we raise money, lot of wealthy people are dying, let us tax them’. That was the purpose and now it is a source of income and historically, earlier in 1796, these taxes were introduced to help fund the war against Napoleon. So there was always a purpose for these things, but when we look at the broad strip of history, this tax was really targeted at wealthy people. Mr. President, that was the target.
If you have more land than anyone can imagine, you have more houses than anyone can phantom, let us tax you so that the State might benefit from your fruitful service and your fruitful life on this earth, but it becomes very difficult when it comes to poor people. I have one house, I have one wife and my children or I have two houses, three wives and our children and I have worked all my life for this. Probably, I bought the house when I was in my 50s, when I was just about to die and finally provide a home to my widow and the children. I die and I am suddenly faced with this huge tax on my death and the only asset is my house where my children live and yet there is this huge tax that is there that I must pay to Government. I have these huge fees that I must pay the executors. So the only choice that is left is to sell that only house to raise those fees. The net result is that we undo the progress that certain families have made.
When this county became the modern day Zimbabwe or Rhodesia, there were some families that have historically done well. They have always had homes and they have been always able to send their children to school. They have children who have travelled many career paths, different places. Even now, those families are in a better position than families who up to today have never had a graduate or a businessman, a person who has a house in town, a person who has a house in the rural areas that is a modern roofed house in their family. Should a young person who goes to university or goes to work today build that house, we would all go and celebrate and say for the first time in the Ndlovu household, someone has managed to build a house that has a door. Someone has managed to go to school up to this level.
So in terms of the broad sweep of families, I managed to buy a house, I am 50 and I am the first person to be able to do that, huge taxes on these estates can take me back to 1920 because I am now forced to sell this house in order to pay taxes and the whole family will be set back. So we would want them to look very carefully that as we administer these estates, as we make our amendments, we make it easier for the poorest and we make it easier for those who have worked hard to attain what they have attained because it is very difficult to be wealthy in Zimbabwe, but certainly we have to look at these very carefully. One of the worrying things is that as much as we want to try to make this office autonomous and independent which is welcome, it also puts pressure on the office to raise fees. If these fees were coming from the fiscus, yes, it burdens the fiscus but that is why the fiscus is there, sometimes it must take care of the poor.
However, if we make these people raise fees to put bread on their tables and to keep their institution going, they are going to be hard and selling everyone’s property to raise money for salaries, furniture, and stationery.
I would have a preferred a situation where this particular office continues to get money from the fiscus. Particularly, I saw that the workers are being taken from the Public Service Commission so they will now have to raise their own money to pay workers. Certainly, a day is coming when our houses are under threat if we do not serve this tax whilst we are alive.
In conclusion, I saw somewhere that for example, small errors that we can attend to, but I also saw somewhere where creditors may now be appointed ahead of professional executors of estates. I would move for a situation where creditors should be the last to be appointed into such a position because they are being judges on their case which is what the Minister set out to say we want to avoid. Yes, they may have a right at times, it depends on the situation, but I think this is where again judicial review comes in to determine whether it is an appropriate situation where a creditor can sit and make these decisions, particularly emphasising in very small estates.
As I come to the end of my presentation, we welcome the innovation, but I hope that the Minister will have an open ear as we go through these changes in Committee. I thank you.
HON. SEN. NDEBELE: Thank you, Mr. President. I am sorry because I think the last person who debated, Hon. Senator Phulu has said it all. I cannot spoil the nice soup with salty soup. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: I want to say that the issue of separating the Master’s office from the Judicial Services Commission is an issue that I support. The issue of the composition of the board from what we noted when we were gathering information; there was the issue of the gender and youth quota. Young people showed interest in participating in such boards that they would want to be part of the boards. If there are no young people or peers on the board, they felt that it would be difficult for their concerns to be considered without representation.
The issue of the Master of High Court was not raised that it be decentralised to provinces. It is quite important because where we come from, these are the areas where people are facing challenges when they lose their relatives through death. It becomes difficult to go to the Master's Court in Harare. So, I propose decentralisation to the district level because people know that we go to the District Administrators’ office. For them to go to the provincial headquarters it is expensive. Some of the people are orphans without any funding, so they might end up delving into selling their inheritance. His Excellency, the President’s mantra is that no place is going to be left unattended and no person is going to be left behind. Therefore, for our rural folk not to be left behind, then the master’s office should be decentralised.
On the issue of the board, I support the point that the board should be funded by the fiscus. Looking at the Commissions that we have, like the Human Rights and the Peace and Security Commission, they receive funding from the fiscus. When I was listening to Hon. Sen. Phulu’s debate, this might culminate in a situation where there will be extra charges which will be too much for people who will end up losing their valuable goods for them to pay the fees.
I also propose that the Government should be able to fund the board and this will assist those who would have lost their relatives in trying to recover their inheritances. I, therefore support the Bill.
HON. SEN. CHIEF NGUNGUMBANE: Thank you Mr. President for the opportunity. I rise to support this Bill. My appeal to you Mr. President and the Hon. Minister is that I think this House would have benefited from the report from the Thematic Committee on Human Rights and the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs. When such a Thematic Committee partakes in such outreach, the relevant Committee Chairperson should be allowed to make a report to this House so that all Members can hear what the people would have said and partake from an informed position.
Having said that, Hon. President, we want to welcome the thinking in this amendment to say we are removing the office of the Master from the Judicial Services Commission. I would not want to dwell much, but I want to dwell on the following issues that have not been touched:-
Mr. President, you will agree with me that one of the most difficult times that families go through after the death of a loved one is to go to the office of the Master. You know there are a lot of secrets that emanate that result in fights and conflicts. It is my appeal that now that this office is going to be independent and weaned off from the JSC, the staff complement of this office Mr. President is increased. You find people in certain areas sleeping in queues so that they are served to hear their case.
Therefore, Hon. Minister I appeal to you that since you direct the issues of policy, recruitment is also a policy issue. It is my belief and prayer that you increase the staff complement so as to expedite the conviction of cases.
Then I would want to come to the education of this office. Mr. President, during the course of the Outreach - I will especially make reference to Filabusi. Of all the areas that we visited, Filabusi, Avoca to be precise, was the only rural area where the Committee went to. The views that were expressed by the people there are worth mentioning. They were saying, what happened to our law of property when it comes to customary law? Why are you bringing something that is alien that breeds conflict?
I said to myself Mr. President, it means this Office has not been doing enough prior on this Bill. How many estates has been nicodemously wound-up using other means or without the involvement of other people? It is my appeal Mr. President, now that the Office is being decentralised to provinces, it should also go down to the districts where most people reside and educate people on the importance of this Office.
I remember I had to intervene Mr. President, in a case where a family had shared immovable property based on what was prevailing in the yesteryear. There were conflicts. They came to me and said, chief, we know that your office has no jurisdiction to deal with this but we appeal for you to intervene. I intervened and directed them to the relevant issues. One of the problems that attached to ignorance Mr. President, is the issue of the tax regime. Obviously, when you buy property, it is taxed, - you pay taxes. When that estate is being wound up, Government comes back to tax that property meaning you are taxing it more than once. There is a belief and assumption that those people that have remained behind are wealthy, that is why there is property. I think there is need to debunk that theory.
Last but not least Hon. Minister, Hon. Sen. Phulu captured it ably well. We have heard of reports of corruption emanating from the Office of the Master. Hon. President, it is my prayer that now that the Office of the Master is being weaned off from the Judiciary Service Commission (JSC), the money that they make – they collect a lot of money Hon. Members, that money will be ploughed back to improve the infrastructure. If you go to the Master’s Office, what you see are officers carrying files, old and certain cases torn and in this day and age of technology Mr. President, that is an eye sore.
It is my appeal that the money that the Master will make be ploughed back so that they improve their services. Again the issue of remuneration, Mr. President, issues of corruption in this country can be addressed if we remunerate our staff very well. Dealing with cases that involve properties, money and others that involve possibly millions, you need people of integrity. You need people that are well remunerated that will resist the temptation of a brown envelop.
With those remarks Mr. President, I will sit down having shown my full support although with reservations. I thank you – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank you Hon. Senator Chief Ngungumbane. Hon. Senator Mlotshwa you want to debate? I had said he is the last one.
HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: Thank you Mr. President. I surely was moved by the debate by other Hon. Senators because I am also part of the Human Rights Committee. I moved around the country consulting with the citizens, which is our legislative duty.
Mr. President, as we gather to discuss the Administration of Estate Amendment Act (2024), the Bill that seeks to reform the administration of estates in our country. While the intention behind the Bill may be noble, I fear, it may have unintended consequences that will inappropriately affect the already vulnerable poor. One of the significant concerns is the introduction of the Death Tax, a tax on value of an estate after a person passing. This tax is not only a burden on families who have lost a loved one but also a significant source of revenue for the Government. The issue is that this tax will fall heavily on the poor who often have limited resources to begin with. This will only exacerbate their poverty and hardship.
Furthermore, the amendment on Section 26 of the principal Act will allow creditors to be appointed as Executors of estate ahead of professional Executors. This is a recipe for disaster, creditors have interest in the estate and will prioritise their own interests over those of the deceased. This goes against the principle of nemo judex in causa sua where a judge should not judge in their own cause. The creation of the office as a stand-alone body corporate with powers to sue and be sued will also put pressure on this organisation to raise money to pay for its sustainability using money from the deceased estate.
This is unacceptable and will lead to more assets being sold off, further perpetuating poverty. Hon. Colleagues, Mr. President, we must consider the impact that these changes will have in our society. We must prioritise the rights of the poor and the vulnerable who are struggling to make ends meet. We must ensure that our laws do not exacerbate their poverty but instead provide them with protection and support. – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] – I urge this House to carefully consider this amendment and to think about the unintended consequences they may have on our society.
We must ensure that our laws are fair and just and do not inappropriately affect certain sections of our society. I thank you Mr. President.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. President. I want to thank the Hon. Senators for the debate. I am very pleased with the quality of debate and contributions. Starting with Hon. Senator Gotora who chronicled their findings in terms of the Public Hearings that they conducted, alluding to some of the issues that we undertook to correct in the current Act. I want to thank him for that and coming to that, just to comment on the issue raised by Hon. Senator Chief that perhaps it would have been prudent to have the report presented. I think it is something that administratively, we must take into consideration in terms of the flow of Bills. Why should Senators not be afforded the opportunity to find out what the public said out there? I think it is something that we should take note of and correct within the Committee of Standing Rules and Orders so that we amend our Standing Orders appropriately. I take note of that.
I want to thank Hon. Senator Gotora again for the issues that he raised and he said the only complaint is, if they get money from fiscus, why should there be fees, why should people be burdened with fees and it is also an issue that Hon. Senator Phulu also raised and it has been raised by several senators.
Hon. Senator Mlotshwa indicated that we are introducing a death tax. This tax is not being introduced by this Bill. The taxes that are there have been there. It is not even a subject for this Bill. Taxes is an issue that we need to raise with the Minister of Finance when we deal with the budgets to indicate if we really need them. I hear strong arguments and for now, I reserve my own opinion on it but I believe that it is a valid issue but being discussed in a wrong forum. When the Minister comes at budget time when we are doing consultations, let us raise it to say, do we need to tax our estates to say that once I die today, all of a sudden my family has to raise funds to wind up the estate? Is that ideal and is that what we want as a nation?
I heard the history behind it. I did not know about it and I got to learn about it. We learn everyday that it was a tax introduced by the British in their country, or trying to find ways of raising money from those that are very rich but now we have it and we are burdened with it here. So, I believe that it is an issue that we need to park but when we are now deliberating on the Finance Bill and the budget, we can have a look at it and say, do we really need it? There were issues that were raised by Hon. Phulu. I also want to thank him on Modern Inheritance Tax that we need to take in context and I want to thank him again for highlighting the improvements that we want to bring.
The other issue that was raised was the issue of the conduct of officials at the Master’s Office and the corruption issues. I think these are issues that we need to deal with. I have heard that we need to remunerate them so that they do not become corrupt. I think it is administrative and operational when we bring efficiency at the Office of the Master to ensure that even ZACC get in also and have their ethics pledges done within that office and ensuring we inculcate values that remove that urge to be involved in corruption within the office. I agree that it is an issue that we need to deal with. I do not believe that we can legislatively deal with it to say it is an issue that is endemic in our country.
Furthermore, there was the issue of the conduct of the Master’s officials that they may decide with the executor to sell the property. I think we have tried to deal with that issue in this particular Bill. If you notice, the current position was even worse. The Master would just appoint but we are saying before the Master does that, then he has to go to court. Currently, it was not like that. Now, we are saying that if the Master desires to appoint an executor, in fact, the first port of call is families must agree, then they appoint an executor.
However, where there is a dispute, we are now saying the Master gives notice to those that are in dispute. They would say, I am going to court so that they can make their representation there to say that what the Master is trying to do, we do not agree. That amendment was born out of the fact that we realise that everything that you have been mentioning, to say candles time, the people would sell property and would appoint an executor who then looks at the value of the estate. In fact, it is very easy. The Master can see the value of the estate, and then notice that the people are fighting. He then gets a friend to say, can you now become an executor of this and there are fees and they can share.
So, now we are saying, let that process be subjected to the judicial process before the decision of the Master is confirmed. We will look at it when we go to the actual clauses. That is the very reason why we are doing that. I think the issue of taxes, we have dealt with. Hon.
Sen. Ndebele, I want to thank you. You did not want to spoil the party and I agree with you. Hon. Senator Phulu had actually laid out the issues appropriately. Hon. Senator Mavenyengwa is supporting the Bill and believes that the decentralisation to districts would be ideal. We are making provision for that but we want decentralisation. Once we have provincial offices, these days we only have Harare and Bulawayo but now within the Act, we want decentralisation so that it can reach the districts like what we are alluding to. Thus the thrust we want and you spoke about the board, that it must be given money from the fiscus. The provision is there but like I said, the taxes that are there is not the subject of discussion here but we can discuss it with the Minister of Finance. I agree that perhaps it is a burden on those that are bereaved. They now need to look for money, it is a very strong point.
Hon. Senator Chief supports the Bill. I agree with him and unfortunately, one thing that I believe with most parliamentarians is to look at our inheritance laws. What we are doing is, this Bill is on Administration of Estates according to the laws that are there. So, we are not really looking at amending the wholesome of the inheritance laws, but we are looking at how that estate is being administered. I agree that perhaps we need to look at ourselves in the mirror and say, do we really need the muzungu law as our inheritance law like what we are saying? Can we not blend and have our own cultural practices which some of them were not very bad? Why should we have a regime of Administration of Estates of inheritance that is a cocktail of disaster, but it is not the subject matter. I tend to agree that it is something that we need to have a look at.
I have tasked a team to say, can you advise on how we can proceed with our inheritance laws that are a cause of confusion. I agree again that there is need for education once the Bill is passed, the Master’s Office must go out here and educate people on some of the inheritance laws. Just to digress, I did an exercise, you know the small-scale purchase areas kumatenganyika, those were the first rural people after colonisation to get title deeds, and we did not have.
So, the first ones who settled on those farms after buying them, in their mindset had inheritance structures that the chief is speaking to, to say that if I die it goes like this. Some followed that but it got to the extent whereby if one son gets it, it is now his. If he dies, the inheritance can go to the wife and if the wife remarries, the new husband can take that place and the old man from Chivi or Chiweshe bought that farm saying this is now my home. Now a foreigner is now there and the graves are there. I said I am digressing Mr. President to just allow Hon. Senators to think along the lines that the Hon. Chief said, do we need this; does it represent who we are? It is not subject of this Act; it is just a digression. I want to thank the Hon. Chief for laying out the issues. You know when we are debating Second Reading speech, you can debate anything and that is well received.
He also spoke about corruption, I think within the Office of the Master, it is something that I agree we need to tackle. Lastly, Hon. Sen. Mlotshwa is very passionate on why should we introduce a death tax. The issue of taxes, I think I have said let us defer it to when we deal with budget issues to say, do we really need it? Having said that Hon. President of Senate, I move that the Bill be now read a second time. I thank you.
Motion put and agreed to.
Bill read a second time.
Committee Stage: With leave, forthwith.
COMMITTEE STAGE
ADMINISTRATION OF ESTATES AMENDMENT BILL [H. B. 3A, 2024]
House in Committee.
Clauses 1 to 2 put and agreed to.
On Clause 3:
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Hon. President, it is just a correction to note. I think when they captured this, they did not number it well. It has 1,2,3, and then the last one is written 2, it is supposed to be 4. On page 2, Office of the Master, Clause 3, Office of the Master, Master and other officers.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON (HON. SEN. KAMBIZI): That is 1.
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Then it has 3, subclause 1, the Office of the Master of High Court which existed, then it has 2, the Office of the Master shall be a board corporate, 3, there shall be a Master of the High Court, a deputy and then there is two again. You got it; it is a typing error. Let us make sure that the typing error is corrected.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Make sure that that correction has been taken care of.
HON. SEN. PHULU: On Clause 4, it says the Auditor General is only allowed to audit those funds that are voted for in Parliament, charged to the Consolidated Revenue Fund by this Act or any other law, but what about those amounts that they raise through their various activities?
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: What page?
HON. SEN. PHULU: Page 4 (b) (iii). It says the Auditor General will exercise his function on those amounts that are voted into by Parliament and (b) those charged to the Consolidated Revenue Fund by this Act or any other law. What about the amounts, the fees that they raise? Are those being excluded from the consideration of the Auditor General? Is that the intention?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Hon. Chair for your indulgence. On page 4, that is 4 (b) (3) where it says, subject to Section 4 (d), policy direction as to exercise of the board’s functions, in the exercise of its functions, the board shall not be subject to the control or direction of any person or authority other than for audit by the Auditor General, of those funds of the office referred to in Section 4 (f). So, 4 (f) is very comprehensive, it covers all funds that the Office of the Master receives. Then we expunge (a) and (b) and refer to Section 4 (f).
Therefore, I am proposing the amendment that on 4 (b) (iii), we say, after those funds of the Office referred to in section 4 (f). We remove (a) and (b) but 4 will remain.
Still, on this very long clause, on page 7, it reads “a new section substituted for Section 26 of Chapter 6.01, where it says Section 26 of the principal Act is repealed and substituted by 26, competition for the office of the executor. I am proposing that we remove ‘a creditor or creditors’ in line with the representations made by Hon. Senator Phulu. I think I agree with him. So, I propose that amendment that we expunge that. It is on page 7, the first paragraph, it is one sentence then second paragraph, it is 2 then 4 (j), investment of funds not immediately required by the office, then we have this new section on line 13 from the top on page 7…
The Hon. Minister was asked to approached the Chair.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Hon. Chair and Hon. Senators, we just wanted to clear on the numbering so that we capture it correctly. We are still on Clause 3, which is Part II, Office of the Master where I proposed an amendment on page 4, to make an addition after Auditor General of those funds of the Office referred to in Section 4 (f). I think that is the only amendment on that clause. So, I put those amendments in my name to be consistent with what was made reference to by Hon. Senator Phulu, that all the funds of the Master must be audited by the Auditor General. Basically, that is what we are inserting. I put the amendment Hon. Chair.
Amendment to Clause 3 put and agreed to.
Clause 3, as amended, put and agreed to.
On Clause 4:
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Hon. Chair, consistent with the contributions during the Second Reading speech, I move that on Clause 4, Competition for the Office of the Executor, that is subsection 1, I propose that we remove on line 2 where it says, ‘or failing him or them, a creditor or creditors or failing him or them, a legatee or legatees’ to delete that in line with the contributions that why creditors should be preferred as executors when they are interested parties, I have removed that. I propose those amendments in my name. I thank you.
Amendments to Clause 4 put and agreed to.
Clause 4, as amendment, put and agreed to.
Clauses 5 to 11 put and agreed to.
On Clause 12:
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Just a correction on numbering. Hon. Chair, maybe once we are through, there is need to check on the numbering. There are so many errors in terms of numbering. I think those are typing errors when they transcribed and brought the Bill here. Like on page 13, the last section jumps from 5 to 7. It should be 6. With your leave, maybe the Clerk can clean it up once it is done so that we do not make reference to all those. I thank you.
Amendment to Clause 12 put and agreed to.
Clause 12 as amended, put and agreed to.
Clauses 13 and 14 put and agreed to.
House resumed.
Bill reported with amendments.
Bill referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee.
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Mr. President Sir. I want to thank the Hon. Senators for their patience and for the great work they did today and you Mr. President Sir.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI), the Senate adjourned at Fourteen Minutes to Five o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 18th July, 2024
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE ACTING SPEAKER in the Chair)
*HON. TAFANANA. ZHOU: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. I stood up to raise a point of privilege regarding yesterday’s Hansard. The first thing is that I am being given a different name from the one that I was given by my parents. They say I am Tofanana, but my name is Tafanana Zhou. – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible Interjections]-
THE ACTING. SPEAKER (HON. MACHINGURA): Order, Hon. Members! Proceed Hon. Zhou.
HON. TAFANANA. ZHOU: I need your protection Hon. Speaker Sir, Hon. Hamauswa speaks his mind here.
THE ACTING. SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Members!
*HON. TAFANANA. ZHOU: In the same Hansard, Hon. Speaker Sir, I do not know whether the system that we had in the past, where, when the Hansard reporters do not understand what you have said, they come to confirm. They quoted me as if I was asking and I quote, ‘is there any other boreholes which have already been there?’ I had spoken about the existing boreholes which require solar power, yet it was captured as if I was asking whether there are other boreholes which were sunk. I know that there are some already existing boreholes in the villages. So, if the Hansard reporters do not understand, they should bring the old system where they bring a note when they do not understand so that we clarify as Hon. Members. If it is not the case, then they should confirm and we tick. I thank you.
*THE ACTING. SPEAKER: I believe that the Clerk understood what you have said Hon. Zhou. It is important that what is captured in the Hansard is exactly what would have transpired and what would have been said by the Hon. Member because the Hansard is a permanent record which will be there even for posterity. The Hansard should capture things accurately.
HON. HADEBE: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker Sir. My point of national interest pertains the issue of Delta Beverages vs ZIMRA. Delta Beverages has lost their appeal against ZIMRA in the Supreme Court. Delta in 2019 and 2020 was paying tax in ZWL, a justification that ZWL was legal tender. Government had several policies and instruments applying in that period. Now, Delta is being made to pay all the tax plus penalties from that period in USD. Delta has to pay USD57.4 million to ZIMRA. ZIMRA will then pay back the Zimbabwean dollars paid by Delta in 2019 and 2020. This amount was equivalent to US$ 35 million back then but it is around US$100 000 because of inflation. Hon. Speaker Sir, so many of our companies have closed down because of poor monetary and fiscal policies and if that nonsense is allowed to continue, Delta Beverages will close down. I was actually appealing through maybe our Parliamentary Legal Committee to summon some of these judges to come and explain some of their dubious judgments. Thank you very much.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Order. Hon. Member, I think this issue is or has been before the courts. So if the courts are dealing with an issue in terms of our doctrine of separation of powers, we will not interfere with what the courts are doing. If they are unhappy with any judgment, they are then free to appeal to the higher courts than the one that has issued the judgment. Thank you.
HON. MUTOKONYI: On a point of order, the Hon. Member posits that the Judiciary is making dubious judgments. To my understanding of the word dubious Mr. Speaker, I would want the Hon. Member to kindly withdraw the statement because if we talk in terms of the laws of the land, to define as ‘dubious judgment’ to the Judicial Service Commission, it is very wrong.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Member, your point of order is upheld. Hon. Member can you please withdraw.
HON. HADEBE: The Hon. Member is rising on a point of ignorance; the judgment is a dubious judgment Hon. Speaker. It is a ruling but it is out of order, that judgement is out of order.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Member, you used two words which I overlooked. You said “nonsense’ to what the other Member is saying. I do not think there is any harm in you withdrawing those words, they are unparliamentary.
HON. HADEBE: I withdraw.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Member.
HON. DR. MUTODI: Point of order Hon. Speaker. Apart from the flaws that the Hon. Member has just indicated in this House, the Hon. Member, in my view, is not properly dressed. What he is wearing, the jacket he is putting on Hon. Speaker is a sports jacket.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: What is he wearing?
HON. DR. MUTODI: He is wearing a sports jacket.
HON. MUWODZERI: Mr. Speaker, in order to protect the decorum of this House, such kind of dressing is deplorable Hon. Speaker and must not be allowed in this House. He is wearing a sports jacket. If you check, it might be a zipped jacket, even the collar is standing. He must be chucked out of this House.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Order, order. Standing Order Number 80 Subsection 1(a) says ‘every member must appear in attire befitting the dignity of the House. Sub-section 5 spells out the attire for male Members. It says the attire for male Members shall include the following- suits, jacket, tie and safari suit. Now the jacket that the Hon. Member is wearing is not a formal jacket – [HON. MEMBERS Inaudible interjections.] - Hon. Members, you do not shout, if you have something to say please indicate so that I recognise you.
HON. MUWODZERI: Yes, I have something to say.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: What did you want to say?
HON. MUWODZERI: On a point of order.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. MUWODZERI: Hon. Speaker, according to Standing Rules and Orders, it is simply saying jacket, it is not talking about formal.
*HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: Thank you Hon. Speaker, when a ruling has been made, it cannot be challenged, we request that Hon. Members respect the ruling.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: What is your point of order Hon. Member?
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Mr. Speaker, it is important to respect
the rules of the House. Can you please indulge me Mr. Speaker? I will ask with your indulgence.
THEACTING SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. The
subsection that you have just referred to says, “the attire for male Members shall include the following, suit which is what I am wearing. I am wearing a suit, a jacket and a tie. This is a jacket can you agree that he is wearing a jacket and he has a tie as well, so I am very sure Mr. Speaker, that according to the rules which guide this House he is in order. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. – [AN HON. MEMBER: Hon. Speaker. I think…] - I did not allow you to debate. – [AN HON. MEMBER: I am not debating Hon. Speaker.] - Please sit down. I have finished with the Hon. Member. Thank you.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. KAMBUZUMA: Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 12 be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day on today’s Order Paper have been disposed of.
HON. MATSUNGA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON DEFENCE, HOME AFFAIRS, SECURITY AND WAR VETERANS AFFAIRS ON THE PETITION FROM THE CHILDREN OF WAR VETERANS AND HEROES DEPENDENTS FORUM
Thirteenth order read: Adjourn debate on motion on the petition from the Children of War Veterans and Heroes Dependents Forum on the economic empowerment for war veterans and their dependents.
Question again proposed.
HON. MATEWU: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. MATEWU: The Deputy Speaker on Tuesday said that a ruling would come today on the matter of privilege that I raised last week Tuesday, which had to do with allowances of Hon. Members who have not received their allowances this calendar year and she said that, that ruling would be made today. So I am indulging your Chair to give us the ruling. I thank you.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Order! Hon. Member, I was going to say what you have said has been overtaken by events because I am already considering an order here, but let me say to you, the Speaker when she is in the Chair, will deliver that ruling. Today she is not there. Thank you.
HON. T. PINDUKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to thank you for the opportunity that you have given me and I would also like to thank the Hon. Members that have debated before me across the House.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the petition from Children of War Veterans and Heroes Dependents Forum was clear and their petitioners’ prayer calls for Members of Parliament to look at the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Act which I feel, Mr. Speaker Sir, needs to be amended, especially so that it also speaks to the amendment on the age limit. For example, Mr. Speaker Sir, if we look at children of war veterans who have attained the age of 18, before they have applied for further education, are turned down or their application is not processed because the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Act prohibits that.
I feel that the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Act needs to be amended so that it also considers children of war veterans that have turned the age of 18 so that they can access further education opportunities. I also support the amendment of the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Act so that it also considers or it also speaks to the operationalisation or practicality of making sure that honour, respect and recognition is accorded to our veterans of the liberation struggle.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I have been following debates from across the floor. I would like to put it on record that we appreciate, as children of war veterans, what the Government has done so far since independence in 1980, in making sure that the welfare of the veterans of the liberation struggle has been dealt with. However, discussing it now, Mr. Speaker Sir, I think it is of importance and it is something that we can continuously look at as emerging issues come through.
Contrary to what has been put forth by Hon. Members on the left side of the House, it is worrisome that we are discussing this matter 44 years later. Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to also share with you that I would like to assume that as Hon. Members, yesterday or even a week ago, we all ate and today and tomorrow we can still eat as well. So discussing this matter, I think the worrisome point does not arise because emerging issues can still come in and also need to be debated and as Members of Parliament, we need to address these emerging issues on the welfare of war veterans.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I would also like to highlight and note that as Members of Parliament, Section 119 (2) of the Constitution states that Parliament has the power to ensure that the provisions of the Constitution are upheld and that the State and all institutions and agencies of Government at every level, act constitutionally and in the national interest. This, Mr. Speaker Sir, calls upon us as Members of Parliament to also make sure that this gives us the opportunity to debate and proffer provisions that may emerge or arise within the Act, that is the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Act.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the petitioners’ prayer also included to ensure that the evictions of heroes’ dependents be stopped. When we went around the provinces, I am happy to share with you that I am also in the Defence, Home Affairs and War Veterans Affairs and Security Services Committee. There are some instances where this has been alleged to happen and the authorities are ready to take this matter so that it is corrected and as Members of Parliament as well, we are here to make sure that this cannot happen across the board.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I would also like to appreciate the Second Republic ably led by His Excellency Dr. Emmerson Mnangagwa, by setting up an independent or standalone Ministry that is the Ministry or War Veterans of the Liberation Struggle to make sure that all these matters are dealt with, unlike before where we had the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle combined with other Ministries. So I think this, Mr. Speaker Sir, is a milestone that will take this issue forward.
Lastly, Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to implore other Hon. Members of Parliament in here to make sure that when it comes to the budget consultations and approvals, we also need to support the Ministry of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs so that at the end of the day, the Ministry gets enough allocations that can also assist it to make sure that all these petitioners’ prayers are attended to. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for the opportunity. I thank you.
*HON. MATIZA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to this motion that was tabled by Hon. Nguluvhe regarding the plight of children of war veterans. I do not have much but I want to say that it is good to reward one who has worked. The Bible says those who have worked deserve to be given food.
It is good to support the children of war veterans so that they have better livelihoods. So, we need to add our voices to this debate so that children of war veterans are given adequate resources for posterity. We need to think about their future. We even have some among us who enjoy talking about this issue. We also have war veterans in our midst and they do not love them. How can you love the one who is dead instead of loving the one who is still alive?
Let us hear from our war veterans. They are our leaders. Let us support and listen to them regarding the agenda at hand, that is, the motion before us. Let us hear what war veterans require and do whatever they tell us. It is a good thing to support our living war veterans. Before talking about money and their plight, let us support their ideas, thoughts and contributions.
Mr. Speaker Sir, it is painful. A snakelet is also classified as a snake. You cannot find a python moving around with sheep. It is painful because we talk about money yet we do not want to listen to their voices. In addition to what should be done for them, whether for children of war veterans or war veterans, let us devote our minds and effort to them. I thank you and God bless you.
*HON. MATSUNGA: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker Sir for giving me this opportunity. Let me start by honouring our war veterans who fought for our liberation. We are indeed free because of them. Let me add my voice to this motion. I stand in support of the previous speaker. Indeed, we can focus on their children without looking at the parents.
Looking at their plight, most war veterans do not have the opportunity to access loans from banks because collateral is required and they do not have collateral. So, my contribution from the petition that was tabled before this august House is because we are Government and part of Government, we need to honour our war veterans by giving them money that has value. I am a child of a war veteran. I feel pained when told of their experiences during the liberation struggle. Indeed, I am here but there are fellow children of war veterans who are leaving sorrowful lives. So, this august House should consider looking at the issue so that children of war veterans have access to education, opportunities to income generating projects and different projects that will contribute to their livelihoods.
Mr. Speaker Sir, when we look at children of war veterans, some have different histories because when we were growing up, we were being told different stories by our fore-fathers, fathers and grandfathers. We have relatives who did not come back after the war. This august House considers the fact that people were stationed at different camps outside the country. You will find that some families face different challenges because some of our fallen heroes are not resting in peace. You know our culture.
The august House should consider looking into the issue of those who did not return home. There should be cultural practices that are conducted. We may be subscribing to different religions but if we do not understand our culture, then we are not going anywhere. I want to support the motion regarding the children of war veterans.
In the Ninth Parliament, this august House passed the motion that children of war veterans should be sought and a database created. Indeed, I want to congratulate those who are in Government, those who are Members of Parliament and serving in different portfolios as children of war veterans. Mr. Speaker Sir, we need to go back to what we deliberated on when we refer to chimbwidos and war collaborators. You will find my age mates claiming that they participated in the liberation war and are therefore war veterans. Some of us were born in the 70s yet some claim that they are war veterans.
We need to research so that we help and assist those who participated. There are families that have family members who participated in the war. Mr. Speaker Sir, there are war veterans who fought for our independence. Indeed, some were awarded $50 000.00 during the reign of the late President R. G. Mugabe and managed to buy houses, but some are earning USD150.00 only. Looking at the poverty datum line and looking at what is required to support a family of five to six people, one needs a budget of USD540.00. We can talk about the plight of the children of war veterans. How can they be assisted when they are struggling? It means that they are just living without any opportunities or funding. War veterans are allocated farms so that they cater and sustain their families through farming. Children of war veterans should not be suffering because these are the people who sacrificed their lives for our sake and for posterity. I am really touched because some of my relatives did not return after the liberation struggle. I have a relative who, through the spirit medium cultural processes, we managed to get closure after being told what had happened. A lot of war veterans who participated during the war did not benefit in any way - this is not political; we need to think about them. We need to honour our people, we need to think about ubuntu/hunhu as a nation.
Mr. Speaker Sir, we need to consider that what is happening may be as a result of us not honouring our war veterans. We are not remembering them when we are supposed to. Sometimes you will find that some are pained, others are really hurt because no one is caring for them.
I want to add my voice to the debates that have been contributed because our war veterans contributed in different ways. The children of war veterans should have normal and decent lives. Some war veterans are now Ministers and some are serving differently. So, they must think about their colleagues, where they are coming from so that the future of war veterans and their children is secured. Their children should go to school and get access to universal healthcare. It is important because they are children of war veterans.
Let me end by saying Mr. Speaker Sir, indeed there is the mantra that the country is built by its owners. The owners of the country are war veterans who sacrificed their lives to fight for Independence and they brought back the country to us. Let us look for those who did not come back. We need to hold biras, and brew beer to appease their spirits.
Let me thank Hon. Nguluvhe for tabling the motion regarding the plight of war veterans to this august House. We need implementation of different plans that we have. It must not be lip service only. I thank you for giving me this opportunity Mr. Speaker Sir.
*THE ACTING SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Matsunga, you spoke passionately. When the Hansard comes out, please confirm that your speech has been captured accurately in English. I thank you.
*HON. MATSUNGA: Thank you Hon. Speaker, I will do that.
HON. A. T. MAVHUNGA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for this opportunity to add my voice to this debate. Allow me to thank Hon. Nguluvhe, for putting forward the petition for the children of war veterans and heroes’ dependents forum on economic empowerment for war veterans and their dependents.
Before I proceed Mr. Speaker, as introduction to my debate, I am going to respect and honour the gallant sons and daughters of this country from the tomb of the Unknown Soldier to the graves that are still out there in the battle field, to the national heroes buried at the National Heroes Acre. Allow me to debate in silence for the next few seconds and I would really appreciate it if you could join me.
Minute of silence observed.
This, I hope will set the tone for my debate to reflect on the significance and importance of this group of people in Zimbabwe. To those in this House who are war veterans or children of war veterans, allow me to say thank you, tatenda, siyabonga for the sacrifice that you gave to this country. If it was not for your bravery, I would not be standing here today. Yes, yes, go ahead, let me help you – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – If it was not for your bravery, I would not be standing in this majestic, magnificent, glamorous Parliament enjoying the benefits of freedom and self-governance which white supremacy, western imperialism and colonialism did not want to see light of day.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I will not waste time on whether veterans or their children should be empowered or benefit economically in this country because the Constitution is clear, the Act is clear and the 10th Parliament is clear. Upon listening to some of the debates in this House, you could tell that we are all converging to a similar agreement that veterans and their children should, in essence, benefit in every way possible when it comes to their welfare and livelihoods.
The statutes state that the State should provide for the rights and benefits of veterans of the liberation struggle and their dependents; to provide for the establishment of a Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Board and its functions; to provide for the establishment of the veterans of the liberation struggle.
Mr. Speaker Sir, let me dive into the report presented by Hon. Nguluvhe. This report is well written and well structured. The Committee laid out six critical findings. However, I will focus on three of them which are;
- Educational benefits of children of war veterans;
- Respect, honour and recognition of veterans; and
- Economic empowerment of war veterans.
Children of war veterans should not be stopped from accessing benefits because they are now over 18 years of age. When their parents went to war, they did not give an expiry date on one man one vote, on our freedoms nor on the benefits that we as a nation are enjoying because it is our right as citizens of Zimbabwe to access those benefits.
Mr. Speaker Sir, it is not an exorbitant or a request out of the ordinary when you consider what other nations are doing. If you look at the United Kingdom, their benefits for the children of war veterans exceed 18 years of age; the United States of America has a gazillion scholarship for veterans and their children and they exceed 18 years of age; the Russian Federation offers educational benefits to children of veterans who are over 18 years of age.
So, I think the Committee’s finding and the petitioner’s prayer should be seriously considered when it comes to breaking that barrier of preventing children of war veterans from accessing educational benefits because they have attained 18 years of age. My recommendation as well is that the War Veterans Fund should then stretch and cover children of war veterans beyond 18 years of age so that they can get support for university studies, for tertiary studies, for PhDs and so forth because what we are benefiting from the sacrifices of their parents cannot be compared to just getting a scholarship for studies – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
Secondly Mr. Speaker Sir, the report speaks into respecting, honouring and recognising veterans of the liberation struggle. Mr. Speaker Sir, I agree with these recommendations. As an Hon. Member in the 10th Parliament, if I do not show honour, respect and recognition and I stood in front of you as we collected coupons every Thursday, please forgive me. You should be in front of me as a veteran of the liberation struggle.
Holidays and events should pay special recognition to the veterans, they should be honoured in schools, churches, sporting events and so forth. Holidays like Heroes Day should be commemorated, I believe for a period of a week. The least to the greatest ranked veterans fallen or alive should be spoken about and celebrated in all Government institutions including schools, to cultivate a culture of respect and honour for the veterans. Growing up as a young man, my parents taught me to respect, honour and recognise veterans of the liberation struggle and that I should not forget to thank them for their sacrifices. So, I always go an extra mile when I meet a war veteran that I have not met before, to take a moment and say thank you for fighting for the liberation of this country. Even in my constituency, at the offices of the veterans of the liberation struggle, I always make sure that I go there and spend time with the veterans and express my appreciation for their sacrifice and show respect, honour and recognition.
Lastly Mr. Speaker Sir, the report speaks to the economic empowerment of war veterans. According to the Constitution, the Act is clear. Section 23 of the Constitution says, the State must take reasonable measures for the welfare and economic empowerment of veterans of the liberation struggle. The liberation struggle fund should be fully funded in order for the veterans to get their benefits as prescribed in Section 149 of our Constitution. The fund can be able to ensure that their social welfare is taken care of and those that want to start small businesses can get loans to contribute economically to the nation and to their welfare.
When we speak of the 20% land quota, if you look at the current pensions, it will be difficult if not impossible, to farm and commercialise the pieces of land that they have. The children of war veterans also have pieces of land, but they do not have a pension nor capital to do the projects. The fund is a critical component and has to be funded fully by Treasury so that our veterans and their children can be economically empowered to take care of themselves as well.
In conclusion, let us, as a House and as a nation, not be ashamed when it comes to advocating for benefits that go to veterans and their children. It is a debt that can never be repaid because we are beneficiaries of their sacrifices. The report and its recommendations are in order and should be seriously considered. Thank you.
*HON. MANANZVA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for giving me this opportunity to debate on the petition which was moved by Hon. Nguluvhe regarding children of war veterans. I want to thank our freedom fighters who fought for this country. It is a country which is rich with its history. What was requested by war veterans when we look at the wars that were happening in the past, from the madzviti war, which culminated in a process where people came back with women, cattle and livestock; was a way of thanking those who came back with livestock? When you go to 1 Samuel Verse 26, when David went to war, there was a giant who was called Goliath, who was despising Israel and the people of Israel.
He asked that he who is going to conquer Goliath, what is he going to get? He was told that you will get a wife because he did not have a wife. What we are saying is that those who went to war were fighting for freedom and land. I believe that those who went to the liberation struggle, some believed that they would not come back, but they went and fought and no one knew whether they were going to come back or not.
So, boys and girls went out to fight for the liberation of Zimbabwe even though they were facing a Goliath, because the white people had weapons, money and connections. When our brothers and sisters, our war veterans left, they left because they had sacrificed everything so that they would get independence. I want to say that the request which was made by children of war veterans is because they knew the sacrifice of their parents.
This is our culture, when someone goes to war, they must be rewarded. So, I stood to say that we appreciate what Government has been doing since 1980 for the war veterans. We believe that a lot has been done. They were given money and some were given land, but some did not get the land. The request is that for those who did not get land, may they be given land individually so that they can farm.
We also saw Government vetting war veterans, some are diabetic, hypertensive including other diseases. We request that the process be expedited so that they benefit. I was listening to the debates and contributions that were done by my fellow MPs, those who went to war so that they bring independence to have access to land. There were some who were fighting our war veterans. After independence, there were some who would go to the western countries to say do not do this and this has affected our war veterans which we are debating about.
Some are suffering because when we have sanctions, it means that what our war veterans fought for is not being realised…
HON. GWANGWABA: On a point of Order Hon. Speaker.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: What is your point of Order Hon. Member?
*HON. GWANGWABA: I would like to remind the Hon. Member that when he says on the left side, it seems as if the left side was prohibiting the supporters of war veterans. He must not personalise war veterans as if they are from his side only because there are some children of war veterans on this side who debated about war veterans.
HON. S. SITHOLE: On a point of order Hon. Speaker.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. S. SITHOLE: Hon. Speaker, he said left side, which one is his left side?
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Member, please proceed.
HON. MATSUNGA: On a point of order Hon. Speaker.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
*HON. MATSUNGA: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker Sir. My point of order is in regards to the Hon. Member debating. When I said I am a child of a war veteran, I was saying that let us appreciate the good work that was done by the war veterans. I am part of the left side and I am saying that every war veteran is important. We are in the same direction. May the Hon. Member withdraw that statement that you said on the left. This has nothing to do with the issues that are being debated. The Hon. Members should focus on how the children of war veterans should live.
*THE ACTING SPEAKER: You are debating for the second time and you already mentioned it when you were debating. Please stick to the debate on war veterans without insulting others.
*HON. MANANZVA: Thank you Hon. Speaker, we want to honour our war veterans without selling out what they fought for. We honour first their ideology and the way that they took to liberate the country. We take into cognisance of the plight of children of war veterans, what they desire should happen. As children of war veterans, we know that when our parents went to war, they brought something because they were fighting for independence and we now have independence.
When you know that your parents fought for land and you do not have the land, it is a problem and that is a challenge. We want our war veterans to be remembered. Let me end by saying as children and as young people, this land is our heritage. It is our heritage because we fought for it. As young people, we do not sell our heritage, we need to stand on the platform where our parents left us. Let me end by saying that I appreciate our people who fought for this country, those who lie in curves, in rivers, in the forest and those who contributed to this motion, I want to thank you.
*HON. HAMAUSWA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker.
*THE ACTING SPEAKER: Is the point of order regarding the Hon. Member who is debating, he has finished now.
*HON. HAMAUSWA: Hon. Speaker, I noticed a number of things on this motion. I might not get the opportunity to debate but I would like to assist Mr. Speaker Sir. When this petition was done, there was a prayer or request. So, I request that those who are going to debate should look at the prayer that was done by the children of war veterans. They said that the implementation of the War Veterans Act should be done and the children of war veterans’ land should not be taken away. There are some people who are talking politics which is not in the prayer and at the end of the day, we will end up focusing on things that were not highlighted in the request.
HON. I. NDUDZO: On a point of order.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Ndudzo, you cannot raise a point of order on another point of order. Hon. Hamauswa, what are you debating?
*HON. HAMAUSWA: What I am saying is that we need to respect this august House and the petition which was moved which has a clear prayer, a clear request which says that the children of war veterans have a number of needs. Firstly, the implementation of the Act for the war veterans, and the land for the children of war veterans should not be repossessed. So, my request is that instead of accusing each other saying right side or left side as if the right side are the ones who only participated in the war, is not in the request. Let us go to the prayer which is in the petition.
*THE ACTING SPEAKER: I am following the debates and all are debating about the prayer.
HON. I. NDUDZO: On a point of order Mr. Speaker.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. I. NDUDZO: Mr. Speaker, may I draw your attention to Standing Order No. 65, Rule 3 is very clear Hon. Speaker Sir and it says, “in raising a point of order, a Member shall cite the Standing Order rule of procedure or practice which has been allegedly breeched”. If further goes to say in Rule 4, “where a Member does not cite the Standing Orders, the rule of procedure or practice, the Chair may insist on him or her doing so. If he fails or does not adequately do so, the Chair may rule that the point of order is inadmissible”. My point is Mr. Speaker, we now have serious abuse of the procedure of point where if someone is debating and I do not like their line of debate, I stand up to interrupt their debate by purportedly raising a point of order. The Standing Orders are very clear that when you stand up, you must cite a provision of the Standing Orders upon which you premise your Standing Order.
Countless times you then find people going on raising their voices, raising their emotions when they are called upon to explain what their point of order is. When you raise your emotions and voice, that does not constitute a point of order and I think we must observe and uphold the Standing Orders.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Ndudzo, may the House please be so advised.
+HON. NKALA: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. I stand to add my voice to the debate. I noted that a lot has been said, so I am going to be very precise. I will focus on the areas that have not been covered. It is important that because this issue has been brought to this House regarding the children of war veterans, our war veterans need the support of this august House. We have such people in different areas who did not get their benefits like what has been said already. Our desire is that it is important to look into the issue of focusing on those who have a history, who are known and that they get assistance. Some have passed on, they are late but their children are there. They should also get assistance in different offices where they require assistance in schools. Their school fees should be paid for so that they can learn like others and also the contribution of their parents should be honoured because as we speak some did not manage to go through secondary education to write their ‘O’ levels not because they were not able but because those who were their guardians could not cater for their school fees after their parents passed on.
Hon. Speaker Sir, we also note that the war was not for one side but it was the war of liberation which sought to liberate Zimbabwe. So, we are appreciating the liberation, the freedom which was brought by our war veterans and noting their prayer, the request that they get their dues, they get medical assistance so that they appreciate what they fought for.
We also anticipate that they should get farms and how to use their farms, the technical expertise of farming, instead of giving them lands only but they should have been empowered with technical knowledge through Agritex so that they know how to cultivate through irrigation so that when they get this land, they should able to fend for their families.
I am also happy that as Parliament we work together and we understand each other on the issue. We are all touched, we are all affected by this issue directly or indirectly through the liberation war. I am happy and this strengthens me, the fact that the plight of children of war veterans and their request did not fall on deaf ears but if fell on people who care for their plight and I request that their plight, as we have noted, should be addressed. It has been said before that some of those who fought for independence are now old. When looking at the end of the war which is 1980, some are old now. They are no longer able to stand and do things on their own.
We request that when their children go to offices, they should be accorded the respect and honour so that they can address the plight of war veterans and children of war veterans like what has been said that they should get this assistance as soon as possible. This will help in that they feel important as people who sacrificed their lives and their time to liberate Zimbabwe.
We also request that those who participated in the liberation war, as we are in this process there are some who did not maybe participate in the armed struggle but who contributed in different ways, should also together with families benefit so that the efforts of their parents should not go in vain.
We request that when looking at our war veterans let us not only look at one side but let us look at all sides. Sometimes you find that some think they fought better than others but we all fought in this war, so let us work together. Let us not say you fought under ZANLA or ZIPRA, but let us consider all who contributed who participated. We have our rights which came because of all who participated in the war. Let us not only look at one political party, we all contributed to the liberation war and to the independence of the country. We requested that war collaborators also should be considered. They should benefit also as people who contributed to the liberation struggle.
We appreciate the fact that this august House saw it fit to look into the plight of the children of war veterans and their request. We have them in different constituencies, different areas. We have veterans who participated in the war who are suffering. Some were disabled, amputated and have scars which have not healed. Some are suffering from arthritic conditions. Their bones were affected and some had different illnesses and they cannot pay for their hospital bills because they do not have money which is required by hospitals.
When we also look at this issue you find that it is difficult for them because the hospitals which have medication are private hospitals and the expenses are quite exorbitant and they cannot afford to pay on their own. They are forced to go back home and suffer in silence without getting medical attention yet there is an opportunity for them and I request that the War Veterans Act be implemented so that it does not take long for them waiting for assistance. With these few words, Hon. Speaker Sir, I want to thank you for affording me the opportunity to contribute to this motion and I support fully this motion which was raised by the children of war veterans. I thank you.
HON. MUKOMBERI: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. It is my honour to be afforded this opportunity to add my voice on the debate on the petition by the children of war veterans.
Hon. Speaker Sir, it is very pertinent for me to first of all mention that for Zimbabwe to gain its sovereignty from the colonial masters a war was fought by the sons and daughters of the soil, the war veterans. This freedom which was fought for brought with it economic emancipation of the black majority and this has seen the black majority in a state of freedom from any form of economic suppression that they were put under during the colonial regime. It is therefore pertinent that sons and daughters of these liberators be given a fair treatment commensurate with the effort their parents, both falling and living, have made to bring about the free Zimbabwe.
It is quite commendable that the ruling Government of Zimbabwe considered a once off gratuity that was paid in 1997 of $50 000 to each war veterans. This is worth an applause. A pension also receivable per month was also established. Mr. Speaker Sir, it is also applaudable that his Excellency, Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa made a very crucial stride in the recognition of war veterans by establishing a stand-alone ministry that deals exclusively with the issues to do with war veterans.
It is my prayer and proposal however that Hon. Speaker, the petition and the prayers by the children of war veterans be considered. I pray that the able leadership under his Excellency, Dr. E. D Mnangagwa considers the following for the children of war veterans as well as the living war veterans. Firstly, is to increase the amount of pension payable to war veterans to levels close to the poverty datum line so as to enable them sustain their standards of living.
Secondly, it is pertinent that the Government of Zimbabwe makes available land to the children of war veterans and financially support them to venture into sustainable projects on the land offered. Thirdly, the Government to come up with medical schemes for war veterans who are getting older and have become susceptible to some diseases. Fourthly, the children of war veterans also be afforded scholarships for the attainment of both basic education as well as furthering their education to tertiary levels with special mention to Presidential scholarships, maybe to be given priority to the children of war veterans before being extended to any other beneficiary.
War veterans and children of the war veterans also to be given special treatment and priority when new projects are introduced which are aimed at economic emancipation. As these projects are aimed at benefitting the general population of Zimbabwe, children of war veterans should be given top priority. For example, the Presidential Scholarship Scheme should also be extended to war veterans and their dependents when such benefits are being extended to the Zimbabwean population. The sixth one is to say, a group of war veterans who were recently vetted and accorded the war veterans status, be compensated in time whilst they are still living.
Hon. Speaker Sir, to sum up, if the welfare of war veterans and their children is prioritised during the distribution of national resources, the fallen heroes will peacefully rest. Thank you, Hon. Speaker Sir.
HON. MUTOKONYI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, I also rise to debate on the motion on the children of the war veterans and their dependents. Yes, it is very important that us as a nation, I am very happy that every Hon. Member who is debating is actually confirming and recommending that the war veterans did play a very key role to liberate the nation. We also see that when they went to war, they were not paid a salary, so it was a pure issue of determination and as such, it is important for us to also look through the petition from the children of the war veterans and their dependents.
Firstly, I think the Government has done quite a lot in as far as trying to address a lot of these issues regarding the welfare of the war veterans as well as their dependents. The Government, I understand that in quite various sectors, they have actually availed the 20% quota to the war veterans, be it in mining, housing and housing stands so that they also directly benefit from such. It is actually a continuous process, yes, a review has to be done throughout to ensure that they are also well taken care of.
Mr. Speaker, they did raise the issue of respect and honour. It is very important that the children and their dependents as well as the war veterans do get the honour and respect they deserve. I remember last week, I was speaking to one war veteran who actually said even when they get into the banks, they also want to get recognised through their IDs so that they are given priority and that will then show that they are getting the respect they deserve as they fought for this country. Even in hospitals, they have to be considered because they fought a big fight, a good fight and as such, that respect and honour is key and it is us the nation who should know that we have people who fought for this country who require that honour, and it is important to do so.
In the petition, they raised the issue of education. We have seen that a lot of these children of war veterans, some of them are actually failing to attend to tertiary levels, nearly due to the issue of getting the access to scholarships as well as school fees. It is important for this House to look into that, particularly on their welfare in terms of their monthly salaries and all things like that so that they also benefit and make sure that they can afford to take their children to various schools. As a Government, we might also need to consider to give it a priority, especially even in terms of employment in various Government sectors.
We have got various ministries and it is a vey much important to also consider these children of the war veterans as a thank you to the war veterans. It should not be difficult for them to get jobs in the Ministry of Health, Home Affairs and Defence, it is very important. The petition actually requires us to pay the attention it requires so that they can get access to education. In as far as economic empowerment, it is very true that they have to be empowered economically.
I understand, I actually heard also from another war veteran. In my constituency, it is a farming area and we live with a lot of these war veterans. The challenges that are actually happening especially when the parents passed on, the children do face a lot of issues, particularly on the issue of land. The land that they would have inherited from their parents can actually be downsized, or they can even be pushed out of that land, that should not happen, because this is one of the key reasons why they fought, instead of them to be turning in their graves when they see their children being chased away from their farms. That is never good Mr. Speaker and it should not happen because it would mean that whoever will be doing that is not respecting or even recognising the work that was done by these war veterans. You see that there are various issues that need to be looked into, like the housing schemes. The Government is doing quite a lot in as far as ensuring that their welfare is taken care of and it is in good order.
This petition raised various issues. I also note that we should ensure that we support these children and the dependents. Agricultural projects are viable projects that can easily be done particularly in their various areas. So, it comes back to us as parliamentarians to ensure that we look into the War Veterans Act so that all these issues raised are taken care of and included in the Act so that as it is viewed, it protects the children and it protects the dependents. They should also benefit from the fruits of this country through the hard-won independence. As such, I want to support and also take into consideration that we look into this petition and include it accordingly. I submit.
HON. KAMBUZUMA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. NYANDORO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 23rd July, 2023.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. KAMBUZUMA: Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that we revert to Order of the Day Number 12 on today’s Order Paper.
HON. NYANDORO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT ON THE SIGNING CEREMONY OF PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN MEMBERS OF THE ORGANISATION OF THE CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC STATES (OACPS) AND THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY AND ITS MEMBER STATES/THE SAMOA AGREEMENT HELD IN APIA, SAMOA
HON. P. MOYO: I move the motion standing in my name that this House takes note of the Report on the Signing Ceremony of Partnership Agreement between Members of the Organisation of the Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Community and its Member States, the Samoa Agreement held from 12 to16 November, 2023 in Apia, Samoa.
HON. KAMBUZUMA: I second.
HON. P. MOYO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I rise to give a report of the signing ceremony of the partnership agreement between Members of the African Caribbean Pacific States and the European Union and its member States in Samoa, which is in Apia. It was done on the 12th to 16th November, 2023. The composition of the delegation was Hon. Rtd. Lt. Gen. M. R. Nyambuya, Deputy President of the Senate; Gladys Pise, Counsel to Parliament and Obvious Muchenu, Aide to the Deputy President of the Senate.
The signing ceremony of the partnership agreement between the Organisation of African Caribbean and Pacific States and its member States and the European Union Member States, also known as the Samoa Agreement was held in Apia, Samoa from the 12th to 16th of November, 2023. This new partnership agreement places the Cotonou Agreement signed in 2000 and the basis of the corporation and the legal framework that governs relations between the Organisation of African Caribbean and Pacific States and the European Union for the next 20 years. The European Union is the key strategic partner for the OACPS and has over the past 20 years, provided technical and financial support crucial for the implementation of the Regional Economic Communities Agenda.
Zimbabwe benefits from the Samoa Agreement by virtue of being a member of the OACPS through the recent disposition of instruments of assertion to the revised George Town Agreement. The expiry of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement in February, 2020 and is the 11th EDF in December 2020, necessitated a new OACPS-EU Corporation dispensation. It is important to note that the new partnership Samoa Agreement does not have the financial protocol, which is a departure from the previous corporation framework.
The new Development Finance Corporation will be governed by a new EU financing mechanism called the Neighbourhood Development and International Corporation Instrument. The preparatory meeting by the Ambassadors of the OACPS and Southern African Region was done on the 13th November, 2023. Brussels based Ambassadors from the OACPS as Southern Africa Region, met to discuss the position of the member States on the signing of the agreement.
Zimbabwe in its capacity as coordinator of Southern African Region, co-chaired the briefing with Mozambique. Present were Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwean Ambassador to the Belarus and the European Union Ambassador Mutembwa, informed the meeting that he would be signing on behalf of the Government of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe’s participation at the signing ceremony was part of the Second Republic’s re-engagement and reaffirmation policy.
After signing the agreement, it will be tabled in Parliament for approval. Meeting of the Special Session of the OACPS, Council of Ministers on the 14th November, 2023, a special of the OACPS, Council of Ministers met to discuss the Samoa Agreement, its implementation and priorities of the OACPS at the upcoming UNFCC COP 28 Summit which was held on the on the 30th November to 12th December, 2023. The council agreed that it was necessary for the OACPS and Brussels based delegations to attend the COP 28, a push for the adoption of their OACPS positions as outlined in the OACPS issues paper for COP 28. The Samoa Agreement would facilitate greater cooperation in capacity building activities in several cross-cutting areas that are crucial to the development of OACPS countries. He added that the new partnership agreement should stand out as a model for cooperation as well as a platform for facilitating strong intra OACPS Cooperation. The President of Council Ministers of Foreign Affairs of East Timor, Hon. Bendito Freitas underscored the need to set up institutions defined in the agreement at the OACPS, EU and African Caribbean and Pacific Regional levels, namely the Joint Council of Ministers, the ambassadorial level, senior officials, the joint Committee and the Joint Parliamentary Assembly was to be a step towards accelerated implementation of the Agreement.
The Organisation of African Caribbean Pacific States priorities at the United Nations Framework were on climate change. The following are key outcomes being advocated for by OACPS Member States, the UFCC COP 28. Adoption of a robust global goal on adaptation framework of COP 28 that can measure global progress on adaptation to contribute to enhance implementation of adaptation action, domestically unlocking adaptation support and providing critical inputs into the global stock take process and supporting the resilience of affected population caused by environmental degradation and climate change. Delivery of the outstanding US$100 billion by COP 28 should be mainly from public sources and in the form of grants.
Also ensure the procedures for access simplified and streamlined. Support for the Bridgetown 2.0 initiative as a means to ensure effective reforms of the global financial architecture and multilateral development banks called for in the Sharm El-Sheikh Implementation Plan is fully realised to unlock and scale up grant and conservational finance to address inherent vulnerabilities of developing countries to exogenous shocks such as ongoing climate emergency, burgeoning public debt and post COVID-19 pandemic. This report will be tabled in the Hansard. Therefore, I will urge Hon. Members to go through some of the issues that I have left.
Proceedings of the 46th Session of the OACPS, CP Council of Ministers on the 15th of November, 2023.
Relation with the joint ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. The meeting considered a report on the ACP-EU Join Parliamentary Assembly. The report contained information on the activities of the Assembly in 2023. The report also gives an update on the activities of Joint Council of Ministers in various - sorry about that, let me go back, you know these gadgets Hon. Speaker Sir, I am trying to go back to where I was. My apologies I have flue.
Denomination of the partnership agreement: council approved the proposal to have a formal name and an informal name. The formal name will be partnership agreement between the European Union and its Member States of the party and the members of the organisation of African Caribbean and Pacific States of the other part. The informal name will be Samoa Agreement.
Implementation of the Samoa Agreement: the meeting recalled that the transitional measures would expire on the 31st of December 2023. Provisional applications of the Agreement would then start on 1st January which started on 1st January 2024. The EU side noted that internal legal provisions of some OACPS Member States did not allow for immediate application of the Samoa Agreement. The affected Member States will be able to participate in the meetings of joint institutions, for example, Joint Council of Ministers, Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) and the Joint Committee of Ambassadors. Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen also informed that the activities of the European Investment Bank would have to stop the countries that were not previous implementing the Samoa Partnership Agreement. This provision was confirmed by the representative of the EIB who were present. The meeting agreed on the urgent need for the JPA to adopt the development draft rules of procedures as set out in article 66 of the Samoa Partnership Agreement.
In responding to the OACP’s call for a dedicated financial envelope, similar to the European Development Fund under the Cotonou Agreement, the EU side reiterated that the neighborhood development and the International Cooperation Instrument, Global Europe and Global Gateway Strategy offered sufficient funding for the OACPS development programmes. She highlighted that consideration of EU financing instruments made their programming more effective.
Trade regulations: The OACPS side lamented the adverse effects of EU Trade Regulations on OACPS exporters. They called on the EU to offer technical and development support for the OACPS to become compliant. Zimbabwean exporters are affected by EU Trade Regulations, including carbon border adjustment mechanism.
Regulation on corporate sustainability, regulation on critical raw materials, regulation of climate change, environmental degradation and damage to bio-diversity and regulation on deforestation. In response the EU side stated that the funding mechanisms were sufficient to support OACPS needs. I will leave the anti-money laundering part.
I will go to the global security situation: Hon. Members and Mr. Speaker Sir. The EU side spoke against what they called Russia’s war against Ukraine and the resultant food crisis and the disruption of trade routes. These sentiments were supported by Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Slovenia and Spain. The OACPS side noted that the EU sentiments and highlighted the humanitarian situation in Haiti caused by bandits who had usurped power, proposed cooperation in the area of climate change and joint declaration for presentation in the upcoming COP 28, it has already been done. So I will leave that because we have moved on.
Let me go to the recommendations. I am going to the signing ceremony Mr. Speaker Sir. The signing ceremony of the Samoa Agreement between the European Union and the Organisation of African Caribbean and Pacific State on 15th November 2023. The signing ceremony was held on 15th November 2023. During the meeting, 16 OACP member countries did not sign the agreement for various reasons including internal legal provisions, which did not permit any reservations to provisions of the Samoa Agreement which were contrary to national laws. Prior, from the Southern African region, Namibia and Tanzania openly stated that they would not be signing the Samoa agreement. On the day of the signing, Botswana and Eswatini also did not sign, neither did they offer an explanation for the lack of signatures.
Despite having been notified earlier that the EU Member States would not be present in APIA for the signature, a sizeable number of the EU Member States were represented. These include the Belgium, Denmark, Hungary, Island, Lativia, Poland and Sweden. Also present was Ms. Jutta Urpilainen, Director General for International Partnerships in the European Commission.
Observation and recommendations - Mr Speaker Sir, some OACPS Member States have expressed concern at the aspects of the agreement which are contrary to their domestic laws, norms and cultural values and as such, did not sign the agreement.
The transitional measures would expire on 31st December, which expired already. Provisional application of the agreement would then start on 1 January, which already started. Consequently, the OACPS member states which would not sign the Samoa Agreement would not be eligible for bilateral cooperation with EU.
The EU side takes note that the internal legal provisions of some OACPS Member States would not allow the immediate and provisional application of the Samoa Agreement. An extension for signing of 15 May, 2024 was given to allow internal legal processes of the OACPS Member States.
Those counties that would not sign by the deadline date would not participate in the member meetings of joint institutions, for example Joint Council of Ministers, Joint Parliamentary Assembly and the Joint Committee of Ambassadors. In terms of section 327 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, an agreement concluded by the President or by someone under the President’s authority becomes binding after approval by Parliament.
The provisional application of the SAMOA agreement does not apply to Zimbabwe as it will be contrary to our constitutional dictates. The deadline of 15 May, 2024 gives the Government ample time to conduct the due diligence of the agreement to ensure that it is not contravening the Constitution.
The EU is glaringly guilty of attempting to stampede and bully OACPS members into signing the agreement without having sufficient time to scrutinise it. There is a glaring attempt by the EU to impose unfavourable aspects of the agreement on the OACPS, in particular sexual reproductive rights and orientation and environmental obligations that have a negative impacts on our wildlife policy and energy sources mixed among others.
It is recommended that an inter-ministerial meeting be urgently convened in order to discuss the pros and cons of ratifying the Samoa Agreement by 31st December, 2023, which I think has already been done. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade is to coordinate the inter-ministerial task force and to engage Parliament through the Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs before tabling the agreement for ratification.
On the climate change agenda, the EU is determined to successfully implement the green deal and green energy transition and ignore the concerns of the OACPS member states. They have passed several pieces of legislation both at the EU level and the domestic level of individual member states.
Given that Zimbabwe is continuing with its economic recovery plan which relies heavily on iron and steel industry, the Dinson Iron and Steel Company plant in Manhize should start operations soon. I think it has already started and that the climate change is a key priority under the Samoa agreement. There is need for Zimbabwe’s voice to be heard in all the three institutions given the implementation of the EU ban on fossil fuels.
Parties agreed that the OACPS and the EU Council of Ministers should be present at the COP28 scheduled to be held, which was held on 30 November to 12 December, 2023. The Joint Council mandated the OACPS Joint Committee of Ambassadors to draft a joint declaration for presentation at the COP28 scheduled to be held in Dubai. I think most of these we have already dealt with them.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the task force referred to the above could also look into formulating a Zimbabwe climate strategy with a view to assessing finance for climate compliance in Zimbabwe. I so move Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. KAMBUZUMA: I move that the debate do now adjourned.
HON. MANGONDO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 23rd July, 2024.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. KAMBUZUMA: Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 14 and 15 be stood over until Orders of the Day Numbers 16 and 17 on today’s Order Paper have been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION ON THE BILATERAL VISIT TO MOZAMBIQUE
HON. SHAMU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I move the motion standing in my name that this House takes note of the Parliamentary Delegation on the Bilateral Visit to Mozambique held from 29th April to 4th May, 2024.
HON. MANGONDO: I second.
HON. SHAMU: INTRODUCTION
The Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Advocate Jacob Francis
Nzwidamilimo Mudenda, led a Parliamentary delegation on a bilateral visit to Mozambique from 29th April to 4th May 2024 at the invitation of Her Excellency, Esperança Laurinda Francisco Nhiuane Bias, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic Mozambique in February 2024. Hon. Advocate Mudenda was accompanied by the following Members of the Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade and members of staff:
Hon. Webster Kotiwani Shamu, Member of Parliament and Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade;
Hon. Noah Mangondo, Member of Parliament;
Hon. Concilia Chinanzvavana, Member of Parliament
Mr. Frank Mike Nyamahowa, Director in the Hon. Speaker’s Office;
Mr. Farai Makubaza, Director- Public Relations;
Ms. Martha Mushandinga, Principal Executive Assistant to the Hon. Speaker; and
Dr. Cleophas Gwakwara, Principal External Relations Officer and Secretary to the delegation.
The objectives of the visit were to;
- strengthen existing cordial political and economic bilateral relations;
- explore possible areas of co-operation;
- share Parliamentary best practices between the two sister republics and their legislatures. Furthermore, the visit aimed at enhancing the bonds of solidarity that exist between Zimbabwe and Mozambique which were forged during the shared struggles for liberation from colonial rule.
As a result of the visit, the two legislatures have proposed a Parliamentary cooperation framework that will undoubtedly contribute to the continued growth and stability of both Parliaments and the two sister republics within the context of the SADC’s thrust for regional, integrated, economic development.
The delegation expresses deep appreciation to Charge d’Affaires Mr. Ronald Chatiza for providing vital assistance during the preparatory phases of the visits and delivering impeccable administrative and logistical support throughout the visit on behalf of H.E. Ambassador Victor Matemadanda, who was in Harare on official business during the visit period.
2.0 Arrival and Briefing Session with Hosts
Hon. António José Amélia, a Member of the Executive Standing Committee of the Mozambican National
Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique briefing Speaker Mudenda upon arrival
The delegation was warmly welcomed at the airport by Hon. António José Amélia, a Member of the Executive Standing Committee of the Mozambican National Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique accompanied by Mr. Alfredo Vasco Nogueira Nampete, Secretary General of the National Assembly and Ms. Filomena Grachane, Director-General for Legislative Business.
The airport reception party led by the Hon Amelia, cordially welcomed Hon. Speaker Mudenda and his delegation. Hon Amelia expressed sincere gratitude to Speaker Mudenda for accepting the invitation extended by his counterpart, Her Excellency Nhiuane Bias, to visit the Republic of Mozambique. Subsequently, Hon Amelia debriefed the Hon. Speaker regarding the programme for the visit.
Meeting Between Hon. Advocate Jacob Francis Mudenda and Hon. Nhiuane Bias - 30th April, 2024.
Speaker Mudenda and Honourable Esperança Laurinda Francisco Nhiuane Bias, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique during singing of national anthems
On Tuesday, 30th April 2024, Speaker Mudenda and his delegation met with Hon. Esperança Laurinda Francisco Nhiuane Bias, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique and her selected delegates. During the interface, Hon. Esperança Laurinda Francisco Nhiuane Bias welcomed the Zimbabwean delegation and appreciated the visiting gesture that is set to further cement the fraternal relations that exist between the two sister republics and more poignantly, the two legislatures. Hon. Speaker Bias recounted how the relationship between the two countries dates back to the days of the liberation struggle of Zimbabwe wherein Mozambique graciously provided a rear base for the former ZANLA forces to wage the armed liberation war from the eastern part of Zimbabwe.
The Mozambican Speaker also alluded to the excellent fraternal relations that exist between His Excellency, Cde. Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa and His Excellency, Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, which is testimony to the unbreakable bond between the two sister republics. Speaker Bias further appreciated the timely support rendered by Zimbabwe to her country in the wake of destabilising manouvres by insurgents in the oil and gas rich Cabo Delgado region.
Hon. Speaker Bias acknowledged the humanitarian and material support rendered by Zimbabwe during the devastating cyclones without which the situation would have been cataclysmic beyond measure. Despite the insurgents attacks, she opined that the Mozambican GDP had grown by 4.8 % in the previous year notwithstanding the Cabo Delgado insecurity situation and the natural disasters in the form of the marauding El Niño induced flash floods. It is expected that the GDP would grow by five per cent this year, which is a no mean economic achievement.
Turning to the legislative framework of the Mozambican Parliament, the delegation was informed that the Parliament of Mozambique has a unicameral Parliamentary system comprising 250 Members of Parliament from three political parties, namely, the ruling party FRELIMO, and opposition parties RENAMO and MDM.
The Mozambican Speaker referred to the extension of friendly relations between the two countries as exemplified by both legislatures working closely in multilateral institutions in the mould of SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF), Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU), Pan African Parliament (PAP) and Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS).
Finally, the host Speaker indicated that there was a need to further galvanise the excellent relations that exist between the two sister republics by periodic exchange visits of Parliamentary delegations. The proposed signing of an MOU between the two legislatures should be prioritised as a further way of enhancing the excellent bilateral relations between the two Parliaments, she posited.
Hon. Speaker Mudenda responded by thanking Speaker Bias for extending the invitation to himself and the Zimbabwe delegation, a visit meant to extol Parliamentary Diplomacy. The Hon. Speaker underscored the shared African identity and common ancestry between Zimbabwe and Mozambique dating back to more than 900 years ago during the reign of the revered Mwenemutapa King, whose kingdom straddled Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi and parts of South Africa. Speaker Mudenda affirmed that the visit was thus an opportunity to strengthen Pan Africanism and renew shared historical bonds as espoused by the Mwenemutapa shared ancestry.
Hon. Advocate Jacob Francis Mudenda further accentuated the strategic role Mozambique played in the Zimbabwe’s quest for independence, freedom and democracy, as Zimbabwe fought against the imperialists and colonialists of the settler regime. Added to this, in the crucible of liberation of the southern sub-region, the late icons of African nationalism, namely, Eduardo Mondlane and the Founding Father of the Mozambican nation, President Samora Machel, stood as towering freedom fighters whose liberation struggle vision transcended southern regional borders as that vision echoed Kwame Nkrumah's call for African unity to liberate the whole of the African Continent.
Hon. Speaker Mudenda, in a poignant reflection during the meeting, underscored the profound solidarity between Zimbabwe and
Mozambique, characterised by the President Samora Machel’s unwavering support for Zimbabwe's liberation struggle. Hon. Speaker Mudenda recalled the overwhelming scenes of mourning following the late leader’s tragic death, emphasizing his enduring legacy as a symbol of African liberation and unity. Hon. Mudenda further asserted that President Machel's life and death continues to inspire the collective political responsibility of the region by ensuring that his legacy lives on in the ongoing quest for lasting freedom, independence and democracy.
The Mozambican and Zimbabwean delegation during the interface
Furthermore, Speaker Mudenda informed the host Speaker that Zimbabwe Parliament was bicameral comprising of the National Assembly and Senate. Additionally, Parliament of Zimbabwe has 22 Portfolio Committees and eight Thematic Committees. Portfolio Committees oversight Government ministries and their departments, Speaker Mudenda opined. On the other hand, Thematic Committees evaluate Government policies and their effective implementation. To that extent, Parliaments have a sacrosanct responsibility of ensuring constitutionalism, rule of law and legality in statecraft.
On the insurgents in the Cabo Delgado region, the meeting agreed that Zimbabwe supported the curtailment of those terrorist insurgents together with other SADC countries in the spirit of collective defense within the SADC region. Speaker Mudenda further affirmed that peace and security in Mozambique are a condition precedent for Mozambique in particular, and SADC region in general, in pursuit of the national development agenda.
In support of the host Speaker who appealed for the urgent implementation of the MOU between the two legislatures, Speaker Mudenda agreed that the signing of the MOU should take place, if possible, before the Mozambican general elections in October 2024. In the spirit of enhanced cooperation, Speaker Mudenda extended an invitation for the host Speaker to visit Zimbabwe at the earliest convenience.
After the interface between the host delegation and Zimbabwean delegation, Speaker Mudenda’s delegation proceeded to the Heroes Square in Maputo where Speaker Mudenda laid a wreath in remembrance of Mozambican heroes and heroines who lie at that Square including the illustrious late leader Samora Machel.
Speaker Mudenda after laying a wreath at the grave of the Unknown Soldier
The laying of the wreath ceremony was punctuated by a colourful full military parade in honour of the visiting Zimbabwean delegation. During the tour of the inside of the Heroes Ssquare pavilion, the delegation was informed that the star shaped structure was designed by the Mozambican architect António Forjaz as a tribute to Mozambican heroes and heroines.
In the afternoon, the Zimbabwe delegation toured the bustling Port of Maputo led by Engineer Paulo Mata of Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC).
Speaker Mudenda and delegation are welcomed at the MPDC
The delegation was highly impressed by the critical role being undertaken by the Port of Maputo in handling enormous goods and services within the SADC region, including ferrochrome from Zimbabwe and South Africa. It was clear to the delegation that the Maputo harbour was instrumental in facilitating the movement of goods and services in the spirit of the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area. 2.3.1 Dinner hosted in honour of the Zimbabwe Visiting Delegation
Speaker Mudenda and Speaker Bias toast to the prosperity of both nations
On Tuesday, 30th April 2024, Her Excellency Speaker Nhuiane Bias hosted a dinner at the Gloria Hotel in Maputo for the Zimbabwe delegation and Members of the host Parliament. In her remarks, Speaker Bias emphasized the need to bolster bilateral ties between Mozambique and Zimbabwe, mirroring the exemplary relationship between Presidents Mnangagwa and Nyusi, particularly in advancing economic and political co-operation such as the rehabilitation of the Beira Corridor. Speaker Mudenda concurred, highlighting the foundation of strong bilateral relations on enduring friendship and neighbourliness built on trust and loyalty. Hon. Mudenda concluded by extending well wishes to Mozambique for a successful electoral process in October 2024.
Meeting Chairpersons and Rapporteurs of Committees
On 2nd May 2024, Hon Advocate Mudenda and his delegation met with the Mozambique National Assembly Chairpersons and Rapporteurs of the 3rd, 5th and 7th Committees, being Committees on Agriculture Environment and Climate Change, Social Affairs (including health and education), Gender and Media as well as International Relations respectively.
The Zimbabwean delegation during the meeting
Hon. António José Amélia, informed the delegation that the National Assembly of Mozambique has nine Committees which carry oversight on 21 ministries. Chairmanship of these Committees are chosen on a pro-rata basis in terms of the political representation of members chosen to a particular Committee.
These Committees exercise their oversight responsibilities guided by five year work programmes and work plans thereof, according to the Sessions of Parliament. Despite having these work programmes, the Mozambican Committees sometimes fail to meet their targets because of inadequate resources to cover the 21 ministries. The other Committees’ challenge is that they have to cover very expansive geographical space. Similarly, the Committees also encounter lack of appreciation of their work from some members of the public. Equally, the Chairperson indicated that some Ministers were hesitant to co-operate with the Committees whenever they are called upon to give oral evidence before the Committees.
Photo opportunity with Chairpersons and Rapporteurs
Additionally, the Chairpersons informed Hon. Speaker Mudenda’s delegation that there was need for their Committees to be capacitated in order for them to be able to measure up to their expected Constitutional responsibilities. In that context, the Chairperson of the Gender Committee proposed that there should be benchmarking visits by the Mozambican Committees to Zimbabwe in order to share best practices on how Parliamentary Committees can improve their efficiencies. This approach was confirmed by the Chairpersons of the Agriculture, Environment and Climate Change who confessed that her Committee had benefitted immensely from such benchmarking visit to Zimbabwe.
Following the presentations by Chairpersons of the Mozambican National Assembly Committees, Speaker Mudenda then explained how the Parliament of Zimbabwe Committee system is structured. In summation, Speaker Mudenda highlighted the key roles of Parliamentary Committees in Zimbabwe, including the constitutionally mandated Public Accounts Committee which ensures fiscal accountability by the Executive and recommends corrective measures based on Auditor General's reports. Hon. Mudenda underscored the oversight function of the Liaison and Coordinating Committee (LCC) which supervises Select Committees' work and further oversees the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He also briefed the meeting on the proposal to expand the LCC's mandate to become the Committee of the Future, focusing on leveraging digital technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), so as to drive future Parliamentary processes. These initiatives reflect Zimbabwe's commitment to Parliamentary transparency, accountability and innovation.
Meetings with political Parties
Following meetings with the Chairpersons of Committees of the Mozambican National Assembly, Speaker Mudenda's delegation engaged separately with leaders of FRELIMO and RENAMO. Speaker Mudenda commended FRELIMO for initiating dialogue with RENAMO, leading to the Unity Accord that ended the 17-year debilitating internal conflict, emphasizing the critical role of peace and security in fostering national development.
The Speaker credited President Nyusi's diplomatic leadership for engineering the peace accord. During the meeting with RENAMO, Speaker Mudenda also commended the political outfit for its positive response to peace overtures from FRELIMO. The Speaker of the Parliament of Zimbabwe concluded by extending best wishes to both parties for the upcoming general elections on the 9th October 2024, expressing hope for sustained peace and prosperity in Mozambique.
Meeting with His Excellency, Felipe Jacinto Nyusi
The bilateral visit of Speaker Mudenda and his delegation was crowned by its meeting with Mozambican President, His Excellency, Felipe Jacinto Nyusi at State House. H.E President Nyusi warmly welcomed Speaker Mudenda and his delegation to State House and espoused the excellent bilateral relations that exist between Mozambique and Zimbabwe in both the economic and political spheres. In this regard, such fraternal relations need to be buttressed by benchmarking visits such as the one which was being undertaken by the Zimbabwean delegation to the Parliament of Mozambique.
President Nyusi giving welcoming remarks
Furthermore, President Nyusi revealed to the Zimbabwean delegation how Mozambique was grateful for the support rendered by Zimbabwe and other SADC countries in containing the insurgency in the Cabo Delgado region of Mozambique. As a result of this intervention, President Nyusi opined that Mozambique was experiencing some measure of peace and security in the northern region of Mozambique.
President Nyusi and Speaker Mudenda’s delegation share a lighter moment
Speaker Mudenda thanked President Nyusi for being gracious enough to accord the Zimbabwean delegation a courtesy call at State House inspite of his busy statecraft responsibilities. The delegation further tendered their gratitude to H.E President Nyusi for his unwavering support in the quest for the unconditional removal of illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe. Furthermore, Speaker Mudenda and his delegation extoled the President’s iconic diplomatic leadership that resulted in the unity accord between FRELIMO and RENAMO, thereby ending the unfortunate 17 year old internal conflict after independence.
Additionally, Speaker Mudenda appreciated former President, Joaquim Chisanno’s assistance in helping Zimbabwe come up with strategies to clear its arrears owed to the Bretton Woods Institutions and the Paris Club. Speaker Mudenda assured H.E President Nyusi that he would convey profound fraternal greetings and cordial goodwill to His Excellency, President Cde Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa, President Nyusi’s brother, as per the latter’s request.
Speaker Mudenda presents a Zimbabwean gift depicting the balancing rocks in Epworth, to H.E
Nyusi after the meeting
Visit to the Nwadjahane Village, Mandlakazi District, in the Gaza Province
Hon. Speaker Mudenda’s delegation wound up its Parliamentary benchmarking visit to Mozambique on the 3rd May, 2024 by visiting the Nwadjahane Village, Mandlakazi District, in the Gaza Province. This is the birthplace and memorial shrine dedicated to the late Dr. Eduardo Chivambo Mondlane, the luminary Founding Father of FRELIMO (the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique). Nwadjahane village is named in honour of Dr. Mondlane’s native name. Speaker Mudenda’s delegation was given a biographical history of the late Mondlane by his maternal grandson, Arlindo Hoguane who is also the curator of the memorial shrine.
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Picture collage showing various aspects of the visit to the Mondlane site |
What emerged from the illustrious account by Arlindo Hoguane, was the historic achievement by Dr. Mondlane who astutely united the erstwhile three political movements that were then involved in the fight to liberate Mozambique from the Portuguese colonial shackles. The unity of these three contending political parties created a liberation unity of purpose under the aegis of a new liberation movement, FRELIMO. If it were not for the iconic and passionate leadership of Dr. Mondlane in uniting the erstwhile three freedom parties into the united political entity in the mould of FRELIMO, the liberation of Mozambique and indirectly that of Zimbabwe would have been inconceivable because the ZANLA forces would not have had an assured rear base to wage the armed liberation struggle from the eastern front of Zimbabwe.
Following a tour of Dr. Mondlane's shrine, the Speaker's delegation was shown a pedestal for a future statue of Dr. Mondlane to be erected in his honour. They were informed that Mozambique's largest and oldest University had been renamed the Eduardo Mondlane University, commemorating Dr. Mondlane’s legacy. Speaker Mudenda expressed appreciation for the memorial shrine, emphasizing Dr. Mondlane's role as a freedom fighter and nation builder. He encouraged Mozambicans to cherish Dr. Mondlane's memory by inscribing a message on a clay pot to ensure it is preserved for posterity, declaring, "The memory of Dr. Mondlane shall live forever!!!"
After visiting the Mondlane shrine, the Speaker’s delegation passed by the modern Filipe Jacinto Nyusi Airport which was officially opened in 2021. The airport runway is wide enough to accommodate Boeing 737-700 aeroplanes and it is hoped that it will service Mozambique and the neighbouring SADC countries. Concomitantly, the District Administrator of Chongoene, Mr. Arthur Manuel Macamo, extended an invitation to the Zimbabwean business community to take advantage of the transport facility provided by the Felipe Nyusi Airport.
Recommendations
Parliament of Zimbabwe to extend an official invitation to
Hon. Nhiuane Bias, Speaker of the National Assembly of Mozambique, for a reciprocal visit to Zimbabwe, with a scope to also finalize the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at formalising and enhancing Parliamentary co-operation between the two legislatures.
Officials in the Legal departments of both countries to start working on the document.
Relevant Portfolio and Thematic Committees to buttress high-level engagements between the leadership of Zimbabwe and Mozambique to finalise agreements on infrastructure development and trade facilitation with a focus on revamping the Beira corridor railway network and establishing One-Stop-Shop border post to streamline cross-border trade. This has to be done through Committee inquiries and mutual interaction with relevant ministries, departments and agencies of Government. The following Portfolio and Thematic Committees are key to this initiative:
Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development: This Committee to augment relations by further interrogating the status of the collaborative infrastructure projects between Zimbabwe and Mozambique, such as the revamping of the Beira corridor railway network which aims at improving regional connectivity and trade facilitation. Zimbabwe and Mozambique should take advantage of the modernisation initiatives at the Port of Maputo to enhance its capacity and efficiency in handling regional trade, particularly under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The Committee to immediately work with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development to gain insight on rail and road connectivity issues.
Portfolio Committee on Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development: Committee to work on exchange visits to explore further areas to foster economic empowerment and social cohesion, contributing to sustainable development and mutual prosperity between Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Portfolio Committee on Environment, Climate, Wildlife, Tourism and Hospitality: Collaboration on environmental conservation, climate resilience and sustainable tourism development can strengthen bilateral ties, preserving shared natural resources and promoting eco-friendly economic growth in both countries.
Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development: Joint initiatives in agricultural productivity, fisheries management and rural development can bolster food sovereignty and economic resilience, enhancing livelihoods and fostering cooperation in key sectors between Zimbabwe and Mozambique. In this regard, the Committee to work on a reciprocal visit since their Mozambican counterparts have been in Harare.
Portfolio Committee on Information, Communication Technology: Facilitating knowledge exchange and technological collaboration can promote digital innovation and connectivity, driving economic growth and enhancing communication infrastructure between Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The Committee to arrange mutual interactive sessions, especially on enhancing the use of ICT and AI in development processes.
Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs, Veterans of Liberation Struggle and Security Services: By fostering cooperation in defence and security matters, including joint efforts to combat transnational threats and promote regional stability, this Committee can facilitate mutual conversations aimed at strengthening mutual trust and solidarity between Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Furthermore, the Committee to initiate working visits to the Nwadjahane Village, Mandlakazi District, in the Gaza Province, the birthplace and memorial shrine dedicated to the late Dr. Eduardo Chivambo Mondlane. The Committee should initiate an exchange visit with counterparts in Mozambique to appreciate the above-mentioned areas of mutual interaction.
Thematic Committee on Peace and Security: This Committee should enhance bilateral relations by facilitating dialogue and co-operation on peacebuilding initiatives, conflict prevention and regional security challenges, thereby promoting stability and prosperity in the Southern African region. This should be done, once again through capacity building exchange programmes in liaison with the Committee on Defence, Home Affairs, Veterans of the Liberation Struggle and Security Services.
Thematic Committee on Gender and Development: The Thematic Committee on Gender and Development should initiate a bilateral exchange visit with their counterparts in Mozambique to share best practices, strategies and policies for promoting gender equality, women's empowerment, and social inclusion. Their counterparts in Mozambique are ready to embark on such an exchange programme to deepen their understanding of marriage and inheritance laws and Zimbabwe’s impeccable interventions on early child marriages. This Committee should collaborate with the Women’s Affairs Committee.
The Portfolio Committees on Industry and Commerce should collaborate to remove trade barriers, harmonise regulations and enhance cross-border trade facilitation to boost bilateral trade, supported by increased exchanges and capacity-building initiatives between Parliamentary committees.
Parliament of Zimbabwe, through its Portfolio Committee on Industry and Commerce, should promptly invite the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) to provide a briefing on leveraging the transportation opportunities offered by the Filipe Jacinto Nyusi Airport in Mozambique for trade expansion and economic collaboration between Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Both Parliaments should work on modalities to promote cultural and educational exchanges between the two historically connected countries, including student scholarships, joint research projects and cultural festivals, to foster people-to-people ties and deepen understanding and appreciation of each other's cultures and history, which are so closely intertwined together.
Both legislatures should establish a mechanism for monitoring and evaluating the progress of bilateral economic initiatives, with regular progress reports shared between relevant Parliamentary and Thematic Committees to ensure accountability and effectiveness in achieving mutual goals. It is heartening to note that work on rehabilitating the Mutare-Machipanda railway line has commenced with a time-bound completion of the first 49 kilometers in 49 working days. This practical work ethic on the Zimbabwe side should be commended, tracked and monitored.
Conclusion
The delegation expresses its gratitude to the
Government of Zimbabwe and the Parliament of Zimbabwe for affording it the opportunity to undertake the Bilateral Visit which will undoubtedly enhance and deepen Parliamentary diplomacy mutually.
In this regard, all recommendations should be actioned immediately to ensure that the historical strong bonds of friendship between the two sisterly republics and by extension, the two legislatures, are sustainably strengthened. I thank you.
HON. KAMBUZUMA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. NYANDORO I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 23rd July, 2024.
MOTION
CANCER AWARENESS PROGRAMMES AND MODERN CANCER TREATMENT EQUIPMENT FOR MPILO AND PARIRENYATWA HOSPITALS
HON. DR. KHUPE: I move the motion standing in my name that;
NOTING THAT first World Countries have made great strides in the field of oncology resulting in their advanced treatment of cancers even at stage 4;
WORRIED that Zimbabwean cancer patients have to travel abroad for cancer related treatment and in most cases patients die before raising funds needed for such treatment abroad;
AWARE that a number of Zimbabweans have been diagnosed with different types of cancer which include, inter alia; breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer and ovarian cancer;
REALISING that there is a dearth of research, in Zimbabwe, around the aforementioned as cancer treatment remains inaccessible to the majority;
COGNISANT that there is lack of awareness on cancer as most cancers start benignly before they become life-threatening;
NOW THEREFORE, calls upon this House to: a) Request Government to immediately start and intensify cancer awareness programmes in collaboration with other organisations and foundations like the Thokozani Khupe Cancer Foundation in all the 35 000 villages in Zimbabwe and all towns so that citizens are made aware of the scourge of cancer;
b) Implore Government to invest in state-of-the-art equipment for Mpilo and Parirenyatwa Hospitals as starting point and equip these two hospitals with modern Computed Tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) Scans, Radiation machines and all kinds of chemotherapies for all stages of cancer; and
c) Government to further move with speed and fully fund universities so that they start, without any further delays, researching on new and modern cancer medicines.
HON. NYANDORO: I second.
HON. DR. KHUPE: I would like to begin by verses in the bible, John 14:13 and Mathew 21:22 which says if you ask the Father in Jesus name and if you believe, you will receive. I believe in God, I believe in Jesus and I believe in the Word. I asked the Father in Jesus name for access to treatment so that I be healed and I received. You all saw me when I came for the swearing-in-ceremony, I was a moving grave, but look at the transformation - this is God's work. I would like to thank him so very much for giving me a second chance to life, for being my Saviour, my doctor and my protector.
I would also like to thank the President Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for transcending beyond party politics and authorising Government to fund my treatment as the former Hon. Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Zimbabwe. I would like to thank him for his kind gesture.
Let me again thank the Hon. Speaker of Parliament, the Minister of Local Government and Public Works for their support. I would want to also thank my children Ronald, Reginald and Shamiso; my niece Faith, my brother Pastor Vusa, my Sister in law, Mary Chitura Khupe and my young sister Sibusisiwe for their love, care and financial support from Zimbabwe to South Africa, to India and to the United Kingdom, may the Lord Almighty bless them abundantly.
I would also like to thank all those who prayed for me from every corner of the country and abroad. I also acknowledge Tendai Chatikopo who took us to India even though India did not work well for me and all those behind the scenes, may the Lord Almighty bless you all abundantly.
Let me thank my Doctor in the United Kingdom, Dr. Jonathan Krell in a special way for being on point with my diagnosis and treatment. The treatment which he prescribed for me did wonders to the extent that all the water in my stomach, the 6 liters I was draining every week dried up and that was a great relief for me because carrying an equivalent to 6 kgs all the time was very uncomfortable and made me weak and more sick.
Let me turn to cancer issues. My battle with cancer has made me to fully understand and appreciate that development is not rocket science, meaning it is not a difficult thing to do, but development is about discovering what other people did, it is about copying from other people. An opportunity has availed itself as a result of my second cancer attack to discover what other Institutions are doing in terms of treating the most advanced and difficult cancers like the one I had. It is therefore imperative for government to copy from those Institutions with advanced cancer technologies like the one where I was treated.
The first issue I would like to highlight is research and development because research and development will make us discover new modern and advanced cancer medication. Research and development plays a critical role in finding new and improved ways to enhance public health and stay ahead of the disease. It must not be a big deal for one to have stage 4 cancer because with modernisation it can be treated and I am a living testimony - I had stage 4 cancer and here I am today standing in front of you and in good health. It is of utmost importance that Government prioritises and invests with agility in research and development because it will lead to breakthroughs of new cancer treatment. We have big brains in Zimbabwe, professors, doctors and scientists who can creatively and innovatively do research on new modern medication on all cancers no matter how complicated they might be because with research they should not be any complicated case. We must move with time as a country, we must evolve, we must do continuous research to conquer any type of cancer.
The second issue I would like to highlight is that in Zimbabwe we have two public hospitals with cancer units, that is, Mpilo and Parirenyatwa hospitals. These two hospitals must be fully equipped with state of the art cancer equipment in the form of combined CT/Pet scans because these two combined scans help provide more accurate diagnosis than the two scans performing separately. This will ensure that those with cancer get the right diagnosis from the onset, because once you have the right diagnosis it follows that you will get the right treatment. I am a good example.
When I was first diagnosed in Zimbabwe, they said I had ovarian cancer which had long gone. I proceeded to South Africa. Again, they said I had ovarian cancer stage 4. I started chemotherapy in the form of injections and tablets every two weeks. I have never been sick like that in my entire life. I was vomiting to the extent that I had a bucket on the side of my bed all the time. I had terrible diarrhea to the extent that I would sometimes mess myself. I was draining 6 liters of water every two weeks because it was feeling up quickly - this water was a sign that my tumors were not responding to treatment hence they continued to generate this water. I was like a nine month pregnant woman, I had difficulty in breathing and walking.
It took me time to turn when I was sleeping because I had to move an equivalent of 6kgs which I was carrying. My doctor in South Africa then referred me back to Zimbabwe so that I could be under Palliative Care, which is treatment and support you receive when one has a life-limiting illness, because there was no improvement. I later proceeded to India with the help of Government. I was so excited that finally I was going to get the best treatment because many people were saying India was the best when it comes to cancer treatment.
I did all the possible tests and the diagnosis was once more stage 4 ovarian cancer which emanated from the breast cancer I had twelve years ago. I started chemotherapy, I was supposed to do 18 cycles for 18 weeks. I was draining 6 liters of water every week. After 15 cycles my doctor in India said I was not responding to treatment, because if I was responding the water was going to dry up but in my case there was no change.
He then suggested that I rather go to the United Kingdom (UK) because the UK was advanced when it comes to cancer treatment. They had modern medications and a lot of options and they also did clinical trials. In India I was losing weight every day because I had difficulty eating to the extent that I was then weighing 68kgs. I was a moving skeleton. All this is pointing to wrong diagnosis resulting in wrong treatment.
I then proceeded to the UK and did all the necessary tests, CT/Pet scans, bloods and biopsies. The diagnosis was that I had Lobular breast cancer. The doctor then said I was going to do 18 cycles of chemotherapy every week. I only drained water on 22nd December, 2023 and started treatment on 9th January, 2024. I never drained any water again. It gradually drained away cycle after cycle. After the fourth cycle, the water disappeared, a sign that the medication was working perfectly well. I never had any side effects. All this was a good example of the right diagnosis which subsequently resulted to the right treatment. This is a clear indication that with modern technology, you are likely to get the right diagnosis and with the right diagnosis you are likely to get the right medication, hence my emphasis on state of the art equipment.
With state of the art cancer equipment coupled with research and development of new modern cancer medicines, Zimbabwe must be known as the best country in the region for cancer treatment. People must come from the region for cancer treatment to Zimbabwe. This will help as these people, from other countries, will pay international fees for their cancer treatment thereby subsidising for those in Zimbabwe who cannot afford cancer treatment. It is also imperative for Government to come up with a cancer levy in line with the Aids levy.
The third and most important issue is Awareness programmes. Awareness programmes are essential. This is so because many people do not know about cancer. Hence, it has been established that in Africa, women only discover that they have breast or cervical cancer when their cancers are at stage four and this is advanced cancer which tends to be difficult and very expensive to treat. Awareness programs will help in that the majority of people will know they have cancer when the cancer is in early stages. It is cheaper and easier to treat cancer at its early stage. Whereas, it is difficult, complicated and very expensive to treat advanced cancer.
I am a living example because my cancer was at stage four. I had to do 18 cycles, one every week and each cycle was ranging from 2 000 pounds to 2 500 pounds every week. I was sometimes doing blood transfusion because my hemoglobin was low all the time because of chemotherapy. I would pay between £1 700 and £2 000. At times, I would do CT/Pet scans to establish the extent of the cancer. Whether cancer cells were being destroyed by the medication which cost £3 900, there were other costs for bloods, doctors’ fees and several others. How many people can afford this? The answer is very few.
All this is pointing to the fact that it is important to intensify awareness programs because once people are aware of this deadly disease, they will be able to get treatment early. Early detection and appropriate treatment do not only improve prognosis but it also reduces the cost of treatment. It is imperative for Government to partner with other organisations like the Thokozani Khupe Cancer Foundation and many others to do awareness programmes in all the 35 000 villages in Zimbabwe and all the towns so that cancer is dealt with at its early stages.
Our motto must be, "Early detection of cancer Saves Lives" I would like to applaud the First Lady Dr. Auxillia Mnangagwa for her efforts as the Health Ambassador by coming up with a hospital in Chitungwiza which will treat women and children diagnosed with cancer. I would like to thank her again for the screening programme through her mobile clinic. This is a good starting point and the programme must be accessible to as many women and children as possible throughout the whole country.
Her programme for encouraging citizens to eat traditional and nutritious foods is also plausible because if people eat more of these foods, chances are that they might not get cancer. One of my doctors in India said food is the best medicine. Once you have a nourished the body, it is not easy for one to be attacked by these diseases. When your body is malnourished you are likely to succumb to any disease.
Hon. Members of Parliament being diagnosed with cancer is not a death sentence. I am saying this so that citizens must never be afraid if ever they are confronted with such a situation. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011. In 2023, I had a second cancer attack which came like a thief without giving any notice. By the time I realised it, it had spread. With all this, I was never afraid because I knew that with God's grace and good medical attention, all was well.
I vowed that I was never going to allow cancer to take me down. I developed this fighting spirit and I am going to fight cancer to the end until it leaves my body. I know and believe that one day, my body will be free from cancer. This is the attitude that all those with cancer must have. I have so far gone through my first phase of treatment. I am now on my second phase of treatment but look at me, I am doing perfectly well. The only thing with cancer treatment is that they are good days and bad days. During the bad days side effects kick in and they are at times very unpleasant. This week is my bad week but l am managing.
I would like to conclude by alluding to the fact that let us collectively hold hands and unite towards the fight against cancer. According to the Cancer Association of Zimbabwe (CAZ), cancer is now acknowledged as a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Zimbabwe with over 7 500 new cancer cases and over 2 500 deaths being recorded per year. Cancer continues to be on the increase in Zimbabwe and most of the reported cases are diagnosed late. Cancer treatment must be available, accessible and affordable in Zimbabwe. It is far much better for one to travel from Binga to Mpilo Hospital for cancer treatment than for one to travel to India for treatment. It is equally better for one to travel from Chipinge to Parirenyatwa Hospital for cancer treatment than to travel to the United Kingdom for treatment.
Health is everyone's right. Every citizen must have access to health because a healthy nation produces and an unhealthy nation does not produce because half of the time workers will be down with different diseases. At the same time, no investor will come to a country with a high disease burden. This is pointing to the fact that Government must prioritize health and health must be health for all. I rest my case.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Khupe. Your motion moved the hearts of all Hon. Members in this august House. We would like to thank God who has made you well to the extent that you are in this House and leading us in this motion. Please continue to glorify his name. We would also want to thank your earthly benefactors led by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa and also the encouraging words about the excellent work that the First Lady is carrying out on the subject of cancer – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
HON. N. MGUNI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for allowing me to second this motion. Cancer, is the highest cause of deaths in Zimbabwe. Due to the non-accessibility and affordability of cancer treatment. As at 2020, Zimbabwe has a population of about 14 million or more, reported more than 16 000 cases and also reported more than 10 000 deaths. All stages of cancer can be cured, mostly stage one and stage two, hence the importance of strengthening awareness. When we talk of awareness, like she alluded to that the First Lady is encouraging us to eat traditional foods.
The food that we are eating now is so processed that it makes all our bodies use the immunity to fight against diseases. It is important to strengthen awareness as I say. This is achievable by the correct diagnosis like she said and the availability and affordability of chemotherapy, testimony to Dr. Khupe as we see her here today. I am positive that our country can manage this gruesome disease. We see in our NDS objectives, it says promoting new enterprise development, job creation, strengthening social infrastructure and social safety nets, to ensure sustainable environment, protection and resilience.
The SDGs as well, he says we aim to ensure healthy lives and promote well being for all. Vision 2030 seeks to fundamentally transform Zimbabwe to an upper middle-income economy, with a per capita gross national income of over USD5 000 in real terms by 2030. His Excellency, the President Hon. E. D. Mnangagwa has a clear roadmap of leaving no one behind. In this mantra, I believe that the new technology that we need to manage cancer is possible in our country.
HON. MAPIKI: My point of order is that if you look at the motion that has been raised by Dr. Khupe, I was crying but what is surprising is that female Members of Parliament on that side, no one even applauded what she was saying Mr. Speaker. I was saying that if there are fights, they should not be brought into this Parliament, but should end outside.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Member, we have been reminded by Hon. Ndudzo what a point of order means. We read from Standing Orders 65 which says a Member who is of the opinion that the rules of procedure that have been breached by another Member may raise a point of order. I do not know which rule you are banking on and it says on number 3, in raising a point of order, a Member shall cite the Standing Order Rule of procedure or practice which has been allegedly breached. We all agree in this room that we shall abide by the Standing Orders. There is no point of order, which point of order and rule of procedure?
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Order 98, Sub Section 1(d).
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Where has the 1(d) been violated?
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: The Hon. Member who just raised a point of order used offensive language when he was saying, Hon. Members on the left were not clapping. It is not professional Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: There is no point of order Honourable. I am actually surprised as a mature Member of Parliament that you can stand up for such a point of order. Please sit down.
HON. MGUNI: I thank His Excellency for his mantra of not leaving anyone behind. Mr. Speaker, this country is endowed with mineral resources and if we set our minds to it, Vision 2030 is achievable. With search priorities modern equipment can be acquired to diagnose and treat cancer at all stages and achieve the early dictation.
The equipment like it has been said before, the CT Scans, the pat and the blood samples. The blood samples are very important because even when you asymptomatic, you can detect the free radicals that are circulating in the blood system. Then the other machinery like the CT and the pat will assist us to detect where exactly the cancer is within one’s body. All these tests are very expensive and most people can not afford them as they range between US$1 200 to US$4 600.
Mr. Speaker, early detection like we said, saves life, hence awareness programmes that we have talked about. Awareness programmes should even be done by us the Honourable Members as we go to our constituencies. Our country has seen an increase build around the country. It is my hope that within these universities, we have scientists that can research because research is very important. It is paramount as it will help us to learn new technologies.
The problem with cancer cells is just like any micro-organisms. They mutate, they change with the environment. They can also mutate to an extent that they become immune to the treatment that is being given but with continuous research, we are able to detect, produce medicines that are less invasive to the body. The treatment of cancer as it is now kills both the cancer cells and the normal cells, hence the side effects that she was talking about.
On our Parliamentary visits sometime in 2017, we visited the Zambian Cancer Centre, where they were treating all Zambians for free and they said they had been taught by us on how to handle cancer persons. They were also taught by us on how to collect and unpack blood. Zambia at that time could afford all Zambians free blood. So, I am saying it is possible that with what we have in this country and the mantra of the President, all these things are possible and we can have machinery that can treat our people.
I will conclude by saying, a healthy person is an asset to himself, his family and to community. When a nation has healthy people, a healthy environment and a healthy mind sets, we can say that the nation is wealthy because all their efforts will be geared towards developing their economy and not towards fighting the disease. I thank you.
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you for giving me this opportunity to debate and contribute to this very important subject. I also want to thank Dr. Khupe. You are a hero because you are positive. Many people when they face cancer, they just breakdown, lose hope and surrender to the disease, but you remained focused. I remember in the 9th Parliament, when you came into Parliament and also raised this issue about cancer, you were celebrating as a survivor and the disease came back. It really wanted to take your soul, your heart, your courage away, but you stood your ground and here you are. We are with you and I am also very encouraged. I hope all of us here will go around encouraging people to take the same positive mind when they are faced with cancer.
I also want to thank the President of this country for realising that here we had a leader in our country, one member of our society faced with this disease and definitely with the costs that we have heard from her, nobody can afford that, but the Government came in to support one of our own and assisted her to fight against this dreadful disease. I want to say to Members here present, she is not the only one who is going to face cancer. As you grow and as you eat recklessly, you may also face cancer. You need the same Government system to help you through. Being Members of Parliament, you have that added advantage for Parliament to support you to request from the Head of State to help you fight the disease.
I am touched on what we sometimes feel when Government is being mentioned. It is like you are not supposed to give credit where it is due. We are all Zimbabweans and when we face a situation, it is the responsibility of Government to ensure that we get support and treatment. I want to ride on other Hon. Members suggestions that in these hospitals that we have, as Parliament, we need to move a motion or to recommend in the oncoming budget that we have a dedicated cancer hospital or cancer research centre where these diseases can be looked at and remedy can be found.
She is more of our doctor now because she was treated here. She also went to India and U. K. and met different doctors and received advices. She is more informed and I think you can be a cancer ambassador to these hospitals. This is because there are things that they may take for granted that you now know because of experience. You have lived that challenge of facing cancer and got advices from different medical practitioners on the subject. You can tell them which areas of research, which machinery or medication can be brought to Zimbabwe to assist the people of Zimbabwe.
Those who have relatives who have gone through cancer will tell you that once somebody is on stage 4, what you only give this person is palliative care and wait for the day. Here we have our Hon. Member testifying that she managed to go through with the correct diagnosis. Other countries have researched on the cancer challenge. She was treated and she is improving. We are hopeful Dr. Khupe that God is going to help you through and you will gain your strength.
I really stood up to talk about this because she moved my heart and I am very proud of you and I will pray for you as well. I think everybody here will pray for you. It is not me but given your knowledge and the Trust that you have formed and His Excellency, the First Lady is also running a programme like that. If you can collaborate and work together, we will all benefit as people of Zimbabwe. It is the information and when you are walking and enjoying your life, you may not know that in your body cancer is developing.
When you are diagnosed late, it may be too late. She is lucky and maybe God loves you. She is supposed to be our living testimony. God gave you life for that and please work for all the people of Zimbabwe who can be challenged by cancer. Help them to understand what you have gone through and how they can fight the disease. It will be important and it will help a lot of our people survive cancer. We have got a living testimony. I think we would want a session which is not a sitting, where we can sit together and you can help us because we start lying to each other when somebody has cancer.
They say wakaroiwa by some old woman or old man in your area or you were poisoned and so forth. We have very little knowledge about this disease. If we can have this information the way she has explained and the other Hon. Member has debated, it will be good for us and we can take that to our communities and help our people live, survive cancer and seek treatment and maybe extend their life. I thank you Mr. Speaker.
*HON. GANYIWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Let me add a few words on this debate which has been raised by Hon. Dr. Khupe who has opened our eyes on the cancer disease which is a menace in our country. I want to respond to what the Hon. Member has said. He has levelled the ground for all of us that no matter what we face, we are the same. I think you should help me to thank the President for the work that he did. All the parties should thank the President. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] -
I am happy because everyone has thanked the President because the elders say that you do not lose sleep over someone else’s troubles. If you do not acknowledge small things that people do, next time it will befall you and you will need the assistance. I have learnt a lot of things and how to prevent cancer. I have seen the importance of the work that the First Lady is doing of taking us back to our traditional food which was referred to by Hon. Dr. Khupe that good healthy food is important in our bodies and it chases away cancer formations.
It means it is something which we should embrace and not only leave it to the First Lady. As representatives of the people, we should join her programme because it will help us to conquer cancer in our nation. She also talked about having new hospitals and also help those who do research, that money should be put aside for that. Us as the august House, we should lobby so that there should be a fund which will look into cancer issues because if people are affected by cancer, very few people will survive. We should put our heads together because it is clear that a healthy country is a wealthy country, so we should also advocate for more money to be put towards health during our budget. I have stood up that we should thank our President for what he has done because I look forward to also enjoying the services. The Chief Whip also said that it is good because we also want to enjoy those services. When you get sick, you will find that being partisan does not work. Some will think that Dr. Khupe is praising the President because she got help and she is weak politically, but you can be a politician if you are only healthy. If the President superceded party politics so that the life of a person is important, it is a lesson, so we should learn from him. This did not start recently; it is his character because the former Prime Minister Tsvangirai also got the same help from the President, which means that he has people at heart. We do not become partisan in times of challenges. I think we should learn to be thankful. I thank you.
*THE. ACTING SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Ganyiwa.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker.
*THE ACTING SPEAKER: What is your point of order because we are saying, which rule are you referring to in terms of Standing Rules and Orders?
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Yes. Order 65 subsection 3. It is the duty of former serving members of Government to get free medical assistance. It is something which has already been legislated. I want to correct that narrative. There is a narrative that the President is the one who is giving medication, it is not correct. It is provided in the law.
*THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Member, when Dr. Khupe was debating, she expressed gratitude that she was served from death. She is the one who thanked the President, she thanked a lot of people, but she also thanked the President, so those are the words which were being repeated by others, so there is no point of order.
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you Mr. Speaker, I move that debate do now adjourn.
HON. NYANORO: I second Mr. Speaker.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday 23rd July, 2024.
On the motion of HON. TOGAREPI, seconded by HON. NYANDORO, the House adjourned at Nineteen Minutes to Six o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 23rd July, 2024.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 18th July, 2024
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE
APOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM MINISTERS
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Good afternoon Hon. Ministers and Senators. In terms of Standing Orders, today is time for questions in the Senate. As usual, we start with questions without notice. It is also becoming a norm; I have a long list of apologies tendered by some Ministers and they are as follows;
Hon. Sen. M. Mutsvangwa, Minister of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development; Hon. J. Mhlanga, Deputy Minister of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development; Hon. D. Garwe, Minister of Local Government and Public Works; Hon. K. L. Coventry, Minister of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture; Hon. Z. Ziyambi, Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs; Hon. B. Rwodzi, Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Hon. O.C.Z. Muchinguri-Kashiri, Minister of Defence; Hon. E. Moyo, Minister of Energy and Power Development; Hon. A. Murwira, Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development; Hon. S.G.G. Nyoni, Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife; Hon. John Paradza, Deputy Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife; Hon. F.M. Shava, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade; Hon. S. Chikomo, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Hon. V. P. Haritatos, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement; Hon. S. Kwidini, Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Hon. M. Dinha, Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare and Hon. P. Kambamura, Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development.
Present in the Chamber today are as follows; Hon. Mavima, Minister of Skills Audit and Development; Hon. Modi, Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce, Hon. Gata, Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Hon. Musa Ncube, Deputy Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities; Hon. Jesaya, Deputy Minister of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture; Hon. Kabikira, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Public Works. Hon. Ministers, you are welcome.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
HON. SEN. SHIRI: Thank you Mr. President. My question is directed to the Honourable Minister of Skills Audit and Development, Prof. Mavhima. Professor, what plans do you have as a Ministry to uplift people with disabilities in their diversity so that they acquire skills that can help them to get employment? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF SKILLS AUDIT AND DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Mr. President for that good question from Hon. Shiri. Hon. Shiri, you know always that Government is following the Constitution of this country that speaks about people’s rights, everyone’s rights and also makes reference to the rights of people living with disabilities. It is in the Constitution and it also speaks to us as the Ministry of Skills Audit. We have since started a programme that focuses on all Vocational Training Centres that are meant to cater for the rights of people living with disabilities. We are going there to audit if they have all the necessary facilities in order for them to provide education and the requisite skills for people living with disabilities. We are looking at the equipment and facilities at these institutions. We are also looking at the teachers themselves if they are enough and if they have the requisite qualifications. We expect this report to be out by September or latest October. We will put our recommendations to the Ministries that they should look after, the rights of people living with disabilities. These include the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, the Ministry of Youth Empowerment and Vocational Training and the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, who should figure out what must be done to ensure that people living with disabilities are empowered with the necessary skills for their survival. This is the current programme that we have as a Ministry. Firstly, we are looking at the training institutions because we know the importance of the people living with disabilities and that they are a priority. We also know the obligations given to Government by the Constitution in order to empower people living with disabilities.
HON. SEN GWATURE: My supplementary question to the Minister is, what programmes do they have in place to find out where people living with disabilities are located in this country? Whose duty is it to find where they are living and what needs they have? I thank you.
HON. PROF. MAVIMA: Thank you Mr. President. I would also like to thank the Hon. Senator for the question. If it is about skills development of people living with disabilities, it is under my Ministry, the Skills Audit and Development Ministry. We are supposed to find out where people living with disabilities are and find out their needs for skills development. However, as you know, the biggest mandate of ensuring the livelihoods of people with disabilities lies with the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. We will be working with them and we expect to get information from them to tell us where they are located and the skills that they need for their development. We will be behind them to ensure that where there is need for their skills development, we will be able to get that information from the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. That is the Ministry that is central to the coordination of people living with disabilities.
+HON. SEN. M. NDLOVU: My question is directed to the Minister of Local Government. Bulawayo residents, especially those residing in Cowdry Park want to know if there are any measures that have been put in place for them to get their title deeds as they do not have title deeds for the areas, they are occupying in Cowdry Park.
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. KABIKIRA): Thank you for the question Hon. Senator. That question should be addressed to the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities. It does not apply to the Ministry of Local Government.
+THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF NATIONAL HOUSING AND SOCIAL AMENITIES (HON. M. NCUBE): I will take the opportunity to extend my thanks to Hon. Senator Ndlovu for the question that pertains to residents in Cowdry Park. Following the passing of the Constitution in 2013, Government has seen it fit that every citizen in Zimbabwe is issued with shelter. Looking at the issue of Cowdry Park, the Ministry is currently looking at the issue of providing and issuing title deeds to the residents of Cowdry Park.
His Excellency the, President, Cde. E. D. Mnangagwa, issued title deeds to residents of Epworth suburb in Harare and in the same way, Cowdry Park is also one of the residential areas that has been earmarked for the provision and issuance of title deeds. I can say that Cowdry Park, Caledonia and Gimboki are some of the areas that are earmarked for the provision of title deeds. As a Ministry, we are expecting that by the end of this year, we would have issued title deeds to substantial number of residents across the country.
HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: I want to find out from the Minister of Industry and Commerce what Government policy he has put in place for the resuscitation of industries, especially those in Bulawayo which closed due to lack of resources and what assistance the Ministry is giving to those industries so that we will be in line with Vision 2030 of resuscitating all industries. Can the Minister please inform the House what policies he has put in place and what he has done so far if there are any industries that have been resuscitated?
Before I sit down, I would also want to applaud the Ministry for the Manhize Project which I saw yesterday on television. I think our country is going to benefit a lot and get the much-needed foreign currency.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE (HON. MODI): As a Ministry, we have a $20 million facility for retooling the industries. Those who are in need of financial assistance can come forward and we are ready to distribute that fund to them. If there is anyone with a particular industry that they have in mind, they can contact us so that we can facilitate a loan for them.
HON. SEN. KUNAKA: To the Minister of Health and in his absence, may I direct the question to the Leader of Government Business? What plans does Government have in place to curb the scourge of unsafe abortions in line with the provisions of the law?
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PRESIDENTIAL AFFAIRS IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET (HON. SEN. MATUKE): We have some laws that prohibit people from committing unsafe abortions. Abortion can only be authorised through a medical doctor, given the circumstances surrounding the condition of the person who wants to abort, any abortion which is done outside that is against the laws of the country. If there are such cases, they can be reported to the police. It is not allowed for somebody just to abort for no apparent reason.
HON. SEN. KADUNGURE: Minister of Transport and Infrastructure development, what steps are being taken to enforce speed limits imposed on buses and heavy trucks that are causing many accidents in the country resulting in the death of innocent citizens?
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Let me thank Hon. Sen. Kadungure for that very important question which is very emotional. The rate at which we are losing precious lives is quite worrisome in this country where we are witnessing on average five to six accidents every day. Given the numbers that we have as a nation, we cannot continue losing such precious lives and I am just talking of fatalities. We are also having those who are injured and they also have dependants. I am happy Hon. Senator that you talked about the measures that we are taking as Government. With the promulgation of Statutory Instrument 18:2023, which became effective on 1st January, 2024, we were managing those in the Public Service vehicles business to have gadgets to monitor speed. This is what we are doing as a Ministry, where we are mandating the trucks and buses so that they have these gadgets in place.
We have seen that regardless of what we are doing, as a mitigatory measure, we still find those errand drivers, those problematic drivers who practice indiscipline when it comes to driving. I have always said to the people of Zimbabwe, the moment you are on the road, it does not matter whether you are right or wrong, you must know that you are not driving your own vehicle and the sanctity of life is no longer being respected where we are witnessing that drivers are driving under the influence of substances and drugs. At times they are on their mobile phones. So, we are not ending there.
Through Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe, we are raising the awareness so that we continue educating people, but we cannot do it alone as a Ministry, which I therefore, call for people of Zimbabwe so that we must take charge of our safety on our roads and we continue with enforcement, through VID. I also engaged my counterpart where we are working closely with the Minister of Home Affairs so that we have joint operations, the police and VID. Above all, to also allay fears of the august House that we have seen that the burden is on the fiscus and we cannot continue, we are in the process of coming up with a Road Accident Fund, where now we have tabled it before Cabinet and it is within the Cabinet Committee to go through the principles so that the burden is not on the State where we have seen that those that were injured, at times their dependence will suffer. Those with fatalities might be bread-winners, the families are also suffering. So, precisely we are working on that modality so that we can also have a Road Accident Fund in place.
My humble plea is that as we then move towards August, Heroes, I appeal to the people of Zimbabwe to say, we are losing precious lives on our roads and we cannot continue. I therefore, humbly request that as we drive, let us exercise due caution and know that once we lose life, we will not get it back. I thank you.
+HON. SEN. NDEBELE: Thank you Mr. President Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Transport. As Zimbabwe, we expect an influx of visitors, particularly tourists to view our endowed resources. We also expect that they will be interested in visiting places outside urban centres. They may also be interested in visiting our traditional centres to see how people used to live culturally. The road to Victoria Falls from Harare via Lupane is 870 km. Harare-Kwekwe-Lupane, it is 685 km. Harare-Bulawayo to Victoria Falls, it is 877 km, that is 192 km difference. What can be done Hon. Minister, to ensure that we have easy passage on roads that lead to such areas that will be of tourists’ attraction, including resort areas like Binga, Hwange and Victoria Falls? What are the plans in terms of ensuring that these roads are repaired and made easy and accessible?
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Hon. Senator for that very important question, which is touching basically on our tourist centres. I think it is very important because in terms of growth as a country, we also rely on tourism. I am happy to unpack what we are doing in terms of strategy and in terms of implementation matrix regarding visiting and trafficability to such very important tourist centres.
She is very right in terms of connecting Victoria Falls. If you use Kwekwe, it is much faster and it is shorter. We are having that road from Kwekwe-Lupane-Nkayi, Nkayi- Lupane, where we are partnering with a private player and we are seized now with trying to finalise the agreement and the private player is going to be working on the entire stretch. Not only that, even the Victoria Falls Road, we are taking it from Beitbridge via Bulawayo, then Bulawayo-Victoria Falls, which covers approximately 760 km from that end of Beitbridge.
I am happy again to say to the august House, we now have a partner, where we are just finalising on the funding modalities but we have agreed in principle, after we have flighted a tender for that particular stretch. I am happy that the contractor is going to be working on that particular stretch and I can say to the august House, the contractor is there already. You have seen them working on some of the sections of our roads, like the one that we are looking at now from this very magnificent building, which is the boulevard. We are saying that same contractor would take the road from Beitbridge and have been working on some of the sections on our Harare-Beitbridge Road. We are going to be rehabilitating/reconstructing.
As we know that the Victoria Falls Road was constructed during 1960/1961 and it is old and tired, it is weaker, we cannot continue attending to the potholes where we now need to reconstruct the entire road. We are going to do precisely what we are doing on the Harare-Beitbridge, where you will see us reconstructing the entire road and widening the road at 12.5 metres from the current 7 metres that it is. This will allow easy trafficability of our tourists to Victoria Falls. Also, the ease of doing business; this is why we are there as a Ministry to promote ease of doing business. We are saying to the nation and to the people of Matebeleland in particular, you are not going to be left behind. I have been hearing that we are not looking at that particular road, but we can say it is at the centre of the Ministry. It is on the priority list of the Ministry, where Victoria Falls as you know that soon after the SADC event, where we are now seized on a number of major roads here, we are going to be descending on very two major roads. I will be in a position to give details very soon.
I can just highlight that we will also have another major road, which is Bulawayo-Nkayi, where we are going to be doing the entire stretch. Yes, we had earmarked five km this year, but we are going to be doing the entire stretch, working closely again with the private sector. So, we have got a number of roads that we are working on, taking cognisant of the fact that for anyone to do business, you need a good road. For you to visit, whether it is socially or it is for tourist purposes, you also need a good road. I thank you.
HON. SEN. CHIEF MATHUPULA: Thank you very much Mr. President and to the Minister of Roads for a well answered question. He spoke about Matebeleland in particular and I was waiting to hear if there are any plans for the road to Tsholotsho which connects Bulawayo with Hwange National Park on the Tsholotsho side, which is also a tourist destination. Any plans, public partnerships for the fixing of the road to Tsholotsho?
HON. MHONA: Thank you Mr. President Sir. Culturally, when the Chief has spoken, you just need to do precisely what the Chief has directed. I want to assure the Hon. Sen. Chief Matupula that the road is very important. . If you remember last year, we touched on a 5km; Bulawayo-Tsholotsho, Bulawayo-Kezi, Maphisa but it is not enough.
The fact that roads were neglected for years, even if you do 5km, it might not do well but we know that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step and we just need to do that. I am grateful that under the 2nd Republic being championed by His Excellency, Cde Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, we started doing our roads and I want to assure the Hon. Senator Chief Mathupula that, yes, Bulawayo-Tsholotsho, Bulawayo-Nkezi, Maphisa, Gwanda, we have those but like I said I will bring a detailed report of what we are doing in terms of managing roads.
I just cited those two Nkayi and Victoria Falls since they have been in the public domain for some time. I understand some of these roads lead to some of our great leaders where they were coming from their rural areas. We also need to respect that they contributed significantly and I am sure Mr. President, you were together in the army, in the liberation struggle with some of these stalwarts that we also need to make sure we respect them even if they are gone, may their souls rest in peace. We are descending on a number of roads, not necessarily looking at a region, but we will cover the entire nation equitably as we get our resources. Thank you.
*HON. SEN. MUPFUMIRA: My question is directed to the Minister of Transport and we really thank him for the sterling job that is taking place on our roads, especially in the capital city, Harare. I suppose these programmes had timelines that were set, like Harare – Chirundu, Copa Queen – Sanyati, especially to Kanyaga that you know are my concern. Are they not going to be affected by these projects that are taking place here? If you travel going to what we used to call, Great North, as soon as you leave Harare, there was a ground breaking ceremony and we celebrated the Harare – Chirundu Road. However, if you travel on that road right now, it is now down. Is it being affected by the budget, but the budget is different?
Looking at the tourism aspect, Karoi- Binga Road which takes us to Victoria Falls for us from Mashonaland West, what is the progress now although we do appreciate what you are doing? Some of the people that we represent are not aware of all this progress and developments and continue asking us, especially the Kanyaga Road where we continuously find ourselves at loggerheads with the people. What is the budget and what are the timelines, as well as the Karoi Binga Road? Where is it right now? We really appreciate you and what you are doing, especially attending the House explaining and responding to questions. If there was an award, I would hand it to you for that. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Perhaps, what you need to do is to come with your schedule of what you want to do because obviously, you cannot do everything at once and you need to prioritise your infrastructure development, but I will not talk on your behalf.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): It is true that and like you indicated, I will come to this House with detailed list of roads, but I will say I am free to respond to questions for those who want to find the progress. With the years that I spent in the Ministry, I now appreciate some of the roads where the Hon. Members come from. Hon. Senator Mupfumira is referring to Alaska Copa Queen Road. I know that road is very central to her constituency. Unfortunately, we are unable to get loans like other countries because of the sanctions.
Indeed, if we were another country, we would be really struggling on our knees right now, but I appreciate your contributions, especially the ones that you make by paying your dues through the tollgates. So, the Harare- Chirundu Road, if you consider, it starts at the Harare Post Office and we have since started this road. As you can see, this is the road that you use up to Westgate. We are going to develop this road into four lanes up to Inkomo and we will proceed further. As you know, according to our culture, we are trying very hard at the moment to clean up our house to cater for the visitors who will be coming in the next three or so weeks. After the visitors have gone, we will proceed with our business as usual and we will look into other projects.
Right now, as you can see, we have since opened some of the roads or lanes that we had closed but in the next fourteen days I can assure you that we will open a lot of roads leading to the Parliament. We had paused some of the projects whilst we concentrated on these major ones but after this event, I can assure you that we will proceed. As you are aware, according to the mantra of the President, Cde. E. D. Mnangagwa the country is built by its owners. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Can we make our questions direct and to the point so that as many of us can table questions.
HON. SEN. ZINDI: My question is directed to the Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce. May the Deputy Minister explain the flip flopping on the policy regarding importation of second hand vehicles? I think it is just yesterday or two days ago, I read in the media that the ban on 10-year old second hand vehicles had been lifted. Furthermore, is the Minister, in his opinion, not seeing that this policy somehow is discriminatory in as far as Zimbabweans are concerned. The policy is only applicable to civil servants. Even though I am not against the idea that civil servants should actually benefit on that policy to import second hand vehicles. Why would it not be extended to all Zimbabweans, particularly when I see that civil servants are already gainfully employed and the rest of Zimbabweans are unemployed, but can afford to import, they should also be accorded that status.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE (HON. MODI): Thank you Hon. President Sir. The policy just came out recently. I agree with you but I do not have much information regarding why it is only for the civil servants. If you can put the question in writing, I will give you comprehensive answer.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Senator Zindi, can you put your question in writing so that you can get a response.
HON. SEN. MUZODA: Thank you Mr. President. My question is directed to the leader of the House. The Auditor General’s Report, 2023 has exposed a lot of corruption and financial mismanagement where at times goods procured are not delivered. What measures are being taken by the Government to address the financial mismanagement and corruption exposed in the Report? Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PRESIDENTIAL AFFAIRS IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET (HON. SEN. MATUKE): Mr. President, I want to thank the Hon. Member for a very important question and that Government deals with these issues case by case. I am sure Government is going to take action against those corrupt tendencies. The approach is case by case not collectively. There are different individuals who committed those crimes. Finally, I am sure they are going to implement and make sure that they are taken to book.
HON. SEN. CHIEF CHIKWAKA: Thank you Mr. President, may you please allow me to pose my question to the Leader of Government Business. We have war veterans who fought in the liberation struggle and buried in various areas in provinces and districts. We continuously request for the sprucing of those areas so that they are not like people who are neglected. We are not getting any response, what is Government saying about their children? What is Government doing to the combatants and their children, some of them are dying? They also need compensation and to be looked after. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PRESIDENTIAL AFFAIRS IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET (HON. SEN. MATUKE): I would like to thank the Hon. Sen. Chief, it is a very important question. We should show respect to the people who fought and died for this country. The Government, through our President Mnangagwa, set up a Ministry responsible for war veterans led by a War Veteran. The aim is to ensure that some of those issues like the ones you are referring to may be prioritised so that they may ensure that all those areas are looked after. If you look at what was happening, the President started with earlier battles such as Phuphu where he visited and showed the appreciation of people who fought in that war and ensure that they are given the necessary appreciation. If you also look at Kangoma, Gutu, Masvingo, the President also went to that area and paid homage to those people who lost their lives as they fought in the liberation struggle.
Mr. President, that is a symbol that Government prioritises people who did such a wonderful job. In Mount Darwin, the President, two years ago at Independence also did that. Now coming back to the issue of non-combatants who are supposed to get gratuities, they are now all dying but there is a programme that was done for the Mujibas and Chimbwidos. It was a vetting programme so that we have a register to enable Government to sit down and come up with a package for gratuity but you realise that as we go to the Heroes day this year in August, most of them that were vetted and certified that they were indeed war collaborators and detainees or restrictees, all the Ministers of State in the ten provinces will be issuing out certificates of appreciation for the role played by the war collaborators as well as other comrades who were not rewarded when the process was done. The President assigned people to ensure that the job is completed. This year we expect that indeed we will have a very huge figure and from next year, we expect the war collaborators to also be awarded medals, especially the war collaborators. After that, since we now have the register of all of them, Government will then come up with a package to assist them, taking into cognisance availability of resources. I thank you.
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in terms of Standing Order No 67.
HON. SEN. MAKAMBA: I propose that the time for Questions without Notice be extended by 20 minutes.
HON. SEN. FANUEL: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Kazembe, did you want to ask a question?
THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE (HON. KAZEMBE): No Mr. President. I was enjoying the responses by the Leader of Government Business which were well laid out. But to add on to the response, I would like to say that this issue affects a lot of us, including some of us who did not go to the liberation struggle. Yes indeed, there are some who are still buried out there in the bushes and it is as if we have forgotten that there are people who sacrificed their lives. But we really appreciate the work that is being done and that is why the President is going to the various monuments. As the Ministry of Home Affairs, Monuments and Museums, we have been tasked to look after such areas as Chimoyo, Zambia and Angola. There are a lot of areas where the freedom fighters are buried. We have since sent our technical teams to consider what work is supposed to be done and Treasury has promised funding to work on those areas. So, it is work in progress but at an advanced stage.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHIKWAKA: It is very good indeed that we are able to help each other. I really appreciate the response given by the two Ministers but if you heard what I said, sometimes it is as if the impact of the efforts may not be seen. I agree that in the districts, there are such areas that are known to have freedom fighters buried there. So, what I am saying is that they are in a sorry state but if you go to the National Heroes Acre, everyone can see that there are heroes buried there. If you go to districts and other areas, they are in a sorry state yet they did a great job. I thank you.
*HON. KAZEMBE: Let me thank the chief for his question. I might have omitted other areas by mentioning areas that are only out of Zimbabwe. I have also visited the local shrines and they are not in a good state. The challenges that we have is with funding. We draw water from the same communal well. It is not as if we do not respect our liberators but it is all about funding. I heard the Minister of Transport saying he is just trying to clean up the roads and once it is done and the visitors are gone, then he will take it slow. We are in the same boat and we are in the same queue. Now, we are also thinking outside the box on how best we can get funding to spruce up such shrines in the districts and provincial heroes’ acres. We know what is supposed to be done. The manpower to do it is there but the challenge is funding. We are now trying to look for another source of funding to carry out that mandate. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: My question is directed to the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development. He talked about skilled manpower in the Ministry of Health. What plans does the Minister have to ensure that we have technology in the health sector? I thank you.
* THE MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY EDUCATION, INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you President of the Senate and Hon. Senator Zvidzai for the question. As he has mentioned, it is true that skilled people are few in the Ministry of Health and skilled manpower is few in regards to the doctor-nurse-patient ratios and other various skills or skilled personnel within the same Ministry. I would also want to bring the attention of this august House, that this is not the only area that does not have skilled manpower. In 2018, we did a critical skills audit and it showed us that even in agriculture, there were less skilled manpower which was at about 90%. We also looked at the area of engineering and other areas and we found out that there was also manpower shortage.
After we had been given work to look into the issue of manpower in this country, we went back to find out what position we were now in and if there have been any changes since 2018. We are now through with the initial process of the consultations. So, what is required at the moment is to come up with documents and recommendations on what each department and sections can be done in order to improve skills in the relevant areas and what type of people should we be training and what should our training schools be doing. Are they able to quickly train such personnel? Do they have all the required facilities, equipment and the teachers so that we make such recommendations? What also is required is that as Zimbabwe, we should know that for us to retain this skilled manpower, especially those that are in the health sector, the majority of them have left the country, if you go to England, Australia and New Zealand, you will find a lot of Zimbabwean nurses and doctors who were trained in Zimbabwe.
As a country, we need to put our hands together, unite and see how best we can further develop our economy. We must also focus on the President’s NDS1 and NDS2 as we gravitate towards Vision 2030 and leave unnecessary arguments and build the economy. Once the economy has been developed even our children who have left this country will come back and give expert service to their country. Those that are trained will remain in here and we will build a reservoir of required skills and capacities for the further development of our country. We are doing recommendations that are sector specific in order to develop such skills but at the same time, we should know that they can only be living in this country if our economy is built. Let us build our economy as our President has always said. I thank you.
HON. SEN. CHAKABUDA: My question is directed to the Minister of Energy and Power Development. What is the electricity situation in our country as we are seeing a lot of power outages?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. SIMBANEGAVI): I can start by saying our electricity situation right now is very normal under the circumstance that we are operating in. As you know Hon. Senator, this year we have an El Nino and this has greatly affected the water levels at Kariba Dam, which is affecting our generating capacity in terms of hydro-electricity. It is also winter and therefore many people are using a lot of electricity in domestic set ups. This is also giving rise to fluctuations in electricity consumption because the usage of electricity in winter is very high.
We are in the season of winter cropping. The capacity of generation that we were giving to our farmers has increased this year. In the previous seasons, we used to supply around 120MW, but this year it has increased to 260MW. This has also now reduced the amount of electricity that is going to domestic set ups. We have to appreciate that in the New Dispensation, our economy has improved so much that our industry sector has also grown. The burden on the supply of electricity has grown.
What we have done as the Ministry is that we are looking to other ways of improving the electricity that we are generating as a nation. We have now come up with a policy of incentivising independent power producers to supplement the amount of electricity that we are generating. We are now encouraging and licencing independent power producers who can now setup solar power plants on their own, which they can then put into the national grid to increase our electricity supply.
We are also encouraging the industrial sector to come up with their own mini grids that they can use for themselves at their own factories. We are even encouraging domestic users to use green energy that is to put up solar systems at their own homes. We have improved the awareness on the use of liquid petroleum gas in industries and domestic system where we are now saying whereas a person can be using electricity for lighting, they can use gas stoves to cook in order to reduce the burden of electricity on the national grid. I thank you.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: We would like to hear what the Minster is saying about alternative means of energy. May the Minster please tell the House what they are doing about harnessing wind power because we know that there are a lot of high-speed winds in the country, higher than what is in United Kingdom, but the United Kingdom is already using wind power? What is the Ministry doing about wind power? I thank you.
HON. SIMBANEGAVI: Thank you Mr. President. What we have done as Government is, we have now embarked on massive research in terms of the alternative energy sources as you have said, and wind energy is one of those that we are looking into. We are actually expecting to be attending a seminar where the use of wind and generation of energy using wind is going to be topical. However, I want to be very honest with you and say that most of this is still under research. We are looking into affordable systems of how we can harness this wind so that if our people are going to be using these, especially at their own farms or the factories, these are going to be very cost effective. When they invest in these systems, it is not going o be burdensome on their level of investment. It is still very much under research. As you have said, it is also something that we have taken note of to make sure that the abundant source of wind that we have is something that we can harness to make sure that we improve our energy supply. Thank you.
HON. SEN. MLILO: Thank you Mr. President. My question is directed to the Minister of Health but in his absence, I will direct it to the Leader of the House. Who is in charge of the medical aid society in Zimbabwe because we are facing so many questions in our areas? When you consult doctors, the doctors say that you should pay cash upfront before you can go to the medical aid society, so that they give you your funds back. This is a very difficult situation for the patients. What is the reason for this to the Minister?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR PRESIDENTIAL AFFAIRS IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET (HON. SEN. MATUKE): First and foremost, I would want the Hon. Member to know that we have several Medical Aid Societies. The medical aid society that we can talk about which is associated with Government workers is PSMAS. We contribute towards that society. Previously, bank charges were going up, we expect that things are going to become more stable because of the present currency that we now have, unlike in the past, when we had an unstable currency that tended to fluctuate daily. So the manner in which these various medial aids were operating in was difficult to an extent that they were no longer accepting the ZWL currency. The ZWL had its challenges in that the exchange rate was constantly moving up due to inflation.
However, since the advent of the ZiG, in April to date, our currency has shown that it is strong. Therefore, it will assist us in stabilising our economy. This will be the panacea to the challenges that were being experienced by medical aid societies and their beneficiaries. Exchange volatility for the local currency will now be a thing of the past, such that gone are the days when a beneficiary contributes money towards medical aid and three months down the line the society is unable to provide the service that the beneficiary has paid for.
Even our supermarkets had similar challenges due to inflation in terms of prices. Prices were being changed will-nilly, which led to the people complaining. During this period of exchange volatility, people were reluctant to accept our currency. As a result, medical aid societies and their beneficiaries suffered as their contributions were constantly being eroded by inflation. This is a pertinent question. It is being looked into. I thank you.
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE, in terms of Standing Order Number 67.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
ISSUANCE OF PRIMARY DOCUMENTS TO ORPHANS AND DEPENDANTS OF GUKURAHUNDI
VICTIMS
- HON SEN. RITTA NDLOVU asked the Minister of Home
Affairs and Cultural Heritage to inform the Senate what progress the Ministry has made in terms of the issuance of primary documents to orphans and dependants of victims who lost their parents during the Gukurahundi era.
THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE (HON. KAZEMBE): Thank you Mr. President Sir. I would like to thank the Hon. Senator for such a pertinent question. His Excellency the President, Hon. Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa initiated the Gukurahundi engagement and chiefs were asked to carry out consultations, within their areas of jurisdiction to get information on those requiring primary documents. In fact, I attended that meeting, it was in agreement between the chiefs and His Excellency the President that the chiefs should spearhead this process as they are the ones who know their areas and their people. They are the rightful people to spearhead or to lead in this exercise.
This exercise was yet to commence pending the official launch which was done over the weekend. However, the Ministry, through the Department of Civil Registry, carried out a nationwide mobile registration exercise which resulted in more than 3 million people receiving identification documents of one form or the other. His Excellency the President, Hon. Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, even directed the Department of Civil Registry not to ask too many questions and even waived the fees to ensure that no one and no place was left behind.
Over and above that, it may also be worthwhile to inform the Hon. Sen. that my Ministry through the Civil Registry Department, is currently working towards capacitating traditional leaders in the implementation of active notification for community births and deaths. Currently, this programme is being piloted in Manicaland and Matabeleland North Provinces. A total of 5 970 village heads have been trained. The programme will be rolled out to the remaining provinces very soon.
ESTABLISHMENT OF A POLICE STATION AT CHIKANGA PHASE 1 SUBURB
- HON. SEN. ZINDI asked the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage to inform the Senate, whether the Ministry will consider establishing a police station in Chikanga Phase 1 suburb to curb the drug and substance abuse and other rampant criminal activities?
THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND CULTURAL HERITGE (HON. KAZEMBE): Thank you Mr. President Sir. Allow me to also thank Hon. Sen. Zindi for that very important question.
Mr. President Sir, as I already alluded to, I would like to thank the Hon. Senator. My Ministry wishes to inform the Senate that Chikanga Phase 1 is policed by Chikanga Police Station. Currently, all police deployments to Chikanga Phase 1 are being done from ZRP Chikanga. As a Ministry, we are equally concerned about increased drug and substance abuse, not only in Chikanga Phase 1 but in the other areas across the entire country.
This is the reason why the Police is undertaking ongoing operations to bust drug peddling and syndicates, suffice to say efforts through increased foot and motorised patrols are being made to prevent crime in general.
In Chikanga Phase 1’s target, the reins are being conducted to turn
drug and substance abuse. More-so, crime awareness campaigns are being held consistently to conscientise the public on the dangers of drug and substance abuse. Given the extensive developments in terms of human settlement that we are witnessing within the jurisdiction of ZRP Chikanga, it is not far-fetched that in the near future, considerations will be made to establish police posts in places such as this one when resources permitting, where it will be difficult to base self-residence from the main police station. I so submit.
MEASURES TO BENCHMARK THE SUCCESS OF COUNCILS AND OTHER LOCAL AUTHORITIES
- HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA asked the Minister of Local
Government and Public Works to inform the Senate;
a) The measures that the Ministry has put in place to benchmark the success of councils and other local authorities; and
b) To explain to the House who the competent authority to monitor and evaluate the devolution of councils is.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. KABIKIRA): Thank you so much
Mr. President Sir. I would like to thank Hon. Sen. Mlotshwa for asking
this very important question.
In pursuant of the call to action, no compromise to service delivery,
the blueprint by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of
Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, on the 1st of November 2023, the
Ministry is seized with the implementation of the blueprint. As you are
all aware, the document is a clarion call of all local authorities to
provide the requisite services to their respective communities efficiently.
Section E of the blueprint focuses on the establishment of minimum service delivery levels. It is further clarified that Government is working with Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe as well as Association of Rural District Councils of Zimbabwe in developing minimum service delivery standard to be achieved by all local authorities. Each local authority is expected to operate within the provisions of the law and to the minimum service delivery standards.
Mr. President Sir, furthermore, an expectorate department will be
established in the Ministry with a view of ensuring that local authorities comply with the set standards. To this end, the Ministry is in the final stages of producing the minimum service delivery standards for local authorities. Service standards have been developed for the following areas;
- we have water supply standards,
- waste water management standard,
- solid waste management,
- roads and public safety,
- corporate governance, and
- environment and safety management.
Madam President, let me highlight to you that in our Ministry, we have a department of Local Authorities that oversees the operations of both rural and urban local authorities. It has the mandate to monitor, evaluate and supervise the operations of all 92 local authorities. I submit.
COMPENSATION OF ZIMBABWE HOMELESS PEOPLE’S FEDERATION IN DANGAMVURA
- HON. SEN ZINDI asked the Minister of Local Government and Public Works to inform the Senate when the Ministry will consider availing land to compensate the Zimbabwe Homeless People’s Federation in Dangamvura whose bona fide owners lost their land 14 years ago and have been settled illegally in Mahalape for the past eight years.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. KABIKIRA): I would want to thank Hon. Sen. Zindi for that important question. Allow me to start by giving just a short brief. Around 2012, the City of Mutare allocated land to the Homeless Federation, an organisation that aimed at providing affordable housing to the less privileged members of the society. The organisation was expected to prepare a lay-out plan, survey as well as to service the stands in line with the council’s standards and then allocate the stands to its members. A committee was appointed to manage the affairs of the project.
Madam President, the organisation managed to prepare the lay-out, surveyed all the stands as per the lay-out plan and went on to service Phase One of the scheme with 147 residential stands, which include the water reticulation which was at 100%. Sewer reticulation was also at 100%, with the roads at 40% and the public lighting at 0%. The council then issued a partial compliance certificate which allowed the beneficiaries to take occupation of these stands in Phase One. The organisation elected a new committee to service Phase Two and Phase Three with around 750 residential stands.
This did not go down well with the old committee which then created a splinter group. These two groups separated on political affiliations. The old committee splinter group then mobilised new members and allocated unserviced stands in Phase Two and Phase Three. These individuals then took occupation of the stands illegally and the council had to intervene to evict these illegal settlers and a High Court Order was granted on the same issue. Council then engaged the Messenger of Court to execute the order and the quotation for the work was pegged at around $300 000. The council then could not fund this from its coffers and the order was not executed.
Around 2017, the old members who had left without stands then decided to illegally occupy unserviced land close to Chikanga Township in demonstration to council’s failure to evict the settlers in Federation. This land is partly owned by council, which is the industrial site and also by the National Railways of Zimbabwe as it is designated as railway servitude. Initially these were only members but unfortunately, other desperate home seekers have also taken occupation of this land. It is estimated that there are now over 1 000 settlers on this land. Council also approached the High Court seeking an Eviction Order and this was granted. Council failed to execute this Order because of political pressures.
On way forward, as Central Government, we are working on availing land with an approximate size of 100 hectares to the City of Mutare so that the settlers in Chikanga (Mahalape) can be settled and remove them for the railway servitude.
HON. SEN. ZINDI: Thank you Madam President, it will be prudent for the Minister to at least give a timeline because the Mahalape illegal settlers have been on this land for more than eight years. I thank you.
*HON. KABIKIRA: It is my request that I defer and confirm with the superiors who are responsible for land and I do not know when the answer might be available.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: May we revert to question number 4.
DISCIPLINARY PROCESSES BY POLITICAL PARTIES AGAINST GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES
- HON SEN. ZVIDZAI asked the Minister of Local Government and Public Works to inform the Senate what Government’s policy is regarding political parties that conduct disciplinary processes against Government employees leading them to commit suicide given the fact that the Ministry will institute an investigation into their cases e.g. Chibhi in Bikita.
HON. DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. KABIKIRA): Thank you Madam President. I want to thank the Hon. Senator for a very important question. First and foremost, I wish to advise the House that political parties have no mandate to conduct disciplinary processes against Government employees. The Minister of Local Government and Public Works is mandated by law, the Rural District Councils Act [Chapter 29:13], to institute investigations. When the Minster suspect any violation of law and makes recommendations to Council to take disciplinary measures against Council employees as provided by the Section 154 (1) as read with Section 157, as amended in the Rural District Councils Act [Chapter 29:13), the Minister institutes an investigation and makes recommendations to Council.
REHABILITATION OF FAIRFIELDS AND MANDAMABWE-SHURUGWI ROADS
- HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI asked the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Development to state the plans being put in place to rehabilitate roads in the Fairfields area just after Mvuma, which continues to experience road accidents; and the Mandamabwe to Shurugwi Road.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Madam President, let me thank Hon. Senator Zvidzai for that very important question which is in two parts. The first one is talking about Fairfields area just after Mvuma, which continues to experience accidents. I wish to thank the Hon. Senator for this question. The specific section of the Fairfields area of the Harare-Masvingo Road was intentionally left out. The omission of the 1.2 kilometer of road is meant to accommodate the upgrading of the rail or road junction into a grade separated structure.
The 1.2 kilometer will accommodate a road over rail where the road will rise onto a bridge as it crosses over the railway line. The upgrade is being done in anticipation of a revitalised railway sector which will result in more frequent train movement, hence potentially more train or vehicle conflict.
As we speak, the designs for the road-over-rail are at very advanced stage and the construction of the road-over-rail is expected to be complete by the end of this year.
Hon. Madam President, on the second part of the question, the Government of Zimbabwe through Cabinet approved a partnership that resulted in the upgrading of the Shurugwi-Mandamabwe Road. The approval was granted on the 11th April, 2023. The scope for the national project is reconstruction of 43 kilometers. The ground breaking ceremony was done on the 15th January, 2024.
To date, 10 kilometers of surface road have been completed and opened to traffic out of the entire 43 kilometers. I also want to add that at the end of this month, we will be opening an additional 10 kilometers again of this stretch. The contractor is currently working on the next ten kilometers which will be completed by end of this month where seven kilometers have been primed already as we speak and the other three kilometers have been worked to base. I am sure by the end of the month we will be opening that section. I thank you.
Questions With Notice were interrupted by THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE in terms of Standing Order No. 67.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. NCUBE: Madam President, I move that Order of the Day Number 1 be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE WOMEN PARLIAMENTARY CAUCUS (ZWPC) ON THE 68TH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN (CSW68)
HON. MBOHWA: I move the motion standing in my name that this House considers and adopts the Report of the Zimbabwe Women Parliamentary Caucus (ZWPC) on the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of women (CSW68).
HON. D. M. NCUBE: I second.
HON. SEN. MBOHWA: Thank you for the opportunity to give a report on the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of the Women that is (csw68).
- Madam President the Republic of Zimbabwe participated in the Sixty-Eighth Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 68) from the 11th - 22nd of March 2024, in New York City, United States of America. This is an annual inter-governmental meeting whereby all UN Members meet to deliberate and reflect on women and girls’ issues as would have been agreed in the previous meetings based on the agreed conclusions.
- This year’s priority theme was titled, “Accelerating the Achievement of Gender Equality and the Empowerment of all Women and Girls by Addressing Poverty and Strengthening Institutions and Financing with a Gender Perspective”. The review theme was entitled, “Social Protection Systems, Access to Public Service and Sustainable Infrastructure for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls” (from the agreed conclusions of the 63rd) The main emerging issue was “Artificial Intelligence to Advance Gender Equality: Challenges and Opportunities”.
- This report summaries the key events of the CSW and proffers some recommendations that Parliament must consider implementing through the Portfolio Committees of Women Affairs, Community and Small and Medium Enterprise Development, the Thematic Committee on Gender and Development and the Zimbabwe Women Parliamentary Caucus (ZWPC)
2.1 The Parliament of Zimbabwe delegation was headed by the President of the Senate and patron of the Zimbabwe Women Parliamentary Caucus (ZWPC), Hon. Mabel Chinomona, who was accompanied by the following Members of Parliament and Staff: Hon. Maybe Mbowa, Chairperson of the ZWPC, Hon. Getrude Mutandi, Chairperson of the Women’s Affairs Committee, Hon. Sisasenkosi Ndebele, Chairperson of the Thematic Committee on Gender and Development, Aide to the President of the Senate, Mr. Chifamba, Aide to the President of Senate, Mr. Kumbirai Makamure, Protocol Officer and Mrs. Precious Mtetwa, ZWPC Desk Officer and Secretary to the delegation.
- Meetings Attended and Challenges Encountered by the Delegation:
- During the two week event, hundreds of side events occurred on the margins of the CSW main event. However, due to the late issuance of the travel Visas by the American Embassy to the Zimbabwe Delegation, it is important to note that the delegation missed the official opening of the CSW and other key events for Parliamentarians that the Inter- Parliamentary Union and UN Women hosted among others.
- These meetings would have benefited the delegation as they were a platform for sharing experiences on women’s political participation.
Zimbabwe Side Events
4.1During CSW 68, Zimbabwe hosted 2 side events as follows:
4.1.1 The first side event hosted by Zimbabwe was on the Priority Theme, “Breaking Barriers and Bridging Gaps: Advancing Gender Equality through Financial Inclusion of Women and Girls,” (held on 14th of March 2024.) The side event showcases Zimbabwe’s good practices in promoting women and girls’ financial inclusion initiatives and their impact in empowering women and girls.
4.1.2 The second side event was on the Review Theme, “ Safe Spaces Catalysing Women and Girls: Social and Economic Security, a case of collaboration between Government , Civil Society Organisations and Development Partners in Zimbabwe, which was held on the 18th of March 2024. The event showcased the work being done by the First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr Auxilia Mnangagwa in creating safe spaces for women and girls in Zimbabwe while at the same time addressing their unique needs and promoting their social and economic security.
- Key Insights from CSW68 Side Events.
5.1 The delegation attended several side events, which included among others, discussions on the following topics.
Socio- Economic Empowerment Policies for HIV Prevention and Young Women. Promoting women’s Political participation in Equitable and Strong Public Institutions. Gender Responsive Agriculture and Climate Change. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Gender - The Digital Age. Harnessing Education for Women and Girls in Africa. Financial inclusion through digitalisation. Addressing poverty through Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) financing. Financing and Accountability for Gender Equality and Women Empowerment.
- Lessons learnt from these side events were that:
6.1Women continue to face barriers when it comes to accessing finances hence the need to deliberately provide funding and support women’s businesses through enhancing access to finance. Lessons can be drawn from Kenya which has done well in transforming the lives of countless women who are in the SME sector, leaders, entrepreneurs and many others through digital financial inclusion. Kenya’s model of utilising the digital space has gone a long way in reaching out to women at the grass roots where the internet is not accessible through the Women Enterprise Fund (WEF) and Hustler Fund which can be accessed without internet connectivity and no one visiting an office.
6.2 The creation of safe spaces for women and girls remains if Member countries are to curb Sexual and Gender - Based Violence (SGBV). Governments must prioritise enacting laws aimed at creating safe spaces for women and girls including strengthening laws on Sexual Harassment and the ‘HeForShe” Campaign.
6.3 Some member countries have increased resources to address women’s and girls’ poverty through the mobilization and scaling up of resources from the public, private, domestic and international institutions. Governments were urged to expand fiscal space for investments to end poverty for women and girls. Zimbabwe’s Government was applauded for having established the Women and Youth’s Bank, which some countries in Africa, such as Namibia did not have.
6.4 Keeping girls in schools protects them from HIV infection and reduces child marriage and other harmful social practices. Zimbabwe must embrace the AU mantra, “Africa Educate Her” campaign as it strives to enhance access to education for all and attain an ‘Upper Middle Income Economy by 2030.
6.5 The member states intensify multi-stakeholder efforts at all levels to ensure that they integrate gender considerations into the Public Expenditure or Gender Budgeting frameworks of their countries. Member states were urged to foster participation in the budget process through open budgets and community and citizen - led monitoring of service delivery, especially strengthening social protection financing systems and preventing corruption, which hinders the empowerment of women and girls.
6.6 Government prioritises the ‘Digital Skills Campaign’ to train women and youth to engage in empowerment programmes. Financial inclusion has a trickle - down effect, which may lead to an increase in women in decision- making positions.
6.7 Given that women constitute the bulk of voters in many countries, it is imperative that member states seriously consider civic education for women to support each other and lessons can be drawn from Rwanda, Malawi and Kenya. Through the women’s caucuses, Parliaments can push for legislation that ensures more women are elected into public offices. Partnerships for change are therefore important if most Parliaments intend to increase the number of women participating in politics.
6.8 That climate change is real and member countries must brace up for climate financing to bridge the gender inequality gap in agriculture, including increased land ownership by women. Members were urged to strengthen gender main streaming in climate financing and support women’s organisations leading local adaptation and mitigation efforts as well as increasing women’s organisations leading local adaptation and mitigation efforts as well as increasing women’s participation, representation and leadership in the climate financing agenda.
6.9 To enhance multi-dimensional poverty data and statistics, member states were urged to strengthen the capacity of national statistical offices and other Government institutions responsible for collecting, analysing, using and disseminating disaggregated data on women and girls. The data would be essential in shedding light on the challenges faced by women and girls and in turn strengthen opportunities to use data to demand accountability.
6.10 That the care economy requires strengthening as it burdens women more than men. Member states were urged to significantly scale up investment in the care economy as a source of decent employment that has the potential to narrow gender gaps and institute measures to ensure that women benefit from the transformation of work towards sustainable economies.
- Recommendations for Implementation by the ZWPC
- Prioritise training all Female Parliamentarians on how to benefit from the use of AI in this era and enhance their participation in decision making. (31 December 2024).
7.2 Scale up its advocacy campaign and push for the enactment of gender and equality and strengthening of sexual harassment laws in Zimbabwe (31 December 2025).
7.3 Advocate for the programming on unpaid care work including engaging relevant stakeholders in Government and civil society to reduce the burden of unpaid care and domestic work on women and girls (on-going).
7.4 Advocate for a Gender Responsive Budget whereby more resources are availed to the gender institutions, namely; the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development, Zimbabwe Gender Commission, Women and Youth Banks and other line ministries that handle health, social protection, land and agriculture and education, among others (on-going).
7.5 Lobby political parties and Government to reform electoral laws so that they become favourable for women to participate effectively in politics (ongoing targeting 2028 harmonised elections).
7.6 Lobby the Government to scale up climate financing to increase resources aimed at empowering women to participate in the mainstream economy.
7.7 Engage its stakeholders on the Beijing Platform of Action +30 Review Report to take stock of progress from 1994 to date in preparation for CSW 69.
7.8 Sensitisation of ZWPC members on the Zimbabwe Climate Change Gender Action Plan and also lobby for the increased participation of women in the climate change agenda including more representation from female parliamentarians at the Annual Conference of Parties on Climate (COP 29) in 2024 going forward as provided for in the Zimbabwe Climate Change Gender Action Plan.
- Recommendations for implementation by the Portfolio Committee on Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development and the Thematic Committee on Gender and Development
8.1 The two Committees must continue to monitor budget implementation and push for more resources to be availed to the gender institutions that are availed to the gender institutions, namely; the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development, Zimbabwe Gender Commission, Women and Youth Banks and other line ministries that handle health, social protection, land and agriculture and education among others (on-going).
8.2 The two Committees must monitor the implementation of CEDAW, Beijing Platform of Action + 30 Review and other regional, international and Conventions on Women’s and Girls’ Rights.
8.3 The two Committees must engage the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture on the land audit and assess the number of women who have benefitted from the land redistribution process and probably lobby for more land to be allocated to women (31 December 2024).
8.4 Engage the MWACSMED to work with the private players in the mobile and banking sectors in the market to enhance access to finance (Women Economic Empowerment) taking into account the wide reach of mobile money transfer in Zimbabwe. Lessons can be drawn from the ‘Husler Fund’ from Kenya which utilises the US dollar codes rather than internet services (on-going).
- Conclusion
The participation of the ZWPC at the CSW remains critical as it provides the platform for networking and sharing experiences and ideas for advancing gender equality globally. The ZWPC as a lobby group remains central in advocating for reforms and legislation that seeks to transform the lives of women and girls in Zimbabwe. This report is being tabled with five key action points that the ZWPC will implement before the next CSW meeting in March 2025.
I, therefore, table this report for consideration and adoption by this august House.
Annexure A
Zimbabwe Women Parliamentary Caucus Action Plan in Preparation for CSW 69 in March 2025
Item |
Activity |
Timeframe |
responsibility |
1 |
Capacitation of ZWPC members on artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on women and girls |
31 December 2024 |
Parliament of Zimbabwe / Development Partners |
2 |
Advocacy campaign to push for enactment of Gender Equality and strengthening on sexual harassment laws in Zimbabwe (Workshop or motion) |
31 December 2024 |
Parliament of Zimbabwe / Development Partners |
3 |
Capacity building on Gender Responsive Budgeting to enhance female parliamentarians’ participation in the national budget process |
31 October 2024 |
Parliament of Zimbabwe / Development Partners |
4 |
Lobby political parties and the Government to reform electoral laws so that they become favourable for women to participate effectively in the political arena |
Ongoing |
Parliament of Zimbabwe / Development Partners |
5 |
Sensitisation of ZWPC on the Zimbabwe Climate Change Action Plan |
31 October 2024 |
Parliament of Zimbabwe / Development Partners |
HON. SEN. MBOHWA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. D. M. NCUBE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 23rd July, 2024.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA), the Senate adjourned at Twenty Three Minutes to Five o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 23rd July 2024.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 17th July, 2024
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
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH SERVICE
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that all Catholic members are invited to a meeting at 12.00 o’clock noon on Thursday, 18th July, 2024 in the Special Committee Room No.1 at the Ground Floor. This will be followed by a Holy mass at 12.30 hours at the same venue. All Hon. Members of Parliament including non- Catholics are invited for the holy mass.
APOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM MINISTERS
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have received apologies from members of the Executive; Hon. Sen. M. Mutsvangwa, Minister of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development; Hon. J. Mhlanga, Deputy Minister of Women’s Affairs Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development; Hon. D. Garwe, Minister of Local Government and Public Works; Hon. B. Kabikira, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Public Works; Hon. K. Coventry, Minister of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture; Hon. Z. Ziyambi, Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs; Hon. Dr. S. Nyoni, Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife; Hon. J. Paradza, Deputy Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife. Why is he not here? I got a letter from the Hon. Minister indicating that he will be here. Hon. F. Shava, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade; Hon. S. Chikomo, Deputy of Minister Foreign Affairs and International Trade; Hon. Haritatos, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement and Hon. S. T. Kwidini, Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care; Hon. Prof. Mavima, Minister of Skills Audit and Development and Hon. Prof. M. Ncube, Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion. Hon. Prof. Murwira is the Acting Leader of Government Business.
Hon. Maburutse having given a notice of motion, the Hon. Speaker asked him to repeat the notice of motion, but before repeating the notice of motion, he approached the Government Chief Whip.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. If you are called by your Chief Whip, you seek permission accordingly. You do not leave your place while you are upstanding and I have called upon you to speak.
HON. MABURUTSE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, point taken. Can I proceed?
THE HON. SPEAKER: We do not say point taken in the House.
HON. MABURUTSE: My apologies Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you. I have seen Hon. Members entering the House after prayers on my left and on my right. I am going to effect my ruling and the ruling is: even if you have come to Parliament and I ask you to get out of the House, you will not get your benefits for that particular day.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
+HON. R. MPOFU: Good afternoon Mr. Speaker Sir, my question is directed to the Minister of Transport. First, I would like to commend the Ministry for the big job they are doing, refurbishing the roads throughout the country. What measures is the Ministry putting in place for Bulawayo-Kezi Road and Gwanda-Maphisa Road? I have asked this question before and would like to know whether there is something that is being done now because the road is also dilapidated, there are too many accidents there and people who are disabled and cannot use their wheelchairs on that road. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
+THE HON. SPEAKER: The question is good but is misplaced. We ask policy questions relating to Government business and if you have a specific question that requires a specific answer, you put such question in writing so that the Minister can have time to research and submit a written answer, forgive me Hon. Mpofu.
+HON. R. MPOFU: I have heard you Mr. Speaker Sir. I will do that next time. I thank you.
HON. KANGAUSARU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, good afternoon and greetings from Hurungwe. My question goes to the Minister of Lands and Agriculture. What steps is the Ministry taking to ensure that policies, financial support and programmes aimed at supporting agriculture in the remote areas are reimplemented effectively, transparently and with measurable outcomes for the benefit of our rural population? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): Mr. Speaker Sir, I thank the Hon. Member for the question which is very broad, seeking to know what measures as a Ministry, we take to ensure that the policies, strategies, projects are implemented equitably, transparently...
THE HON. SPEAKER: You may synthesise your response
HON. DR. MASUKA: Mr. Speaker Sir, the Ministry’s planning unit is a household. The 1.8 million households throughout the country, irrespective of where they are, for example in the Summer Plan that was approved by Cabinet yesterday, we envisage that the 1.8 million households throughout the country across 35 000 villages in 1 620 rural wards will each receive support with three Pfumvudza/ Intwasa plots and that the distribution will be done fairly. We have set up committees and Cabinet approved and just as an example that the ward councillor and all the village heads in a particular ward constitute this committee that the woman coordinator from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs is part of this committee. The youth are represented by the youth’s coordinator in the ward. We have even gone to an extent Mr. Speaker of saying that the Agritex officer can only be a secretary to this committee and the nearest learned person being the headmaster of the school is also part of this committee. Therefore, we have ensured that this is done as transparently as is humanly possible. Should however, any case of malfeasance arise, the Hon. Member and many others would want to alert us to any such happenings across the provinces.
Mr. Speaker Sir, when I go out, I ordinarily give out my phone number so that anyone, anywhere, witnessing anything happen within the agricultural space where they seek to get clarification on the Ministry’s policy, is able to send me an SMS, and with your indulgence, may I give out that number again. It is 0772169957. Thank you, Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Minister, some people, Hon. Members have said come again, you have been rather fast with your number.
HON. DR. MASUKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, the number is 0772169957 - as things happen Hon. Members, please send me a text message. Thank you very much.
HON. KANGAUSARU: Thank you Hon. Minister for such a good response to my question, but I would like to fragment or reduce my question to a small unit. It might look like a different question but it is the same question. What financial mechanism is available to small farmers’ units to enhance their credit and ensuring them financial services crucial for agricultural development? I thank you.
THE HON.SPEAKER: That is a different question altogether. Unfortunately it does not arise.
HON. KANGAUSARU: To be clarified on the…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order! I have ruled. That question is very specific to some certain sections of the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement.
HON. L. NCUBE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir and good afternoon. My question is directed to the Minister of Health and Child Care. What measures has the Ministry of Health and Child Care taken to date to treat with urgency deserved, the problem of lack of anti-venom drugs in clinics and hospitals? I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Can you repeat your question and speak up please?
Hon. L. Ncube repeated her questions.
HON. PROF. MURWIRA: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. I wish to thank Hon. Ncube for that question on anti-venom. I guess or predict that she is talking about anti snake venom, snake bite venom from snakes. If that is the case, assuming it is the case Hon Speaker Sir, we are not aware of the shortage. If the Hon. Member is clear about specifically where that anti-venom was not found, we will be happy if she can put that in writing so that we go to that specific place because it might be a specific place where anti-venom was not found so that we really remedy that issue because we do not have the evidence of lack of anti-venom drugs in this country. I thank you.
HON. CHINANZVAVANA: Supplementary Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON SPEAKER: Who is asking for supplementary?
HON. CHINANANZVAVANA: I am here Mr. Speaker Sir, Hon Chinanzvavana.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I will come back to you if need be. The question titivates on some specifics and to say there are no anti-venom drugs in hospitals is asking a question that is fait accompli because you need data to prove that. The question should ask and relate to policy, what is Government policy in so far as the distribution of that medication is concerned. I am very clear. That is why the Hon. Leader of Government Business had a problem in being specific.
HON. L. MOYO: Supplementary question.
THE HON. SPEAKER: There is no supplementary. I have ruled already. Hon. Member, with all due respect, if you have hospitals or clinics that do not have that medication, then you can ask a written question to ask the Minister of Health and Child Care why that medication is not being distributed to those hospitals and clinics you have identified and you get the response accordingly – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections. ] - Hon. Hamuaswa, can you listen?
HON. L. NCUBE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I will provide the evidence.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Most appreciated.
HON. EDGAR NCUBE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Good afternoon Mr. Speaker – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! For the sake of Parliamentary proceedings, I think I have allowed that greeting to carry on. It is not in order. It is unparliamentary – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – So just take the floor and ask the question in spite of you wanting to greet me.
HON. EDGAR NCUBE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question goes to the Minister of Local Government and Public Works. We have seen the drought in this season and we have seen in the cities and towns that taps are running dry. What is Government policy to help the cities and towns on this problem? Thank you.
HON. HAMAUSWA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
HON. HAMAUSWA: If you could indulge me Mr. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have not responded. Hon. Ncube, did you indicate the unavailability of water in the cities and towns? I did not quite get that last part of your question.
HON. EDGAR NCUBE: Let me repeat my question. My question is directed to the Minister of Local Government and Public Works. The country is facing a severe drought due to poor rains. As a result, cities are now starting not to receive running water from their taps. What is the Government policy to avert the water situation in towns and cities? I thank you Mr. Speaker.
THE MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY EDUCATION, INNOVATION, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. MURWIRA): Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. From a policy perspective, Government policy, when we have put a conveyancing for water, the policy is to keep the tap wet.
If I could summarise the answer, I would say that Government policy is to make the taps wet. However, the issue is complex; the drought and the water availability, especially in dams, are not quite related, for example in Harare, the dams could be more than 70% full even if it is not raining, but the taps will be dry. So, this is the question of the conveyancing system of water, which is a very important issue of the infrastructure for conveyancing.
Here, I am trying to answer the questions of the rain, drought, and the availability of water. In certain cities, it applies, this drought issue where dams might be dry but overally, when we talk about the percentage, the Minister responsible for water is available Hon. Speaker. When it comes to the percentage of water in this country, we do not have a shortage of water yet, especially in the cities but the conveyancing system of that water. So, the Government policy is to make sure that our conveyancing system is revamped and that the taps are wet.
HON. E. NCUBE: Thank you for your answer, Hon. Minister. I wanted to ask if there are any plans to help the councils to convey the water to the residents.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. E. Ncube, I thought the Hon. Minister had covered that aspect of your question.
HON. MATEWU: Thank you, Mr. Speaker Sir. My supplementary question to the Hon. Minister would be that the main reason for the lack of water in the cities, towns and town boards is that of the water purification plants that were built in the Rhodesian era.
When is the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works going to assist in rebuilding or expanding the existing water purification plants that are in our town boards? For example, the Marondera one was built in 1975 catering for 20 000 residents, now the population is reaching circa 100 000. When is the Government going to ensure that we rebuild and expand these water treatment plants so that the expanding population in both towns and cities can have clean water in terms of the United Nations resolution? I thank you.
HON. PROF. MURWIRA: I wish to thank the Hon. Member for asking that policy question when it comes to the Central Government and local authorities. I am saying this deliberately because local authorities are a devolved structure of Government. It means that the councils must be able to specifically answer the ‘when’ question. But when it comes to Government policy, it says all local authorities must have master plans. All local authorities must show high levels of the organisation. The taxes that they collect from the people must be used to improve the quality of life of citizens through the provision of the amenities that are required for a good living.
We know that different cities have different water treatment plants of different ages. The Government, through the administration of His Excellency, the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, has asked specifically that all local authorities must have master plans so that we can be able to serve the people better and that they have to be accountable at that level.
So, in terms of Government action, this is the Central Government action that has directed that this happens. The local authorities should then act on the specifics unless the Hon. Member is saying we should replace as an emergency, the inefficient local authorities. We would be happy to do so through this Parliament.
*HON. MATANGIRA: I am happy with the answer that the Leader of the House is giving but from where I come, Bindura South Constituency, Manhenga. Over 4 000 people as I speak right now, do not have access to clean water. There is likely to be an outbreak of Cholera because of non-availability of water. The situation is dire. What can be done so that these people can get water immediately? Approximately 4 000 people do not have water right now.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Matangira, I thought the Hon. Minister was clear. Does that local authority have a master plan? If it has a master plan, what has it done about the problem?
Secondly, the Hon. Minister has said if there is a question of emergency, the Central Government is prepared to look into the matter based on urgency. Your question does not titivate in that direction.
*HON. HAMAUSWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My supplementary is that I heard the Hon. Minister saying Harare is not affected by drought, but we saw your Committee Mr. Speaker, visiting Kunzvi Dam. We watched on the news that they were happy because Kunzvi Dam was now on 50% completion, meaning that it is about to be completed. This means it will ease the problems of water shortages in Harare. We want to know whether the Hon. Minister is aware of Kunzvi Dam which is being constructed because the dams in Harare are not enough to cater for the population that is in Harare.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I am in trouble. Can you ask questions that relate to policy? You have asked a specific question. What the Hon. Minister did was to give an example, not that he was inviting the House to debate on specifics - stick to policy.
*HON. HAMAUSWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I was thinking that if people ask policy questions, the Hon. Minister …
THE HON. SPEAKER: I thought you have heard for yourself, chiri murusakasaka chazvinzwira.
HON. GUMBO: What is Government policy on the involvement of the private sector in the provision of water services and sanitation in order to improve water supply in urban areas?
HON. PROF. MURWIRA: Hon. Speaker, I have the Minister responsible for water here but if you would allow me, if he can add after I have said what I am thinking. Hon. Speaker, private sector – what is Government policy overall in the private sector in the first place?
His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D, Mnangagwa always said this is a private sector led economy. So that is a policy statement on the involvement of the private sector when it comes to the provision of services. Hon. Speaker, as we were moving to Parliament today, to the National Assembly, we moved along roads that are being made by the private sector - that is one type of involvement. The other type of involvement would be taking over facilities for provision of services, but it is the same. It is a private sector led economy – that is our policy, unless there is something more specific than that.
If it is a policy question to say ‘what is our policy?’ Our policy is very simple – private sector led economy towards Vision 2030 and the vehicle is NDS1. I thank you.
HON. JAMES: Supplementary!
THE HON. SPEAKER: Sorry, is there a supplementary?
- [HON. JAMES: Yes.] - Please proceed.
HON. JAMES: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My understanding was that the question from my Hon. Colleague was: what is Government doing to increase the water purification plants? As per our earlier committee yesterday, Government is trying to regularise a lot of the informal sectors and we got the assurance that Government would be responsible for all off-site infrastructure. Thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: What is your question?
HON. JAMES: It was a policy that was given to us that Government would be responsible for the off-site infrastructure. I think the Hon. Minister is trying to pass the buck onto somebody else.
HON. PROF. MURWIRA: Hon. Speaker, we were talking about dry taps and water provision in the plans that are old. What we have been saying as Government is, we have asked local authorities to do their masterplans and also to be citizen-centric. Citizen-centric meaning we will collect taxes from people, use those taxes to give people the services that they are paying for. It is not central Government’s direct duty to collect taxes for the purposes of administering a local authority, because it has certain provisions that allows them to do so? In actual fact, these are little islands of taxation within the economy.
So let us face it as people of this country that most of our urban local authorities, particularly the ones in Harare, you do not have to be very educated to see that they are failing because there is no water in the taps. The policy is to make them not fail by focusing on the conveyancing system, because you will find that 60% of pumped water in Harare is lost in conveyancing. This is where the issue is, if we have to focus on the question of national interest. It is about how we have to work on these local authorities through asking them to do the proper thing like asking them for the masterplan that we can solve this issue. I think it is a question that has to be solved without even pointing a finger elsewhere, but at the local authority. I thank you.
*HON. NYABANI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion. In his absence, I will direct it to the Leader of the House. My question …
*THE HON. SPEAKER: That is not your duty, just ask the question and the Chair will direct accordingly.
*HON. NYABANI: Thank your Mr. Speaker. I want to know Government policy when it comes to companies that are contracted by Government and are given money to work in the country?
*HON. PROF. MURWIRA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. The Government is there to oversee that public funds are ring-fenced. Everyone who is contracted by Government to work, signs a contract so that they provide services. When we are talking about laws, that is what happens but it does not mean that everyone who signs a contract is able to finish. If they are unable to complete the work, there are also laws that also bind them.
I am saying that there is a law for doing work and a law for reprimanding. So everything is in order.
*HON. NYABANI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Thank you, Hon. Minister, for your response. I wanted to say that, is it not possible for a contracted company to pay a guarantee fee to the Government so that if it fails to deliver to the expected level, Government will hold on to the guarantee at the bank so that money will be paid back?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Please, stick to policy issues not to some specific companies that have failed to perform. That should be done through a written question.
HON. CHIGUMBU: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Minister, do we have a policy that speaks to an issue of making sure that those who would have failed to provide adequate services are blacklisted? Can something be done to make sure that they will not be contracted again to ensure that Government is not short-changed by similar individuals each and every time when they want certain things to be done? Thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I thought the Hon. Minister had answered that. The Hon. Minister, Leader of Government Business, vati ivo zvombo zviripo. The law is there requiring specific performance. The law is there to apply for shoddy work. That is what the Hon. Minister said. There is no better policy than application of the law.
HON. CHIGUMBU: Mr. Speaker, just to clarify. I am asking in terms of whether there is a way these people can be blacklisted. Yes, the policy might be there or the laws might be there to correct some misdeeds, but do we have a policy that speaks to blacklisting these people so that they will not be contracted again to do whatever Government wants to be done?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order! What is enforceable is that which is determined by the law. A policy is not enforceable at law, please!
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My follow up to the Minister is why is it that we continue to see recurrence of such malpractices, whereby companies which would have been awarded tenders to supply Government, continuously fail to meet their obligations, yet there is a law? Is it a matter of lack of enforceability? Thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Again, if you want specific answers and you have got specific situations of dereliction of performance, please ask a written question.
HON. MAKUVIRE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education. What is the Government position on the provision of free sanitary pads in all schools for all girls?
THE HON. SPEAKER: I will allow the Minister to respond but this question has been asked, I do not know how many times. Perhaps, as they say in Shona, dzokororo ine simba.
*THE MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY EDUCATION, INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. MURWIRA): The issue of sanitary pads – the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has a policy of doing that. They give them. When it comes to Higher and Tertiary Education, we have never come across such a huge problem but if there is a challenge, we have a student affairs department. Every college and every university has got that welfare department. Students who have different challenges, including sanitary pads, go to that department and they get help there. If it is on policy level, our laws are clear. When it comes to execution, it has to be specific, but the laws are there because the aim of Government is that people should not be in trouble. If they face any challenges, they should approach them so that it can be rectified.
*HON. MAKUVIRE: I have heard your response Minister, but the real situation is that in schools, there are no sanitary pads. We have schools where our children are learning and there are no sanitary pads in those schools. We want to know when it is going to be implemented. Yes, the policy is there, we have heard about it, but when are we going to get them?
HON. PROF. MURWIRA: Mr. Speaker Sir, I am requesting the Hon. Member to put the question in writing citing all the schools facing challenges and take it to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Hon. Moyo, so that he can investigate specifically. The law on itself is good.
HON. DR. KHUPE: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. During the 2021 Budget, if I am not mistaken, we proposed that every school must have a girls’ room, where sanitary wear is stored so that when girls experience that time of the month, they just walk into that girls’ room and have access to sanitary wear. My question is, has Government implemented that because it is not a difficult thing to do? You just make sure that every school has a girls’ room so that girls know where to get the sanitary wear from. I thank you.
HON. PROF. MURWIRA: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. With your permission, I would allow the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education to answer that specific question.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. T. MOYO): Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir and good afternoon to you. May I thank the Hon. Member Dr. Khupe for the question? We have a policy in place that it is the obligation of Government to provide sanitary wear. We had some tours three weeks ago to determine whether sanitary wear is available in schools. The Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education accompanied Ministry officials and in all the schools that we visited, we discovered that they have sanitary wear. There are specific rooms where sanitary wear can be found for use by the girls. I thank you.
HON. MUROMBEDZI: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker. Given the positive impact of the provision of sanitary wear in schools on girls and having seen that it increases their school attendance over their well-being and ending period poverty, what is Government policy in place to ensure there is sustainable funding and consistent supply of these products in all schools, especially in rural areas and under-privileged areas?
HON. T. MOYO: Hon. Speaker Sir, may I thank the Hon. Member for the question. The Government of Zimbabwe deliberately allocates funding for sanitary wear. We have a department which deals with the welfare issues of students, especially the girl child. The challenge which we used to have was the issue of procurement which was centralised. We have since decentralised the procurement of sanitary wear as well as decentralisation in terms of procurement of food stuffs for the school feeding programme.
So, we have a budget and we always receive funds from Treasury towards the procurement of sanitary wear that we distribute to all the ten provinces of Zimbabwe. The rural schools are not left behind. In fact, we prioritise rural areas and that is where the most marginalised girls are located. That is the policy which we have in place.
HON. HAMAUSWA: On a point of order Hon. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Arising from where?
HON. HAMAUSWA: Arising from the way you have kept the decorum of this House up to date. There is a way in which you have kept the decorum of this House in terms of dressing. I have seen Hon. Elizabeth Masuku putting on a scarf which was not allowed in this House. I do not know if anything has changed in terms of policy over the decorum of this House where a scarf is now allowed. Thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, yes, we made some ruling three years ago and we abide by that ruling. Hon. Member, can you remove that scarf?
HON. MASUKU: But it is not a party regalia.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Can you remove the scarf?
HON. MASUKU: Okay.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you.
HON. MASUKU: Asi marwadziwa nei imi machinja imi?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order.
*HON. MANGONDO: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. I want to direct my question to the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, particularly focusing on the shortage of liquid cash in the rural areas on change which is required for boarding commuter omnibuses and buses. The challenge is that there is no money…
THE HON. SPEAKER: A straight forward question to the Hon. Minister of Finance.
*HON. MANGONDO: Sorry Hon. Speaker Sir. My question is, what does Government plan to do in order to avail cash so that people can have change, particularly looking at the local currency ZiG? I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I think it is Hon. Minister Mhona, is it?
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA) on behalf of THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): Hon. Speaker Sir, my apologies if you may indulge me, the Hon. Member can come through again.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Sorry, the Hon. Minister has just come in, can you repeat your question?
*HON. MANGONDO: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. My question pertains to cash which is needed for purchasing goods and even for people who use public transport as change particularly looking at the ZiG currency.
HON. MHONA: I want to thank the Hon. Member for that pertinent question. Indeed, it is true this is a challenge which is being faced by many people who need change as they board commuter omnibuses. The Governor of the Reserve Bank last month had a meeting with public transport operators to try and address this challenge. He promised that it is an issue which is going to be looked into so that coins are availed. I believe that when the Hon. Minister of Finance comes with the Mid-Term Review, these are issues which are going to be corrected so that people would have access to cash. This is not all, but the Ministry of Information is going to carry out outreach programmes where people will be taught on how to use the new currency even in rural areas. This is a complaint which was lodged and the Ministry of Finance is addressing that through the Reserve Bank. I thank you.
HON. MATANGIRA: On a point of order Hon. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Is there anything wrong with the Minister’s response Hon. Member?
HON. MATANGIRA: No, Hon. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: If there is nothing wrong with the Minister’s response, you cannot raise a point of order.
HON. MATANGIRA: It is not about the Hon. Minister, we are saying a speck has been seen in my eye when a big log is lying in the eye of the other person speaking. We spoke about the flag and Zimbabwe bird on a scarf when the same ruling says we bar all yellow from your left, but there is a lot of yellow on the other side Hon. Speaker - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order if I recall, we ruled on the scarf and the ties - [HON. MEMBERS: Yellow.] –
HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: On a point of order Mr. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
*HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: For the benefit of the Hon. Members Hon. Speaker, I am one of the members who was here in this House when you made a ruling. Some female Members of Parliament were putting on yellow clothes, the males were putting on yellow ties. You made a ruling that they were not allowed to put on that and the scarf was no allowed. I just wanted to remind you Hon. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have ruled already.
*HON. MANGONDO: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir, and I appreciate the response that I got from the Hon. Minister, my supplementary question is that the shortage of ZiG, is it not perpetuating the black-market where you find that the demand for US dollar continues to increase. I thank you.
*HON. MHONA: I want to thank Hon. Mangondo. Indeed, it is true, the causes of inflation are issues to do with a lot of liquid cash circulating or the shortage of cash. According to what the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe said, this money is gold backed so it is different from money which was not backed by gold. So, because our currency is backed by gold, this is how money is going to be circulating. It might be a challenge that there is not a lot of our liquid cash in circulation. People might expect a lot of cash but when there is a lot of cash, this results in inflation and this will perpetuate the black-market. I thank you.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. My supplementary question is a follow up to the reserves. I am aware that the RBZ Governor indicated that they are going to print more money, considering the reserves accumulation in terms of gold and foreign currency reserves. As of last month, the Reserve Bank Governor indicated that their reserves have increased to USD400m from the initial USD285 million. Could there be any harm that they print no additional differenceof USD115 million to allow change in the market by increasing only M1 money which is notes and coins? Our people are in a difficult situation in terms of change.
HON. MHONA: Thank you Hon. Speaker and I thank the Hon. Member for the pertinent question that he has raised. We have agreed that we have got a challenge of change which must be addressed. In terms of the money supply, like he has indicated the M1, we are saying yes, we are close to 400, precisely around 387 million in our reserves pertaining to cover the ZiG. We are saying in terms of printing money, the Governor will not go beyond that. I do not think that will then affect the issue of change. The Hon. Member is right to say what we now need are smaller denominations so that we promote transitionary processes to flow, whether we are talking of those who are in cities or those in the villages. I do agree that we need to address the issue of change. In terms of the money supply growth, it is in tandem with what is in our reserves.
*HON. S. TSHUMA: Thank you Hon. Speaker I direct my question to the Minister of Agriculture. I want to find out what the Ministry’s plans are, especially considering that we do not have enough rains and most of our small dams are drying up. They might not be having much water as time goes on. What is the Ministry doing in order to assist villagers and our livestock so that there will not be shortage of water? I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): Thank you Speaker Sir. I want to thank the Hon. Member for that question. This year the whole country did not receive adequate rains but we know that we have different ecological zones which are referred to as agro-ecological zones from number 1 to 5. The number 1 ecological region has a lot of rain, the same as region 2 and 3. Where we come from in our different constituencies, we have a lot of wards and 1035 wards are in semi-arid areas that fall under regions 4 and 5. These are areas which are earmarked for boreholes which are going to supplement the water that villagers are getting and for the sake of their livestock. Those who watch televisions saw the Vice President General Retired Mohadi who was in Gwaranyemba in Gwanda launching the ward drought mitigation centre, a programme which focuses on developing every ward where every ward is given a borehole and four 5000 litre tanks. Now we are no longer putting four 5000 litre tanks, but we are putting two.
We also allocated a reservoir which is meant for livestock and consumption and also we set aside where people can wash their clothes. On Monday, we had a meeting with ZINWA, which is responsible for this programme and this is what we are focusing on as Government. We have 28 rigs which were distributed across the country, especially in dry areas which fall under Midlands, Matabeleland South and Masvingo. There are a number of beneficiaries who were given on average two, three, four rigs for sinking boreholes.
Sometimes as Government, we might not be able to distribute fuel or allocate fuel, but we have meetings with Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution every month. Last month we had a meeting and we noted that most of the rigs were not operating because they were not properly funded. There was no money from Government. So we agreed that the community should come together and pull resources so that they fuel the rigs. I believe that if the challenge persists, then we can send an emergency response rig which will assist communities. I thank you Hon Speaker Sir.
*HON. S. TSHUMA: Thank you and I want to thank the Hon. Minister for that in-depth response. I wanted to find out the timelines, how long it is going to take because our livestock might be suffering, especially as we get into the hot season? Sometimes you would find that some livestock can go for 40km, at times a rig can also have a target of 40km. So the question then is that, is it not possible that every ward should have its own rig? I thank you.
*HON. DR. MASUKA: People should not walk for long distances because there must be boreholes in every neighborhood but the Government does not have adequate resources and funding from the fiscus is not enough. Then we also faced drought in the past farming season. So we had to come up with an alternative which is that in every ward, there should be a borehole. We also agreed that the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, the Hon. Minister sends a circular, which identifies where a borehole is going to be sunk. For example, in Matabeleland South we have 167 wards, so we allocate to certain wards. We say ward number 1, Hon. Minister, there should be a borehole and the community would identify where that borehole should be sunk. This is what should be done in every area. So it is now up to the representative to engage with those who were empowered with decision making for the different wards.
We also said that we should do our mapping for the whole of Zimbabwe identifying the drought prone areas where water will not be enough and people are most likely going to face challenges in terms of feeding their livestock. I thank you.
*HON. TOFANANA ZHOU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to thank the Hon. Minister for his response. We appreciate the programme which speaks to empowering 35 000 villages with 35000 solar powered boreholes. So Hon. Minister, are there other boreholes which have already been there? This is a supplementary question to Hon. Tshuma’s question. What other plans do you have which are going to assist women so that they access piped and tapped water? I thank you.
*HON. DR. MASUKA: I want to thank the Hon. Member for that pertinent question. When we look at safe wells and boreholes, accumulatively they are around 53 000 and for boreholes we have around 42 000 and most of them were sunk long back. They have a traditional way of pumping which was referred to as bush pumps, but it is not a word I want to use and such pumps, after establishing the village business units, we decided that we cannot sink another borehole whilst that one is there.
So RIDA and ZINWA were tasked with going to visit every borehole. Some were sunk by RIDA which was DDF, so that there are those which still generate a lot of water and those which generate a lot of water are then augmented with water tanks, but those which do not, would remain like that. We want to look for such and we are going to put such tanks. This fulfills the vision of His Excellency, President E. D. Mnangagwa through village business units. I thank you.
*HON. GWANGWABA: I want to direct my question to the Hon. Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement. What are the Government plans to do with areas that have big rivers capable of providing water to communities?
*THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): Indeed, it is true we have some big rivers and because of that, we have constructed several dams. We have a lot of dams and the rivers that we are focusing on are rivers that do not dry and such perennial rivers are the ones used for water harvesting for the benefit of communities.
The Government, in the past, had a plan to use Lake Mutirikwi as a water point which would benefit the community. Now, the Government policy is that we are going to harvest and distribute water from that dam. This programme has already started, so we are going to spread this initiative to the rest of the country.
However, after doing water harvesting…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order! Hon. Ministers of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs and Home Affairs, may you come to my office now.
*HON. DR. MASUKA: After ascertaining that we can only divert water for irrigation from some rivers when we decide to use the water for consumption, we are then going to come up with water treatment points. However, some dams only need a borehole which may cost maybe 10,000 ZiG. This is easier. So, sometimes this is done in other communities so that communities can start their irrigation projects. I thank you.
*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Hon. Speaker Ma’am. I would like to appreciate the question that was asked by Hon. Tshuma regarding our livestock. What does the Government plan to do with silted dams? Is de-siltation in progress?
*HON. DR. MASUKA: Every time I come to this august House, this question is asked. So, I believe today is the last time it will be asked.
It was discovered by engineers who construct dams that many people assume that dams are created when people dig pits but that is not true. Water harvesting is done when a point is identified where a stream is blocked and water accumulates. When it accumulates, in a case where there is a lot of river sand or siltation, then it is cheaper to construct a new dam instead of desilting the old dam. That is why we do not normally encourage desilting. Some of the ZINWA dams are eight metres deeper and become very expensive when you can construct three dams; it is different from small dams. When we were given a task to construct dams, we sent our engineers to prospect so that they decide whether it was cheaper to construct a dam or to desilt. I thank you.
*HON. SAGANDIRA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I want to direct my question to the Hon. Minister. Mostly we focus on those who live on dry land but we do not look at aquatic animals like fish which lose their lives because water would have dried. So, what does the Government plan to do with aquatic species like fish which are found in dams that are drying? I thank you.
*HON. DR. MASUKA: Thank you, Madam Speaker Ma’am. The Government is busy working to provide water for people, fish, and livestock. We know that fish hibernate in sand and mud. Fish are very sensitive but sometimes people look for fish when the water dries. We want to urge the line Ministry to ensure that we have enough resources. I thank you.
*HON. MUWODZERI: Thank you, Madam Speaker Ma’am. My question is directed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development. When Government cars are involved in accidents and parked for a long time, you find sometimes grass covering the car after being parked for a long time. Some will just be parked whilst still new but they are not being serviced. So when does the Government auction those vehicles?
*THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Hon. Madam Speaker Ma’am and thank you to Hon. Muwodzeri for that question. Indeed, it is true, we note that in the past week, we had a number of accidents. A number of cars that were impounded by the police were burnt. The cars came through the Public Procurement and Disposal Act which was passed by this august House which allows Government to dispose of furniture and other assets. This is the law that is applied in order to dispose different assets. The law is there, now it is up to any ministry which has such assets to dispose using the law.
In addition, sometimes you find that people do not collect their cars after they are impounded. Some would just leave their cars, especially those who have their cars impounded for different reasons. ZIMRA also impounds cars and there is a specific period where they can keep the cars but if the cars are not collected within that particular period, then the cars are disposed of using the law that I alluded to earlier. So it is up to the Ministry to look at such assets and decide when to dispose them. I thank you.
HON. P. NDUDZO: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Health and Child Care. What steps is the Government taking to address the rising costs of prescription drugs and ensure affordable access to essential medicine for all our people, mostly in rural areas? Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY EDUCATION, INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. MURWIRA): Thank you very much Hon. Speaker Ma’am. I would like to thank the Hon. Member for his question.
Government policy on the cost of drugs is to make sure that drugs are available everywhere and every time - that is the policy. To extent that Government has to make sure that there are cold chain facilities across the country being managed by NATPHARM so that medicines are kept at those places - unfortunately, most of the medicines that we have are being imported. However, to address this as well, the Ministry of Health and Child Care has been restructured in such a way that it will also have to focus on the manufacture of drugs when it comes to that policy. In order to encourage the private pharmaceutical sector to do this, the department that had been done so far include the one for bio- pharmaceutical production which has to link with the private sector as well as the universities so that at the end of the day, we are going to have the drugs that are available.
When it comes to policy, the policy is to make sure that drugs are available and the infrastructure that is being put, the cold chain infrastructure is to make sure that drugs are decentralised in terms of availability - this is the policy. Deficits can come here and there, but Government policy is not to cause deficits but to make sure that medicines is available.
The issue of cost mainly is due to the issue of importation but the policy that I have talked about of drug manufacturing is bound to address this. It might not happen in one day but a nation does not die. It will happen if the policy is there. I thank you.
HON. A. T. MAVHUNGA: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training. There is a segment or sector of young people that is not in education, employment or in training and that sector is called NEET. In the spirit of leaving no one and no place behind. What policy is in place or what steps are being taken so that these young people are empowered so that they do not fall into criminal activities, prostitution and drug and substance abuse? What is the stand point? Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY EDUCATION, INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. MURWIRA): Thank you Hon. Speaker. I would like to thank the Hon. Member for asking to do with the youth that are not institutions and what Government policy is.
I would like to answer that question starting from a nation-building point of view. It is very important that every member of society contributes to the building of the country. It therefore, means that we cannot have people who are not doing so and expect to be a prosperous country. Government policy is to say, there are people who are in the institutions – those are catered for that way. There are people who may be outside of institutions, Government has a system of vocational training which means, if you cannot go to a polytechnic, you can go to a vocational training center; if you cannot, there is a third stream.
We have a policy that we call, Integrated Skills Expansion and Outreach Programme. This policy makes it imperative for polytechnics, vocational training centers for industrial training and trade testing departments, and universities to go out there and identify those youths, give them the skills that are required, including building, construction basically, bricklaying and so forth. The programme has started in earnest and I think we will be able to see the results as we go forward. The spirit being that, there cannot be a person who is sitting at home and not contributing to nation building. It is not in the interest of this country.
The policy is about inclusivity and leaving no place and no one behind. The implementation modality, one of them is what I call, the integrated skills expansion and outreach programme to equip everybody with the instruments of building this country. I thank you.
HON. A. T. MAVHUNGA: It has come to light Madam Speaker that the state of vocational training center needs serious attention. The responsible ministry highlighted the issue of funding and stated that they have challenges in accessing the ZIMDEF fund in order to construct and retool these vocational training centers so that the two million young people who are not in education, employment and training have access…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order. Ask your question Hon. Mavhunga.
HON. A. T. MAVHUNGA: My question is, does the Ministry have access to that fund to retool and construct vocational training centres?
THE MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY EDUCATION, INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. MURWIRA): Thank you Hon. Speaker Ma’am. Government policy is to build a Vocational Training Centres (VTC) at least in every district. There is what we call the policy and then the implementation. If the implementation and the policy are together, there is no gap. If there is a gap, it means there is need for effort and this is catered for through the budgetary system, the budgetary system which comes through this august House. It is very important therefore, that I implore Hon. Members when it comes to budget for expanding the VTCs, they help us with the money. I want to emphasise that this money comes from this House. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Minister. Hon. Sakupwanya, why are you standing?
HON. S. SAKUPWANYA: Thank you Hon. Speaker Ma’am. My question to the Hon. Minister is that for those who have gone through these VTCs or who have been afforded the skills, what mechanisms has Government implemented to ensure that they will be able to contribute to the economy, whether through jobs or through loan facilities? Are there mechanisms to follow up on the success stories of those who have come to these Vocational Training Centres? I thank you.
HON. PROF. MURWIRA: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker, I wish to thank the Hon. Member for the supplementary question. I will again start from a nation building perspective. We have to have the mentality of working, first of all, for ourselves. This is what we teach, especially using Heritage-Based Education 5.0. The colonial set-up and I want to explain in the interest of nation building, was that there were certain groups of people who owned jobs because they wanted their farms to produce and they wanted cheap labour as much as possible.
So, they take people and say I employ you. This language has gotten into our people too much. What our policy is that of course, if there are people who have got that chance to do that, they can always employ other people. If people have a mentality that they go and get skills in order to do their own thing, this nation will fly. Without confusion, I hope, I am saying I want to set this stage whereby, we say, are we training people to be used or are we training people to use themselves to build this country? We are not saying that everybody will be able to be so talented that they do that, but if it is 100%, then there is a problem with the system.
This is the system that we are correcting through Heritage-Based Education 5.0, which actually, also in terms of statues have passed through this august House in terms of the laws to make sure that this happen. What has Government done to make sure that these skilled people can have access to loans? We have empowered them, which is basically the Youth Bank. It might not be 100% capitalised, but you can see from a policy perspective there is that intention to make sure that these things happen.
There is Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry, whose job is exactly to do this. In terms of the policy environment, it is clear but as I say, there is policy, there is implementation and the gap is what we have to address. In terms of adequacy of policy, Zimbabwe does not necessarily have a problem in terms of adequacy of policy. It is about implementation and also mentality of nation building, whereby we are saying, everybody has to use their knowledge and skill, first of all to fend for themselves and fend for others. If we start from that perspective, this nation will fly.
Therefore, I am saying, the policies are there but together with Hon. Members, if we can start to work on the mentality of working for ourselves and employing others, this nation will not have problems. This is what His Excellency, the President is saying by Vision 2030 and leaving no place, no one behind, a knowledge and innovation led economy. Leaving no place and no one behind means we are working. So, it is a working nation. Once this gets to our heads and to our hands, we will build this country. I thank you.
HON. MALINGANISO: Madam Speaker, of the two million that have been spoken of, there are those that are degreed and those that are skilled. Those that are degreed, allow me to refer to them as schooled and those that are skilled as really skilled. The question is, what is being done to make certain that those that are skilled, maybe through VCTs are equipped to go and fend for themselves? I thank you.
HON. PROF. MURWIRA: Thank you Madam Speaker. As we say, the Government’s modernisation and industrialisation agenda has two pipelines. The first pipeline, which has been traditional is to wait for investors and make the environment conducive for investors, which we have done; which means people come and invest from elsewhere. The second stream which was not being done, but which is being done by the Second Republic is the one of innovation led development, where you set up factories from your knowledge and skill and not wait.
Just last week, His Excellency the President opened a baobab processing plant at Mutare Teachers’ College that employs 200 people, but that also takes raw materials from more than 10 thousand families. These are the steps that we are taking, besides the loans that are being talked about, most of the problems that we face are problems which emanate from a philosophical underpinning of nation building. For example, I would say, if you have a skill of making clay pots and there is an anthill that you have been with for the past hundred years, but somebody has to come from somewhere to make clay pots and you look for employment from them, it is not the lack of clay. It is the lack of a philosophy for development.
This is exactly what His Excellency has said, when he said, nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo. We have changed the philosophy of nation building and these skilled schooled which the Hon. Member has been talking about, are being told to change the philosophy. Let us have the Empower Bank working. Let us have our attitude working. Let us have our philosophy working. Let us build this country. Every child of this country has to start working.
What I am saying Madam Speaker is that it is a philosophical shift that has to happen because some people come in this country and make a lot of money while other people who are in this country are not making that money. The question is why? It is a philosophical question. Therefore, I am saying my answer is change the philosophy and it was changed. Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo. Nyika ichivakwa nevene vayo. I thank you.
HON. MARASHE: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare. Is it Government policy to discriminate rural and urban councillors in terms of their roles in the distribution of food aid for the vulnerable in light of the fact that rural councillors are at the centre of food distribution, yet urban councillors are sidelined?
THE MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY EDUCATION, INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. MURWIRA): First of all, Government policy is to reach all people that are in need. We have got urban and rural areas. The way people are helped in rural areas is different from the way people are helped in urban areas. In urban areas, we use a cash transfer system which goes straight to the family. Therefore, I do not know how one can intervene on electronics in the air. They go straight to the fore. This is a matter of differences in the method of delivery. I have just been dramatic in order to demonstrate the point that the other is electronics and the other is physical. The physical, you meet and talk and the electronics, they go through the wire. I thank you.
Questions without Notice were interrupted by THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order No. 68
HON. DR. MUTODI: Point of order Madam Speaker. I am asking if you can extend the time for Questions without Notice with another 20 minutes. We have got other critical questions to ask.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: There are no objections, we will extend the Questions without Notice time with ten minutes.
HON. MARASHE: Thank you Hon. Minister. Do you distribute food via electronics?
HON. PROF. MURWIRA: Thank you Hon. Speaker Ma’am. I want to thank the Hon. Member for seeking clarification on what I have just said. In urban areas, people are given money to go and buy goods at the shops. In the rural areas, people are given grain. Therefore, the ones in the urban areas have money transferred to their banks so that they can go and buy food at the supermarket. Sure, food is transferred through electronics that way.
However, real food is in the shops physically but the way Government feeds is that it feeds with the means to go and buy the food. I was trying to be dramatic in the way I was explaining the things, to explain cash transfer system of His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa. I hope I have made it very clear. It helps people who might not have understood. That is why I thank her for the question.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: I think the worry of the Hon. Member is that Local Government leaders who are councillors should be at the forefront of identifying the vulnerable people or the vulnerable members of society in urban areas. Unfortunately, the question now comes after the realisation that some other groups of people are doing the registrations on behalf of councillors. Why are local authority leaders who are councillors in urban areas not aware of this programme? Is it being done clandestinely without the knowledge of local leaders who should be at the forefront of identifying the vulnerable people of society? Thank you.
*HON. NYAKUEDZWA: On a point of order Madam Speaker. What Hon. Madzivanyika is saying is not bad but there are no councillors who are involved in distributing food.
HON. PROF. MURWIRA: Thank you Hon. Speaker Ma’am. Government policy is to make sure that everybody who needs food gets it through Social Welfare. It is a Government structure that is a product of the law which was made in this august House. So, we have structures on the ground which identify those people. However, if there are extra people that might not have been identified, and there is a local representative, they can approach this structure called Social Welfare so that people can be helped.
I think it is the responsibility of every citizen, and including Members of Parliament and councillors to identify vulnerable people so that they are helped. The only difference therefore, is that in the rural areas, they are given physical goods and in the urban, they have electronic cash transfers where they can go and buy goods. This is very important that the other ones do not have too many people being seen and the other one, people can gather where they can be given food.
When it comes to Government policy, it is very clear and nobody should be left behind and nobody should be hungry. All people in this country have got a responsibility to identify those people that need help and report them to the correct structure. If there are specific cases, it therefore means that it can be put in writing and the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare can answer those specific issues. It is very important that every question is answered adequately. I thank you.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
I thought that the Minister would answer the question because the question was very direct. Why are councillors in urban areas excluded out of this process yet councillors in urban areas participate? That was the question. I kindly request with your indulgence Madam Speaker so that I get answers on this very important situation. There are some people who do this work of identifying people, leaving others out and checking people on political lines to say, do you subscribe to our values and so forth? That situation is not sustainable.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Madzivanyika, I advise you to put that question in writing so that the responsible Minister will come to this House with a comprehensive answer.
HON. DR. MUTODI: My question is directed to the Leader of Government Business. Following political violence in the United States of America, particularly the firing of bullets that narrowly missed the former President Donald Trump, what action has your Government taken to register the anger and disappointment of the people of Zimbabwe against perpetrators of violence in what is viewed globally as the most democratic State in the world? Thank you very much.
HON. ZVAIPA: Point of order.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
*HON. ZVAIPA: My point of order is directed to Hon. Mutodi saying that what he is asking about USA, we should leave it because you did the same when you were in Bikita. Let us concentrate on what is happening here. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Your point of order is overruled.
THE MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY EDUCATION, INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF MURWIRA): Thank you Hon. Speaker Ma’am, the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe, led by His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D Mnangagwa wrote a statement condemning political violence. It was written to His Excellency the President of the United States of America, His Excellency President Biden, registering Zimbabwe’s condolences for the people that had passed away and also condemning all forms of violence. I am happy to report that it was very well received by our sister country, the USA thanking the President for such a gesture. Thank you very much.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Minister. Unfortunately, the extended ten minutes have lapsed.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: We are deferring questions number 1 to 6.
REHABILITATION OF THE CHITEKETE DAM WALL IN GOKWE-KABUYUNI
- HON. S. TSHUMA asked the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, fisheries, Water and Rural Development to inform the House on the Ministry’s plans regarding the rehabilitation of the Chitekete Dam wall in Gokwe-Kabuyuni Constituency.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. MARAPIRA): Thank you Madam Speaker, Hon. Member I can confirm that a team from ZINWA will be dispatched to the dam to do assessment of the current state of the dam and come up with a bill of quantities that will be send to Treasury for resources allocation towards the rehabilitation of Chitekete Dam in Gokwe. The Ministry will also imploy other avenues for resource mobilisation, including utilising the water fund to rehabilitate the dam.
*HON. S. TSHUMA: I want to thank the Hon. Minister for his response and we want to note that this has been a dry season, so I wanted to request that this dam should be considered so that it has enough water.
HON. MARAPIRA: We are going to be assisting them. We are going to be in the community and we are going to make sure that we sink boreholes in that particular community. I thank you.
NUMBER OF COMMERCIAL FARMS GAZETTED FOR COMPULSORY LAND ACQUISTION
- HON. JAMES asked the Minister of Lands, Agriculture,
Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement to inform the House the following-
a) the quantum of the commercial farms purchased by the Government and Local Government authorities since 2000 highlighting the number of Title Deeds holders, total area and value of the land.
b) the number of commercial farming title deeds which were gazetted for compulsory acquisition during the Fast Track Land Reform Acquisition process and still remain unpaid to this day and to further state the hectarage of such farms.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. MARAPIRA): Madam Speaker, this question has been asked before but I will still repeat. Government did purchase many commercial farms for urban expansion. All land acquired was handed over to the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works. In terms of the compensation quantum, the value had been determined by the compensation committee which is still seized with the matter.
The following land was gazetted and handed over to urban expansion:
|
Gazetted Activities for agricultural activites |
Land handed over for urban expansion |
Land Haned over to AFC** |
|||
Province |
No. of Farms |
Area (HA) |
No. of Farms |
Area (HA) |
No. of Farms |
Area (HA) |
Manicaland |
577 |
662330.1577 |
2 |
719.4800 |
0 |
0 |
Mash Central |
843 |
906760.8097 |
5 |
5965.9800 |
4 |
469.6081 |
Mash East |
1215 |
1254660.908 |
17 |
9453.9501 |
4 |
3810.9314 |
Mash West |
1419 |
1730041.522 |
30 |
11649.1648 |
2 |
262.8478 |
Masvingo |
485 |
1961805.122 |
2 |
1917.0200 |
3 |
2288.8516 |
Mat. North |
466 |
1828122.794 |
1 |
316.2210 |
0 |
0 |
Mat. South |
837 |
1457703.413 |
2 |
8650.1500 |
2 |
3999.1091 |
Midlands |
837 |
1015461.382 |
1 |
3565.0000 |
0 |
0 |
Harare |
|
10816886.1084 |
18 |
10291.1123 |
3 |
841.673 |
Total |
6214 |
10816886.1084 |
78 |
52528.0782 |
18 |
11673.0210 |
The following farms were gazette for resettlement and some were handed over to Ministry of Local Government and Public Works for urban expansion. We have quite a list which will take five days for me to explain but land handed over was acquired as rural land or urban part of the Land Acquisition Act.
Land handed over to AFC with the intention of mobilising resources to pay compensation for formal farm owners. I thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. JAMES: Thank you Madam Speaker. That is a totally unacceptable answer from the Ministry. Can I ask him to put it all in writing?
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Sorry can you come again.
HON. JAMES: I am not satisfied with the answer given by the Minister. Can he put it in writing, there is insufficient detail in the question given…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You will get the Hansard where the response that he has given will be written.
HON. JAMES: Madam Speaker, I understand that but I think the detail that he has given is not sufficient. Can he give an answer to the question in hard copy form and give us a copy. Thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You requested the Hon. Minister to give a response which he has just done. You are indicating that you are not satisfied with the response and this is the Ministry that has given you a response Hon. James.
HON. JAMES: Yes, Madam Speaker, there are insufficient details on the response he has given, so I am asking him to take some time and put it in hard copy and then give me a copy of that. Thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. TSITSI ZHOU): Are you asking for a Ministerial Statement?
HON. JAMES: That would be if he wants to make it public, yes but if you want to put it in writing, I will accept that.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: It looks like Hon. James has answers to his question. As far as I can hear, it seems you have answers to your questions because the Hon. Minister has responded to the question.
HON. JAMES: Madam Speaker, what the response lacks is details.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Do you have details?
HON. JAMES: He has the details, which is what I am asking for.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: He responded to the question.
HON. JAMES: Without details.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Question number 12, Hon. C. Moyo.
HON. JAMES: Point of order Madam, you have skipped number 11.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. James please take your seat. Hon C. Moyo, the Hon Minister will provide a written response.
HON. JAMES: Point of order Madam Speaker.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Sorry Hon. James, I am being reminded that the Hon. Minister had responded to question number 10. Question number 11 has not been responded to yet.
UPDATE ON THE AMOUNT RAISED TOWARDS SUPPORT TO FOOD AID BENEFICIARIES
- HON. JAMES asked the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement to explain to the House the following:-
(a) how the calculations were done to arrive at a figure of US$3 billion to support food aid to beneficiaries this season; and
(b) to further update the House on the amount raised so far as well as the sources of where Aid has come from.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. MARAPIRA): Thank you Madam Speaker. Funding was secured from Treasury for the upgrading of the dam booster pump station and a contractor was awarded this contract. The contract from the supplier…
HON. JAMES: Point of order Madam Speaker, he is not answering to Question Number 11.
TEMPORARY SPEAKER: He is not responding to Question Number 11? Is that the question you are responding to Hon. Minister?
HON. MARAPIRA: Thank you Madam Speaker. Following this season’s devastating El Nino induced drought, the President declared a National State of Disaster on 3rd April, 2024. The declaration is an indicative source and resource requirement of US$2 billion from mitigation excluding US$7.717million. The agriculture sector requirement is US$2.7 billion for search and rescue then US$2.3 million for mitigation, another US$2 billion on mitigation again and US$700 million for resilience building.
The calculations were informed by the second round crops and livestock assessment. The Zimbabwe Livelihood Assessment Committee and Rapid Assessment conducted by the Ministry’s departments were involved in the calculations. Sources of food aid have been thorough and the assistance will be done through Government Social Welfare grain distribution development partners and donor community. I thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. JAMES: The private sector has been given permission to import grain as well to mitigate a lot of the drought shortfall. Can the Hon. Minister give us an idea of what percentage of our requirements will come in from private enterprise thereby reducing the amount of aid and assistance required?
HON. MARAPIRA: Thank you Madam Speaker. We will put that in writing because I do not want to give inaccurate figures. I thank you Madam Speaker.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Minister. You will provide a written response for Question Number 12.
CONSTRUCTION OF BETSA PRIMARY SCHOOL IN GWANDA NORTH CONSTITUENCY
- HON. NKALA asked the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education to inform the House on the Ministry’s plans regarding the construction of Betsa Primary School in Gwanda North Constituency.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. GATA): Thank you Hon. Nkala for raising the important issue. The Ministry is seized with the school infrastructure deficit that is currently obtaining in our country. The ministry is mobilising resources to alleviate the shortage. High on the list of the ministry’s priority are brand new schools learning spaces in the form of extra classrooms, specialised rooms and sporting facilities.
Through funding from Treasury, Government has the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP) which pays for the construction of schools. Every year, PSIP identifies schools that should be given priority for construction projects. In the next budget, the Ministry will consider the construction of a new classroom block at Beta Primary School through the PSIP. Meanwhile, current developments are that the engineer of the Rural District Council in Gwanda examined the existing structure and discovered that it is no longer sustainable due to cracks. He recommended that it should be put down to prevent any possible danger to learners and any other stakeholders in the area.
HON. NKALA: What are the measures taken to ensure that these buildings do not deteriorate to the extent of being decommissioned?
HON. GATA: We always do check up on the schools and the buildings, so this is one of the measures that we have done to send an engineer from the Rural District Council. So this is all a process that we do to make sure that our buildings are in the correct form and that they are not a possible danger to our learners. I thank you.
POSITION REGARDING THE NATIONAL PLEDGE
- HON. BAJILA asked the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education to inform the House what the Government’s current position is regarding the National Pledge given the Constitutional Court ruling CCZ20/20 which invalidated the reciting of the National Pledge and salutation of Zimbabwe’s flag.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. GATA): Thank you Hon. Bajila for asking this relevant question. Indeed, the Constitutional Court ruling CCZ20/20 judged that the National Pledge is constitutionally invalid, in that it violates the right to freedom of religion enshrined in Section 60 (1) of the Constitution about school children not sharing the belief in the existence of God and the parental right enshrined in Section 60 (3) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
In particular, the court ruled that the words on the National Pledge which says, “Almighty God, in whose hands our future lies” violate the religious freedoms of learners who do not believe in the existence of God.
In addition, it ruled that the words, “I salute the National Flag” also contravene the beliefs of school children, parents, or guardians who do not believe in it.
However, the Constitutional Court directed the Ministry to formulate a pledge of allegiance that accommodates learners who do not believe in God or in saluting the National Flag. As such, our legal division is exploring this matter so that we can revise and come up with a pledge that does not violate people’s religious rights. Therefore, at present, it is not mandatory for learners who do not believe in God or in saluting the flag to recite the Pledge until the Pledge has been revised.
IMPROVEMENT OF AVAILABILITY OF TEXTBOOKS TO ALL PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS
- HON. BAJILA asked the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education to apprise the House on what Government plans are regarding the improvement of the availability of textbooks to all pupils for all subjects at primary and secondary levels.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. GATA): Once again, thank you Hon. Bajila for raising the important question on the Government’s plans for improving the availability of textbooks in our schools.
There are three ways set by the Ministry to improve the availability of textbooks in both primary and secondary schools. The first one is through the fiscus whereby the Treasury allocates funds for the purchase of textbooks. The Ministry has been getting this funding from the Treasury for some years now and we were able to purchase textbooks for some of the needy schools, especially what we call S3 schools. These are some of the disadvantaged schools in Zimbabwe.
The second approach is through textbook levies where school authorities apply for a special levy to the Ministry for the sole purpose of purchasing textbooks. Applications are done through local district education offices.
The third approach is through our development partners who often partner with the Ministry in sourcing textbooks for schools. Our partners in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education often release funds to purchase textbooks which are distributed to schools. Priority is again given to needy schools. However, the demand for textbooks is always high. As such, we encourage schools to also take initiatives by applying for textbook levies. The Ministry approves such levies after considering the economic situation and the parent’s ability to meet the costs.
HON. BAJILA: Through your indulgence, I would like to request a more detailed ministerial statement. In her answers, the Minister said that we have been getting funding for some years to fund the supply of some textbooks in some schools. We might need to get one but for how long has the Government been funding textbooks? Which subject areas has the Government been focusing on? Her statement is full of a lot of this and that. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Bajila, during this session, you can only ask supplementary questions. Ministerial statements are normally given when there are new policies that need to be spelt out. Question number 30, Hon. Murombedzi and I would like to apologise for the earlier mishap.
NUMBER OF GENUINE CHINESE NATIONALS IN ZIMBABWE
- 36. KARENYI asked the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage to apprise the House of the number of nationals in Zimbabwe who are genuinely of Chinese origin.
THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE (HON. KAZEMBE): Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. The question by the Hon. Member was for the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage to respond on the number of nationals in Zimbabwe who are genuinely of Chinese origin - that is the way it was crafted. I would like to assume that maybe the question is requesting us to give a number of Chinese people in the country – who are genuinely in the country. I suspect because I am failing to understand.
Madam Speaker, if that is the question which I assume it is, I stand corrected, I will attempt to answer it in the manner that I am understanding it, but I will be ready to…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Let me ask Hon. Karenyi to clarify.
HON. KARENYI: Thank you Madam Speaker. The question has been there for a long time and I think the Journals Office have also omitted something because it was in three parts, if I remember very well.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Do you want to refer it to the Journals Office?
HON. KARENYI: They could have amended it. I can even read it …
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: We cannot do this now. You can go to the Journals Office and probably make that correction then the Hon. Minister will respond. He needs to prepare for the response, you need to be alive to that – this is a Questions With Notice session.
HON. KARENYI: I think the Ministry has had it for a long time with the correct wording. Even if you check last week’s Order Paper, it is there with the correct one.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: We are dealing with the Order Paper that we are holding right now. The question only has this question: ‘to ask the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage to apprise the House of the number of nationals in Zimbabwe who are genuinely of Chinese origin’ and it ends there.
HON. KARENYI: It was even going further Madam Speaker to even find out …
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Karenyi, please can you do as I have requested?
HON. KARENYI: I think the Hon. Minister can help me, he has all three questions.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Karenyi! Next question Hon. Malinganiso!
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of privilege Madam Speaker. I think this situation has persisted for a long time. I do not know who is changing the substance of the questions, they have been changed several times and I once complained.
I see my question again here, after complaining, has been changed again. Over and above that Madam Speaker, yesterday, when we had a debate on war veterans. It was posted on our parliamentary Facebook page and I do not think it is professional to do that Madam Speaker – that is my submission.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Yes, I totally agree with you that our Administration should not bring these errors that will inconvenience both the Hon. Ministers and Hon. Members. We will request the Administration to do better and we will not expect this to recur in this august House. Do you have the full question and full response Hon. Minister?
HON. KAZEMBE: Madam Speaker, we respond to the question that is on the Order Paper. So, I had the response to the question that is on the Order Paper which I read out. I am prepared to give that answer, unless if there are follow-up questions. I am still prepared to respond. Otherwise, I came prepared with an answer for the question that is on the Order Paper.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Well noted Hon. Minister. Let me ask, Hon. Karenyi, are you comfortable with him answering this?
HON. KARENYI: Madam Speaker, with all due respect, this question has been on the Order Paper for some time. Unless if the Order Paper – if I am now being told that they only forwarded the question to the Hon. Minister last week, because this question has been there. The Ministry has been receiving this unless, if they are now saying the question was crafted last week. I crafted this question a long time ago.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Karenyi, let me make a correction. We can only deal with what is on today’s Order Paper, unless you are saying we need to wait, communicate with the Journals and they bring Order Papers from the previous weeks. My question was, are you comfortable with the Hon. Minister responding to this part of the question?
HON. KARENYI: He has already stated that it will lose the relevance of the question – that is what he said. Is there any need for him to answer? There is no reason. I also think that maybe somebody doctored the question because there is no reason at all to change it.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Karenyi please take your seat. We are going to – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Hon. Madzivanyika and Hon. Chokururama! Hon. Minister, I will allow you to respond to this part of the question.
HON. MAMOMBE: On a point of order Madam Speaker Ma’am. I think, it is really unfair because the question is in the name of Hon. Karenyi – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, order Hon. Members! Order!
HON. MAMOMBE: The question is in the name of Hon. Karenyi and if it was captured wrongly, it will not be fair for her because the response will not be captured, the actual question that Hon. Karenyi has …
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Mamombe! – [HON. MAMOMBE: Yes!] – Hon. Karenyi indicated that this question has been on the Order Paper for a long time. It is imperative that the Hon. Minister is available and Hon. Karenyi is also available. He can respond to this part of the question. We are all aware that there has been an omission. She indicated that. – [HON. MAMOMBE: It is a wrong question! The point is it is a wrong question!] – Hon. Mamombe, Hon. Karenyi said that this is part of the question. Hon. Minister, please respond to this part of the question. – [HON. KARENYI: Inaudible interjections.] - I am not going to give you the opportunity to speak. . – [HON. KARENYI: Inaudible interjection.] - Order Hon. Karenyi, it is important that if you want to communicate you do it properly. You cannot just stand up and use the microphone. Hon. Minister, please proceed. – [HON. HAMAUSWA: On a point of order Madam Speaker Ma’am!] – Order Hon. Hamauswa, I have not recognised you yet! Can you please take your seat! - [HON. HAMAUSWA: But I said on a point of order! Iwe, haisi Parliament ye one side ka ino iyi. Sei ma questions asinga chinjwe uko? Munongo chinja maquestions ekunouku chete!] - Order, order, can we have order in the House! Hon. Minister, please proceed.
THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE (HON. KAZEMBE) Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to appraise the House on the question raised. Given the Government’s thrust in attracting investment captured, His Excellency the President’s mantra, Zimbabwe is open for business, the country received quite a number of investors from all over the world, including China. These are vetted and issued permits in line with laws and regulations governing the investments. On average, the department of immigration receives about 50 applications for investor permits and 445 temporal employment permits applications from Chinese nationals per month.
All these applications like that of all other nationals are processed on the basis of authentic travel and identity documents. Any anomalies require verification of the documents with respective Embassies. In the case of Chinese nationals, we are satisfied as the Ministry with the co-operation we receive from the Chinese Embassy. Those that have been found ineligible to stay in Zimbabwe have, like all other foreign nationals, been asked to live the country. Pre-COVID, there was a surge of Sino to Africa migration as the 20-35 ages emigrated en masse to Africa. Post COVID, we now have an estimated 25 000 Chinese nationals in Zimbabwe. This is in response to the vast mining opportunities that Zimbabwe is presenting to the world. The immigration department is also implementing a new and improved online border management system the OBMS, which will enable the department to account for all foreign nationals residing in the country. However, if there are any foreign nationals who are in the country without genuine documents, members are free to come forward and inform us and appropriate action will be taken. I thank you.
ERADICATION OF STOCK THEFT IN ZVIMBA SOUTH CONSTITUENCY BY THE ZIMBABWE REPUBLIC POLICE
- HON. MALINGANISO asked the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage to apprise the House on steps being taken by the Zimbabwe Republic Police to eradicate stock theft, particularly in Ward 6, Ward 20, Ward 21, Ward 33 and Ward 34, in Zvimba South Constituency.
THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE (HON. KAZEMBE): Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. May I start by thanking the Hon. Member for the question. I wish to inform the House that statistics from the Zimbabwe Republic Police indicate that between January and June 2024, stock theft cases in the mentioned Zvimba South Constituency wards were generally high as follows: cattle, we had one case, goats, four cases, sheep, one case, birds two cases. We had a total of eight cases and a total number 35 animals stolen.
In Wards 20 and 21, that is the Darwendale area, we had seven cattle stolen, 15 goats, one sheep, nine birds, making a total of 32. Wards 33 and 34, Banket area, we had eight cattle, 14 goats, no sheep and birds were stolen.
Madam Speaker, I wish to inform the House that from the above cases, a total of 17 accused persons were arrested and are at various stages of prosecution. Two of the four accused persons in Ward 6 have been convicted and are each serving a nine-year jail term for cattle rustling. The Zimbabwe Republic Police is on high alert and has been continuously implementing various measures to eradicate stock theft, not only in Zvimba South Constituency, but country wide. These include foot and motorised night patrols targeting farming areas, deployment of crack teams for stop and search operations along major highways and feeder roads, awareness campaigns in collaboration with the traditional leadership, church leaders and schools, conscientising communities to construct kraals closer to their homesteads, pen their stocks daily, conducting regular checks at night, regular stock counting and branding.
Police has also strengthened community policing initiatives in the form of the village Anti- Stock Theft Committees, neighbourhood watch and community liaison committees to assist the police in this regard. Religious enforcement of stock management procedures including stock clearance and issuance of permits in liaison with Veterinary Services are being done.
In addition, surveillance of butcheries and abattoirs is ongoing with police officers on patrol checking relevant stock registers.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, I wish to assure the House and the Hon. Member that the police are seized with delivering their constitutional mandate enshrined in Section 219 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and stands ready to work with all stakeholders in their various policing areas to reduce the prevalence of crime in society. I thank you Madam Speaker.
COMPLETION OF THE DAVIS CAMP BRIDGE WHICH LINKS BOTSWANA, SOUTH AFRICA AND ZIMBABWE
- HON. M. NDEBELE asked the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development to inform the House when the Davis Camp Bridge, which links Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe through Mpoengs Border Post will be completed as it has been outstanding since 2018.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. SACCO): Thank you Madam Speaker. Allow me to respond to the question raised by Hon. Ndebele as follows: The bridge referred to here is along Simukwe River on the border of Matobo District and Mangwe District and is under the purview of RIDA. Therefore, the construction of the bridge in question was being undertaken by RIDA before works were suspended. Construction came to a halt due to design issues corresponding to geotechnical issues, which is the ground formation issues, which were encountered during construction. The authority is currently working on rectifying the anomalies relating to the design and subservice conditions. Construction works will resume once this matter is resolved and the funding will be sought to ensure the completion of the bridge structure. We will also ensure that RIDA works hand-in-hand with my Ministry through the relevant road engineers and our bridges section, under the department of roads to guarantee that the design review process and subsequent construction of the bridge is expedited. I so submit Madam Speaker.
HON. M. NDEBELE: Thank you Hon. Minister. Through you Madam Speaker, I am convinced with your response. All what happened is because of the back up by the DDF. Can you not speed the process because currently speaking, on the 26th December last year, four children tried to cross the river and two of them perished right on the spot and they died. We buried them. The bridge is just linking Mangwe and Matobo. Across the river, there is a 200m school, whereby almost 200 children attend school across the river on yearly basis. During the time the river is flooded, we have got a lot of children perishing. Can you not prioritise issues and give us first preference? Thank you.
HON. SACCO: I would like to pay condolences to those who lost their lives at this bridge and I note your concern that it is of utmost importance that this bridge needs to be constructed. I have noted your concerns and we will work on expediting the process. I so submit.
HON. DR. MUTODI: I rise on a point of order. The time for Questions with Notice has expired. Can the questions be deferred to another date? I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: You are correct Hon. Dr. Mutodi.
WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
MEASURES TO CURB IMMINENT HUNGER
7. HON. C. HLATYWAYO asked the Minister of Lands Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement to explain to the House the following-
(a) the state of preparedness by the Ministry to curb imminent hunger
(b) statistics pertaining to quantities available for food distribution at each Grain Marketing Board depot in the country.
(c) measures being put in place by the Government to curb hunger apart from the Social Welfare Department pogramme.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. MARAPIRA): Thank you Mr. Speaker, the Government is seized upon delivering a four (4) pronged strategy to deal with the food vulnerabilities that arose from the E-Nino induced drought. These include;
- Utilisation of current stocks mainly comprised for household private sector and GMB stocks
- Current harvest
- Grain Imports by the private sector and
- The Winter Cereals programme.
- b) The current grain stocks as of 14 July 2024 are at 90,963 distributed across all the Grain Market Depots in the country.
Table 2: Maize and traditional grains stocks as at 23 June
Crop |
Stocks as at 07/07/24(MT) |
Stocks as at 14/7/24(MT) |
GMB maize stocks |
72,902 |
69,833 |
Traditional grains stocks |
21,852 |
21,130 |
Total |
94,754 |
90,963 |
- c) Zimbabwe’s food security strategy, to feed 6 million of 9,2 million people in rural areas deemed vulnerable, to March, 2025, is based on four components thus –
- stock held by individuals, private sector and Government
- the meagre El-Nino induced drought harvest gleanings
iii. Imports by Government and the private sector and
- A wheat-based food security intervention
Zimbabwe has a comparative advantage to grow wheat than maize or sorghum in winter. Zimbabwe’s intervention is based on this competitive and comparative advantage. For the ongoing winter wheat season, 121 982 Ha of wheat has been planted with the target to produce 600 000 MT. ARDA which has been transformed to be the country’s food security agent has 61 815 to produce 100 000 Mt of wheat in winter. The wheat could be for swap arrangements with maize, internally or externally and for direct consumption.
A new strategies grain reserve concept with the target of 1,5 million Mt (being 1. Million MT Maize and 300 000 MT traditional grains) for the Strategic Grain Reserve (SGR) was approved by Cabinet in 2022. This aspirational target ensures three years supply of buffer stocks (equivalent to 500 000 MT social welfare support). In view of climate change and other exogenous disruptive forces since the advent of the Second Re public, ARDA is being transformed to become the “food, feed, fibre and seed security agent for the nation”. Regarding food security, the ARDA target is to plough 100 000ha annually to yield 5000 000MT of grain. In this regard, in terms of both the national food sovereignty imperative and risk management, ARDA must eventually produce 75% of this production at its own estates and less through joint ventures.
It is important to note that since Government reviewed the physical strategic grain reserve in 2022 from 750 000MT to 1, 5 million Mt to achieve this SGR target, surplus annual production in excess of annual consumption need to be planned and funded over the next three seasons. The Cabinet approved urban land development plan under AFC must of necessity, contribute to this effect from the 20204/ 2025 season onward.
RATIONALE FOR EXCLUDING NORTON FROM THE PRESIDENTIAL BOREHOLE DRILLING SCHEME
- HON. TSVANGIRAI asked the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement to inform the House the rationale behind Norton being excluded from benefiting from the Presidential borehole drilling scheme despite the fact that it is prone to cases of Cholera.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. MARAPIRA): The spirit of the Second Republic’s commitment that no place and no one will be left behind in the journey towards Vision 2030; Norton Constituency has not been left out. It will also benefit from the Presidential Borehole drilling programme. ZINWA is yet to receive funds for borehole drilling from Treasury. Currently the focus is on equipping boreholes in villages in regions 4 and 5, which are being prioritised because of the El-Nino induced drought which has disproportionately affected villages in those respective regions.
REHABILITATION OF THE UMZINGWANE DAM BOOSTER PUMP STATION
- HON. C. MOYO asked the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement to appraise the House on the progress made by Bulawayo Technical Team on Water and Sanitation towards the following;
a) Rehabilitation of the Umzingwane dam booster pump station including the transformer upgrade which will improve water delivery.
b) The upgrade of the 2.8km Cowdry Park water main line from 110 to 315 millimetres.
c) The upgrading of the Nyamandlovu aquifer water supply system to consistently supply 16 mega litres of water per day.
d) Improved potable water supply in the City of Bulawayo from the current 125 mega litres per day to 175 mega litres as the minimum that can be supplied.
e) Improved water and sewer reticulation system.
f) Adequate and consistent availability of water treatment chemicals.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. MARAPIRA): Funding was secured from Treasury for the upgrading of the dam booster pump station and a contractor was award this contract.
The contract for the supply and installation of water pumps and accessories at Mzingwane pump station is currently underway. The procurement of materials for the suction and manifolds is 100% complete, fabrication and installation of suction and delivery remains at 50% and procurement of pumps is at 30%. Pumps are in the production stage and delivery is expected in September.
b) With the secured funding it was agreed that instead of implementing this project now, the availed financial resources be directed to improving the available raw supply from Mzingwane, Inyakuni and Mtshebezi raw water supply systems.
c) Rehabilitation of Nyamandlovu 60 boreholes, 20 at Epping Forest and 40 at Rochester, is ongoing, 42 out of 60 boreholes are now operational. The total amount of water being supplied from the aquifer is 14 to 16 megalitres of water per day.
d) To improve on the raw water available, work is currently on going at Mzingwane, Inyankuni dam site and at Nyamandlovu aquifer. The contract for the supply and installation of water pumps and accessories at Mzingwane pump station is currently underway. The procurement of materials for the suction and manifolds is 100% complete, fabrication and installation of suction and delivery remains at 50% and procurement of pumps is at 30%. Pumps are in the production stage and delivery is expected in September.
The Mtshaezi-Mzingwane interlinking pipeline bypass project was advertised on 30th June, 2024 and the tender will be closing 30th July, 2024.
The mechanical works at Inyakhuni are in progress: pump assembly at 20% completion, valve manufacture and assembly at 30%, electromagnetic flow metre assembly is at 20% and overhead crane at 50%.
The rehabilitation of Clarifiers Ncema Water Treatment Works is in progress and contract successfully moved to site. Contractor currently doing fabrication of the components.
An NRW Reduction Action Plan consisting of projects amounting to USD2.3 million have been identified and earmarked for implementation in 2024. The requirements have been submitted for funding consideration. The water Mains Renewal Tender has been submitted to PMU for advertising. The City is also in the process of procuring leak repair materials to reduce the backlog of leaks.
e) Several projects have been identified for rehabilitation and upgrading. Currently work is ongoing on sewer chokes in hotspot areas, manhole replacements and replacements of old and collapsing sewer out falls.
f) The city has managed to consistently supply water treatment chemical. However, they require consistently USD90 000 monthly for chemicals. There is need for more financial resources for them to maintain a four and six month’s supply to ensure availability of the chemicals we need.
ESTABLISHMENT OF SCHOOLS FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
- HON. MAVHUDZI asked Minister of Primary and Secondary Education to inform the House the measures that are being taken by Government regarding the establishment of schools for children with special needs, for example children with autism.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. GATA): Thank you so much, Hon. Mavhudzi for asking this very important question. The issue of children with special needs is of importance to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. The Ministry has a Department of Learner Welfare and Psychological Services (LePS) led by a Chief Director. This department has two units that specialise in matteres which Hon. Mavhudzi has raised. There is a unit called Psychological Services section and another one referred to as the Special Needs Education. The Psychological Services is under psychologists who specialise in assessing learners living with mental challenges and recommending appropriate teaching and learning interventions. The special needs section is responsible for assessing the level of speech, sight and hearing impairment, among other challenges. Both sections have been decentralised to districts through establishment of learning Support Service Resource centres. This ensures that children with special needs are assessed early. Districts have been tasked to maintain Learning Support Services Client Profile Database of all learners so that those with special needs are identified in order to prescribe appropriate teaching and learning programmes.
Over and above, the Ministry has a policy of inclusive education where children with different needs are catered for. Schools in the country have facilities to cater for mild special needs cases. Some of the teachers trained in special needs are deployed to schools and districts offices to cater for special cases. For now, there is no need to build new special segregated classes for learners with severe or profound special needs in the country because the once available are enough for our children. All severe and profound cases are referred to the existing special segregated schools available for now.
UPGRADING OF SATELLITE SCHOOLS IN CHIPINGE CONSTITUENCY
- HON. C. HLATYWAYO asked the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education to inform the House the Ministry’s plans towards the upgrading of satellite schools offering Early Childhood Development (ECD) learning in Nyamushuma Ward 22, Chenji Ward 28 and Rufaro in Ward 29 among others in the Chipinge South Constituency.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. GATA): Thank you Hon. Hlatywayo for asking this very important question. I take upgrading to mean either formally registering the school or building it up by constructing more classrooms and learning facilities.
When it comes to registering satellite schools, it is the duty of the responsible authority, which in this case is Chipinge Rural District Council, to approach the Ministry and apply for registration. To register, factors such as the size of the local population and enrolment catchments are considered. The responsible authority must play its part by applying for registration. As such, the satellite schools you mentioned, that is Nhamushuma in Ward 22, Chenji in Ward 28, and Rufaro in Ward 29 29 in Chipinge South Constituency have not been registered by the responsible authority, which is Chipinge Rural District Council.
When it comes to the construction of schools through the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP), Government and its partners in the education sector may come in. Every year, an evaluation process is done to consider schools that need assistance. Chipinge Rural District Council needs to register the satellite schools so that they may be considered.
Questions with Notice were interrupted by THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order No. 68.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. KAMBUZUMA: I move that the House reverts to Order Number 1 on today’s Order Paper.
HON. SHAMU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
COMPENSATION FOR TEXBOOK AUTHORS, MUSICIANS
AND PENALTIES FOR PIRACY
HON. DR. MUTODI: I move the motion standing in my name that this House:
CONCERNED about the surge in cases of piracy where Intellectual Property Rights and Copyrights Acts are violated with impunity by unscrupulous individuals;
NOTICING THAT many academic textbooks approved as set books by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education have been unlawfully photocopied and subsequently sold on the black market;
WORRIED THAT authors of such textbooks have been prejudiced of huge sums of money leaving them poverty stricken and destitute;
FURTHER WORRIED that publishing houses have also lost huge amounts of money in the form of investment for the printing and publication of such books;
COGNISANT THAT the continued photocopying of textbooks and the unlawful reselling of such books continues to bleed the nation and causes massive brain drain that compromises the quality of education in the country;
NOW, THEREFORE, resolves that—
- a Compensation Fund be established to restitute authors of text books and musicians who have incurred losses of their intellectual property through piracy for the period 2000 to 2024; and
- the Compensation Fund be administered by the Ministries of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development; Primary and Secondary Education; Sports, Recreation, Arts and Cultureand Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage;
- stiff penalties be imposed on culprits engaging in piracy and the violation of the Copyrights Act.
HON. SHAMU: I second.
HON. DR. MUTODI: This is a motion which is concerned about the surge in cases of piracy for intellectual property and copyrights, which copyrights are being violated with impunity by unscrupulous individuals. In the Bible, on Hosea 4 vs 6, it says, “my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”. In other circles, they say that you need to feed the hen that lays the eggs. Taking this into the education sector, it all means that as a nation of Zimbabwe, we need to support this source of our knowledge, intelligence, inventions, ideas, discoveries, theories and hypothesis, equations, models and financial knowledge. We have summed it all up in our tradition and history through idioms like kuziva mbuya huudzwa.
Our ancestors have seen that it is through the actions of research and idea generation that we can create a future for ourselves. We have proponents of theories, we have experimentalists who invent technologies, we have thinkers and debaters even here in Parliament who generate ideas and these ideas as I have said, give us life, a future and they are responsible for the evolution and transformation of our lives.
What do I mean when we talk of intellectual property rights? These are ideas, inventions, creative expressions based on where there is willingness to bestow the status of property. This is according to a peer reviewed journal on intellectual property rights. Originally Madam Speaker, only patents, trademarks, industrial designs, were protected as industrial property but now intellectual property goes further to provide the mechanism of handling infringements, piracy and unauthorised use of intellectual property. It also provides a pool of information to the general public since all forms of IP are published except for State secrets.
IP protection is sought for the following reasons: for patents which are industrial features, shapes and configurations. We also seek intellectual property protection on trademarks which are marks, names, logos, and other terms in which trade happens. There are also copyrights, expressions in ideas, in material form including literature, music, dramatic art, cinematology, audio tapes and computer software. It also includes geographical indications.
If we go deeper into patents, we talk of inventions, discoveries or scientific discoveries, and even mathematical models. We also go to findings which we read in books of history to say, David Livingstone discovered the Victoria Falls. It is his own discovery which is entitled to his own name. There are also substance discoveries; you discover medicine or a mixture of substances which are helpful to society, the rearrangement of existing phenomena, any method of agriculture and medical procedure or any energy conversions. All these things need to be protected by law.
Narrowing down to the situation in Zimbabwe on piracy; if you talk of authors, there are approximately 10 000 schools in Zimbabwe, of which 7 081 of them are primary and 3 066 of them are secondary schools. Each year there are at least 4.4 million students in primary education and 2.3 million students in secondary education, making a total of 6.7 million every year. On average, if a textbook in mathematics was produced by an author and published, it must have at least 200 000 copies if it is meant for ‘O’ level and at least 500 000 copies if it was meant for ‘A’ levels. However, what is obtaining in our country is that most schools are simply buying a single textbook from the publisher and go on to photocopy the textbook, have students buy their own copies from the black market in violation of the Copyright Act. The black market textbooks are actually photocopied and bound versions of original textbooks are sold in bookshops.
Assuming an author was getting US$2 from a book published in his name or her name, just 50 000 copies would earn the author a minimum of US$100 000 and the publisher says US$500 000. The State would also get a substantial amount from taxes ranging from VAT and other transactional taxes. The same situation is obtaining among musicians and publishers of content used by broadcasting services such as our ZBC and ZTN. This situation has resulted in authors being prejudiced of huge amounts of money and this also affects the publishers. Authors of textbooks are living miserable lives yet their intellectual’s works are being sold by vendors and the vendors earning all the proceeds which the authors should have got from his hard work.
As a result of this situation, there is now no interest among authors to continue producing content for our Primary and Secondary Schools. The Minister of Education, Hon. T. Moyo acknowledged in this House some previous weeks ago that reading materials were now scarce for some subjects as there were no authors that are prepared to produce the necessary content, knowing that they will be working for nothing and they will get nothing from their hard intellectual work. The Minister also noted that fiscal constraints have made it impossible for the Government to provide textbooks for learners resulting in very low pass rates in some centres.
This question has also risen this afternoon. I am sure it is from Hon. Bajila, that there are no text books. Government is not producing funds to support such. Coming to musicians, I have with me here, if I can show you and the rest of the House, all these CDs, Mp3s and DVDs. I have extracted them from the street. I have one example here: this is Suluman Chimbetu, Leonard Zhakata with several songs; Hoto, Maruvaenyika, Pakuyambuka, Tinevimbo and so on. I have this one from Alick Macheso with albums like Dzinosvikakure, Tsokadzerwendo, Kwatabvamitunhu, Ndezvashe, Vakiridzo; I have this again from Simon Chimbetu the late musician, his sweat is being enjoyed by vendors - may his soul rest in peace. I have African Panorama, Boterekwa, Hoko, One way, Pachipamwe; I have this one from James Chimombe…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Can we please move on.
HON. DR. MUTODI: I am about to finish Madam Speaker. It has got some significance. I will talk about this later. Oliver Mtukudzi again the late musician pirated, there is also Nicolas Zakaria, Leonard Dembo, Tongai Moyo, Tomas Mapfumo and Pengaudzoke. All of this music has been pirated. Recently we heard some news that some musicians have been living miserable lives. They have been receiving some tokens of appreciation from well-wishers. A number of these musicians like Alick Macheso, Suluman Chimbetu, Chirimusango Shumba Hwenje, Chipfupi, Sandra Ndebele, Jaiz Marabini, Madzibaba Zakaria, amongst others have received some gift from a well wisher who must have considered that their good work has been pirated and sold on the informal market, leading to them getting nothing from their hard work.
It is important that this Parliament provides a solution with regards to the huge losses of authors of text books and losses incurred by artists over a long period of time since our independence and since the modern civalisation. The factors leading to the rampant photocopying of text books and piracy of artistic work needs to be discussed. They include high level of unemployment which have obtained since the year 2000, leading to jobless youths resorting to selling or pirating intellectual property so as to make ends meet. There has been high demand for text books against low disposable incomes for parents with school going age children. There is also been lack of subsidies from Government to enable schools to produce text books needed by learners and learning institutions in the product of their business and also in the work of evolving a curriculum. There is also increased use of electronic gadgets in internet services which allows schools to scan text books and use the scanned text books in their online libraries without any kind of supervision. I have also been prejudiced, this is my advanced Human in Economic Geography, I have produced 5000 to 10 00 copies, schools have just bought a few and photocopied. I have seen these textbooks being photocopied and being used as a photocopied version by many schools and students. I have also been prejudiced in the other version which is Physical Geography, there are several artists and several authors just like me who have actually been prejudiced as a result of the piracy of their text books in their intellectual work.
The lack of stiff penalties and legislation in combating the abuse of intellectual property, especially the unauthorized use of text books and their sale on the black-market needs to be confronted head on. Given the prevalence of the piracy scourge and the subsequent in impoverishment of the author and artist, it is apparent that the major action to be taken by this Parliament through this motion, is putting an end to the brain drain that the country has witnessed with respect to our intellectuals who have migrated to neighbouring countries and overseas where their work has paid them a decent life.
It is high time that intellectual property is respected and producers of content for our education are protected so as to guarantee the quality of education as well as efficiency of our science and arts sectors. In order to correct this situation, I propose a two-pronged approach, one which is restitution from the value they have stolen authors and artists and secondly, the promulgation of necessary laws which prohibit vendors from unlawfully benefiting from other people`s intellectual property. I will also suggest, since this is a subject that is new to say what is the criteria that is going to be used. I am sure we have suggested in this motion that a compensation fund be established and once that compensation fund has been established, it will then be managed by the relevant Ministries which are the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education as well as the Ministry of Arts.
The compensation fund must therefore be drawn from the fiscus and the source of information to support whether one has been prejudiced or not shall be said at ZBC for music. The publishing houses for books, the ZBC again for content and also museums and monuments organisations for art and media organisations for medical discoveries. The criteria should actually center on the discretion of the Ministry officials in determining who has been prejudiced and to what extent and as to the level at which they can be compensated. This summarises my motion on the intellectual property. I thank you.
HON. SHAMU: Thank you Madam Speaker. I rise in support of the motion moved by Hon. Dr. Energy Mutodi on the need to protect intellectual property from piracy. The need to ensure authors of scientific work and creators of art enjoy fruits of their work and the need to establish laws that prohibit the continued piracy of intellectual and artistic work. I was once a former Minister of Information Publicity and Broadcasting Services. During my service in Government, I worked with several authors of digital content as well as musicians and their associations. In fact, I was the Patron of the Musicians Association.
Madam Speaker, most of what they raised as complaints in the trade was piracy of their work on the streets where their work was pirated and sold for pittance. It is indeed correct and factual what Hon. Mutodi said and highlighted the shoulders of the various CDs that are being sold on the streets. There are also several authors of books of various labels of our education system. We have indeed millions of dollars collectively as a result of piracy.
It is apparent, given the evidence presented before this Hon. House that the Government through this Parliament and cooperation of the Executive put in place laws and policies that do not only protect our intellectual properties from piracy but also, take measures that seek to restitute those who have already lost their value due to the scourge of piracy.
In this motion, Hon. Dr. Mutodi suggested that a compensation fund must be set up to restitute authors of textbooks as well as musicians who have incurred losses of their intellectual property for the period 2000 to 2024. I strongly support this move and I do hope that this move is taken promptly as it is effective and adequate enough to be able to give us results that will make us realise the objectives of this motion.
I want to further suggest that the compensation fund must be a permanent feature until such time that the scourge of piracy has been dealt with effectively.
HON. MUTOKONYI: I also rise to buttress the motion raised by Hon. Mutodi, seconded by Hon. Shamu. It is very clear that this has become a business to others of selling other people’s properties and IPs. You realise that our President, Cde. Dr. Mnangagwa put up the innovation hubs in all universities in Zimbabwe and a lot of innovation is happening there and we are seeing a lot of products that are being developed by our students here in Zimbabwe. At some point, you will realise that the same products, whilst one is still on developing it and they go to an existing company to seek support, you see that the same company is already having that product but getting it from this inventor.
So, yes, I do concur that there has to be very punitive laws to stop this. Also, the cost to this is more to do with this digital economy or era that we are in whereby a lot of things easily happen by just the click of a button. I do concur with the two Hon. Members that there has to be a modality in terms of the compensation fund so that also the original inventors also tend to benefit. Also, as a country where we need to also look more in detail is in the cyber side of things whereby, we would also want more innovation in as far as to stop these copyrights and others because it is always going to happen.
Madam Speaker, I also suggest that we might need to see how other countries are doing in as far as ensuring that the IP is protected so that we can also apply the same measures and methods. Finally, it is very often imperative that we need to invest more into our industries so that we have less of these youth and other vendors who think that it is a business of selling other people’s property and by that we may see a reduction in that because someone thinks that it is a business yet it is not. It has to be a business that should be benefiting the owner of the product.
HON. DR. MUTODI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SHAMU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 18th July, 2024.
On the motion of HON. KAMBUZUMA, seconded by HON. NYANDORO, the House adjourned at Eighteen Minutes to Six o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 17th July, 2024
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH SERVICE
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Good afternoon Hon. Senators. I would like to inform the Hon. Senators that all Catholic members are invited to a meeting on Thursday, 18th July, 2024 at 1200 hours in Special Committee Room No. 1 on the Ground Floor, Parliament Building. It will be followed by Holy Mass which will be celebrated at 1230 hours in the same venue. All Members are invited for the Holy Mass.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that Orders of the Day Numbers 1 and 2 be stood over until all the other Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE JUDICIAL SERVICE COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2023
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the report of the Judicial Service Commission for the year 2023.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 18th July, 2024
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE ELECTORAL COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2023
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the report of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission for the year 2023.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 18th July, 2024.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2023
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the report of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission for the year 2023.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 18th July, 2024.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that Order of the Day Number 6 be stood over until Order of the Day Number 7 has been disposed of.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REHABILITATION OF OPEN MINES BY ARTISANAL MINERS
Seventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on Rehabilitation of Open Mines by Artisanal Miners.
*HON. SEN. NGWENA: I would want to thank you for affording me this opportunity to also add my voice to the motion raised by Hon. Senator Moyo on Artisinal Miners. Artisinal Miners Mr. President is now all over the country and there is no legislation that deals with the manner in which these artisanal miners are conducting themselves. Further, inspection of that issue reveals that a lot of accidents are occurring and lives are being lost, mines are collapsing, people are being murdered and nothing is being done to address the issue.
I believe that there should be research into coming up with a law that will guide the operations of these artisanal miners. I also believe that the issue of mining in the past was being done in a clear manner and if the mines could collapse, they would be assisted too quickly and it would be known who was in that area. Artisanal mining is now rampant and people are dying. The artisanal miners are the ones that are benefiting at the expense of the country.
Wherever one has gone to sink a mine, whether it is gold, they do not produce anything from the process of the mining, they just pocket it. They have no limits in terms of where to conduct their mining activities. They are doing it anywhere and all over. For example, there is a mine in Mashonaland Central, where the road that leads from Harare to Centenary, there is a place called Rosah. If one closely looks at it, there is now a lot of danger being posed in that area because of indiscriminate mining activities. We are afraid that the road might collapse any time as we go to our communal homes. If it were possible, as a Government, we need to have a law that will guide operations of these artisanal miners. I thank you.
HON. SEN. S. MOYO: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 18th July, 2024.
MOTION
COMPENSATION TO PENSIONERS AND POLICY HOLDERS BY PENSION AND INSURANCE COMPANIES
Eighth Order read: Adjourned debate on the reduced value of the Zimbabwean dollar.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 18th July, 2024
MOTION
REPORT OF THE 148th ASSEMBLY OF THE INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION (IPU) HELD IN GENEVA
Ninth Order read: Adjourned debate on the motion of the report of the 148th Assembly of the InterParliamentary Union (IPU) and Related Meetings.
Question again proposed
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I rise to wind up my motion, although it was not well debated. One hopes that next time Hon. Senators will look at these reports very well but all the same, the report contained a number of issues which are very relevant to Zimbabwe. I therefore move for the adoption of the report.
Motion that this House takes note of the Report of the148th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union IPU) and Related Meetings held on 23rd to 27th March, 2024, in Geneva, Switzerland, put and agreed to.
MOTION
CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES TO HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA ON ASSUMPTION OF THE PRESIDENCY OF PAP
Tenth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion that a congratulatory message be conveyed to Hon. Senator Chief Charumbira on his ascendancy to the President of the Pan African Parliament.
Question again proposed.
+HON. SEN. NGUNGUMBANE: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to debate and add my voice on the congratulatory message to Hon. Senator Chief Charumbira, who is one of us and is the Deputy President of the Chiefs’ Council. When a cow gives birth to a male calf in your kraal, the elders choose it for breeding the next generation of calves. Even the rooster, after hatching, a male chick might be identified as one which would produce the best breed. I believe that this was also done by Hon. Senator Chief Charumbira’s family when he grew up until this age where he was elected to be the leader of the Pan African Parliament (PAP).
As chiefs and also as Zimbabweans, we are really proud that one of us has been noticed by Africa, not only once, but this is the second time. We really want to congratulate him. This also shows the Chiefs’ Council is no longer the traditional Chiefs’ Council which people used to know as people who were useful for ceremonial purposes where they would brew traditional beer and also use snuff to appease the ancestors. This is a new era, a new generation, which is now in great positions, not only chiefs in their areas. The Government has also taken this into consideration and have seen that chiefs are wise and knowledgeable, hence they managed to upgrade them to become part of other national boards and associations.
They noticed that chiefs are also noble to be included in this august House. Hon. Senator Chief Charumbira has been chosen to represent Zimbabwe in the PAP delegation. The countries that are signatories to this PAP Forum are around 52. They wish him all the best of luck in the task that is beforehand. We also agree with the President that this is not a light duty, but it is a very heavy task because he is leading people of various opinions and who are from various cultures. They also have got different knowledge and understanding. With these few words, I would like to extend my congratulatory message to Hon. Senator Chief Charumbira and this august House. Hon. Senator Chief Charumbira has done a great job at Pan African Parliament. Thank you.
^^HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity so that I also say a few words. Mr. President, I would like to thank Hon. Senator Chief Siansali for moving this motion, which is very salient. In moving this motion, he said that he was congratulating and also celebrating our Hon. Senator Chief Charumbira. All of us here know Hon. Senator Chief Charumbira. He is a well-mannered man and also taking into consideration, his character in this august House, we do not doubt his achievements at PAP. Whenever he comes in this august House, he is someone who greets everyone. He does not select in his greetings on political affiliation, but he greets everyone. Hon. Senator Chief Charumbira is one person who follows his culture. He does not divert from the principles of the culture.
I remember one of the days when we were still at the Old Parliament building, when I was proceeding to the building and I was putting on my traditional Venda attire, Hon. Senator Chief Charumbira came to me and said, Hon. Senator Mohadi, you are the one who is dressed in a way that pleases me a lot. The attire that you are putting on is different from the attires that are worn by others. I said that the attire that I was putting on was just a simple attire. He said that was the real attire that he liked. I feel that he is someone who likes our culture and promotes it as well.
Hon. Senator Chief Charumbira, we cannot separate the issue that internationally, he is someone who has been into different Committees. This was necessitated by his hard work. That is why maybe Pan African Parliament (PAP) took into consideration that he should be elected as the President of this body, which is made up of 52 countries. Hon. Senator Chief Charumbira is not just only a chief as Hon. Senator Chief Ngungumbane has said. This shows that even when he was growing up, as a chief, he managed to go to school. He is an educated man and this enabled him to connect with various people and also have consensus with them. It is really pleasing, and it is supposed to be celebrated by everyone here in Zimbabwe, to see one of our own rising in such a manner.
For these 52 countries to accept him, it shows that he is a very noble man. I know when he gets to PAP, he will meet people from various countries with various opinions. For you to market yourself, you have to be cultured and mannered. You also have to create good relations with the people who are there. If you do not have good relations with people there, it makes it difficult for them to accept you or even to work with them.
Coming back home, it has been a while when Hon. Senator Chief Charumbira has been leading the Chiefs’ Council. During his tenure, we never heard that there were any disputes that were in the Chiefs’ Council. He is one person who has good leadership qualities.
We applaud him and we say the good work that he was doing whilst he was in this august House and even in the Chiefs’ Council, should continue in the same wave length. God should continue supporting him, increase his knowledge and make more wonders at PAP more than what he has done here. With these few words, I congratulate him in the name of the Lord, saying keep on doing good. I applaud him for being elected the leader of the Pan African Parliament. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. HUNGWE: Thank you Mr. President. I am going to say a few words and also add my voice and congratulate Hon. Sen Chief Charumbira on his election. The election of Hon. Sen. Charumbira to be the President of Pan African Parliament (PAP), which is a very important board on the continent, is very noble. What pleases me is that some people refer to Zimbabwe as a small country, but we believe that Zimbabwe is blessed. In Zimbabwe, this is King Munhumutapa Empire’s area who used to rule the whole of Southern Africa. So, what it means is that if you belong to a family of rulers, you will continue to rule. Zimbabweans are of the rulership; royal blood and we will continue ruling. We wish to say that in this 10th Parliament, we have also secured a Chief, one of our own who is now presiding over Africa. We want to celebrate over that, the God that we pray to and our ancestors are leading us where we are and we are grateful to them.
We know he is a very good leader, but we want him to go further despite the fact that we know that he is a very good leader, we want him to put Zimbabwe on the map and show expertise and knowledge as Zimbabweans. We want to thank those that elected him. We would also want to thank our President because he was instrumental in his election. If a child has a father who stands behind him or her, it is something that is to be applauded.
He is no longer a representative of Zimbabwe, but of the entire Zimbabwe. His presence shows that it is Zimbabwe that is now ruling and with those few words, I would want to say Shumba, go and lead them well, show them the way and that you are coming from the royal Munhumutapa Kingdom; the land of honey and milk and that you lead people. We do not doubt your calibre. You are very good at leading. You led the Chiefs Council for a long time in Zimbabwe. We just want to say we bless you as this august House, that you lead them well. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. MUPFUMIRA: Thank you President of the Senate. Thank you for giving me opportunity to also add my voice in congratulating Hon. Senator Chief Charumbira. I thank the mover of the motion for it is such a pertinent motion. I worked with Hon. Senator Chief Charumbira in the Pan African Parliament. He is a man who is a born leader, even the Committees that he led had a difference with the performance of the other Committees. Hon. Senator Chief. Charumbira is knowledgeable and wise, both from being a chief and also that he is well-educated. It was not easy for him when he went through the election.
You would want to know that from the time we were colonised, there remained two major groups; the Francophone, French speakers and the Anglophone, the English speakers. In the Pan-African Parliament, the decisions are very distinct. There is a problem that in the southern region our countries are quite big, look at Zimbabwe and South Africa, and you have a country called Gambia or Senegal. These are small countries, but counted as very big countries at PAP. When it came to numbers, we could not master the numbers because it has been said the Anglophones and Francophones are different.
When the idea of the rotation of the five regions to be Presidents was mooted, the southern region had never ascended to that position, but the Constitution said we should rotate for the southern and northern. So, there are only two groups that had not had the position of Presidency; North Africa with Egypt and others, and ourselves in the southern region. We would want to thank again the Southern Caucus that is inclusive of the SADC and some other countries, such as members of COMESA that stood with one voice and fought for the southern region to ascend to the Presidency.
We are happy as Zimbabweans because we would not get the position if it was a regional bloc. It was the Southern Africa bloc that fought. You would remember that there was a war that went on for six to nine months. We had won and several machinations took place. If Hon. Senator Chief Charumbira was a weakling, he would have simply stepped aside, but he remained resilient because he knew that he was representing us as Southern African countries and secondly, that it was a position that we would lead the whole of Africa.
Hon. Senator Chief Charumbira is very humble and this humility worked in his favour. He interacts well with other people. He travelled in other countries and taught them a lot of public relations in terms of how one should relate with others which led to the acceptance of the rotation. In 2020, you might have seen that the Members of Parliament disrupted the voting process and ran away with ballot boxes because of the Francophones that were being given a lot of money to ensure that we do not ascend to the Presidency because of their backers.
Hon. Senator Chief Charumbira is a man among men. He has been there for a long time. His humility and knowledge in law helped him ascend to this position. We must thank the Chief and all the other chiefs who made a point that he becomes a Senator because for one to be a member of PAP, you originate either from National Assembly or the Senate. We want to thank the chiefs collectively for choosing Hon. Senator Chief Charumbira to be one of their own and that he should become the President of the Chief’s Council.
We also want to thank our President for his support. Indeed, there was support. It was a war but, in the end, we emerged victorious and the Chief is now leading PAP. We have already seen the fruits of his ability in uniting the people because the election was done and dusted, and we are going on with developmental issues of PAP. If you are a Member of PAP, you would also fill elated as one that relates to Hon. Senator Chief Charumbira.
I also want to thank South Africa which stood by him at the time he was being fought. They had wanted PAP to be moved away from South Africa and be relocated to Morocco, but the South Africans stuck to the law and we are grateful to South Africa, although they were placed under immense pressure, they remained steadfast because it is a Southern African country. South Africa supported Hon. Senator Chief Charumbira’s election to the Presidency. This is history as it is the first time it has taken over the Presidency because it has been predominantly northwest and west.
So, as southerners, we are happy and we celebrate that we now have this position. We did not get it on a platter. We worked very hard for it and he has the position. He has the leadership qualities, cultural values and a modern world. I say congratulations to Hon. Senator Chief Charumbira and we continue praying and supporting him so that his objectives can be achieved as he leads the Pan African Parliament. We also want to thank our neighbours. The others wanted to have other southern candidates to stand against Hon. Senator Chief Charumbira so that he could not achieve his objectives. We are happy, we are victors and we emerged with total victory.
We thank God that we are the ones that are leading PAP. With those few words, I thank you for the opportunity that you have afforded me. I would also want to thank our Chiefs for going a notch above everyone because you are now ruling in the Pan African Parliament on behalf of us your servants. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 18th July, 2024.
MOTION
ESTABLISHMENT OF PUBLIC HEMODIALYSIS FACILITIES IN DISTRICTS
Eleventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the treatment of chronic kidney disease in Zimbabwe.
Question again proposed.
+HON. SEN. R. M. NDLOVU: Thank you Mr. President. I will take this opportunity to add a few words on the motion. Like what the previous speakers have already said, it is now killing a lot of people. We have these chronic diseases that appear like cancer, diabetes, hypertension and kidney problems. At first people say that it is high blood pressure when it is above 200. Now it is a sign that you are about to have kidney problems. What surprises me is that this is one of the leading killer diseases, but people fail to get proper treatment because it costs a lot for one to go for dialysis, it costs US$80 to US$200 per session. This figure comparing with the standard of life in Zimbabwe is quite challenging for one to pay such amount of money on a daily basis.
Looking also at the figures of these machines, I found that they range from US$46 000 to US$ 48 000, which I believe the country is able to buy a machine for every district. Here in Zimbabwe we have only 16 centres which do dialysis. The majority of the people cannot reach these centres to access these machines. My worry is, if the people cannot reach the hospitals, how are they supposed to be treated? Most of the people die in the rural areas where there are no machines and where these machines are supposed to be. The prices that people are supposed to pay are exorbitant. Even though you are entitled to free medical attention after reaching the age of 65, for some conditions, you are supposed to pay, especially for these dialysis treatments.
Mr. President, I am really surprised, considering that this disease is very deadly and we have some amongst our number who died due to this disease. They tried to go to these doctors but failed to pay the money to get medical attention. I am appealing to you Mr. President Sir, for Government to erect more centres, especially in the rural areas where there are people who always try to go to urban centres to get treatment but people end up paying US$8 to USD200 per session. My appeal is that these machines seem to be very cheap as compared to the US$46 000 that may be paid by the Government. This amount is not much for a Government with many resources. Each district should have one of these dialysis machines because it will help people in the rural areas a lot. My other wish is for the tariffs that are supposed to be paid by people with such chronic diseases to be reviewed as they are too high for those needing dialysis. I believe that Hon. Members have already spoken about this, so I am just buttressing for the reviewing of the tariffs to a lower figure. We do not want a situation where we are told to go to Bulawayo or Harare for dialysis because people live in various districts here in Zimbabwe, hence the need to have dialysis machines everywhere. When someone gets sick, you end up exhausting all the resources that you have, yet you still have to fend for the family. The funds that one has are not adequate to cater for all these things. When you go for dialysis, you will be told that they do not accept local currency as these machines are imported and cost a lot. My appeal is for a review of the monies paid and to make an analysis of these chronic diseases. All of us here are at the ages where we can be affected by such diseases. This disease affects people who are 50 years and above. I appeal for dialysis services to be accessible within our own areas. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: I would also want to add my voice on the motion raised by Hon. Senator Zvidzai on the issue of kidneys. This ailment can cause one to lose one’s life. It is a chronic disease and it is difficult to treat, especially when the ailment has attacked someone from the rural areas because for them to go to hospital and be treated, the amounts required are beyond their means. If you are not a person of means and you fall ill with kidney ailment, you die very quickly. Kidneys are important for they are responsible for the cleaning of blood so that it circulates. Once one has succumbed to this ailment and they fail to raise funds for dialysis, it means that there will be a lot of toxins within the body and kidneys will fail to clean the blood, and circulation becomes a problem. A lot of diseases will attack the person as the immune system will be compromised and eventually, they will die.
Mr. President, it is my considered view that when the motion was raised by Hon. Senator Zvidzai, he had observed that the kidney ailment can be likened to heart disease. The research that he conducted showed that there are about 13 hospitals that have such machines, but that the machines require payment for one to utilise them and these amounts range from $80 to $200 per visit. It will be difficult for one to sustain such payments as the majority of the people do not have the means. It is my view that this ailment should be treated like HIV/AIDS where there is free medication. When one is suffering from such an ailment, the result is one route because they encounter difficulties in raising the amounts required. The kidney and heart ailments should have a levy in the form of a tax so that the chronic diseases can be treated free of charge. It can attack any one of us in this august House and we may fail to raise the required amounts for dialysis.
These dialysis treatments help even when one is looking for kidney replacement. Without such machines, you can die whilst waiting for a donor to give you a matching kidney. We have seen it in our constituencies; people with such diseases encounter a lot of problems. It is different from other diseases whereby once you are given medication and you use it properly, within a week, you will have fully recovered. The kidney ailment does take a lot of time.
So, I am calling upon Government, as alluded to by the mover that there be devolution of dialysis machines to district level and the personnel that operate such machinery so that people in the rural areas may also live longer. They are dying of ignorance as they do not know where to get assistance. I believe that this is a pertinent motion and it should be cascaded to the districts and all our communal areas where we come from. There should be awareness campaigns and I fully support that idea because once there is awareness, people are given medication which may prove very useful when they can be enlightened that dialysis machines can be readily available and assist them to do better.
I call upon Hon. Senators and Members of the National Assembly that when we are crafting the budget, we should speak strongly about ailments such as kidney so that money can be set aside to assist in the fight against such ailments. It does not matter whether one is young or old, one can succumb to kidney problems. Once it attacks you, you will not have the means because you will not be ready. Our budget should take into consideration such issues so that the Ministry of Health is given sufficient funding for kidney ailments. I have already said that it should include heart ailments because once a heart ailment attacks you, it requires a lot of money for one to receive attention.
I see some NGOs that come into this country with financial assistance, they should leave politics aside and help people that are suffering. They go to a business that does not sustain human life and they use the funding that they bring to destabilise our country. I am appealing to these NGOs to come and assist in the fight against kidney ailments so that the people can live longer. That is what I wanted to add on this motion. I thank you.
HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 18th July 2024.
MOTION
MOBILE BIRTH REGISTRATION EXERCISE
Twelfth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the challenges faced by the people living in the border areas on the issuance of birth certificate.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 18th July 2024.
MOTION
ESTABLISHMENT OF HYDROCEPHALUS DEVICES IN GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE PHARMACIES
HON. SEN. L. SIBANDA: I move the motion standing in my name that:
NOTING the rise in hydrocephalus cases in hospitals;
AWARE that the most common treatment for such cases requires shunt devices to drain excess fluid from the head;
CONCERNED that such devices are not readily available in both Government and private pharmacies resulting in children with hydrocephalus dying;
COGNISANT that unavailability of these devices violates section 76(1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, which mandates equal access to basic healthcare services for all citizens and permanent resident:
NOW, THEREFORE, urges the Ministry of Health and Child Care to—
- expeditiously ensure that shunt devices and requisite medications are available in hospitals to prevent further loss of lives;
- conduct thorough investigations as to why such essential devices are not readily available for long periods; and
- implement policies that guarantee equal access to healthcare services for all.
HON. SEN. PHULU: I second.
HON. SEN. L. SIBANDA: Parents of children who have died and also living with spina bifida and hydrocephalus are concerned about the high mortality rate of the children who are dying of that condition. Our children are dying of conditions that could be surgically corrected and approximately four to 100. I therefore, move a motion to compel Government, through the Ministry of Health and Child Care and Ministry of Finance to equip the country’s major referral hospitals, Parirenyatwa and Mpilo to offer pediatric surgery to the Spina Bifida and hydrocephalus children. I would also like to ask the Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care to conduct public hearings about the hydrocephalus kids and state of pediatric hydrocephalus condition treatment in Zimbabwe. The treatment of this condition is very expensive. I call the Committee on Health and Child Care to engage MOHCC, parents whose children died and those with children living with hydrocephalus conditions and affected communities and medical practitioners.
At Mpilo, we have got two Neurosurgeons: Dr. Mwale and Dr. Hlatywayo who have since transferred to other hospitals. I call the Government to promote early diagnosis, mass screening and appropriate medical treatment to children living with hydrocephalus and to individuals in the communities. Most parents are concerned during the time of pregnancy because most of the parents do not even have money to go and do scans to check if their children have cephalic or if there is any abnormality in the growth of the head. I call on the Government to promote early diagnosis and collect information about children living with Spina Bifida and hydrocephalus disorders for purposes of research in communities and disseminate relevant information concerning childhood hydrocephalus.
The effectiveness of the community development model in support to such children and disseminate such research findings through appropriate national and international forums. Also, capacitate hospitals and clinics with child friendly infrastructure, equipment and human resources for an international recognised theatre facilities. Again, to promote access to philanthropic doctors for screening and treatment of childhood hydrocephalus. I urge the Ministry to promote nutrition support for hydrocephalus patients, promote friendly childhood spina bifid counseling and training sessions for care givers. Also, to promote free access to medication to Spina Bifida and hydrocephalus communities.
The challenges that most of the children are facing, most of them come from less privileged families. Since their treatment is very expensive, they find it very difficult to visit health facilities because they cannot afford. A child with hydrocephalus to survive, they need a shunt device which is used to drain the fluid from the head, which will cause the head to drain the fluid from the brain. They can undergo surgery but a lot is needed for this operation, which includes a shunt device and other accessories. Before that, a child has to go through an MRI Scan and other medical requirements before the surgery. This is effective if there has been an early diagnosis but if a child delays to get a scan to check if they are suffering from this Spina Bifida, they would be encountering some deformation and the child might end up dying.
Care givers end up abandoning families because their children need almost 90% of their time. They need a constant check up and most of the times, people who are in charge of the children are the mothers. They end up abandoning their duties even if they are employed, they are forced to stay at home to look after their children because of their conditions, which other people might not manage to take care of. The kids are not taken in ordinary schools. Most of them would need hearing aids, which they cannot afford because they come from poor families. The shunt devises are very expensive and they are not readily available in the country. The cheaper devices are from a minimum amount of about USD160 to 200. I pray that the Ministry would take care of this problem on time before this illness kills more children. I thank you.
HON. SEN. PHULU: I have listened to the impassioned plea by Hon. Sen. Sibanda on this issue of children living with the hydrocephalus disability or condition. Certainly, what I have taken away is that this disability or condition is a very painful one. It is painful for the child living with the condition. We keep referring to the child because these children never grow up to become adults. That would be extremely exceptional, if one lives to become an adult. So they are already sentenced to death from the time that they are born. All we can do as a nation is to make their time on this earth comfortable so that, that little time they were given, they can enjoy a quality life. When we talk about the right to life, we do not talk just about exhibiting the vital signs of life like breathing or a pulse.
Certainly, the right to life encapsulates the right to a quality existence. They must be able to exist with as little pain as possible. They must be able to maximise whatever senses they have. They must be able to love and be loved. They must be able to laugh. They must be able to cry. They must be able to experience being on this earth and if they are our children, if they are born into Zimbabwe, certainly we should care about taking care of them. From the point of view of a nation on National Budget, I do not think a shunt device would break the back of this Government. From the point of view of a family, a mother, a father, a sister, who have to look after these children, that cost is back-breaking. What we have done, obviously because they are disadvantaged, they are in the minority. If we are not suffering it ourselves, we are experiencing it ourselves, it is easy to hide and ignore it, so that it does not touch us.
I believe that what has been happening is that some of these conditions – hydrocephalus is one them. I have seen many more terrible conditions that afflict children, which we have tended to ignore because they cannot speak for themselves. The parents who are in such a grievous situation are disadvantaged. They cannot speak for themselves. So, I rise today to express my deep concern and outrage at the persistent lack of affordable shunt devices for the treatment of this condition in Zimbabwean hospitals. This is not only a healthcare crisis, but a human rights violation that is denying countless children and individuals with this dilatating condition, the chance to live a full and dignified life.
Mr. President, as we all know and as has been expressed by the mover of this motion, this is a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention to prevent brain damage and even death. We need not argue, let us talk about it in order to move the Government to do something. A sentence should be enough and I thank Hon. Sibanda for her impassioned plea, her detailed plea which gave us the statistics of this ugly condition that is strangling our children silently in our hospitals and in homes across the country.
The replacement of the shunt devices is a life serving procedure, proven to be effective in alleviating the symptoms of hydrocephalus. However, it is heartbreaking to know that these essential devices are not readily available or affordable where they are found in both Government and private pharmacies, leaving many individuals without access to this treatment. As a nation that has ratified the United Nations Conventions on the Right of the Child, we have an obligation Mr. President, to ensure that all children have access to healthcare services that are necessary to ensure their survival and development. That survival and development includes the survival and development of these special children who suffer from this terrible condition.
Article 24 of the Convention specifically emphasises the right of the children to the highest and terrible standards of healthcare. We cannot turn a blind eye to this fundamental right and continue to neglect the needs of our most vulnerable citizens. Furthermore, our country has ratified the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights which enshrines the right to life, dignity and health.
Article 16, of the African Charter guarantees the right again to attain the highest terrible standards of physical and mental health. We cannot ignore this ride and continue to deny our children who live in this condition. Our policies as opposition political party over the years, including our policies particularly called SMART, emphasises also the right to healthcare and this is compromised by the lack of this shunt devices and certainly should our Government romp to power one day, we would emphasise the right to healthcare including the rights of these marginalised children.
We cannot claim to be committed on achieving these goals while denying individuals with hydrocephalus access to life serving treatment. As we deliberate on this critical issue, it is imperative that we consider the broader implications of our actions on the nation development trajectory. The state of affairs surrounding the availability of these devices, simple devices I must add, for hydrocephalus treatment in Zimbabwean hospitals, is a stuck reminder of the gap between our policy promises and reality. Our National Development Strategy (NDS1) and Vision 2030, both emphasise the importance of addressing the needs of the most vulnerable members of our society. NDS1 specifically highlights the need to reduce poverty and inequality, while Vision 2030 is to create a prosperous and empowered nation. Surely, it should be shameful to find in an empowered and prosperous nation, a small number of children who are suffering this way while we ignore them and do nothing to alleviate their pain.
However, the current situation where children with this condition are denied this access, hampers the fulfillment of the vision that we have painted to the nation through the Vision 2030 and all our promises. Furthermore, the President’s mantra is that no one shall be left behind and this is contradicted by this situation. How can we claim to be committed to leaving no one behind when children with hydrocephalus are being denied a chance to live a full and dignified life because they cannot afford a machine, a simple machine which Government can afford to pay because they are small in number? There is no argument that we see the Government spending millions to buy these gadgets because there is a small percentage of our society. Certainly, I think the pocket change of Government can quickly be used to intervene as quickly as possible.
The lack of devices is not only a healthcare crisis but also a development one Mr. President. It undermines our ability to achieve the SDGs, particularly SDG3 which aims to ensure health lives and promote the well-being for all ages. The absence of these devices contravenes the principles of the equity and social justices inclined in our Constitution.
It is imperative that we take immediate action to address this crisis. We must prioritise the procurement and distribution of shunt devices to ensure that children with hydrocephalus receive the treatment we need. I would go on Mr. President, but let me cut short by saying, I would like to urge Members in this House not to ignore this plea because it has a word that we do not know and I came across it, which was a first time - hydrocephalus.
Let us debate this motion. It has been raised in earnest and from a genuine heart. It has been raised from deep emotions by someone who has worked and cared for these children. Someone who has come across this pain and I would like to invite each and every Senator from my side of the aisle and across the aisle, to go and deeply search or research this motion, and find something to say about this motion so that at the end of the day, it is a well debated motion because all our views and contributions will make this bus move and turn the key to this thing being done.
Let us see if hearted and emotive debates will make our Government move, and move quickly in order to deliver on this plea. We do hope that the Minister and all those who work in this area out there can hear us and come to actually answer to this important issue. It is not trifling and I know it is not about elections or changing Government. It may appear to be a small issue but someone is dying out there. You are lucky if you do not have a child who is born with this condition and I am lucky if I do not have, not because I am clever. I am not erudite and sophisticated.
You can have a child, grandchild or nephew, and even if it is a stranger that you do not know, we do not want to leave in a country where we ignore things because we think they are a small matter and we do not care about them. I would like to implore my colleagues to come with me on this journey and I will be interested to see, and lobby personally each and every one of you to say something about this. I thank you.
+HON. SEN. NDEBELE: Thank you Mr. President. I am very grateful for the motion raised by Hon. Sibanda, which talks about health complications for kids. It is a very sad state, we have come across this. You can be quiet for a long time thinking about what you would have seen, yet there are others who would have already come across that. All of us here were not born like this, were not born dressed. We came from a sorrowful state. Therefore, we should all encourage Government to be involved in babies being born because they are the ones that we look up to for Zimbabwe as a country. We do not expect that the end of our generation should mean the end of the world. The world and the country go on with the future generations including the ones that are being born now, that translates into the state of the country right now.
Mr. President, if we look out there in the rural areas, we may prioritise urban areas. There are a lot of things in the rural areas yet that is where the majority reside. They are the ones who make us sit here, with that margin we should also promote them because we cannot be here right now. I say so because the rights of children in the rural areas are not well recognised or respected. Looking at all the diseases that are spoken about and the ones that were referred to by Senator Sibanda. Most of the people in the rural areas do not know them. The knowledge about the disease that we are talking about this time is not known in the rural areas because the health facilities in the rural areas do not even have that knowledge.
Mr. President, you realise that a child can be disabled below the age of six months. They continue going to the clinic, just receiving paracetamol. They lose weight and become disabled with no remedy. They only receive breast milk, when the mother looks at such a child even if the milk runs dry, the child will only play with the mother’s breast but with nothing coming out. Even the cheeks of the baby will not grow because they would be having serious problems.
I came from Midlands, it is now about two weeks. I was very disturbed because I came across that incident. People were gathered because the baby was in such a state. We sent the baby to the nearest clinic under the local authority and we realised that there was not even a single pain killer, so we were supposed to go to the next hospital that we considered better from the place that I had come from. We went to that hospital and there was a doctor, but we realised that the doctor did not have knowledge. We realised that even the baby was not supposed to be exposed to such a condition.
Mr. President, we are talking about Midlands Province, we were all powerless and we could not do anything. The baby was supposed to be taken to Gweru. The baby was supposed to be admitted and a pediatrician was supposed to come from Bulawayo, but the specialist comes on certain days yet we were looking at the life of a baby. We were looking at a potential doctor, a soldier and all other good things. We proceeded with the baby and I left them there. I was phoned to come and collect them again because the things that were required were not available. They required US$9 000. We are talking of very new branch that cannot afford anything on their own.
Right now, we are only looking for pain relief because we are not expecting that money to be raised from anywhere. My request to Government is to have health centres by regions so that they may be assisted. I also request that doctors in rural areas go for a specific health programmes because they will be seconded by donors. The Ministry should also ensure that doctors go right round so that we do not lose lives of babies.
Mr. President, the nurses who are in places that we come from are not concerned at all. I ended up telling them that I am Senator Ndebele because of their behaviour. That is when they showed concern about the baby. We are looking at people with nothing and they may not even have been wearing any perfume. They frown at the baby and anyone who comes nearer to the baby. They do not even consider the state. It is so painful. I apologise for being emotional Mr. President. It is so painful Hon. Senators, it happened to me and I am in deep pain. I was not even able to talk to the nurses in front of the parents. I ended up taking the parents to the car and went back to talk to them. I had to tell them that they should not go to work where they cannot work with patients, where they look down upon patients, especially after realising that the mother cannot even produce milk. They are not concerned, yet they take pride in the clothes that they put on. Mr. President, it is so painful. I came from that state when I was born.
I remember by that time my grandfather used to go around in the rural areas, administering injections, maybe that is why I survived. I hereby request that let us debate deeply on this motion. Just like Hon. Senator. Phulu said, there is nowhere we can go as a country if we do not respect innocent people before God. Let us not prioritise our sinful wishes without prioritising development of the country.
Mr. President, I want to apologise because I have reached a state of much anger because of an innocent baby that has affected parents. That baby will not grow properly. We are the ones who are violent to the mother because as leaders, we are unable to do things in our areas. We selfishly look at ourselves and say we are girls of raptures but where we come from, what does a clinic have? Imagine dropping from these big vehicles carrying a baby that can die any minute, yet they expect that they chose a leader who will ensure that we get even paracetamol.
It is so painful, especially to those people who cannot express where their pain is. I appeal to Government to take health issues seriously. I hereby challenge Government, or the Health Ministry not to say we have grown to where we are today and will not care about others. Those who work in that Ministry must be taught to deal kindly with those in need. I thank you Mr. President.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I hope next time you will not be so emotional and you speak properly.
HON. SEN. SIBANDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN PHULU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to Resume: Thursday, 18th July, 2024.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Fourteenth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on Presidential Speech: Debate on Address.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 18th July, 2024.
On the motion of HON. SENATOR MUZENDA, seconded by HON. SENATOR MAKAMBA, the Senate adjourned at Twenty-Six Minutes past Four o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 16th July, 2024
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE
SWITCHING OFF OF CELLPHONES
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Good afternoon Hon. Senators. Hon. Senators, you are reminded to put your phones, your gadgets on silence or switch them off.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE AFFAIRS (HON. H. MOYO): Thank you Mr. President. I move that Orders of the Day, Nos. 1 and 2 be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE JUDICIAL SERVICE COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2023
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the report of the Judicial Service Commission for the year 2023.
Question again proposed.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE AFFAIRS (HON. H. MOYO): I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 17th July, 2024.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE ELECTORAL COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2023
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the report of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission for the year 2023.
Question again proposed.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE AFFAIRS (HON. H. MOYO): I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 17th July, 2024.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2023
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission for the year 2023.
Question again proposed.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE AFFAIRS (HON. H. MOYO): I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 17th July, 2024.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE AFFAIRS (HON. H. MOYO): Thank you Mr. President, I move that Order of the Day No. 6 be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REHABILITATION OF OPEN MINES BY ARTISANAL MINERS
Seventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the need for artisanal miners to rehabilitate open mines.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MACKENZIE NCUBE: Thank you Mr. President. I would like to add a few words to this debate that was moved by Hon. Moyo on the need for artisanal miners to rehabilitate the land which has been scarred all over the country. I would like to start by recognising the significant contributions of artisanal miners to the economy. The way the motion has been couched may indicate that the artisanal miners are not important to the growth of the economy. They contribute to employment and livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans, particularly in the rural areas. They also contribute a significant amount of foreign currency. They are the biggest contributor in terms of gold deliveries to Fidelity in the country. They contribute over 70% of all the gold delivered to Fidelity. As MPs, we must appreciate that we ride on their sweat in terms of foreign currency usage because Parliament, as we all know, is a net consumer of foreign currency. It does not produce any foreign currency but as we buy our cars, which we love driving, we must recognise that a big contribution of that comes from artisanal miners. In some areas, particularly where I come from, a number of businesses have sprouted because of the activities of small scale miners. They provide a significant income for those businesses. It is however true in many ways that there is damaging environmental impact which they cause mostly because they use rudimentary methods of mining. It is important for Government to licence small scale miners and give them the support that they need so that they can mine in a regular way. The way it is being done right now poses health challenges, not only to themselves, but to some of the settlements around their activities. There is also a health issue pertaining to that because they do not stay at a place for a long time. They move from place to place, depending on where gold has been identified.
There are also issues of pollution attached to activities of artisanal miners, which have to be looked at very closely because of the way they use mercury and other chemicals to process gold. That becomes a danger, not only to humans, but also to wildlife. The degradation which takes place in some cases has got a negative impact on the habitat and deforestation must be controlled by positive responses from Government. So, we must encourage the Minister of Mines to give all the support required to assist artisanal miners in terms of their activities because they are an integral part of our economy.
*HON. SEN. BVUMO: Thank you Hon. Chair. I rise to add a few words on the motion on artisanal miners. It is a very good motion and since we started debating on this, we keep on reminding each other that they help us a lot in employment creation as well as accumulating gold reserves. They also boost the businesses around through their activities. I have another opinion pertaining to Government. It is always a call to Government to regularise the small scale miners so that wherever they operate, it should be legal. The problem is, I do not see Government having the capacity to regularise these miners. Why do I say so Mr. President? History has taught us that when there is too much interference in this work, especially from political leadership as well as the abuse of a party name where individuals using the party name will disturb operations, it gives an impression that Government is trying to interfere in a bad way. Such areas have become war zones, for example in Mashonaland West where I come from, especially in the Gadzema area in Chegutu. There are a lot of cases where small scale miners earn their living, but there are some unscrupulous people who get some information that such a mine has struck gold and they go there with fake documentation and start chasing the small scale miners away. It does not give a good picture to such mining activities which contribute positively to the economy. It leads to a lot of retrogressive activities and those areas become war zones. I am sure you have heard of the mashurugwi. Each week you would hear of killings or injuries to some people taking place. Those small scale miners end up forming gangs and these unscrupulous people I referred to would also have their own gangsters. In the evening when they meet, they fight and people in those communities live under such a traumatic environment. So, my wish is, there is need for us to examine what is causing all these problems because we may suggest that there is need for regularisation, but it will remain like that. Right now, we are coming from elections but during election times, we tried to stop them but later on we started mobilising through them. It is as if we are trying to move forward whilst in actual fact we are going backwards. I also would like to look at the impact where there is small-scale mining activities.
There are workshops that we carry out especially with regards to diseases like TB and HIV/AIDS. An assessment that was carried out suggests that one of the major causes of the spread of these diseases is the emergence of artisanal miners. They increase the spread of diseases. Artisanal mining is a very painful job because each time you earn some money, you get a feeling that nothing else is important. So, one of the causes of the spread of HIV/AIDS is the emergence of the small-scale miners who are being allowed to operate without any laws restricting them. The police that are deployed in those areas are the ones who start getting money from the artisanal miners and the problem is that some of the police officers may be the owners of those artisanal mines and that causes a lot of disorder in those areas.
I wish this would be taken seriously, especially if we talk about Government policy, we must implement but we might take the whole year debating, yet there is no action on the ground. We hear of maShurugwi who would have committed murder, but the following day you will find them being protected by political leaders where they operate.
+HON. PHUTI: I will start by saying yes, we know that in mining, we really want what we get from under the ground. What I have noticed is that small scale miners have caused a lot of havoc, especially in Matabeleland region where I come from. They have created more harm than good. Even if you have money, you cannot rectify some of the things that have been damaged.
I come from Mangwe and we no longer have places to stay. If you are herding goats, you cannot shepherd them at night because the miners have dug holes all over even in the kraals. They even mine near homesteads where there are old ladies and grannies who live by themselves. They start mining there. Even in the fields, we cannot plant anything because they will come and do their mining there. We used to have farms that we used as the grazing land for our cattle but now our cattle no longer have places for grazing.
These are not proper mines but they are pegged mines. These are people who will just be mining and putting mercury in drinking water. They will go and mine wherever they go and they put mercury in the water. That is very dangerous for us and also our livestock. We know that we get money from gold but if you go and see the state of the road to Mangwe, there is no road. There are Chinese companies which are doing mining but there is nothing in our hospitals. There are tonnes and tonnes of gold that are being mined from that area.
I would like to talk about these artisanal miners. There are about two or three mines that are properly established but with the rest, they just go anywhere and mine. They just mine willy-nilly. Things are really bad in my area. If your child tells you that he is into mining, I think you must just go and see what exactly they are doing. Here I am talking about children who call themselves ama2ks. These are people who carry weapons like machetes and they are always attacking each other. We do not even know where the bodies are taken to. Most of these miners will be going to Lupane, Zvishavane and some other places.
These ama2Ks are criminals. They do not call each other by name but instead they call each other rasta. After June last year, they killed four people. There is one boy who killed both his mother and father and went to Mangwe. The other one killed his grandmother and also went to Mangwe and another one again killed someone and went to Mangwe. If they fail to kill people, they waylay people who will be going to Mangwe to get transport. So, they wake up at night and waylay those people who will be going to the bus stops.
What is happening in my area is really bad. I have already said that they are all Rastas, so how will you know who the thief is if all of us are Rastas? As we were going around with the HIV Committee, we were told that Matabeleland was leading in HIV cases. It is because of these artisanal miners, but there are these other ladies who are also looking for money. I asked one of the boys what was happening and he told me that they were no longer using condoms but were using empty bread plastic papers. This is what happens.
After five days, there were five people who were suffering from STI. I ferried them in my vehicle to the hospital. They no longer kill people and no longer rape people but they say there are ladies who service them. I have already said that people from Matabeleland South, 20% are people who come from that area but the rest come from other places to do these illegal mining activities.
I have already said these children kill others. You might stay for a long time without seeing the children in your areas, but the children who had gone to Mangwe to do illegal mining crossed the border and went to Botswana. They were arrested there. They have not been tried as yet. They will be detained there for 10 years or so before trial. Some of them were killing others and would bury them wherever. Some of them were killed by the SSGs in Botswana and buried there. Others drowned in the river. This is very painful.
Mr. President, you will hear parents saying their children went to Botswana; they did not go to Botswana, they died before going there. My plea is that Hon. Members, when you go back to your constituencies, please go and find out where the children are. The Hon. Senator here mentioned some of them. He was talking about their seniors and three of them were shot and thrown into the river. When they get money, say in Botswana, they start to kill others. This is a very sad story.
My plea is that there should be a law, and mines should have registers with ID Numbers. That would make it easier for them to catch those who would have killed others because if there is an operation in mines in Gwanda, you will not find them because they will all run away. If someone says that they still want gold, if this is what is happening then it is not good. The police are now criminals, especially in my ward, Mpoengs where I come from. The police from Mpoengs are now the leaders of those criminals. They sent them during the day to go to a mine to see what is happening there. In the evening, they will then go to commit crimes there because there is a lot of corruption going on at the mines. When the police go there, they notice that there are illegal happenings going on at the mines but the police take money from them and let them continue mining. Some people end up losing their children because their children die there yet someone would have benefited from those illegal activities.
The Government should enact appropriate laws and the police should also do their work. Last month, I went to my village. Someone died from the cold. They saw that person in the morning around six but they left him there the whole day and proceeded to the mines to do their illegal activities. The corpse was left in the sun the whole day. Police were running after money ignoring what they are supposed to do. If I were to have a mine, I would not want the police there. I should follow what EMA and what the Ministry of Mines say but the police are now going there. If someone was to hang himself, the police would say they do not have transport to go and take the corpse. If it is a mine, they will rush to the mine. If it were me, the Government should be very strict. The Government should revert to what they used to say that a police officer should stay in an area for six months only. If they take too long in an area, they end up doing illegal activities which they see beneficial. I thank you.
HON. SEN. S. MOYO: Thank you Mr. President Sir. I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. PHUTI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 17th July, 2024.
MOTION
COMPENSATION TO PENSIONERS AND POLICY HOLDERS BY PENSION AND INSURANCE COMPANIES
Eighth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the reduced value of the Zimbabwean Dollar.
Question again proposed.
*HON. SEN. MUZODA: Thank you Mr. President. I would like to thank you for the opportunity you have given me. I would like to debate on inflation that attacked our money, which led to erosion of value, especially to the pensioners who ended up suffering although they worked hard in preparation for their future.
Mr. President, the truth is as we grew up, we used to admire pensioners who would go to get their earnings from their rural homes but suddenly, things have changed and money has lost value since 2006. Although there was a remedy in 2009 when foreign currency was introduced, that affected a lot of people tremendously because the pension houses where no longer able to pay beneficiaries money to the tune or the value of what it used to be before that era.
The problem is, this money lost value to some people yet to other groups, it did not lose value, for example, the insurance. Although money was said to have lost value, we saw a lot of insurance companies such as NSSA constructing malls yet money had lost value. So, money lost value to ordinary people and gained a lot of value to those who were keeping it. It is so sad.
When are we going to be able to keep our money? When that one lost value, it was assisted by the US$ but when it was converted to US$, pensioners did not get anything up to date, they are still suffering towards the end of the month. Like today going onwards, if you go into towns, you will find people with blankets on verandas. It is no longer possible for someone to travel from Murehwa or Chikomba and travel back before they get their money because it is not possible for them to go back to where they would have asked for money to return. The banks will not provide them with the money for the next four or five days, it is so sad.
Those people who will be sleeping on the verandas are older parents who wish to get their money on time, yet they end up spending three or four days without getting assistance. Madam President, I do not want to say a lot of words but I would like to say these few words. We need to improve the way the pension houses operate and our money must also be valuable so that those who receive it will get benefits from it. In the past, when a retired and his pension came, you would find a kraal filled with livestock and they would buy livestock as a storage of value for the future but these days, someone has to lend you money to go to the bank and you return with nothing to give the person whom you would have borrowed from because money has lost value.
We cannot talk of ZiG which has just been introduced when people were suffering. Yes, ZiG has been introduced and it is strong, but let us keep it that way and not forget about the plight of those who were not able to earn pensions that had value. I will end my debate here and say may Government improve the livelihoods of our pensioners and the elderly so that suffering is reduced in our households. I thank you.
HON. SEN. KUNAKA: Madam President, I think this issue of our dollar depreciation is something of concern, especially citing the general economic situation haunting the nation. Also, there is still uncertainty about how long Zimbabwe will continue to use multiple currencies. The nation is in the yesteryears, it had many economic blueprints, but everything seems to be just short-term goals. This drastic depreciation of the Zimbabwe dollar, has great effect on the macro-economic stability. Currently, the economy has been shifted from productive to a consumptive one. We are not producing but we are just faced with a consumptive economy due to the depreciation of the dollar.
Also, the depreciation of the ZIM dollar led to the introduction of multiple currency. The inconsistent monetary policies that we had in the country also caused a serious decline in some of the industries. The Reserve Bank in the past had actually shifted from its legal mandate. It was just involving itself in some of the quasi fiscal activities of bond printing which also affected the economy and led to serious hyperinflation. Again, the dollar devaluation caused a lot of infrastructure challenges.
Madam President, we can see that in some of the areas, though we tend to applaud on the road rehabilitation, but some areas need attention. In some cases, be it in some Government institutions and even hospitals or what, we are sometimes faced with quite a dilapidated infrastructure owing to the depreciation of ZIM dollar. I think as a nation, even the green revolution in agriculture is also affected by this because we need some of the farming inputs. You need to also invest in infrastructure. Farming is one of the greatest contributors to our GDP.
As a way forward …
HON. SEN. GOTORA: On a point of order Madam President. We cannot hear what she is saying anymore because there is some disturbing noise, we do not know where it is coming from?
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE (HON. A. DUBE): I think she is too close to the microphone.
HON. SEN. KUNAKA: As a way forward, I think we need to recapitalise our manufacturing industries through the Central Bank. We appeal to Government for removal of customs duty on imports and maintain interest rates that do not discourage increased investment and all-inclusive financial systems that promote social and economic developments. We require advanced and sophisticated financial markets that can mobilise financial resources. As a nation, we need to come up with strategies to stimulate the growth of SMEs into viable entities as part of boosting industrialisation. Thank you – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.]-
*HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
*HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 17th July, 2024.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE 148TH ASSEMBLY OF THE INTER- PARLIAMENTARY UNION (IPU) AND RELATED MEETINGS
Ninth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion of the Report of the 148th Assembly of the Inter- Parliamentary Union (IPU) and Related Meetings.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 17th July, 2024.
MOTION
CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE BE CONVEYED TO HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA ON HIS ASCENDANCY TO THE PRESIDENCY OF THE PAN-AFRICAN PARLIAMENT
Tenth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion that a congratulatory message be conveyed to Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira on his ascendancy to the Presidency of the Pan-African Parliament.
Question again proposed.
*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Madam President for giving me this opportunity to debate on the motion by Chief Siansali with regards to Senator Chief Charumbira’s post on the Pan-African Parliament. We must applaud the sterling job by Senator Chief Charumbira because there are a lot of countries that had seconded candidates for the Chairmanship but they were not successful and it came to us. If such a thing happens, there is a reason and the reason that I see is we should know where this is coming from. Zimbabwe is a peaceful country emanating from the leadership of President Mnangagwa, because if there is a country marred in violence, it cannot be elected for such a post because they will realise that there will be no progress. Mr. President, this is an honour to our country.
In addition, this comes down to this House because Senator Chief Charumbira belongs to this House. It also cascades to the Chiefs representing various regions which means Senator Chief Charumbira, who was also the President of the Chiefs Council, whilst he was in that Council, was able to discuss with his compatriots, the chiefs in the areas where they lead to be peaceful also. Most of the points have been raised but I also wanted to applaud Sen. Chief Charumbira because this shows that his work is exemplary hence he retained that seat. With these few words, I would like to thank you for the opportunity Madam President.
HON. SEN. CHIEF SIANSALI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. CHIEF BWAWANDA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 17th July 2024.
MOTION
ESTABLISHMENT OF PUBLIC HEMODIALYSIS FACILITIES IN DISTRICTS
Eleventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the treatment of chronic kidney diseases in Zimbabwe.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. CHIEF SIANSALI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 17th July 2024.
MOTION
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO ZUPCO AND PRIVATE TRANSPORT OPERATORS
Twelfth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the adequacy of public transport in the country.
Question again proposed.
*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Madam President for giving me this opportunity to wind up my motion. I would like to start by thanking all the Hon. Members who debated on this motion because this motion impacts on the lives of people. The issue of public transport in this country is very topical and so I hope that if such a motion is debated in this House, the Minister would have come to respond to what was raised by Hon. Senators. There were a lot of questions and suggestions and I expected him to come and follow the debates because some of the questions that were posed in this House would have been done away with. This motion came after realising the problems affecting our people and how they are perishing through accidents on the roads, especially by the pirate taxis as well as the unroadworthy vehicles that end up causing fatal accidents. Since he was unable to come, I think the points have been heard and we await the reaction of the Minister of Transport. Thank you very much Madam President. Finally, I hereby request for the adoption of my motion by this House.
Motion that this House:
DISMAYED by the inadequacy of public transport in the country;
CONCERNED with ever-increasing numbers of unregistered transport operators who illegally provide their services in the public transportation sector;
ALARMED by criminal activities perpetrated to innocent commuters by some of these unregistered operators;
ACKNOWLEDGING the role played by transportation in the development of the nation under harsh economic conditions;
NOW, THEREFORE, calls upon; -
- a) Government to provide financial assistance to both the State-owned Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) and to private transport operators so that they acquire more vehicles for public transport.
- b) Law enforcement agencies to intensify efforts to identify and apprehend unregistered transport operators who conduct their businesses outside the purview of regulatory oversight.
- c) Law enforcement agents to impose stiffer penalties than ever on individuals found flouting the laws of the country with impunity thereby endangering the lives of the public when conducting their day-to-day activities.
- d) The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe to conduct comprehensive awareness campaigns to both operators and commuters on their rights and responsibilities when using public transportation as a way of promoting compliance and accountability.
- e) Government to increase financial support to the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) so as to resuscitate its operations thereby providing safer as well as reliable alternative transport to meet public demand, put and agreed to.
MOTION
PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT SERVICES FOR TEENAGE MOTHERS
Thirteenth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the effects of teenage pregnancy.
Question again proposed.
*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Madam President for affording me the opportunity to wrap up the motion. It shows that this was a very important motion because I can see Hon. Senators are still standing up wanting to debate. This shows that it is a very important motion because our children are being impregnated at a young age and they end up failing to continue with their studies. This was observed and it also came out from the debates that we got here.
All the Hon. Senators were really hurt about what is happening to our children who end up dropping out of school. As I said earlier on, I would like to reiterate that after having such motions, we will be expecting our Ministers to appear and respond to what action they will take in order to prevent such things from happening because children end up not attending school. Be that as it may, we will continue bringing these motions so that things can be rectified.
I implore you Madam President to encourage Ministers and the Executive that if such matters come before the House, they should also find an opportunity for them to come and respond to what the Senators are saying. I say so Madam President because I have only seen one Minister appearing to respond to the debates that came from the House. I recall it was a motion on gender. There are others who know that if such motions are brought, they should also come so that they know what is happening out there.
I would like to thank you for affording me this opportunity to wind up this motion.
Motion that:
ACKNOWLEDGING that teenage pregnancy mainly affects the girl child and perpetuates cycles of vulnerability and inequality which impact negatively on gender parity in education;
AWARE that the Constitution of Zimbabwe and the Education Act Cap 25: 04 provide for equal opportunities in education for all children, regardless of gender and prohibits the exclusion of pupils from school based on their pregnancy status;
CONCERNED that despite existing legal frameworks, the teenage pregnancies remain the leading cause for girls dropping out of school
MINDFUL that young mothers face a myriad of challenges which impede on their return to formal education;
NOW, THEREFORE, calls upon:
- The Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to provide psycho social support services to teenage mothers when they return to school after giving birth.
- The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to conduct awareness campaigns to foster a supportive and inclusive environment within schools and communities, ensuring pregnant students are not subjected to discrimination and have access to necessary support services i.e. setting up child protection committees in schools, put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE DELEGATION ON THE ELECTION OBSERVATION MISSION TO RUSSIA
Fourteen Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the report of the Delegation on the Election Observation Mission to Russia on Russian Presidential Elections.
Question again proposed.
*HON SEN. TONGOGARA: I would like to thank all those who managed to debate on this report. I notice that this report is very good because what we saw is exactly what we reported in this House taking into consideration how the Russian elections went about. The most important thing that I think can assist us very much is that in Russia, they use built up infrastructure, they close down the schools because that reduces the budget instead of hiring tents and other facilities.
We observed that they also voted electronically. We have not reached that stage yet, but it is something that when you see and learn, you wish to upgrade to that level. If you are to go somewhere where there is an event, you do not choose, but you are chosen by the leaders. So, I would like to applaud my deployment because I got to see how elections are carried out in Russia. If there is an event relevant to this, I can be able to speak on this. I would like to thank you for giving me this opportunity. I hereby request for adoption of the motion.
Motion that this House takes note of the Report of the Delegation on the Election Observation Mission to Russia on Russian Presidential Elections led by Hon. Shamu from 13th to 20th March, 2024, put and agreed to.
MOTION
MOBILE BIRTH REGISTRATION EXERCISE
Fifteenth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the challenges faced by people living in the border areas on the issuance of birth certificates.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. R. M. NDLOVU: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 17th July, 2024.
On the motion of THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE AFFAIRS (HON. SEN. H. MOYO), the Senate adjourned at Eight Minutes to Four o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 16th July, 2024
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. SPEAKER in the Chair)
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have a request for statements on matters of national interest.
HON. S. SAKUPWANYA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir and good afternoon. My point of national interest is with regards to the 15th of July, 2024, the World Youth Skills Day and if you would indulge me, I would like to make a brief statement towards that day for the youth.
The 15th of July has been penned as the World Youth Skills Day as a way to recognise the need for our youth to be empowered in a manner that ensures the ability to contribute to society. This year’s theme is, ‘Youth Skills for Peace and Development’, and it pinpoints the trickle-down benefits of equipping our youth for them to be active in the economy.
A developing nation such as Zimbabwe, productivity towards Vision 2030, compels our working class to be competent, our entrepreneurs to be innovative and our businesses to be effective and efficient. At this base, the skills set for those pushing in the various industries is found within the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training. They have been tasked to ensure that our vocational training centres are competent enough to ensure that our youth have the skills that are necessary to contribute to society.
The massive developments towards Vision 2030 should be boosted by a young competent working class, for without the youth, we have no future to talk about. Drug and substance abuse standards are a hindrance towards achieving our objective as the youth fall prey to the scourge. The scourge is one of the main causes of this idleness. This only poses a threat to our society if the youth are not given the opportunity to be skilled and to have means within which they can contribute outside of the academic fora.
One of the best ways to tackle this is giving our youth something to do and this brings relevance to the day, that is, World Youth Skills Day. President Mnangagwa has not only pushed to capacitate our vocational training centres, but has reintroduced the youth service in Zimbabwe programme, formerly (NYS). The skills capacitation has not only been left to these institutions, but through Heritage Based Education 5.0, an introduction of innovation hubs and skills development has been inculcated into the curriculum. Zimbabwe has therefore created an appetite for an educated and capacitated youth demographic, standing with the mantra that no one and no place will be left behind as espoused by His Excellency, President E. D. Mnangagwa. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. KADEMAUNGA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir and good afternoon to you. I rise to bring to the attention of this august House an important day on the calendar of the African Union. On the 11th of July every year, concerned Africans and indeed Zimbabweans, including this august House, pose to reflect on anti-corruption progress in their countries and communities. This year, the Africa Anti-Corruption Day on the 11th of July, 2024 was commemorated under the theme: ‘Effective Whistleblowers and Protecting Mechanisms, a Critical Tool in the Fight against Corruption’. As Zimbabwe, we commemorate this day while battling the scourge of corruption that has become endemic in our society in both the public and private sector, taking various forms such as bribery, extortion, influence peddling, nepotism, fraud, praying access and the illicit flows, of not only our natural resources, but also of proceeds of crime.
These various forms of corruption Mr. Speaker Sir, are bleeding the economy and derailing the country from keeping steady on a sustainable path to achieve the Africa Agenda 2063 and also the Global Sustainable Development Goals. Most unfortunate is that corruption is hindering Zimbabwe’s efforts to lift her people out of poverty, to feed, educate and provide healthcare and other basic services for the ordinary Zimbabweans. Ordinary Zimbabweans who us in this august House represent and whose interest we try to safeguard.
This day provides that necessary pause to assess any gains made so far and the viability of existing tools such as the Police Anti-Corruption Unit and ZACC and to also pause and reflect on the potential of new ideas. In keeping with this year’s theme on whistleblower protection, I would like to emphasise that whistleblower protection is absolutely required to safeguard the public and to promote a culture of accountability and integrity. The risk of corruption is significantly heightened in environments where the reporting of wrongdoing is not supported or promoted. I think currently, Zimbabwe does not have a comprehensive and stand-alone whistleblower protection legislation, rather provisions relating to reporting persons are found in various fragmented pieces of legislation, including the prevention of Corruption Act and the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act.
I therefore would want to urge this august House, Mr. Speaker Sir and the Government, to reignite the 2022- 2023 efforts towards a standalone whistleblower legislation and also just to encourage this august House to intensify the fight against corruption and to give political commitment to the fight and the end of corruption. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you very much. Perhaps you might need to engage the responsible Minister tomorrow about the whistleblower Bill, when it is coming to the House.
HON. KADEMAUNGA: I oblige Mr. Speaker.
HON. D. MOYO: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. I rise on a point of national interest, noting that over the weekend, the Government launched an outreach programme on Gukurahundi hearings. The hearings will be led by the respective Chiefs in Matabeleland. I note that Mr. Speaker Sir, this process has the potential to bring about national healing and reconciliation if it conducted in a good manner, devoid of political disturbances and submissive commentary. It has the potential Mr. Speaker Sir, to even heal the dead.
In this regard, I call upon this House to complement this process by developing legislation that will criminalise justification for Gukurahundi and also criminalise the denial that Gukurahundi happened in Matabeleland. Mr. Speaker Sir, in this regard, I call upon this House to establish a legislation...
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. Switch off your mic please. If you listened very careful to the launch of the programme, it is an outreach programme where all those that feel they have to say something about the outreach programme are given the responsibility and opportunity to do so and what you are proposing Hon. Member is crisscrossing the outreach programme unnecessarily. In other words, you have ample time to state your case during outreach programme. Let us wait for the results of the outreach programme and obviously in terms of our processes, it is possible that the report may be tabled before the House if it pleases His Excellency, the President. Thank you.
HON. D. MOYO: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. I hope it will be done so that we have the freedom to forgive than command healing. Thank you.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: On a point of privilege.
THE HON. SPEAKER: What is your point of privilege?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Just sit down please. When we agree to certain procedures in the House, these procedures must be followed. Accordingly, you needed to had some conversation with your Chief Whip to register your name and you are going to be accorded that responsibility accordingly.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: Much obliged Mr. Speaker Sir, mine is not a point of national interest it is appoint of privilege. Thank you, Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Points of national interest are points of privilege. You should have registered with you Chief Whip.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: Mr. Speaker Sir, with all due respect, it has not been the trend so when address issues…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Can you sit down please and have some conversation with your Chief Whip. You can make that statement on Thursday.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I move that Orders of the day numbers 1 to 4 be on today’s Order Paper be stood over until Order Number 5 has been disposed of.
HON. NYANDORO: I second.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE ELECTORAL COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2023
Fifth Order Read: Adjourned debate on motion on the report of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission for the Year 2023
Question again proposed.
Hon Mutseyami having been standing and making inaudible interjections.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Can we have order please. Hon. Mutseyami.
HON. TOGAREPI: Mr. Speaker, I think there is a mistake from the Clerk’s desk because it should be the National Cadastre System
THE HON. SPEAKER: Cadastre System, that is not what I have in my notes let me check. Hon. Chief Whip, did you say item number 5 is about the Cadastre System both the notes and the record.
HON. TOGAREPI: I am sorry Mr. Speaker, there was a mix up on the listing of the Orders from my side.
THE HON. SPEAKER: What are you standing over?
HON. TOGAREPI: All other Orders until Order Number 17 has been disposed of.
Hon. Chief Whip having remained standing.
THE HON. SPEAKER: You do not remain upstanding Chief Whip. I think I had put the question and asking for debate, therefore you need to adjourn the debate first.
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you Mr. Speaker, my apologies once more, I move that debate do now adjourn.
HON. NYANDORO: I second
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday 17th July, 2024.
MOTION
BUSINES OF THE HOUSE
HON.TOGAREPI: I move that the rest of the Orders of the Day be stood over until Order of the Day Number 17 on today’s Order Paper has been disposed of.
HON. NYANDORO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
ADMINISTRATION OF THE NATIONAL CADASTRE
SYSTEM TO THE ZIMBABWE NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL
AND SPACE AGENCY
Seventeenth Order read: Adjourn debate on motion on the establishment of an Electronic Cadastre System and Mining Cadastre Systems.
Question again proposed.
HON. MHURI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. First of all, let me thank you for giving me an opportunity to put this motion in this august House. I would also want to acknowledge the encouragement from Hon. Togarepi. This is my first time to put a motion. I want to believe that it will not be the last.
Let me thank all the Hon Members who added their voices to this motion. The motion received an overwhelming response from both ends of the House. However, there is only one point which I wanted to put across as clarity which was raised by Hon. Freddy Moyo. The Cadastre system is not going to stop the internal automation processes which we are currently witnessing in the various departments. Those internal automation processes are going to be complementing what the national Cadastre would seek to achieve. So this therefore means the internal automation processes will be responsible for feeding information into the national Cadastre. I thought it is necessary to just highlight that aspect.
Mr. Speaker Sir, let me take this opportunity to move that this motion be adopted.
Motion that this House;
NOTING that the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, in his Budget Statement on 30th November 2023, indicated that the 2024 National Budget would cater for: a) An Electronic Cadastre system to be administered by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development; and b) A Mining Cadastre system to be administered by the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development;
CONCERNED that the establishment of the two Cadastre systems to be administered by two different Ministries carries heavy cost implications and will resultantly be inefficient as well as impracticable;
ACKNOWLEDGING that the Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency (ZINGSA) currently has the infrastructure and capacity to administer a National Cadastre system;
NOW, THEREFORE, calls upon Government to assign the responsibility of administering a National Cadastre system to the Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency, as this would immediately bring a National Cadastre system into effect and inevitably reduce the burden on the fiscus, put and agreed to.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that all Orders be stood over until Order of the Day Number 9 has been disposed of
HON. NYANDORO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON DEFENCE, HOME AFFAIRS, SECURITY AND WAR VETERANS AFFAIRS ON THE PETITION FROM THE CHILDREN OF WAR VETERANS AND HEROES DEPENDENTS FORUM
Ninth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the petition from the Children of War Veterans and Heroes Dependence Forum on the economic empowerment for war veterans and their dependents.
Question again proposed.
*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Firstly, I want to appreciate the report which was brought by the Committee, which is Chaired by Hon. Nguluvhe regarding the plight of children of war veterans. This issue is quite touching Mr. Speaker Sir. It really affects me. I believe that after any war, people should benefit, especially the war veterans, but I want to appreciate what Government has been doing.
I am not going to talk about what needs to be done, but there is a lot that has been done. There was a mobilisation fund which was given to war veterans, then there were a number of projects through ZEXCOM cooperatives and this was in the right direction. War veterans were then told to form their associations and to raise their concerns and through the Land Reform, 25% was ear marked for war veterans. This was done. We appreciate because even in the mining industry, there is a war veteran’s desk which addresses the concerns raised by war veterans and war veterans are assisted in different platforms.
We appreciate what Government is doing. War veterans are being considered that even in this august House, I see Hon. Shamu who is one war veteran who has been in Parliament for quite some time. We have Hon. Mashonganyika who participated in the liberation struggle and Chairs the Public Service Committee. We have other war veterans here, the Chief Whip, Hon. Togarepi who also participated in the liberation struggle. So we are saying that there were issues that were raised and there were steps that were taken.
Government also considers those who participated in the armed struggle, the war collaborators, those who assisted in different ways and are also considered in different ways. Therefore, the Government started the vetting process where all those different categories were also vetted. There are plans for those who have been vetted for their names to be published in the Government Gazette.
We appreciate the Government indeed for doing a good job, a lot of issues are going to be sorted as time goes on. Those who have been benefiting, we are going to recommend that Government raises whatever monies they are getting now.
Parastatals and Government departments should consider giving war veterans the opportunity even to be ambassadors of our country in other countries.
As the ruling party ZANU PF, there is a War Veterans League, I do not know whether other parties also consider war veterans so that there is a council of war veterans. This is where we believe that people should be genuine and they should consider war veterans’ positions of power so that there is evidence that their issues are being looked into.
What was raised by children of war veterans should be complimented and this should be fulfilled. Opportunities should be created. I know that there is a 20% farm allocation whose process is work in progress. However, there are council stands and I believe that we need to empower them with stands. They should get their 20% allocation in council stands. Wherever stands are being allocated, we need to think about war veterans so that they benefit also.
The war veterans should be considered even on commercial stands for businesses like tourism. There are new areas like Kunzvi Dam and Tokwe-Mukorsi; these are issues that we need to consider in tourism where a certain percentage is allocated to war veterans so that they can build their lodges and venture into joint partnership. This would be the incentives that motivate the war veterans because the money that they receive might not be enough.
There are minerals like lithium where war veterans should benefit from. Indeed, we know that they do not have money but when investors are coming, for example when mining lithium, if someone is required to have a company and with the ability to manufacture batteries, we know that war veterans do not have that capacity and I believe that the war veterans should have a quarter.
Investors who come, those who build factories, the land which should be allocated to war veterans to engage in businesses and their partners should come with capital to inject as start-up capital. For example, if it is in Kanyemba or Victoria Falls, they should be given an opportunity to get a portion of the stand even without start-up capital. This is their heritage which they will leave to their children.
War veterans in Shamva; there are some who were given horses and some were allocated fields of farming land. In 1963, when we started the protracted liberation struggle, some had land. In America, they are given money and a budget is allocated to them. You find that where America goes using NATO in different wars, whether it is Libya and other countries, there are some people who are given shares for mining oil and other things, which is an incentive to them.
So, I believe that war veterans should not just be given money but they should be given the opportunity to generate their own revenue. Even as I speak, there are coal mines in Hwange and other areas. War veterans should have shares, they should be allocated a portion.
We need to get investors, even children of war veterans should benefit from tangible heritage because at one point, we note that when we went for the liberation struggle, we were fighting for resources that are found in our land. So if you do not leave a heritage, it poses a challenge.
In the early 2000, there are some opposition parties which came into being. Some were giving people t-shirts and when people then pass on after giving their followers t-shirts, you find that the t-shirts cannot be worn. You cannot wear the t-shirt, whether to prospect for gold or for anything. When you die, the t-shirts will have no relevance. People will say t-shirt is for a political party, and so these are challenges where you find that it is as if it is a heritage of touts or rank marshals who will be ferrying people but when they die, they cannot leave that heritage to their children.
The children of war veterans should benefit from tangible things, for a heritage which will help them in the future. Even Members in this august House, if we do not prepare for our future, when we die, people will say that we did not leave anything for our families. The children will be saying our father passed away and left us nothing but poverty. So the issue of the well-being of war veterans is quite important. Sometimes you find that funeral parlours benefit from people’s monies. They collect their monies but at times fail to bury their families. You would find that war veterans’ children sometimes fork out their own monies to cover funeral expenses.
Indeed, I believe that the war veterans’ plight should be looked into. Their children should be given the opportunity to go for vocational training in different vocational training centers so that they attain skills for them to be able to fend for themselves and their families. War veterans should partner with innovation hubs in different universities where innovative projects are being run and indeed our war veterans should be looked after. War veterans in other countries are categorised according to the roles they played in different wars. Even here, our war veterans should be empowered. There are some who participated in the struggle but fighting against our liberation warriors in favour of the enemy. I thank you.
+HON. N. NKOMO: Good afternoon Hon. Speaker Sir. I am greeting you Mr. Speaker Sir.
+THE HON. SPEAKER: Good afternoon.
+HON. N. NKOMO: Hon. Speaker, I also thought of taking this opportunity to contribute to the motion tabled by Hon. Nguluvhe on the issue of children of war veterans. I would like to emphasise on the way that war veterans sacrificed, starting from leaving this country for other countries, compelled by the notion of liberating our Zimbabwe so that we all enjoy this freedom. Now that they had left Rhodesia, they returned with an independent Zimbabwe where we are today in which we are enjoying today.
We note that those who freed this country are supposed to be taken care of, especially when they go to hospitals for treatment. They are supposed to be given world-class service because they worked hard to bring us back this country. In relation to their children, when their parents left this country for the liberation struggle, they were not attending school, others were in hideout. Let us now give them the opportunity to return to school so that they can learn. Education has no age.
Again, we should recall that there are those who remained in other countries and failed to return home. We request that for those who lost their lives during the liberation struggle, there are parents who are still looking forward to the return of their children. These parents should be afforded the requisite support that they deserve. I thank you.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker for the opportunity to add my views on this very important matter of national interest, the issue of the welfare of our war veterans.
Mr. Speaker, the legislative framework is very clear, it is brilliant. We used to have the War Veterans Act and the Ex-Restrictees and Ex-Detainees Act, latter we combined them to form a new inclusive Act of Parliament called the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Act. The Act is very clear Mr. Speaker, on what has to be done to our war veterans. First of all, there is a monthly pension or allowance given to our war veterans. Secondly, provides for medical aid cover for them. Thirdly, law provides for funeral cover in case of death of the war veterans and their dependents. Fourthly, Mr. Speaker Sir, the Act is very clear that when a Government gazettes land for resettlement, 20% of such land must be allocated to war veterans.
So the legislative framework is brilliant. So, what is the problem? I have heard the outcry and every Member who is standing up here is supporting, showing that there is an uproar, there is a lot of raucous and rank us. All legislators are conceding that something must be done for the war veterans. What the problem is Mr. Speaker, this is the multibillion dollar question.
The war of liberation ended in 1980. Today Hon. Speaker, for us to continue talking about the issue of the welfare of the war veterans, to me I think it defeats logic. It actually is substantially outrageous in defiance of logic. Why? What is the problem since 1980 up to today? We need to establish that Mr. Speaker Sir and for the avoidance of doubt, I fully support this motion.
Number one, Mr. Speaker, I am alive to the view that at some point, war veterans were given 35 mines to operate from. Some were gold mines and some were lithium mines and then what happened? Those mines were not conferred or they were not handed over to our war veterans. Why Mr. Speaker? It is public record that the current Minister of Defence, when he was addressing war veterans in Bulawayo, indicated that there were senior members from her Ministry who were stalling the progress of handing over the 35 mines to the war veterans. It is a cause for concern Mr. Speaker.
In 2015, Government struck a deal with a war veterans company called Hospital Industrial and Scientific Investment Private Limited. The deal was to construct hospitals across the country to cater for the welfare of war veterans, especially to deal with ailments whose treatment was not locally available such as kidney transplants and so forth that are normally conducted in India. What then happened Mr. Speaker? The deal fell through again. What is the problem? This is fundamental question? We cannot bury our heads in the sand as if everything is normal when our war veterans are living in abject poverty and continue to talk about this issue without telling the underlying problem. As you are sitting right now Mr. Speaker, our war veterans are being chased from the farms which they have been allocated, only on the pretext that they do not have the capacity to do production. For the avoidance of doubt, their inability to produce is as a result of not having enough capital equipment to kick start production.
These war veterans are not asking for handouts, but they are asking for empowerment so that they stand on their own. At some point, there was what we called the Agricultural Mechanisation Programme, which benefited a few and the elite. Where were our war veterans? If you have got five war veterans in that list, tell me and I will stop debating. -[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
HON. MUDUMI: On a point of order Hon. Speaker Sir. I rise to say the Hon. Member should not lie that the war veterans are being chased away from their farms. I thank you Hon. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Can you repeat what you have just said.
HON. MUDUMI: I said the Hon. Member should not lie in this august House that war veterans are being chased out of their farms.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order! Hon. Member, you are also out of order. You cannot say your Hon. Member colleague is lying. It is unparliamentary. You can withdraw that one.
HON. MUDUMI: I withdraw the word lie Hon. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you. Hon. Madzivanyika, your statement should not be so general, unless you have got examples of war veterans who have been chased away or removed from their farms, then your statement is complete. Otherwise, the point of order may be sustained.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I have got hundreds of them which I know. It is not professional to name them here. We want to protect their confidentiality.
Hon. Chokururama having said kunyepa
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Member, can you withdraw that statement? I have just cautioned another Hon. Member and in less than two minutes, you make the same mistake.
HON. CHOKURURAMA: I withdraw the statement.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Madzivanyika, hundreds of them have been displaced! You make it worse now. That is a hypothetical statement. I think if you cannot mention them, you need to withdraw the statement. Otherwise, you are misleading the House.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Let me quote from the Herald Newspaper right now which I am in possession of…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, in terms of our Standing Orders, you cannot rely on newspaper articles. Even if it is a public media house, you cannot rely on it because you need to verify what is stated in that article again. So, if there is nothing, you better withdraw that statement.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: I withdraw Mr. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you, you may proceed.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you. All this what I was doing was to try to express…
HON. MATANGIRA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: What is the point of order all about?
HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you so much Mr. Speaker Sir. If the Hon. Member has agreed that he has withdrawn what he has said, then whatever he is going to say now, definitely falls off. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: What the Hon. Member has done to withdraw the statement is correct. That aspect of his contribution and therefore, he can proceed accordingly.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: It is worrisome to realise that the pensionable amounts being given to war veterans as of now, are way below the poverty datum line. Let me be specific, the amount in USD120.00, that is a mockery of our liberation war fighters. So, my issue on where the problem is, because as Parliament, we cannot sit here and continue to say we need to work for war veterans without understanding what the problem is today. Let us take the bull by its horns as Parliament to solve this thing once and for all. We cannot have successive Parliaments talking about war veterans since the eighth, ninth and right now we are in the tenth Parliament and it is about war veterans’ affairs. I do not think it is sustainable.
May I know who the problem is? That is what we can deal with. The problem are leaders in Government and ruling party…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Member, you need to understand the procedures of petitions. The august House is responding to a petition of the children of war veterans and the war veterans’ dependents. Therefore, the issue is alive because it has come from the affected people, the children of the war veterans. So, you cannot complain that you have been debating this issue for time immemorial because you are responding to a current petition.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: That is understood Mr. Speaker. In Shona they say, kana zvichidai pamuti munyoro, ko kuzoti pamuti wakaoma, meaning that if this happens to the liberation war fighters, the ex-political prisoners, the ex-restrictees and detainees, how much more to the general pensioners of society? How much more to the unemployed of society? How much more to the orphans of Zimbabwe and how much more to the elderly and other vulnerable groups of society? Thank you.
An Hon. Member having stood to make a point of order
THE HON. SPEAKER: The point of order has been overtaken by his winding up.
^^HON. T. NDOU: Thank you so much for this opportunity to say a few words regarding war veterans and their children who went to fight for this country so that we will all be liberated. Still on the issue, I would like to thank our Government being led by His Excellency, Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa. We saw it critical to put in place programmes that will improve the lives of our liberators. I say may His Excellency the President continue to support war veterans and their children including dependents.
Yes, a lot has been said by the previous speakers on projects that are being done to improve the lives of war veterans. Yes, we might have other challenges but programmes that are assisting our liberators who went to Angola, Mozambique, South Africa umkondowesizwe, we have liberators and this included children, women and girls who went to fight for their countries. What I like us to know is that after the liberation, our liberators from the Southern Africa saw it critical to give different presents to these liberators including land for them to be able to farm. True, some of these people were taken to school and some of them are now lecturers. I am also one of those that went to the liberation war when I was 20 years. When I came back, I got a scholarship and right now, I am a Member of Parliament. Most liberation war veterans’ children went to school through scholarships, which is a great move. Still on this issue, there might be other laws that we need to change, for example, when a war veteran’s child reaches 18 years, they no longer get assistance. We visited different provinces such as Matebeleland North, Matebeleland South, Bulawayo, to Mashonaland West.
We have noted that when they finish their ordinary level, they no longer get assistance to get to university. We need to have this law changed so that it allows these children to get assistance up to university level. If the children fail to get assistance, it will be difficult for them to get health services because they will not have money to pay for the services. There is need to increase the assistance to the children, not to only say they are only assisted up to 18 years; there is need to go beyond 18 years. We need to celebrate these liberators. I would like to thank the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for ensuring that the lives of war veterans are improved. We also need to ensure that some of these laws that are meant to improve the lives of war veterans are followed because we are all targeting vision 2030 of leaving no one and no place behind. Let us ensure that dependents and children of war veterans get education, which is the move that our President is driving at. Let us ensure that we uplift these children and also that programmes like mining and farming are supported enough so that they bring results. I thank you.
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I would like to thank those who have spoken before me and I am very happy to have this platform to talk about this important petition that was brought in by children of war veterans. Mr. Speaker, I will start by highlighting Section 23 and Section 84 of the Zimbabwean Constitution which define veterans of the liberation struggle as those who gave themselves to the freedom of this country…
THE HON. SPEAKER: You said Chapter?
HON. TOGAREPI: Chapter 23 and Chapter 84.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Are you sure or you mean section? It should be Section 23 and 84.
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you Mr. Speaker for the correction. I wish I was a learned friend; I would quote it correctly. Mr. Speaker, those two sections speak to the people who fought for the freedom of this country and these are the ex-combatants, we call them war veterans today and war collaborators, then ex-detainees. With the coming in of this Constitution, we did not include the group that we call cadres, those who were recruited and did not get their chance to come to the front to fight for the freedom of this country. The Constitution says it clearly that these people must be looked after to the extent that befits people who gave their lives for the freedom of this country. So this petition speaks in part to that, but we are talking about the children of war veterans raising issues.
In my view, Madam Speaker, if we look at the historical background of those who fought for this country - they sacrificed everything, their chance to go to school, the opportunity to get jobs and even farming or any other things that could have generated income for them to look after their children. Hence, you find their children today are born of parents who did not get an opportunity to get economic value for them to look after their children. That will then cascade the poverty they gave themselves by going to war to their children. If the parent had no money to send the child to school, it means the child who is born of that parent will not go to school and the child that will come after that will also not go to school and it will be a chain of people who did not get an opportunity.
Putting everything into a perspective, you look at Government effort since independence. Immediately after the war, there was demobilisation that was given to all war veterans. After that, there was money that was given to war veterans. There were heifer schemes, there were tractors given to them. These will never be enough in my view, but nobody must stand up in this important House and lie that Government has done nothing for war veterans.
The resources that are distributed and given to war veterans, war collaborators, ex detainees are coming from the same pot.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Togarepi.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: The Speaker made a ruling to the effect that to say an Hon. Member is lying is not parliamentary. Since the rule has been made, I call upon the Hon. Member who is debating to withdraw the statement.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Madzivanyika, is he referring to you or to someone else?
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Anyone because he was referring to this august House. Whoever he is referring to, as long as he has said this in this parliamentary House, he must withdraw. A ruling has been made.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: My understanding is that he is just talking in general, saying we must appreciate. That is my understanding.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Madam Speaker, a ruling was made to whomever because if he quotes the words this Parliament, for someone to rise in this Parliament to say that nothing was done, is lying which is unparliamentary. A ruling has been made Madam Speaker. He must withdraw.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I will ask you Hon. Togarepi to withdraw the word lying, but my understanding is that he is not referring to you or somebody else.
HON. TOGAREPI: Madam Speaker, if Hon. Members in this House are somebody, then I withdraw, otherwise from my understanding, Hon. Members do not lie. So if somebody is lying Madam Speaker, he is not honourable, but I withdraw if that will please the Hon. Member. Unfortunately, I will keep it to myself at this moment so that I debate.
Madam Speaker, the same pot that finances our war veterans, teachers, nurses, Members of Parliament included, is distributed by this House and when we debate encouraging Hon. Members to allocate enough resources to look after veterans of the liberation struggle, the other side of this House refuses. They stand here refusing. It is there in the Hansard. We can bring it. They refuse to support war veterans for political reasons and today they come here and have crocodile tears running down their cheeks, pretending that they love war veterans.
HON. GUMBO: On a point of order Madam Speaker. The Hon. Member must confine his debate.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am yet to recognise you. Please may you take your seat? Order Hon. Togarepi. What is your point of order?
HON. GUMBO: The Hon. Member must confine his debate to the petition which was presented before this House and confine his response to that petition. Coming here to make accusations against other Hon. Members on this side is unparliamentary, is unhealthy and does not help or assist the petition which is before the House. So he must withdraw that accusation. We are here debating and giving our responses to a petition which we believe is so pertinent to the history of this country, you cannot make allegations against us. We are also children of war veterans.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Please may you take your seat. Hon. Togarepi, please may you debate the motion.
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I am just brining to the attention of the House that it is everyone who is here who allocates resources to everyone who receives Government resources. It is this House. Next time when we are doing the budget, let us all sit together and agree and allocate enough resources that will go and look after war veterans. I expect every Hon. Member, the same Hon. Members who are raising this issue to ensure that we allocate enough. War veterans must be looked after and must be looked after by Government. Government only gets money from Parliament.
Madam Speaker, I also want to raise an issue of protecting the legacy of the war veterans. Their children are a living testimony of those people born out of these freedom fighters. One thousand years from now or any other period from now, we should not find people refusing or failing to defend their country because their country at one point failed to look after its freedom fighters. So, the children of war veterans must be looked after by this Government through the Vote that comes from Parliament.
Madam Speaker, somebody referred to the Second World War and those people who went and fought in Burma, Manicaland and up to date there is a place called Burma. The land that was given to those people was given because of their contribution.
I also want to say for the protection of their economic rights; children of war veterans, the land that was given to war veterans must be declared a heritage. When they went to war, they fought for land which was the major reason, hence their children must have this land in perpetuity. Those who will start history one thousand years from now should be reminded by those farms to say these people who stay on this farm are beneficiaries because their parents gave out their lives for the freedom of Zimbabwe.
I also want to raise an issue that war veterans, according to the Constitution, must be respected and anyone who refers to a war veteran must not refer to an individual, but to the board of those people who gave out their lives, ex-detainees, war veterans, ex-combatants, war collaborators and cadres. Anything that you say or you have a problem with must never be in the same bracket and demonise these very important people in the history of our country.
The Constitution says, we must give them respect and I am happy that across the political divide and the House on this issue, I hope and pray that it is not politics, people are saying it from their hearts. From today going forward, everybody in this House must respect the war veterans. When you see them, I expect you to salute them, to give them way, be it in a queue at the bank; when you see them here as Hon. Members, they have a plus on them that they gave you the freedom to be in this House. You would not have been here but because they fought for the freedom of everyone even sell-outs, you find them in this House.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order! It is disturbing Madam Speaker to hear an Hon. Member saying there are sell-outs in this House. I think that is unfounded. He must withdraw that statement.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Togarepi, there are no sell-outs in this House.
HON. TOGAREPI: Madam Speaker, I never said there is a sell-out. I said sell-outs can come and be part of this House which is the freedom we got from war veterans. I never said there are sell-outs. Unfortunately, there are, I am sorry but Madam Speaker, I am sorry if there are sell-outs. I am saying sell-outs have got the freedom to be in this House.
*HON. ZEMURA: On a point of order! When people wear white clothes, they are called mapositori. If you are evil, then you remain evil – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Togarepi, you are left with five minutes.
HON. TOGAREPI: But I think you are going to indulge me because some people are responding to people who are not here. Sell-outs are not here, but some people represent them, so I hope they are going to allow me to say a few words.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order! Hon. Togarepi should withdraw the word sell-outs. In this House, there are no sell-outs. He must withdraw – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! What exactly did he say?
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Hon. Togarepi said we should salute and respect war veterans because they were the ones who allowed us to come to Parliament, even sell-outs, check from the Hansard.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: We will check in the Hansard.
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I want to conclude. Madam Speaker, I want us all to respect those who gave out their lives to the freedom of this country. Those who also gave us the freedom to be in this House. This was a prison for the colonisers to make decisions on our behalf, but today we have freedom of association, political affiliation and everything. This is what I am talking about when I say we are all free because the war veterans gave their lives for our freedom.
So, it is important that when we put aside resources, let us think about war veterans and their children because they did not get a chance to go to school or to get economic power, their children will be lost in poverty if we do not put aside resources for them.
So, the next time we do the National Budget, let the budget have an element where we empower children of veterans of the liberation struggle. It is very important and I hope all Members of this House will defend that budget, which will include the livelihoods of war veterans and their children.
I also go along with the quota system, it should be applied to their children so that they also get an opportunity to get land and go to school on scholarships, which is very important. The law is there and I agree with somebody who said the laws are there, but the main culprits would be this Parliament. So, Parliament must, in the next budget, ensure that they fulfil what has been raised in the petition.
HON. MATEWU: I rise to add my voice to this petition by children of war veterans. Madam Speaker, the war of the liberation struggle began in 1965. We need to appreciate the reason why our forefathers and war veterans fought for the liberation of this country.
Madam Speaker, the racial inequalities that were sustained by the Rhodesian regime, and the socio-economic situation that was faced by the black majority which was ruled by the white minority are the ones that exacerbated and forced our grandfathers, fathers and those who fought for our liberation struggle to take up arms.
Madam Speaker, I rise because it pains me, my grandfather is a decorated war veteran of this country. I want to thank us all for an unpayable debt to the gallant sons and daughters who died for the freedom that we so enjoy today.
I want to pay tribute Madam Speaker, to those war veterans who lost limps, some who were burnt and not to be known, who died for the freedoms we are enjoying.
My concern, Madam Speaker, is that 44 years down the line, we still talk about how we can pay a debt to those who fought for this country. We have had 44 budgets in this House since 1980 – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – It is inconceivable. It is grotesque that the Government has failed war veterans for 44 years. They have failed them Madam Speaker – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
HON. MANANZVA: On a point of order Madam Speaker!
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Matewu. What is your point of order?
HON. MANANZVA: Madam Speaker, the whole object of debating is not to mislead the House or to play a blame game – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – protect me Madam Speaker Ma’am.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: May we have order!
HON. MANANZVA: The whole object Madam Speaker, is to construct not to try and play a blame game. Madam Speaker, if we are to put things correctly in the proper context, in 1994, war veterans were honoured. So, it is not true that war veterans were undone by this Government. This Government remembered war veterans until such a time when the House had two sides. Since then Madam Speaker, war veterans have not been recognised as was posited.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Honourable. Hon. Matewu, please do not mislead the House – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – No, we have a war veteran who stood and said a number of issues about what was done for war veterans. Even if you allege that the Government has failed, but a lot of good things were also done by Government. Let us discuss what needs to be fixed if we are serious about progress.
HON. MATEWU: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I hasten to say it is with great sorrow that we still debate this kind of motion today. Moving on, Madam Speaker, the children of war veterans need to be recognised because their parents did not have the opportunities that we have today. Their parents sacrificed to go into the war, most of who never came back. This is why I rose to support this motion. What we need moving forward are practical solutions. What we need to do is to bring closure to this issue. The 11th Parliament must never mention the words ‘war veterans’ in such a motion.
Madam Speaker, what can we do as Parliament to ensure that those children of war veterans are respected? The Constitution is clear Madam Speaker – primary education must be free at the point of delivery. Every child is entitled to free basic education. So, what I call upon is that children of war veterans must have free tuition fees, paid for by the Government, including subsidised secondary school and university tuition. Children of war veterans must have subsidised education from primary level to tertiary level – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
A special fund in the same way, Madam Speaker, we have the micro-finance bank for women, we must also have a micro-finance for war veterans. – [*AN HON. MEMBER: Madam Speaker, I just want to understand if any of the war veterans still have school going children? This is in view of the fact that the liberation struggle ended 44 years ago!] – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order! May we have order in the House. Order, order! May we have order please! The Hon. Member just posed a question that - do war veterans still have primary school going children? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Hon. Members, may we have order!
My response to you Hon. Member is, yes, some war veterans may still be having primary school going children because men are prone to having babies during their octogenarian age. You may proceed Hon. Member.
HON. MATEWU: Thank you Madam Speaker for … - [HON. P. DUBE: On a point of order Madam Speaker Ma’am!] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order. What is your point of order!
HON. P. DUBE: Madam Speaker, I refer you to rule Number 65 (3), ‘In raising a point of order, a Member shall cite the Standing Order, rule of procedure or practice which has been allegedly breached’. It would seem like Hon. Madam Speaker …
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Member, we have taken note of that. Thank you. – [HON. P. DUBE: Let us not breach the rules please.] – May you allow him to finish? Hon. Matewu, you may proceed.
HON. MATEWU: Thank you Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the point that I was trying to drive home was that we have micro-finance institutions that are Government entities such as the Youth Empowerment Bank. It would be nice and a good gesture for the children of war veterans to have a special micro-finance institution that is backed by Government that would be responsible for providing capital so that children of war veterans may start their own businesses. This would be a good way Madam Speaker, of empowering the children of war veterans and their dependents.
Madam Speaker, there should also be a policy through the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works that states that for every time a local authority is disbursing their stands, there should be a small quota reserved for the children of war veterans. Madam Speaker, this would not be a freebie but would speak to us recognising that we have done so little for our war veterans and their dependents since Independence.
Madam Speaker, as I conclude, I wish to make it abundantly clear that we are very grateful to the war veterans who fought for the liberation of this country. Madam Speaker, to say that Members of this House have never or have not supported the war veterans in the budget, I remember every time we come to this august House, Hon. Members on this side rise so this august House can give money to the war veterans. So, we shall continue Madam Speaker, to advocate for more money to be allotted and awarded to the war veterans. It is unfortunate, Madam Speaker, that in the last budget, Members on this side were not in the House when the budget was passed.
So, we would have expected the Hon. Members on your right to have given money to war veterans in the last budget and not to stand up and pretend they are the holier ones when it comes to this issue when they are equally not representative of the war veterans because the members on the right belong to the governing party, which should be the ones that are advocating for the welfare of those children. Madam Speaker, we thank you and I thank the children of the war veterans for bringing this motion. They can be very assured that we will support any motion and will also support the allocation of money to ensure that their needs and welfare are taken care of. I so thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you.
*HON. CHIBAGU: My gratitude goes to Hon. Nguluvhe who raised this motion. If we are seated in this House, we should not be making a lot of noise like we are doing. We should all be development prone. Our ex-combatants who started the war of liberation from 1963 up to 1978 are people who were suffering. They suffered but they fought hard to ensure that our country is returned to our control. They were uneducated and they observed that the land was now being returned to the whites. Zimbabwe is for Zimbabweans. Whites have got their own country but you continue to want to support them.
As the owners of this land, let us ensure that the type of the life that we live, our ex-combatants and their children are taken care of because they dedicated their lives to the struggle for this country because our parents were being oppressed. So, the white man cannot come and tell us how to behave. When you see us being quiet, do not think that we are fools, we know. Now we are going to tell you the truth. All the people that fought for the war veterans should not be taken as doormats. These are people that suffered a lot to ensure that they overthrow the white minority regime, the elderly people and the women remained behind when they were protesting in the war of liberation.
I thank you Hon. Nguluvhe for the motion that you have raised. It quite pains me for these people to continually oppose instead of you coming on board and everyone wants us as Zimbabweans to work well with the same objective. You should not be raising unnecessary and frivolous objections. Give me a chance and let me add a few words –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]-
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: May we have order Hon. Chibagu.
*HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you Madam Speaker. My point of order is that I want to thank the Hon. Member for her contribution. She is an elderly Hon. Member and I respect her very much. I am going to use vernacular language so that she understands our language. I respect the Hon. Member on the floor but I urge her not to say you, my children in Parliament. We are supporting the motion and we are on the same side. May she not address us members as her children.
*HON. CHIBAGU: Thank you my child, give me the opportunity, excuse me my children and Members of Parliament, let me now be given the opportunity to then say my children, I am grateful, you have said something but you are very naughty. If you were people who know what they were doing, you would want to continue defending the indefensible. We came here as Parliament so that we can build the life of Zimbabweans and our development as Zimbabweans and you should know where we are coming from and where we are going. You should not continue defending things that are useless. In conclusion, let me end by saying we are in Parliament, let us behave like Hon. Members –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] -
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, may Hon. Chibagu speak to the debate please!
HON. CHIBAGU: Thank you Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Chibagu.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Madam Speaker, I call upon you to add some few minutes to the Hon. Member who was speaking.
HON. T. NYATI: I second.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Okay, allow her to finish, I plead with you Hon. Members.
*HON. CHIBAGU: We are development oriented and we are not just here for rhetorical questions and just to enjoy sadza and be satiated, it means nothing. We want Zimbabwe to be developed as sons and daughters of our country. You do not know where we are coming from and where we are going …
HON. MATEWU: Point of order Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Matewu, please…
HON. MATEWU: It is a point of order.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: It is a point or order emanating from where?
HON. MATEWU: From your ruling. Last week on Tuesday, I made a point of privilege in this House referencing to the welfare of Members of this House and you ruled that you would give us an answer last Thursday. So, my point of order has risen in that you have not given your ruling in terms of the welfare, particularly the allowances of Members of this House. Thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you for reminding me Hon. Matewu. I will give the ruling on Thursday.
+HON. B. NDLOVU: Thank you Madam Speaker. I would like to add my voice to the motion which was brought by Hon. Nguluvhe, regarding war veterans and their dependency. Before saying a lot, I would not have said much before saying who these war veterans are. War veterans are men and women who, after realising that our country has been colonised, took it upon themselves to go and fight for the liberation of our country. I am saying this, so that all of us in this august House understand that we do not just add our voices for the sake of it without understanding who had colonised us.
It is crucial that all of us are not found in any of the days speaking good about the colonisers. Allow me to use the Bible, one of the 10 Commandments says, ‘honour your mother and father, so that you will live longer’. This does not refer to your mother and father only, but any elderly person older than you or who is of the same age with your mother and father. This refers to all of us in here. Where we come from, we have war collaborators, so we need to know who they are. It is not right for us to just come here and say petty things.
I would like to thank the Government because previously, war veterans have been getting assistance, although at times, there are shortcomings here and there. No wonder why their children and dependents are saying you need to continue to look into the welfare of war veterans and their dependents. If possible, there will come a time when Government will come up with institutions that will give them money to improve war veterans and their dependents’ welfare. During the war, there are some who did not come back and for us in this House, there are some of us here who know that we have war veterans where we come from. We need to know how these people are living. I have my brothers and sisters that I have not met but because I am here today, what they say is similar to what they do. May be sometimes it was going to assist develop our country.
If it was possible, on top of what they have been allocated, I know their children are taken to school. My plea is that if possible, in health facilities, they need to be known in health institutions so that – like what I said, respect your mother and father. Then they get health assistance because we are in this august House today as free people because of them. I would like to use foreign language. The other day I heard people saying look after them today and they will look after you tomorrow. When they went for war, they wanted to liberate us so that we will look after them tomorrow. Therefore, I encourage our Government and all of us here to work together to ensure that war veterans’ welfare is improved in every aspect, especially economically. We know that our country has mineral wealth. We need to work together and ensure that what they are allocated is enough to support their activities. I can say much, but I would like to end this debate with that our liberators and their dependents need to be taken care of, especially us who represent those people out there in this Parliament. We need to assist Government to see to it that these war collaborators are taken care of. I thank you.
HON. HADEBE: Thank you Hon. Speaker. It seems we have forgotten heroes of our nation, the ZIPRA Veterans demand justice, they suffer…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Hadebe, which motion are you debating?
HON. HADEBE: I am debating this one, let me carry on. During the Gukurahundi Genocide, the properties of these brave men and women were confiscated…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Hadebe, you are out of order. Please may you approach the Chair?
Hon. Hadebe approached the Chair.
HON. CHIGUMBU: Thank you Madam Speaker for affording me an opportunity to add my voice to such an important motion. It is quite a pity that in 2024, we were talking about the welfare for war veterans. It is my wish that in the next Parliament, we should be talking about…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I plead with you that at the moment, we have this new city. If there is someone who comes talking about war veterans in this new city, we will discuss about it, and have a motion on it. We should not talk about the time that is elapsed. If there are new issues that arise, we will always talk about it. The land issue came later on after the Independence and it is still a topical issue.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Madam Speaker, I cannot raise a point of order on what you have said but I am just asking on a point of privilege.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You cannot debate over my ruling or my advice.
HON. CHIGUMBU: The point I make in this context, you did not understand the contextual issue of that point. I am saying at this point in time, we should be talking about us who have not been to the war of liberation. How best can we still maintain the objectives that led them to prosecute the liberation war? It is my considered view that as Members of Parliament, we are looking at the symptoms and not the cause of the problem. The problem why we are now talking about it today mostly in line with their children is because certain things were not done for their parents. If certain things had been done for the parents, we would not be talking about the children of the war veterans.
Madam Speaker, if we do not address this issue, next Parliaments are going to be talking about grandchildren of war veterans. We should meet this issue in the bad context and also address the problem why we should now be talking about war veterans and the welfare of their children. It is my belief that if the children of the war veterans had their welfare taken care of, they should have been able to look after their children well without this motion arising.
The honour was on the Government of Zimbabwe. It is quite sad to note that today my father who is a liberation struggle hero, who is in Chiendambuya but does not have anything to talk home about but we have boys who call themselves mbingas of the whirlwind. They come here at Parliament and pretend to love the war veterans. It is quite a mockery and a bad practice. The money that they fought for is out there; we now have dealers and wheelers who are taking all the money that is supposed to be given to war veterans.
So, when we are talking about the welfare of war veterans, we should not just look at the signs and symptoms. We should go to the root cause. What has caused this? We are in this predicament because as a country, we are not implementing what the war veterans had fought for. The objectives were not to fight for a particular party. The war veterans were there to fight for Zimbabwe.
What is the country of Zimbabwe? It is that it includes those that are on your right and those Honourable Members that on your left. This is what is called Zimbabwe. It is quite sad, Madam Speaker, that the issue of war veterans has now been politicised, it now belongs to a political party. So, we sit down today and talk about what should be done to the welfare of the children of the war veterans but you find that some of these children that may be in the opposition may not be getting this welfare assistance. We have other war veterans who supported other political parties, which is their right to one man one vote which they fought for and freedom of choice in an election of those war veterans that fought in the war.
HON. TOGAREPI: Madam Speaker, I would want to ask the Honourable Member not to misrepresent facts. Can I just clarify on that? We have war veterans who are with those people in the other side of yours who are earning an income or a pension because they were war veterans. There is no segregation, so he must not lie. Misrepresentation of facts that if you are supposed to benefit, you will not benefit because you are from a political party, is wrong and must not be entertained.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Chigumbu, you must not mislead the House.
HON. CHIGUMBU: Thank you Madam Speaker. I am not misleading anyone.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You have said that war veterans on the opposition side are not receiving their welfare. He says they are receiving it. What if there is evidence to show that they are receiving?
HON. CHIGUMBU: I withdraw. I know of people that were on the opposition who did not receive, but I am grateful for what the Hon. Chief Whip has pointed out. What is important is that he has said that they should or they are entitled to such benefits.
It is a problem, that is why you saw that those on the right would want to paint us as people who were not part and parcel of the war of liberation. What you observe in this august House which would want to make us the bad boys and peers as if we are not concerned about war veterans, it shows that the manner in which they are addressing the issue of war veterans…
HON. MALINGANISO: On a point of order. We are debating a petition that was brought before the House, not that who is more aligned to the war veterans. We cannot waste time in this House trying to grand stand on stuff that does not exist. What exists does exist, what does not, does not.
HON. CHIGUMBU: The issue that I was raising is that as a country, there are certain things that we need to do to alleviate this problem. First and foremost, Madam Speaker, is to ensure that what the liberation war heroes or veterans fought for be done in Zimbabwe. What they fought for was the issue that we were seriously oppressed, the colonialists had taken all the economy and it was owned by a few hands. The issue did not end after the war of liberation, but we have with us a lot of them that have several farms when war veterans do not have any. So there is nowhere that we can talk about multiple farm ownership before we address the issue of war veterans
HON. MUDZINGWA: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order? - [AN HON. MEMBER: Mbuya garai pasi.] –
HON. MUDZINGWA: Mbuya vako ndiani, mbuya vako vakambopinda muno?
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Member, who said ‘mbuya’ – [HON. MEMBERS: NdiRopa.) – Hon. Members, I repeat who said mbuya, please stand up and withdraw your statement. You are lucky because I did not personally observe who it was that had offended. I said please withdraw your statement, you should just stand to withdraw your statement and we would proceed.
This is unbecoming behaviour which is not expected of Hon. Members who understand the rules and regulations and Parliamentary procedure. There are no grannies here, we have Hon. Members of Parliament – [AN. HON. MEMBER: Ropa unodherera uyu] -. Hon. Mudzingwa please proceed.
*HON. MUDZINGWA: Madam Speaker, I am quite hurt, it was not easy to fight in the war of liberation. It used to hurt everyone. People are now taking advantage of this motion whenever the subject arises. They would want to drive their political agendas when this topic is raised instead of looking and redressing the problem. It is quite painful when we are talking about war veterans’ welfare. Do not use it as a way to drive political mileage. I heard that they are war veterans who joined the CCC, go and ask them if they are real war veterans, there are no war veterans who joined the opposition.
- HON. MEMBER: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Are you not aware that you do not raise a point of order within another point of order. These are the real war veterans that are speaking and they are saying let us debate issues that pertain us. I believe you have heard what the war veterans are saying.
*HON. CHIGUMBU: I thank you Madam Speaker. I urge you to protect me, because if I am giving my point of view, of which anyone who has different points of view has got a right to debate in this august House; I am supporting the motion of war veterans. I am hurt by this, statement because there are people who are stealing whilst war veterans are sleeping on empty stomachs in the rural areas. This is paining me a lot.
In conclusion, Madam Speaker, there are young people who have several mines whilst war veterans have nothing. If we do not redress these imbalances, what difference are there between us and the way the Smith Regime did things? Blacks were put in Tribal Trust Lands and whites where living in fertile lands. The war veterans are suffering whilst there are ‘mbingas’ who are driving posh cars in the city. Going forward, let us see to it that that the purpose of the liberation struggle has been implemented.
Secondly, we are looking at the issue of the Government, if the Government is coming up with programmes for war veterans, it should not be used as a campaign tool, it will take us nowhere in trying to address issues concerning war veterans. Whenever we go for elections, our fathers are made to attend rallies in the rural areas, telling them to go and register as zvimbwidos…
*HON. MATIZA: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
*HON. MATIZA: My point of order is in connection with what is being said about elections. We do not know what he is talking about, he has gone off topic.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, I agree with you he is going off topic. I wanted to comment that he must stick to the issue of war veterans. Let me remind you that you are left with 5 minutes.
*HON. CHIGUMBU: I thank you Madam Speaker. The children of the war veterans must also be rich, just like the people we are seeing. What we must agree is on how to solve the welfare of war veterans so that we will not keep debating without any action being taken. The Government said the war veterans’ health should be catered for by the Government. Is this happening? They must not pay for their children’s fees. Our Government owes the war veterans. Sometimes the Government will say they do not have money. Some will then say if the Government would look at issues of corruption, then that money that is being diverted to corruption will help in alleviating the plight of war veterans.
As I conclude, when we discuss the issues of war veterans, it is not a funny game, we must separate it from politicking. It is not an issue of soliciting for votes. There are people who died during the liberation struggle. Where I come from in Murewa, that is where the first base was established. This issue pains me a lot. The first day my father did not sleep at home because the whites were looking for him, because the liberators had held a pungwe gathering there.
I plead with this august House that when we discuss issues of war veterans, we must not be partisan. It is not an issue of tribes. It concerns Zimbabwe as a whole. We must not push others out as these war veterans fought for all of us. I thank you.
*HON. MAPFUMO: Thank you Madam Speaker for the opportunity. The issue of the welfare of the war veterans and their children is an important one. I would want to thank the majority of the speakers who came before me, which means that the majority of the points that I wanted to raise have already been raised.
We cannot talk about the petition that was brought by the children of war veterans without looking at their parents. For them to be now referred to as children of the war veterans, we cannot talk about the welfare without including the welfare of their parents. Those that are still alive and those that are deceased, their prayers, wherever they are, are together with the parents’ prayers so that they can have more days on this planet.
Madam Speaker, it would appear as if it is a joke in this august House when we talk about such a topic, but we would want to take you back as an august House so that you know the foundation that will lead you to understand the importance of the welfare of war veterans and their children. In 2015 Madam Speaker, if you allow me, in Mutumba Six, there is a foreign heroes’ trust that looks at war veterans who lost their lives. Remains of Comrade Soweto who came from Mt. Darwin were recovered. There is a granite near a certain area in Mt. Darwin and there is a village nearby. I am one of the people that provided transport to those that would then carry his remains.
There was an old woman that was being assisted by the community. She had eight children, so the bones are the only things that remained, of her eight children. So when we talk about the welfare of both those that lost their lives and those that came back after the war of liberation, we should treat it with the dignity and the seriousness that it deserves.
Madam Speaker, all those that fought for the liberation struggle and lost their lives did not have conjugal rights, they did not get land, but this led to us being in this august House. As an august House, what we can do is to put our hands together and become apolitical so that there is no left hand side or right hand side so that these issues are properly tackled.
The onus lies on us as an august House and as a country to ensure that the lives and welfare of war veterans and their children are much better. Those that came back said to their fallen heroes, I will leave you here but once we are liberated, I am going to come and collect your bones and bury you at our home. The soil that we have, Madam Speaker, do not be surprised, it hears.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Mapfumo.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I think the Hon. Member was debating very well up to a point pataurwa kupaparika. Honestly, how can he say kupaparika to Hon. Members of Parliament? I think the Hon. Member must withdraw the word kupaparika.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Mapfumo, please use another word instead of the words that they are unstable.
*HON. MAPFUMO: Madan Speaker, I am not going to behave like they were doing. This is an issue that is quite painful and I will proceed and say…
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order Hon. Mapfumo!
HON. MAPFUMO: I withdraw Madam Speaker. I withdraw the word kupaparika.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: Order Madam Speaker!
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Mapfumo! What is your point of order Hon. Mutseyami?
HON. MUTSEYAMI: Let us proceed Madam Speaker. I thank you.
*HON. MAPFUMO: Thank you Madam Speaker. As I have already said Madam Speaker, the soil that we are standing on is a living creature. It hears and it also sees. Let us come up with tangible things that we can do in order to commemorate. They need for their lives to be looked into as a people. The foreign war veterans should be given adequate support in order to ensure that their welfare is taken care of.
Looking at financial and material support, it has been a long time in this House, but the Government has been taking steps to redress the welfare of these people. In our constituencies, we meet war veterans. Some of them are disabled and some of them do not even have a piece of land where they can build their homes. They neither have goats nor chickens. Their welfare is deplorable.
I thank Hon. Nguluvhe for bringing such an important and pertinent motion. There are a lot of people in this country who are suffering and their children are being left out in some of these programmes. As an august House, we should put our minds and heads together and ensure that they are given projects and that they have quotas in the mining sector so that their livelihoods are developed. Rome was not built in a day. It is a process and not an event. That is why they are still carrying out vetting sites to see where they trained and where they operated.
Government is trying to ensure that, so that there will be a proper database that shows the number of these war veterans for them to be assisted properly. With these words, Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the Government of His Excellency the President, Cde E. D. Mnangagwa, for opening their eyes and ears in order to ensure that war veterans and their children are empowered. I thank you.
HON. SAMSON: Thank you Madam Speaker. I would like to thank you for granting me this opportunity. Before I debate, I want to point out that in the communal lands where we come from, when it is this period, children get the remaining cereals and they play house. As they play house, they will be fathers. Even in this august House, we have leaders, but what I see is that we behave as children that are playing house because this issue that is being debated which concerns war veterans and their children’s welfare should be taken seriously. When one has raised a point, one should not just rise and oppose what has been said. What it means is that the one opposing would be wanting to waste time so that these the war veterans who fought for this country will not achieve their objectives because of people who will be arguing.
If we are discussing the issue of war veterans, it would please those who will speak without any objectives but it hurts those who suffered because of the liberation struggle. We know how painful the liberation struggle was, the losses that we suffered yet we see other Members straying. At the end of the day, we say it is not their fault because even during the war of liberation, we had sell-outs.
So, I am of the view that our Government is seriously looking into this matter so that the war veterans and their children can get assistance in terms of development. Despite the little that they are getting, our Government is going further to improve their welfare and offering them free medication.
In all the communities, we have war veterans who, if they require any form of assistance and if it is granted, people will start murmuring and start thinking that it is a select group forgetting that for you, wherever you are, if it were not for these war veterans who prosecuted the struggle and victory was achieved, no one would be in this august House.
If you look back during the pre-colonial era, how many could have raised their heads that we could be in this august House today? Today, we are in this House courtesy of the blood that was shed by the war veterans so that this country would become independent and we have freedom of everything.
Some young men and women left this country and went outside the country to prosecute the war of liberation so that this country could be liberated. If it were not for these liberation war heroes who liberated us, the political parties that you refer to would not be in existence. Why could this country not be liberated without anyone prosecuting the war?
Whenever this issue of war veterans is being discussed, I become emotional. It is my plea that when we discuss this important issue, we should not politicise it. We should be national in nature and developmental so that war veterans can get assistance and that if they die, their children would also point out to the walls that were bequeathed to them by their parents.
This motion Madam Speaker, if you look at the communal lands where we reside, there are some people who when they see war veterans look down upon them as if they are not mentally sound. However, what the war veterans did was to liberate this country so that you could enjoy the freedom in this country and the education that you have and that you acquire all the material wealth you have today.
There are those who were collaborating with the war veterans. These people know how difficult the war of liberation was, how emotionally draining it was because they went through it. There is no place in this country where the war of liberation was being prosecuted. The warfare was nationwide. So, wherever you are people, you should respect the war collaborators, be they female or male, war detainees and war veterans should be given their due respect.
I know some came here who are failing to respect us the leaders of this House, yet it is assumed that those who come to this House are knowledgeable people who know the rules and procedures of the House. However, you find that amongst us, some are raw, meaning that some of the people who are in this august House are not honourable. If they are mature in their approach, they should know the objectives for coming to Parliament. Why should you want to divide the nation when the issue of the war veterans is being raised because you believe that you now mourn more than the bereaved? You now love the war veterans more than the war veterans themselves.
Madam Speaker, when we talk about the issues of the war liberators and others try to bring in racial cards or tribal cards so that you then disrupt peace in the country, it is not good. In our communities, there is a proverb that they use to show that men are not organised. They say that this man has no brains at all. Having no brains at all means that the man does have the brains but he is just disorganised. I am saying so because the issue that has been raised here was brought up by the children of the war veterans and my thinking is that there are a lot of things that they would want to see attended to but they can only be attended to if we do not become argumentative. Instead we become united, work with a common purpose in looking at the grievances of the children of the war veterans.
As contained in the motion, it cannot be set right by standing up because you want to show off. You can show off without anything being corrected. If the children of the war veterans, my thinking is, we would want to see a lot of things attended to but they can only be attended to if we are not argumentative, become united and work with common purpose in addressing their grievances as contained in the motion. This cannot be set right by just standing because you want to show off. You can show off without anything being corrected.
The children of war veterans have voiced an opinion and want certain things to be addressed. I would like to applaud His Excellency the President’s Government that the majority of these grievances are being addressed. The President is aware of the corrective action that needs to be taken. We may sound like empty gongs and it may not help anything. Let us allow the President to correct what needs to be corrected for the war veterans…
*HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order Madam Speaker. Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am grateful for the Hon. Member’s contribution. She said that we are useless. So, it means that the petition is in vain. We can assist so that the petition goes well. May she withdraw that?
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Understood! Hon. Samson, when a motion is being debated, we debate issues that can be corrected. Please proceed.
*HON. SAMSON: Thank you Madam Speaker for setting me on the right path. My issue was that in this august House, if we should put our heads together, we will be able to address the grievances of the children of war veterans. We should not be argumentative. We should agree when one raises an opinion, this will enable us to correct issues.
Furthermore, I would like to thank His Excellency the President, Hon. Mnangagwa, for his vision. As liberation war veterans, we were given a minister who is responsible for the affairs of war veterans.
Hon. Mananzva having stood up.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order! The Hon. Member who has just risen, please resume your seat. You uttered twice, whenever there is mention of the President you say aaaah aaah. I am not recognising you so that you can then respect the importance of this august House. Please resume your seat. You may proceed Hon. Samson.
*HON. SAMSON: I would like to reiterate and thank the President of this country, His Excellency Hon. Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, for his vision in giving us a minister who is responsible for the war veterans’ affairs, thus looking for war veterans’, detainees and restrictees.
So, we are looking forward to the Government Minister looking into all these grievances, ensuring that solutions are given so as to eradicate the suffering of war veterans and their children so that these problems are quickly eradicated. The Hon. Minister will be solely responsible for the health of war veterans.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. TSITSI ZHOU): Hon. Samson, you are left with five minutes.
*HON. SAMSON: Thank you Madam Speaker. In conclusion, I would want to urge this august House that when we discuss issues to do with war veterans, we should be constructive. We should not hurt the spirits of the people that suffered because of the liberation war. We should not deepen or open fresh wounds of those who failed to come back to Zimbabwe, who were left in the battle fields. There are a lot of remains that need to repatriated or reburied.
It is our wish that these remains be collected and reburied. Maybe some of the arguments that we make are caused by the spirits of the dead. If their remains are reburied, we then see where these other spirits are coming from because spirits come from different areas. I urge those that are going to discuss this issue in this august House, not to cause fresh scars. I thank you.
HON. SHAMU: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am for allowing me to contribute to this very important motion. The petition to the Parliament of Zimbabwe from the children of War Veterans and Heroes Dependents Forum calling for the economic empowerment of Zimbabwe’s war veterans and their dependents is a very clear petition. It is very clear on what needs to be done.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, what I will do is to focus on health. I am aware Madam Speaker Ma’am, that the Minister of Health and Child Care is in the process of crafting a National Health Service Policy which will obviously cater for the nation as a whole, including war veterans and their dependents.
Before then, I was going to appeal to the Hon. Minister of Health and Child Care that he takes an immediate step to announce that war veterans and their dependents should be accorded free medical care. I feel that this should be done as soon as possible. I will show you Madam Speaker Ma’am, why I think this is an urgent issue that they should be getting free medical care in all health institutions in Zimbabwe. I am saying so because we have noted that a number of war veterans and their dependents are failing to access medical care because they cannot afford it – especially when it comes to special attention, special diseases and special processes of medical care.
Therefore, I am calling for the issuance of a Statutory Instrument that gives direction to the request I am making now. I feel that the Statutory Instrument will remove any element of ambiguity or doubt on the part of all those who will be involved in the process of providing medical care in various institutions. The legal framework will ensure that there is authority in the implementation of a Government position. It will also make it criminal for anyone who is found denying free medical attention to a war veteran and their dependents. Therefore, the law would, as a result, take its course.
Secondly, Madam Speaker, I would also want to appeal to the Minister of Health that if he could revisit a position that was taken some years ago that Government should construct a war veterans’ hospital. The idea then was focusing on either Victoria Falls or the area near the National Heroes Acre. I say so because the war veterans now need much more serious attention. We have gone through over 40 years now of independence, obviously age is catching on. Some war veterans who might have been injured are suffering from serious wounds. Their situation continues to deteriorate. Some people will say, where will the money come from? It is a good question! I feel Madam Speaker, that the problem could be resolved by recommending to Government to approach Mutapa Investment Sovereign Fund, which is currently being administered by the Former Reserve Bank Governor, Dr. John Mangudya. Despite supporting various economic ventures, that fund could be directed to support this very important medical facility which will obviously, in the long term, continue to give that kind of service to those who would have retired even from the national service.
Madam Speaker, just to buttress my point, two days ago, I spoke to Cde Sadat Kufamadzuba, his home name is Benson Nicholas Kadzinga. He is a survivor, he survived the bomb blast that hit the car of the late Chairman of ZANU, Herbert Chitepo. That bomb blast killed him on the spot together with his bodyguard, Silas Simbiso and the child from the neighbouring house. This tragic event Madam Speaker, took place at 8 am on the 18th March, 1975 at Number 150 Muramba Road, Chilenje South in Lusaka, Zambia. Cde Sadat who was sitting at the back seat of that blue Volkswagon was seriously injured, but he survived.
All along, he has been receiving medical treatment at Bindura Hospital where he would have to travel all the way from Mount Darwin. He was telling me two days ago that his health is deteriorating. He had a medical examination taken and he was diagnosed with kidney failure. That complication will mean to say that this icon freedom fighter would require to travel from Mount Darwin to Harare for dialysis attention. If you take into account the costs of boarding a bus from Mount Darwin to Harare and then you add on top the cost of dialysis attention, it means Cde. Kufamadzuba will never be able to access the needed medical attention.
Madam Speaker, I have said this just to illustrate to this Hon. House the dire state of affairs that the sons and the daughters of Zimbabwe who indeed offered the highest sacrifice for the liberation of our motherland are facing, especially when we are talking about health. Health is indeed fundamental to the wellbeing of a human being, for one to enjoy all the facets of life, you have to be healthy. Therefore, I am hoping that in the context of this debate, we would want to proffer suggestions that the Minister should look at and be able to come up with some of our proposals that can be implemented immediately. Some may be looked at on medium term basis and others long term.
May I conclude Madam Speaker by thanking Hon. Nguluvhe for bringing this motion before this House and to underscore my total support for the recommendations thereof.
+HON. ROSE MPOFU: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir, for giving me the opportunity to add my voice pertaining to the issue of war veterans and the children of liberation fighters who brought this petition to this House. The motion was raised by Hon. Nguluvhe and I want to applaud him for his great mind and the Committee that he is Chairing. Even though I am not feeling well because I am asthmatic, I feel that I should add my voice to the motion. Emotions rise within me when I hear about such issues.
Before I talk about the children of the war veterans, I want to go back to the war veterans. When we refer to war veterans, what are we referring to? It is food for thought for someone to end up deciding to be a war veteran and lay down his/her life for the country and stand before the white settler and say, I am fighting for this country and it is better for you to shoot me in the chest whilst I am defending my own country. I was around 15 years of age in April, 1977 when I joined the war of liberation. Whilst at that tender age, you do not know when or whether you will come back or how long you will spend fighting. You will be filled with emotions to go and fight the people troubling your elders and so, you are moved to go and fight for your country. You will not be aware that you are going to a tough world. I do agree with others who mentioned that war is not for the tender aged as it is not a small issue.
The remains of war veterans were regardless of who was passing away but what I know is that only black people were dying. Death did not choose whether you were male or female. People just died. Those who were in Zambia and Mozambique know what I am talking about and they know the emotions that are stirred when we talk about this issue. You took your arms to go and face the enemy who was well armed. The blood that was shed during the war of liberation was for the liberation of the country. Every one of us in here has a relative that perished during the war. That unifies us in this House because we were elected by people that could assist the Defence Committee led by Hon. Mayihlome who was selected to be a Minister; a proposal that came from Hon. Nguluvhe. We support all those in that Committee and the Bill should also be supported.
Going back to the war veterans, though there were not enough funds, Government demobilised people and gave them remuneration every month. When Government changed, each individual war veteran was given an amount of $50 000 so that they could fend for themselves and their families. But in their minds, the issue of socialism still rang and the moment they got the money, they shared with everyone and did not keep any for themselves and their families. I want to remind you that we are supposed to be united in this fight. As we look at the blood that was shed during the war of liberation and the struggles that the war veterans are facing now, everyone gets sympathetic towards them. In 1980 when this country became independent, each and every party became independent. Each and every political party became free and everyone was free. A lot of political parties were formed.
My request Madam Speaker, is for all of us to unite and speak on one issue of assisting and developing our country. Our war liberators, if they had not gone to war, we would not be here in this House. Before the war of liberation, there were few black people in this Parliament but now that we are ruling ourselves, we are forgetting our liberators. We are free to speak and no-one is questioned. In this House, we speak freely as we are protected by Parliamentary privileges. So, we need to unite. No-one knows that we do not have money as our country has been hit with sanctions. We are able to purchase what we want in our shops freely despite the sanctions. The issue of sanctions affects both opposition and ruling party and they spare no-one. Even our grandparents in the rural areas are affected. We want to be united and support peace. We support the motion of the war liberators.
I want to thank the Government and the President, Cde. E. D. Mnangagwa for his courage. He is showing that he is a leader with a vision. He is a good listening President who is loving. He does not discriminate people. Let us all unite despite having different opinions. We are one and if we want to build anything, we have to be united and understand that we are developing our country. This is the land of our forefathers. There is no-one with a British ancestor here. We have one ancestor and we are all children of Zimbabwe who are supposed to defend our country. I love you all in this House though we may vary in opinions, but we are all supposed to support this Bill. We are supposed to have a fund, allocated a budget and dedicated especially to the war veterans. We also need to proffer solutions to create funds that can be set aside for the war collaborators and liberators. The President has even converted our gold to the Zim dollar - the ZiG.
We are supposed to celebrate this currency. We are not supposed to continuously yearn for foreign currency but we should support our own currency. We want to support our projects. If we love our currency, it will also promote our currency and investments. I would wish the war veterans could receive free medical attention at hospitals. All the war veterans are perishing and dying and their number is diminishing. The moment they die, they will not resurrect. We are supposed to leave behind our legacy, which is our blood which will always protect our country. When Nehanda was executed, she professed that her bones would live again. What was she talking about? Her spirit knew that the war veterans would take up arms and fight so that they would bring back her head, which was taken by the settlers.
We are supposed to be one and love each other. Though we might vary in opinion, we are supposed to go back to one point of understanding. My wish is for the children of war veterans to benefit and get free medical treatment. I would wish our Government to create Vocational Training Centres and train all the dependents of the war veterans in different trades so that they can be able to assist in the economy. The President said we should not leave any place or anyone behind. So, the children of war collaborators and their dependents are not supposed to be left behind. By the time we get to 2030, we should be a developed country and everyone should be developed and capacitated. We can say that even though we have our various opinions in politics, we have one thing in common and that is to defend our country. That is why we call it the motherland.
A lot of Members of Parliament have said that and I also feel that I should add my opinion that if we create vocational training centres, this will open opportunities of employment and they will not be idle. They will also be able to practice the various trades. I am speaking in Ndebele because I did not manage to go to school. There are people who laugh at us saying we are not learned and stupid. A war veteran is the one who assisted in the liberation of the country. If you see them wearing torn clothes, you are supposed to assist them. People should assistance war veterans. I can go on and on but I have hope in our President because he is a good leader. Whatever we mentioned here, it will be taken into account because the President is a listening President. There is nothing that is impossible to fix.
With these few words, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to debate.
+HON. F. MOYO: I would like to add my voice on what has been highlighted in our motion today regarding children of war veterans. War veterans left everything in their lives to go and fight for the liberation of our country. They did not know how long the war would last out there but they gave their all, not knowing that they would be killed or maimed in the process. We are lucky to have some who came back alive. No wonder why we are talking about their children. Some died in the process. We need to respect and honour them. They are respectable people.
As a child of a war veteran, I was surprised to hear that you can get a liberation war veteran on the other side of the House. How can one go and fight for this country and then come and take it back to the colonisers? That is unacceptable.
+HON. D. MOYO: I rise on a point of order. I would like the Hon. Member to focus more on the issue at hand and not to say on the opposition side there are Hon. Members opposing this petition. It is everyone’s right to do what they want which is freedom of association. If only the Hon. Moyo could do what is honourable. There are so many parties in this country and everyone has a right to join a party of their choice. May the Hon. Member correct that?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Moyo mentioned that he was surprised to see children of war veterans from the other side according to the interpreter.
+HON. F. MOYO: Let me proceed with the issue at hand. We are talking of a great issue that focuses on the importance of taking great care of children of our liberators. I would like to thank the Hon. Nguluvhe for bringing this motion to this House. I also agree to the issue highlighted by previous speakers who have indicated that it is critical that children and dependents of war veterans get assistance regarding health issues because these are children of parents who brought independence to this country.
If possible, this august House and the Portfolio Committee led by Hon. Nguluvhe, the moment we conclude this issue, we need to have a database of children of war veterans in this country so that it is easy to realise how many children need help. What I would want to add on this issue is that they need to get their portion on every project that is being undertaken in our country. In every sector of the economy, they need to have their portion and they need to be taken care of because they are children of parents who committed their lives to go and liberate our county. If possible, we need to continue to talk about this issue so that when we are crafting our budget, we consider them.
One Hon. Member indicated that it is critical to have these children taken to school to the level that they desire to get to. My wish is that we continue to take care of these children including those who were left by their parents when they went for war so that they are also given an opportunity and love that we got from our parents. This is in reference to those that went for war. They need to get the love from all the people in the country by getting everything necessary for their upliftment. I felt that it is critical for me to also add my voice on the importance of taking care of issues being brought by these children.
Madam Speaker, I continue to say it is critical that these children are given what they deserve and get the love from Zimbabwe and see the importance of the task that was taken by their parents when they left this country to liberate Zimbabwe. With these few words, I would like to thank you for this opportunity in adding my voice on this petition. Thank you.
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. NYANDORO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 17th June, 2024.
On the motion of HON. TOGAREPI, seconded by HON. NYANDORO, the House adjourned at Twenty-Three Minutes to Six o’clock p. m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 11th July, 2024
The Senate met at Half-past Two o`clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE
APOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM HON. MINISTERS
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have been told that there was a meeting that most Hon. Ministers were attending. I do have a long list of apologies which have been tendered and they are as follows: Hon. D. Garwe, Minister of Local Government and Public Works; Hon. B. Kabikira, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Public Works; Hon. Kazembe, Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Hon. C. Sanyatwe, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage; Hon. Masuka, Minister of Lands Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement; Hon. V. Haritatos, Deputy Minister of Lands Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement; Hon. D. Marapira, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement; Hon. B. Rwodzi, Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry and her Deputy, Hon. T. Mnangagwa; Hon. Prof. M. Ncube, Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion and His Deputy, Hon. D. K. Mnangagwa; Hon. E. Moyo, Minister of Energy and Power Development and his Deputy, Hon. Simbanegavi; Hon. Chitando, Minister of Mines and Mining Development and his Deputy, Hon. P. Kambamura; Hon. Shava, Minister of Foreign Affairs and his Deputy, S. Chikomo; Hon. Prof. Murwira, Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development; Hon. Paradza, Deputy Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Hon. E. Jesaya, Deputy Minister of Sports, Recreation Arts and Culture and Hon. J. Mhlanga, Deputy Minister of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development.
We have been joined by Hon. Gata, Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education.
It goes without saying that it is an extreme disappointment for us in the Senate to have this huge number of absent Hon. Ministers when we are supposed to ask questions that our constituents would like to have answers on. Certainly, it is something which again we would like to bring to the authorities, our displeasure, disappointment and dismay that we are being treated in such a manner. For the Ministers we have, can we have questions from Hon. Senators.
I am just being told that Hon. Minister Soda had hinted that there was a meeting which was being addressed by His Excellency, the President and most Hon. Ministers were there and we have received a message that they are coming and are held up in traffic at the moment. In the meantime, can we engage the Hon. Ministers who are present in the Senate?
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
*HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: Thank you Hon. President. My question is directed to the Minister of Housing. I want to know, Government said it will construct housing for civil servants as an incentive in addition to their salaries. I wanted to know how far has the Government gone in implementation of this, especially in rural areas?
*THE MINISTER OF NATIONAL HOUSING AND SOCIAL AMENITIES (HON. SODA): Thank you Hon. President. I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the pertinent question as regards the construction of Government houses to civil servants that are in the rural areas. It is Government’s intention to give civil servants housing schemes as a form of non-monetary benefits. People should have accommodation so that they will be alleviated from paying rent. We are constructing in line with the budget that this august Senate would have approved. At the moment, we have a scheme in Mutawatawa, eight blocks of flats are being constructed. The first phase has started with four blocks, it will produce 64 flats, but the whole scheme should give civil servants in Mutawatawa accommodation for 128 families. It is not only Mutawatawa where we are carrying out these construction points, but I have to answer directly to the question because it wanted rural dwellers. So, the scheme started in Mutawatawa although we have a lot of other places where we are building, such as Lupane.
The 20 houses in Lupane were completed three weeks ago. Lupane is the capital city for Matebeleland North. People were unable to move to Lupane and work from Lupane because Government workers are coming from Bulawayo to go and work in Matebeleland North, which is not a good thing. If we have a lot of such houses in Lupane, the civil servants should be in a position to work from Lupane near their stakeholders. In Marondera, we are also constructing flats but this is an urban settlement, yet the question wanted rural setting. Thank you.
*HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: Thank you Mr. President. I wanted to know if these houses had already been constructed. Are they going to be on rent-to-buy or just official scheme because these are non-monetary incentives? Furthermore, how is the Ministry going to select the beneficiaries? In Mutawatawa, it is said that the flats are going to benefit 64 people although we have many more civil servants.
*HON. SODA: Thank you, as I explained earlier on, this is the initial phase of the project. We are using what we are receiving from the National Budget. If we continue benefiting from the budget, we will continue construction. Once a civil servant has been allocated accommodation, nominal rent is going to be paid for occupancy of the house.
We have various schemes, that is, rent-to-buy and as the term implies, they will eventually own the house. The scheme that I spoke about is for civil servants official residences, these are not rent-to-buy scheme but is meant for civil servants who would have officially transferred to Mutawatawa. Sixty-four are being constructed and in the second phase, we should be having 128.
The same applies to other districts and provinces, we are not going to be concentrating on one area. We are going to consider other areas where there is need so that we do not leave anyone and no place behind. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Mr. President. My supplementary question to the Hon. Minister is, at the moment, you are doing very well to ensure that our civil servants are having houses constructed for them. I also want to find out since Zimbabwe is a large country, we have civil servants all over the country. Has a feasibility study been carried out to establish the population of civil servants in various areas and the number of houses that will be required or they are just building willy-nilly? I thank you.
HON. SODA: Thank you Mr. President of the Senate. There has never been a project that we have started without conducting a feasibility study. We will have done our research even if we are building, like I indicated in Mutawatawa – they are a drop in the ocean compared to civil servants who are entitled to houses. So, there is no way we can embark on a project without carrying out research and feasibility study.
We are not ending in Mutawatawa, Lupane and Matabeleland North only, I gave an example of Marondera as well. We should be building houses all over the country. At the moment, we have focused on the completion of projects that had already been started so that people can occupy the completed houses. We do not want to be starting projects that are never finished and having foundation levels at all housing schemes. We have a presence in all provinces but we are at foundation level – that will also delay the process for beneficiaries to enjoy their benefits.
It is our intention to carry out a project to completion. Too many cooks will spoil the broth. We do not want a piecemeal approach since our budget may not adequately cover all the projects. Hence, we are doing those that we are able to carry out. Thank you.
HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: Thank you very much Mr. President. I have got a supplementary question. The Hon. Minister is talking about 20 to 30 units and that sounds paltry compared to the demand. What is the target number of rural homes the Ministry is contemplating putting together up to 2030? Thank you.
HON. SODA: Thank you Mr. President and I also thank the Hon. Senator for a good question. According to the National Settlements Policy which was promulgated in the year 2021, it established that about 1.5 million housing units are the deficit that we have in the country. The policy also acknowledges that in order to provide for the houses that we will require as we gravitate towards 2030, this must be a multi-stakeholder approach where it is not only Government that should be putting together the houses but the various other stakeholders that we are working with as a Ministry will participate.
We have non-governmental organisations, they are also building houses for their employees. We also have individuals, especially the people that are in the diaspora. We have some schemes by which people that are in the diaspora are able to own land and build houses in Zimbabwe. We also have banks and other organisations that are also participating with the view that as we get to the year 2030, we cannot just become an upper middle-income society when people do not have homes or houses to stay in.
So, this is a multi-stakeholder issue where many people are participating and houses are being constructed. I thank you Mr. President.
*HON. SEN. MUPFUMIRA: Thank you Mr. President. My question is directed to the Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities. I am grateful for what he has said in a bid to assist civil servants and others who are less privileged. There is a bank, the National Building Society (NBS) to assist those who have low salaries especially civil servants so that they can be in a position to have their own houses before retirement. Are you working in conjunction with that particular bank that was specifically set with the civil servants and the less privileged in mind so that they can have houses of their own? I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF NATIONAL HOUSING AND SOCIAL AMENITIES (HON. SODA): I want to thank Hon. Sen. Mupfumira for the question. It is true that as a Ministry, we are working hand in glove with several building societies, NBS is one of the banks, FBC is another, and there are about four of them that we are working with. We aim to ensure that people have modern houses that can be afforded by civil servants bearing in mind their earnings. So, we are working together with such banks.
The only problem that we used to have that has now been resolved by the new currency, Zimbabwe Gold, ZiG, was the issue of the value of the money because those mortgage holders or building societies, build a house and given someone a loan that someone will pay in instalments. So, will the banks be able to carry out a meaningful enterprise and be able to get back their money because the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) is stable? We are all expected to accept it and use it. It has made prices of basic commodities to be stable and inflation rates have gone down even the confidence of banks and building societies to embark on lending money. We have building societies that have since approached us so that we can enter into partnerships in constructing houses for people so that people become landlords. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. MUPFUMIRA: Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to thank the Hon. Minister for his response. However, I was looking at a specific bank that the Government established so that the less privileged and low-income workers can be assisted. I believe that the Minister could have statistics to compare what the Government banks have built because when you talk about the issue of the ZiG, our Government banks should not have problems with working with the civil servants. So, to date, looking at the statistics, how many houses have the bank managed to build? I thank you.
*HON. SODA: Thank you once again Mr. President of the Senate. The statistics require me to carry out thorough research so that I will be in a position to fully answer what the Government-funded bank has done so far. However, it is the intention that is important taking into cognisant the plight of our civil servants and how they repay the loans using our local currency.
NBS is not the only bank that the Government has empowered. When the loans are being repaid in terms of their value, it is now not being lost, so because of the loss of value of inflation, the fund will be reduced but such banks together with NBS borrow the money that they use. At one point, NBS once approached us as a Ministry; they wanted us to be their guarantor so that they could access funds for the construction of houses. So, some of these things, because it is a Government bank will be affected because of inflationary issues and the money that we use. It is not only the budget funds that are going to be given to the bank but they also borrow funds from other sources so that they can be able to fulfil their mandate. Though this was being affected by the variations in our local currency, I will bring the statistics next time I come to the Senate. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. There is a challenge that is being faced in our schools. We have teenagers who are falling pregnant. These school children are dropping out of school. Those that would have gotten a chance will go and conceive and then come back to school.
However, going back to school has got its own challenges. Yes, they may go back to school but the child that they would have given birth to will have no one to take care of them because some of these teenage girls will no longer be having their parents. Again, if the girl goes back to school, she will be stigmatised that she is now a mother and she may not be in a position to continue with her studies very well. So, what is Government policy regarding such issues?
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. GATA): I would like to thank Hon. Sen. Tongogara for the question that she has posed. Firstly, the Hon. Member indicated that teenage pregnancies have become rampant in our schools. Yes, it is true that teenage girls of school going age are getting pregnant whilst they are still in school.
However, as a Ministry, we have a policy that says should a girl child fall pregnant whilst in school, she should go back to school so that she continues with education. It is her right for her to go to school.
We have what we call guidance and counselling and, in that subject, we are teaching children because as a Ministry and parents, we should work hand and glove to ensure that our children do not fall pregnant before they are ready to be mothers. We should work together with all stakeholders and the community to ensure that we raise our children well.
As a Ministry, we have a policy that leaves no child that has fallen pregnant behind. They should come back to the normal channel of learning together with her school mates. The second part is, what should we do when the girl child has fallen pregnant and there is no one to look after her? I will give the question to the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare on what they do.
I will go back to the community and society that we need to assist each other to look after our children. It is our duty to look after our grandchildren. There are girls that fell pregnant and we have statistics to the girls that went back to school and attend their degrees. They are now employed and it is now the duty of the Government, society and the community to put our heads together in looking after our children. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: Thank you Hon. President of the Senate. I wanted to understand about these teenage pregnancies whilst they are still in school. The majority of them will be 13 years or 15 years. Will the law allow us to terminate such pregnancies bearing in mind that they may have difficulties in delivering safely and looking after the babies?
*HON. GATA: This is a pertinent question, but it is not directed to my Ministry. This should be dealt with by the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Health so that if an offence has been committed, the law can take its course so that this can be looked into properly. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. HUNGWE: I want to give advice in terms of a supplementary question. There was an Hon. Senator who asked as to whether this pregnant child, after delivery, can go back to the school where she was learning. It is true that she will be stigmatised. Was it not better for such a child to be allowed to be transferred to another school where she is not well-known or where it is not known that she has given birth to a child?
*HON. GATA: Thank you Hon. Senator for the advice or question that you have given us. If you were to allow me, I will give an example from where we are coming in terms of Schools Joint Monitoring that we did last week. We met such problems in Nyanga at a school where we were monitoring, but we have other examples of children who are helped through Guidance and Counselling and they go back to school. So, because characters differ, school children may stigmatise the girl. As a Ministry, we allow the child to be transferred to another school once we observe that this is what is taking place. You are entitled to request for a transfer to another school because policy does not bar a child from being transferred.
If we come back to Ubuntu through Guidance and Counselling that we would want to achieve, it is a subject that is being done not because someone falls pregnant or there are drugs that are being abused or there is now lack of peace, it is a subject that is being taught on a daily basis. So, these children know that such things can occur and that they are also being taught on how best to avoid child pregnancy. Once there is a pregnancy, they are also taught on how they should relate with the girl who has fallen pregnant. Our policy allows for a change of school. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHINYANGA: I wanted to ask Mr. President if it were possible for these children to be allowed to have contraceptives so that they do no fall pregnant? A stitch in time serves nine.
*HON. GATA: I want to thank Hon. Sen. Chinyanga for her question on family planning pills to be disbursed to the school children. We are deciding as Senate, but their Ministry does not deal with such issues. It is a question that could be written so that the responsible Ministry can come up with policy because for the contraceptives to be in the school, we work together with the Ministry of Health. If the issue has arisen, we then need to liaise with the relevant Ministry to see if condoms and contraceptive pills can be disbursed from schools. I thank you.
+HON. SEN. SIBANDA: I want to find out whether if a child gets pregnant, you are saying we will take her back to the school. My question is, if she falls pregnant for the second and third time, will you still take her back to school? If we do so my question is if she gets pregnant and she knows that she is going to be given a chance to go back to school what measures do we have that she will stop falling pregnant. What measures have you put in place to try to stop these children from falling pregnant over and over again, I thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY (HON. GATA): Thank you Mr. President Sir, I would like to thank the Hon. Senator for asking the question. If I get you correctly, you asked that, as a Ministry and as a policy we re-admit girls who are pregnant. What about if they fall pregnant for the second and third time and it goes on like that. It is not something that we wish that it keeps on happening but our policy spelt out correctly that we readmit that child in the school so that they are not left they must get their education like everybody else. The measures to prevent that, we will also ask you to work with everybody who is responsible for the wellbeing of our children like parents, guardians and community support that we all hope in. As a Ministry, we do guidance and counselling, we do have professional people who talks to them, who counsels them. This issue now like I said our policy stands; we readmit them into the class. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. BVUMO: Thank you Mr. President, it is a good thing if explanations are being given on the basis of the real things that would have transpired to our children at school. When we talk about such issues, we should have statistics at hand so that we can tell the gravity of this case. Do we have statistics province by province so that we know who is mostly affected? Do we have isolated cases that need intervention of the Government? We can say that we can do this and that but we do not have specific cases about what has happened at particular schools and that intervention that the Government came up with so that we witness the intervention of the Government. I thank you.
*THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank you Hon. Senator but this question would have been better if you had put it in writing so that the Hon. Minister can come up with the statistics that you would want to enable us get the correct statistics.
<THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY (HON. GATA): Thank you Mr. President and I thank you Hon. Senator Bvumo for a question. Yes, the statistics about the percentages of the numbers should be written. Allow me to have it written and I will bring the statistics next week so that we can have a correct record of such stories. What happens is that these girls fall pregnant because of difference circumstances, some might have been raped and others it is because of being naughty. That is the reason why they end up being pregnant. In the end we end up being responsible for them and end up readmitting them to the school so that they end up finishing their education and they will be somebody in society. We have isolated cases, last week like I said we went for evaluation, they are children that went back to school and sat for their examinations, they did well and we end up having professionals like teachers and engineers. If you put it in writing, I will give you the relevant statistics. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Are these supplementary questions or new questions now. If they are new questions, I am going to write your names and I will continue with the list that I have been given here.
+HON. SEN. NYATHI: Thank you Mr. President, my question is directed to the Hon. Minister of Information, my question may seem to be in two parts but it is one question. What measures are put in place on broadcasting programmes – there were programmes that used to intertain people, programmes like Abancane Qa and Guga Sithebe Kade, these programmes were educational programmes that were put for children for example FM classic 263? How many languages are being aired? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION, PUBLICITY AND BROADCASTING SERVICES (HON. MUSWERE). I thank you Hon. President and I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question. What we have done is to review first of all the Zim Digital project and the Government communications strategy. At the same to enhance Government communication plan which takes into consideration the print electronic and broadcasting stations. So, what is actually taking place currently is that any inclusive Committee has been put in place in order to make sure that each and every community and language in terms of the Constitution contributes towards education, contributes towards information dissemination. Also contributes towards entertainment because vision 2030 is about a collective responsibility which also includes a collective responsibility to educate and inform the nation and to entertain the nation. So, a number of programmes have already started including at Classic 263 which is mainly focusing on the Southern Areas in terms of the provinces. So, a number of programmes have been put in place which also include drama and educational programmes as an inclusive strategy as we seek to ensure that an informed nation is beneficial in terms of national building so I can assure you that almost all the languages have been included.
In order to enhance our support in terms of infrastructure development and deal with specific issues related to different regions within the country, we have legislated community information centres and we have also supported community radio stations, so they speak specifically to a particular geography in terms of supporting our national languages. I thank you Mr. President.
+HON. SEN. S. MOYO: Thank you Mr. President. I am happy to hear the Hon. Minister saying that everyone will have access to National FM or any other radio station. I come from Bulilima District. Since 1980, there are no radio stations that are accessible in that area. I want to know how we are going to benefit as people coming from that area. I thank you.
HON. PHUTI: Thank you Mr. President. I will give a bit of background. In 2006, the International Telecommunications Union made a decision to migrate from analogue to digital. In the process, they put a cut-off date which is 2015. So, the first phase of the ZimDigital project started in earnest and has covered significant populations in terms of the regions within the country to an extent that now in terms of radio, we are at 62%. So, within a month, we are introducing another second phase to Cabinet, which is the ZimDigital Two, which will take care of all those border areas, especially areas that he indicated including Bulilima.
In order to support the development of radio and television under the leadership of President E. D. Mnangagwa, a licencing framework was then revised to take into consideration the establishment of community radio stations. I can assure the Hon. Member that this year, I went to Bulilima and commissioned the Bukalanga Community Radio Station as a stop gap measure. It is fully functional and educating that particular geography.
At the same time, the ZimDigital Two, Phase 2 project as it starts, is going to concentrate explicitly and mainly first and foremost in the border areas as we move to seek to ensure that we leave no one and no place behind. So, the licencing framework has allowed the proliferation and development of community radio stations. It has also allowed the development of commercial radio and television stations. At the same time, the national broadcaster is now expanding towards those particular areas but of importance, is the ZimDigital Second Phase project that seeks to financially resource Transmedia and the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe. Thank you.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Mr. President. My supplementary pertains to the community radio station. They are there and working well. My observation is that they do not have wide coverage. Do you have any plans to expand the existing radio stations so that coverage reaches areas where there is no communication at all? I thank you.
HON. PHUTI: Thank you Mr. President. As I have already indicated, in terms of radio, we are currently at 62% in terms of national coverage. The launch of the second phase of the ZimDigital project will ensure that we have 100% coverage in terms of the geography of our country.
So, mainly, it involves the procurement of transmitters across the country, the powering of those transmitters and also involves connectivity in terms of ICT because we have reached that point of convergence. In order to speed up the process, we have already done a digital infrastructure masterplan working together with the Ministry of Information Communication Technology and have identified that in the majority of cases, we are going to do infrastructure sharing between our two ministries. So, this we believe, is going to accelerate the deployment of the second phase of the ZimDigital project.
Meanwhile, we have the community radio stations. They are mainly focused on a small geography in terms of coverage but as soon as the second phase or the ZimDigital Two project kicks in, we are very sure that we will be in a position to cover the entire country. So, the current plan that has been informed by the digital infrastructure masterplan is that we seek to finalise the second phase which will give us 100% coverage in the country within a space of two year; because we are already behind in terms of International Telecommunications Union deadline. Thank you.
HON. SEN. KUNAKA: Thank you Mr. President Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities. As we all know that shelter remains a fundamental basic right, to date, we continue to see the mushrooming of illegal stands owing to land barons when it remains the full mandate of councils to allocate stands under the Urban Councils Act. We also see some areas that are occupied as residential stands and are yet to be regularised. The Government and council continue to lose much of their revenue because the settlers just settle without contributing anything to council.
My question is, what legal action is being taken by the Ministry to make sure that they deal with these land barons who are acting with unbridled powers in allocating stands when it remains the core mandate of councils?
In addition, what is delaying the regularisation of stands in these occupied places yet they are occupied by people? These should be a source of revenue to both the council and Government. Some of the unregularised areas have become hot spots for political violence. They are used by politicians as pools where they canvass their votes during election time and are no-go dangerous areas. Thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order, order. Your question was supposed to be directed to the Minister of Local Government and Public Works. I will request the Leader of Government Business in the House to respond to your question if he can.
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PRESIDENTIAL AFFAIRS IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET (HON. SEN. MATUKE): Thank you Mr. President. You are right to say that the question should have been directed to the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works but we usually work hand-in-hand with the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities.
Regarding the issue of land barons who continue to allocate stands that fail to meet the standards in terms of regularisation and sanitisation, the local authorities are empowered through the law to deal with such elements. They also enact their by-laws to empower themselves to deal with such cases.
However, as Government, we are moving towards the regularisation of some identified settlements, for instance in Harare South.
At the moment, we are working together with the Local Government and Public Works, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, and Rural Resettlements which allocates the land, and the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. We are handling or treating those issues on a case-by-case basis, they have different circumstances. That is what we are doing at the moment to come up with a mechanism of regularisation and ensuring that services are provided, but being handled or treated on a case-by-case basis because circumstances in those settlements are different. I thank you, Mr. President.
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in terms of Standing Order No. 67.
HON. SEN. PHULU: Thank you, Mr. President, I move for the extension of time for Question Without Notice by 20 minutes.
HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: I second.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESENT OF THE SENATE: Time for Question Without Notice extended by 15 minutes.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you, Mr. President. My question goes to the Hon. Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities. What are your plans for the housing schemes that were started more than ten years ago? The houses were left at different stages, but now we are seeing that there are new schemes for civil servants whereas those schemes are not yet complete. How are you planning to deal with those houses? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF NATIONAL HOUSING AND SOCIAL AMENITIES (HON. SODA): Thank you Mr. President and allow me to also thank the Hon. Sen for that question. As I indicated earlier in one of my responses, we are prioritising such projects where the Government has already spent some money. The Government intends that a project which has commenced must be finished. Once it is finished, benefits start to accrue from that project. So, this is the policy of the Government.
We want to avoid the piecemeal approach, where we are all over, and at the end of the day, the projects are not being completed from the resources that will have been allocated for such projects. So, the policy or the intention is to complete those projects so that people will start to realise benefits from the projects. I thank you, Mr. President.
HON. SEN. KATUMBA: Thank you, Mr. President. My question goes to the Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities working together with the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works. I want to understand the issue of people who are paying lodgers` cards. Most of them have been paying for quite some time while on the paying list. What is it that you are doing for those people to benefit from what they are paying for? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PRESIDENTIAL AFFAIRS IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET (HON. SEN. MATUKE): Thank you Mr. President and the Hon. Senator for the question. My response is that according to Government policy, if we have land available or if we have stands, the law tells us that those people be considered when some people are being allocated stands.
However, I am kindly asking the Hon. Senator who asked to say, maybe she has other people whom she knows who have been paying for years. I think it would be good for her to write them down so that the Government would look into those names so that they can be considered and that question goes directly to those people with such queries. I thank you.
HON. SEN. S. MOYO: Thank you, Mr. President. My question is directed to the Minister of Veterans of Liberation Struggle Affairs. We have war veterans who are aged and some who have passed on. We have children that are suffering and unable to go to school. I would like to know what Government policy is for children of war liberators who are unable to go to school. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE AFFAIRS: (HON. SEN. MAVHUNGA): As a Ministry, we provide educational assistance to dependents of deceased war veterans as well as dependents of surviving war veterans. So, if there are some dependents you know who are not being assisted, if you can bring that to our attention through our district field officers or our provincial field officers, we will be happy to assist you with that. Thank you.
HON. SEN. C. NDHLOVU: Thank you, Mr. President. My question to the Minister. My question to the Minister of Veterans of Liberation Struggle Affairs is that they have four to five years of vetting people. These people were asked to have bank accounts, but nothing has been paid to these accounts.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: That is a new question. It is not a supplementary.
HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to send my condolences to the whole House for the loss of one of our Hon. Senator Chabuka.
My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education regarding the deployment of teachers to schools. It is the right of every child to go to school and young children need to learn in their language, but for what is happening especially in Lupane
whereby a teacher cannot teach in the language that is spoken in the community, then it is a challenge. What is the deployment criteria in these schools, especially for ECD children?
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. GATA): Thank you very much Mr. President. I would like to thank Hon. Sen. Mlotshwa for the question. We have 16 official languages in this country which include Ndebele, Ndau, Tonga et cetera. All of them are recognised in Zimbabwe. As the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, we are not the ones who deploy teachers. All the deployment is done by Public Service Commission, but simply because you have asked me, I will kindly respond on what I know and then in future, you put your question in writing so that that can be responded to by the Ministry which does the deployment of teachers. All of our teachers are being taught so that they can be able to teach the children in all languages. We will further have those who work on specialty. The teachers are being taught so that they teach all the children and we have specially trained ECD teachers, but they are deployed by the Ministry of Public Service. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Sen. Mlotshwa, I think if you ask the question in writing, the appropriate Ministry will be able to give a perfect answer to that and that will benefit every one of us in here.
∞HON. SEN. FANUEL: Thank you Mr. President. My question is to the Minister of War Veterans. I want to speak in Tonga, is everything in order? There are some war collaborators who were vetted two years ago; my question is, these vetted collaborators have bank cards and if they die today, will their children benefit? Secondly, there are those with their forms in offices, when are they going to have their papers processed?
*THE MINISTER OF VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE AFFAIRS (HON. SEN. MAVHUNGA): Thank you Mr. President. If I got the question from Hon. Sen. Fanuel very well, I think her question is directly focusing on those who were vetted in 2022 and their accounts were opened, they are expecting payments and they are still waiting. We have others who should go through the vetting process. I would like to thank you very much for this question because it is going to help a lot of people who are not here. I said we were currently waiting for the approved fund for this Parliament to be allocated money to our budget for the 2024 period which we intend to use to finish up on those who are to be vetted.
We currently have that amount and we received it, but the programme to the whole country is called mop up vetting which will target every citizen in the country. We are communicating with those from the Ministry of Finance to release the funds so that we can do everything together. Why are we doing all this together? During the liberation struggle, we used to have a lot of people from various provinces. So when vetting all our war collaborators, they will be taken to their respective areas where they fought the liberation struggle and then we can select a few who will go and vet them. We got this programme and we are planning as we seek for the additional funds to our budget.
I promise that in the short space of time, since we now have the funds, we are going to do the vetting process. After vetting those people, we will then gazette to notify the general public to say these are the people who assisted during the liberation struggle. If we only have someone who did not come, or somebody who was within the liberation struggle from the other side, we are only focusing on all those people who were working together with us and not those people who were working against us. Those people will tell us that this person who came in was not part of us. Before the end of the year, I promise we will be done on the vetting process.
We want everything to go in collaboration with the determination of their benefits. We are working together with the Ministry of Finance. After vetting, they get their dues and I promise that we now have everything ready.
*HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: Thank you Mr. President Sir. My question goes to the Minister of Defence. This week we discovered something which went viral. Those soldiers who were wearing uniforms and they were chanting slogans, I simply want to ask the Government to say what does the policy say with regards to those people who are still in the service and are chanting slogans?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF DEFENCE (HON. BRIG. GEN. RTD. MAYIHLOME): Thank you Mr. President. I think the Constitution of Zimbabwe of 2013 is very clear on the participation of serving members in politics. If the Hon. Senator has specific incidences that he witnessed, I think he can put it in writing and then the Minister of Defence can appropriately investigate. Thank you.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE (HON. SEN. KAMBIZI): Hon. Sen. Zvidzai. The Deputy Minister advices that you can cite incidents, that is not an offence.
HON. SEN. R. NDLOVU: Thank you very much Mr. President. My question is directed to the Minister of Transport and since the Minister of Transport is not here, I will direct my question to the Leader of the House. Hon. Minister, can you please give justification for the increment of number plates of the cars from USD80 to USD500.
The number plates used to be US$80 dollars and now they cost US$500. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PRESIDENTIAL AFFAIRS IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET (HON. SEN. MATUKE): Thank you very much for that question in relation to the increment on the price of number plates. I am sure it deals with economics where the Ministry is not supposed to incur losses when they produce number plates. I think the justification is about where number plates can be produced at a break even. Normally, business does not make profit. If you find that the price is stretched to US$500 from US$80 dollars, it could be to try and recover the cost. However, I would want to make a slight research on that question to see whether the difference you are talking of is real. We may want to ask the Hon. Minister to come and give a statement on that. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank you very much Hon. Minister. It would be very proper that the Minister comes and gives a statement.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
DANGERS OF CUTTING DOWN TREES AND CAUSING VELD FIRES
- HON SEN. TONGOGARA asked the Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife to inform the Senate:-
- a) what the Ministry is doing to come up with a co-ordinated programme to educate the public on the dangers of cutting down trees and causing veld fires; and
- b) whether there is a database for all trees that are planted on the National Tree Planting Day and if so, to give details on the numbers of such trees, province by province.
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PRESIDENTIAL AFFAIRS IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET (HON. SEN. MATUKE): Thank you Hon. President, I will first respond to the first question.
The Ministry, in collaboration with Forestry Commission, is carrying out ongoing public awareness on dangers of tree cutting through the following initiatives:-
This is a routine activity under Forestry Commission as it exploits every opportunity where there are gatherings at all levels to educate the public on the state of forestry in Zimbabwe, the current issues like illegal tree cutting for firewood trading and commercial charcoal production.
Top among such gatherings, is the Annual National Tree Planting Day commemoration led by His Excellency on the first Saturday of December every year to launch the tree planting season. The increased surveillance on hot spots through conducting blitzes and patrols along highways and inspections.
The Patron for the Environment, the First Lady, has been leading pre-National Tree Planting Day campaigns, and through the integrated programmes such as Forests4She, Agric4She, Cook-Out competitions, Clean-up events and similar other gatherings. Each event is preceded by tree planting and talk about current issues to do with climate change and a clarion call for all citizens to take part in conserving and promoting tree growing at their homesteads.
The International Day of Forests (IDF) and the Indigenous Tree Day (every 15th of April) are some of the platforms that are being used to make the public aware of the importance of preserving our indigenous forests and all dangers associated with destruction of these forest resources. This year’s IDF was commemorated in Buhera in Mavangwe Hills where the mountain range has been earmarked for active management in collaboration between communities, RDCs, traditional leadership and FC, together with other sister agencies.
Establishment of Natural Resource Management Committees that work directly in communities for the conservation of forests through Sustainable Forests Management Practices.
The 2024 Independence was celebrated in Buhera at Murambinda B Secondary School where FC pledged a legacy plantation to mark 44 years of independence. The whole country converged at this place and His Excellency announced this event which will run from now till the 2024/25 tree planting season.
The FC is working in collaboration with the private sector to advance afforestation, reforestation and restoration programmes across the country. Some of the organizations have sought collaborations with environmental groups such as Trees4ED which is taking the campaign to higher national levels
Radio and TV programmes raising awareness on the importance of conserving forests and tree planting initiatives. Collaboration with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement on implementation of Horticulture Recovery Growth Plan (HRGP), targeting rural households by promoting planting of at least 10 fruit trees. However, the programme has not been adequately funded.
Capacity building on bee-keeping to communities and agroforestry projects. Case study of Mutase Beekeeping and agroforestry projects. Tobacco Wood Energy Programme (TWEP) targeting the tobacco growing provinces. This programme is supposed to be financed by a Tobacco Levy re-introduced in 2015, but its implementation is still to be perfected.
Emerging importance of conserving forests and derive benefits from REDD+ projects and Carbon Credit Trading. Educating farmers on the dangers of veldt fires and encouraging establishment of standard and suppression measures, management of fuel load through hay baling.
When all the awareness raising has been achieved, the enforcement of legislation follows. My Ministry is currently processing a new Statutory Instrument on Fire Management Coordination, as well as Amending Statutory Instrument 116 of 2012. Yet another new Statutory Instrument to control the illegal commercialisation of indigenous tree resources is in the making to support the awareness raising.
- b) The series of tables below are an attempt to address Honourable Senator Tongogara’s question. I have tabulated National Tree Planting Day (NTPD) targets, achievements and comments by province for the period 2017 to 2023 (but with an omission of year 2018) by province. It should however be noted that these tables cover just the commemoration venue only (organised around the first Saturday of December annually to launch the tree planting season) while many more trees are planted countrywide before and after the first Saturday of December.
Hon. Members will note that they are recorded under achievement through this report attributed to low mobility of filed officers in Forestry Commission. I am currently seized with efforts to address the gross under-capitalisation of the Forestry Commission through various approaches. For now, I will concentrate on the business at hand of NTPD targets and achievements.
During the period under review, His Excellency launched the tree planting seasons at Robert Gabriel Mugabe Square in Harare (2017), Masvingo primary schools in Mberengwa (2021, at Tsindi Secondary School in Makoni District (postponed) and at Domborutinhira Secondary School in Mutasa District (2023).
Table 1: NTPD 2017 Statistical Summary
Province |
Venues |
Trees |
Achievement |
% tree Planting Achievement and Comments |
|||
|
Target |
Achieve |
Target |
Achieve |
Area (Ha) |
Attendance |
|
Mash Central |
16 |
12 |
33646 |
35646 |
18 |
3196 |
Tree planting target was lightly over-achieved by 7%, though with less commemorations than targeted. |
Mash East & Hre Metro |
23 |
24 |
34444 |
28247 |
22 |
6126 |
Tree planting target was under-achieved by 8% though commemorations were achieved as planned. Hre Metropolitan Province hosted the provincial venue at the Robert Mugabe Square Where his Excellency planted a Muchechete Tree |
Mash West |
16 |
14 |
16877 |
15570 |
13 |
2370 |
Both tree planting and commemorations were marginally under achieved by 9% and 12.5% respectively. |
Manicaland |
17 |
21 |
19142 |
11297 |
20 |
4156 |
Tree planting was underachieved by 41% while commemorations were under-achieved by 12.5% |
Midlands |
22 |
58 |
34077 |
23390 |
37 |
14554 |
There was overwhelming response to commemorations which over-achieved by 264% while trees planted under-performed by 31% due to the small number of trees planted at most commemoration venues |
Masvingo |
23 |
2 |
9824 |
2471 |
13 |
11002 |
The province is generally a low rainfall region, and hence tree planting is usually under-achieved. |
Mat South |
21 |
22 |
12650 |
3764 |
6 |
3938 |
Just like Masvingo, Matabeleland South usually under performs in tree planting |
Mat North Byo Metro |
30 |
37 |
6847 |
7616 |
9 |
6247 |
The wo provinces over achieved in commemorations due to a larger number of urban venues that came forward to commemorate NTPD, while number of trees planted marginally over achieved by 11% |
TOTAL |
168 |
20 |
13226 |
128001 |
148 |
47433 |
Overall provincial tree planting achievement during NTPD commemorations for the season was 78% |
Province |
Venues |
Trees |
Achievement |
% tree Planting Achievement and Comments |
|||
|
Target |
Achieve |
Target |
Achieve |
Area (Ha) |
Attendance |
|
Mash West |
20 |
16 |
37286 |
26422 |
29211 |
7554 |
70.9% Achievement. Three venues from Kariba were not planted because the district FEO was transferred to Chegutu. |
Mash East |
24 |
19 |
43700 |
22309 |
16.9 |
3246 |
The activity was affected by the short rainfall season, coupled with a very late start to the rainy season. Planting stock was also limited since Forest Commission had not produced own seedlings for most of the events. The province hosted the Presidential Venue at Goromonzi High School where His Excellency planted a Mutunduru Tree. |
Mash Central |
45 |
5 |
100600 |
9600 |
43.2 |
13352 |
Most trees were dry-planted; some were planted using early rains and 95.5% was achieved. |
Mat South |
23 |
32 |
20030 |
10870 |
19.5 |
10134 |
54% of the targeted planting was achieved. Failed to rich the target due to limited mobility and dry weather conditions. |
Masvingo |
22 |
34 |
25000 |
12247 |
28.11 |
26335 |
49% achievement; seedlings production was low. The period was characterized by low rainfall patterns which negatively affected tree planting rates. |
Midlands |
44 |
39 |
32000 |
14168 |
20 |
13864 |
44% achievements. This was largely due to low rainfall received in the province as well as low field staff mobility challenges. |
Manicaland |
17 |
17 |
15905 |
7927 |
13.29 |
4351 |
49.8% achievement. Tree planting was done under very dry condition for most of the venues in the province. |
Total |
195 |
192 |
27521 |
190003 |
170.211 |
78836 |
Overall achievement was 69% in the province for the season. |
Table 3: 2020 NTPD Statistical Summary
Province |
Venues |
Trees |
Achievement |
% Tree Planting Achievement & comments |
|||
|
Target |
Achieve |
Target |
Achieve |
Area (ha) |
Attendance |
|
Mash Central |
20 |
17 |
57185 |
43262 |
18.15 |
4403 |
The wet spell provided a conducive environment for tree planting across the province.76 % was achieved on tree planting. Under – achievement was largely a result of incapacity to coordinate tree planting events due to low field staff mobility |
Mash East |
27 |
29 |
61160 |
34303 |
28.69 |
2563 |
The province had a commendable achievement on venues commemorated which had 107% success, though the number of trees planted were low due to delays in land preparation and limited capacity to distribute seedlings to venues, resulting in only 56% achievement on tree planting |
Mash West |
17 |
13 |
49511 |
31927 |
19.7 |
1805 |
The province managed to commemorate all the tree planting events under wet conditions. 76% was achieved on the number of venues. |
Manicaland |
18 |
15 |
27730 |
12713 |
13.34 |
2801 |
46% was achieved on overall tree planting on all the sites. Tree planting was affected by inadequate resources such as fuel and vehicles. The province had a fleet of only two vehicles running while the rest were down. As a result, preparations could not be done adequately. COVID 19 restrictions also impacted negatively on this year’s commemorations as people were not keen to attend gatherings let alone hosting functions |
Midlands |
27 |
57 |
41652 |
50408 |
38 |
3635 |
121% achievement on tree planting. Generally, the plantings were successful across the province except for Gokwe North where poor road access due to heavy rains resulted in suspending other planting sites. Most of the seedlings planted on planed sites were supplied by central nurseries. There was a wide adoption of tree planting initiatives in the province, particularly in Chirumhanzu District following the launch by Her Excellency –Amai A. Mnangagwa at Gangarabwe Primary School |
Masvingo |
23 |
25 |
26907 |
11302 |
16.7 |
26436 |
49% overall provincial achievements due to unreliable vehicles to transport seedlings to sites and shortage of staff in Chiredzi District. The province hosted the Presidential venue where His Excellency planted a Muuyu tree at Chombwe piped water irrigation scheme in Chivi District. |
Mat South |
29 |
32 |
22705 |
3329 |
9.3 |
3316 |
14.6% achievement on overall tree planting. There was over achievement on the number of sites commemorated due to public private partnership involvement particularly in Gwanda and Matobo districts. Generally, the province did not perform well due to insufficient rains that was received and compounded by the COVID 19 restrictions. |
Total |
161 |
188 |
286850 |
187244 |
143.88 |
42 396 |
|
Table 4: statistical summary
Province |
Venues |
Trees |
Achievement |
% Tree Planting Achievement & comments |
|||
|
Target |
Achieve |
Target |
Achieve |
Area (ha) |
Attendance |
|
Mash Central |
24 |
34 |
60388 |
64569 |
46.06 |
13622 |
The province had a target of 60388 and achieved 64569 which translates to 106.9%. All the districts managed to have a tree planting activity with the majority exceeding the targets except Rushinga and Muzarabani. The provincial achievement was boosted by the First lady tree plantings in Mazowe and Guruve districts |
Mash East |
26 |
38 |
48780 |
36580 |
27.33 |
3956 |
75% achievement. This was a fair attempt given that the rainfall season delayed. Delayed onset of the rain season affected plantings, especially for sites that were hosted by schools. Some schools closed for the December holidays before trees could be planted. Again, when the schools opened there was no significant rainfall during the month of January and March. |
Mash West |
20 |
20 |
22266 |
18261 |
15 |
2487 |
82% achievement. Target was not met due to COVID 19 restrictions. More trees could have been planted in the province |
Manicaland |
19 |
17 |
39995 |
28744 |
29.99 |
4825 |
71.87% overall achievement. Other venues could not be commemorated due to logistical challenges. Resource to fund the program were also a limiting factor. |
Masvingo |
22 |
38 |
20707 |
14896 |
29.4 |
15908 |
72% achievement. Masvingo district recorded the highest number of NTPD sites with 11 planted sites form a target of 5. A total of 4520 assorted trees were achieved from a target of 3 500. This was achieved through the provincial NTPD venue and other stakeholders NTPD commemorations such as the ZPCS’s NTPD, Chief Mugabe’s Zunde raMamabo’s NTPD Commissioner Shoko’s sponsored NTPD, Masvingo Mayor’s NTPD among others. |
Midlands |
30 |
62 |
29482 |
31848 |
51.602 |
24419 |
108% achievement. Target was met for the province due to participation by the private sector within the province. Meberengwa district hosted the Presidential National Tee Planting Day commemorations on 04 December 2021 at Masvingo Primary school which is in ward 6 under Mberengwa East in Chief Negove area. The province hosted the Presidential venue where His Excellency planted a Musekesa Tree at Masvingo Primary School in Mberengwa. The President established an orchard at Masvingo Primary School where the late Rtd. General S, B Moyo attended his primary school education. |
Mat South |
30 |
30 |
8119 |
7761 |
20.6 |
3770 |
96% achievement. Most of the sites were commemorated jointly with stakeholders and partners within the province |
Mat North |
20 |
30 |
5026 |
3213 |
5.39 |
|
64% achievement on tree planting. Mobility has remained the major challenge in the province to facilitate tree planting initiatives. |
Total |
191 |
269 |
234763 |
205872 |
225.37 |
68984 |
87.6% achievement on overall planting. |
Table 5
Province |
Venues |
Trees |
Achievement |
% tree Planting Achievement and Comments |
|||
|
Target |
Achieve |
Target |
Achieve |
Area (Ha) |
Attendance |
|
Mash Central |
9 |
29 |
32000 |
48816 |
32.62 |
98745 |
152% achievement. Target was met as most sites received sufficient rains for the tree planting. Some of the sites were supplied seedlings from the Tobacco Wood Energy Program (TWEP) |
Mash East |
25 |
26 |
39680 |
33707 |
22603 |
9438 |
85% achievement. Mudzi and UMP were seriously affected by limited rainfall that was received and could not meet the set target. The rest of rainfall that was received and could not meet the set target. The rest of the districts met targets with Goromonzi having 85%. The other parts of the province received relatively effective rains to enable three planting. |
Mash West |
20 |
29 |
29630 |
29204 |
27.47 |
12345 |
99% achievement. Tree planting target was almost met due to an increased number of venues that were supported under Tobacco Wood Energy Programme, particularly Zvimba, Makonde and party of Sanyati. |
Manicaland |
19 |
25 |
26492 |
35522 |
27 |
8954 |
Commemorations target was met. The Province was supposed to host the Presidential site which was later postponed. However, a Mukute tree orchard was established at Tsindi Secondary school in Makoni district in honour of the President. |
Midlands |
33 |
69 |
37375 |
47981 |
|
|
128% achievement. Target was met due to stakeholder collaboration and massive community engagement by the Deputy Minister Hon. B Rwodzi in Chirumhanzu District through promotion of avocados which registered 45% of the total planting. However, more could have been planted in the other districts but they faced an extended dry spell and mobility challenges on some sites. |
Masvingo |
22 |
38 |
13600 |
21625 |
30.91 |
15743 |
Commemoration target was met. The province hosted friends of the environment (FOTE) annual walkathon which boosted the tree plantings in the province. |
Mat South |
28 |
48 |
9100 |
7660 |
2204 |
10081 |
84% achievement. Beitbridge and Matopo districts registered significant plantings due to collaboration with other organisations under achievement was attributed to delay in the rains. |
Mat North |
33 |
79 |
3734 |
9213 |
31.95 |
6542 |
Commemorations target was met due to some additional tree planting activities within the Bulawayo Metropolitan Province. |
TOTAL |
209 |
343 |
191 611 |
233728 |
|
|
|
Table 6
Province |
Venues |
Trees |
Achievement |
% tree Planting Achievement and Comments |
|||
|
Target |
Achieve |
Target |
Achieve |
Area (Ha) |
Attendance |
|
Mash Central |
24 |
26 |
39710 |
41269 |
103 |
9876 |
104% achievement target was met due to increased awareness and some TWEP projects established within the province |
Mash East |
24 |
17 |
35630 |
25395 |
20.44 |
7994 |
71% achievement, target was not met and this was attributed to the drought that was experienced during the season. |
Mash West |
20 |
34 |
25040 |
23415 |
20.9 |
8473 |
93% achievement, tree planting target was not met due to the dry weather conditions that prevailed across the province and the most affected district were Kariba and Hurungwe |
Manicaland |
19 |
18 |
49925 |
39865 |
53.2 |
12672 |
The overall tree planting achievement stands at 79.4% of the planted sites including plantings organized by partners. Condition for the tree planting seedlings remained critical despite efforts by school to continue watering planted trees. Further plantings were not done due to dry weather conditions. The province hosted the Presidential site at Domborutinhira Secondary School Mutasa District, where the then acting President (Rtd.) Gen. Dr. C.D. G. N. Chiwenga planted a fever tree. |
Midlands |
26 |
41 |
39525 |
23310 |
92.402 |
8406 |
58.97% achievement despite having an increased number of venues commemorated in the province as a result of increased awareness the province could not meet the tree planting due to the effects El Nino phenomenon. |
Masvingo |
22 |
41 |
18300 |
10498 |
28 |
27313 |
57% achievement under achievement is attributed to the drought that was experienced in the province. |
Mat South |
33 |
32 |
6950 |
7064 |
23.1 |
5099 |
102% achieved most of the identified sites had sufficient water for irrigation. |
Total |
168 |
209 |
215080 |
170816 |
341 |
79833 |
79% overall achievement. |
*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Mr. President. I would like to thank the Hon. Minister for the explanation he gave us. I would like to say since they said they are teaching people and those who are on the deforestation side, they said that they are paying levy to the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife. They think that the levy that they are paying makes them free to cut down trees whenever they feel like.
My second question is, does EMA follow-up after planting the trees to check on their state, that is, whether they are in a position to be used for firewood? I thank you.
*HON. SEN. MATUKE: Thank you for the question Hon. Sen. Tongogara. The first one stated that for those people who do the tobacco farming, since they pay levies and are allowed to cut down trees, and would have paid levies; firstly, let me say that it is not Government policy to start cutting down trees. The policy states that tobacco farmers must plant trees. After paying their levies, they must continue planting those trees and continue planting more trees so that we avoid desertification. So, there is no law that states that since you have paid levy, you are free to cut down trees; you will be violating the laws.
The second question was since we have tree planting days, do you do some follow-ups to check on the progress of the trees planted to assess their growth and survival? We have a lot of Forestry Commission officers on the ground who will be placed in those different areas tasked with checking on the state of those trees across the country. If you look closely, tree planting days are done during rainy seasons, that is when we expect people to plant trees. So, we expect that when trees are planted, they will survive because of the rains. There are certain circumstances whereby there are instances of dry seasons with very little rainfall, there are people from the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife who are expected to take care of the trees.
If you look at the various areas, we have community leaders, we have a law which was put in place which states that no one can cut down trees without the authority of the headmen or the chiefs. The same issue needs more sensitisation to the general public. If they do such things, it will help us. These Committees are mandated to monitor those who cut down and to see whether they survive or die out. In short, that is my response. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Allow me to thank you Hon. Members for all the questions and supplementary questions that we had in the House today.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PRESIDENTIAL AFFAIRS IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET (HON. SEN. MATUKE), the Senate adjourned at Nineteen Minutes past Four o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 16th July, 2024.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 11th July, 2024
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair)
MOTION
LEAVE TO MOVE WITHDRAWAL OF MOTION FROM THE ORDER PAPER
HON. BAJILA: Madam Speaker, I seek leave of the House to withdraw Motion Number 21 on today’s Order Paper.
HON. MATEWU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
WITHDRAWAL OF MOTION FROM THE ORDER PAPER
HON. BAJILA: I move that Motion Number 21 on today’s Order Paper be withdrawn.
HON. MATEWU: I second.
Motion; With leave, withdrawn.
MOTION
APPROVAL FOR THE RATIFICATION OF THE SADC PROTOCOL ON INDUSTRY
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE (HON. MODI): I move the motion standing in my name that;
WHEREAS Section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that an international treaty…..
HON. MATAMBO: On a point of order, the Hon. Minister is not audible. Can he please speak up?
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You may proceed Hon. Minister.
HON. MODI: …. which has been concluded or executed by or under the authority of the President does not bind Zimbabwe until it has been approved by Parliament;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe signed the SADC Protocol on Industry on the 18th of August 2019. Zimbabwe is yet to ratify the Protocol;
AND WHEREAS the Protocol will only enter into force thirty (30) days after two-thirds of the Member States have deposited their instruments of ratification. To date, only six (6) of the sixteen (16) Member States that signed the Protocol have completed the ratification process;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous to ratify the said Protocol;
NOW, THEREFORE, in terms of section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, this House resolves that the aforesaid Protocol be and is hereby approved.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: On a point of order. I would be very grateful to debate, however, I did not hear anything. I could only hear the part where the Minister said Zimbabwe. Everything else was inaudible. With all due respect, I could not hear a word. I am being genuine…
HON. TOGAREPI: On a point of order…
HON. MUTSEYAMI: I am still on the floor Hon. Government Chief Whip. I could not hear anything – if you may indulge and advise as to how we can debate.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: But the motion is on the Order Paper Hon. Mutseyami.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: I fully appreciate that but I have not received the Order Paper. I am being genuine. The only part I could pick was Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
HON. TOGAREPI: Madam Speaker, I think the Hon. Member Mutseyami is just trying to – [HON. MEMBERS: Gara pasi hapasati pave ne ruling.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: My ruling is that the motion is on the Order Paper. We should all read the Order Paper.
HON. TOGAREPI: Madam Speaker, I would like to comment on two issues. Firstly, I think we have to go back to induction with some of the Members – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – because a point of order has its definition and it looks like it is being abused in this House. We do not hear about the particular order that has been violated. If you do not hear me, is that violating a Standing Order?
Secondly, Hon. Members receive soft copies of Order Papers and also if they want the hard copy, they can still get them. Hon. Members should just be calm – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): I move that Order of the Day Number 2 be stood over until Order of the Day Number 3 has been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
COMMITTEE STAGE
PRIVATE VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS AMENDMENT BILL [H. B. 2, 2024]
Third Order read: Committee Stage: Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Bill [H.B. 2, 2024].
House in Committee.
On Clause 1:
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Hon. Chair, I am proposing to substitute the long title on page 1 of the Bill with the new long title. I will delete the long title and substitute with the following;
To amend the Private Voluntary Organisations Act [Chapter 17:05]; the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act [Chapter 09:24] (No. 4 of 2013); the Criminal Matters (Mutual Assistance) Act [Chapter 09:06] (No. 13 of 1990); the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23] and the National Social Security Authority Act [Chapter 17:04]; and to provide for matters connected therewith.”
Hon. Chair, the change was necessitated in that this one was very long and it was just speaking to one item on the compliance with FATF but if you look at the Bill, it covers a lot of issues, hence when we took into consideration, feedback that we got, this necessitated the amendment that I am proposing. I so submit Hon. Chair.
Amendment to Clause 1 put and agreed to.
Clause 1, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 2 inserted after Clause 1:
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Hon. Chair, I propose the amendments in my name that the Bill be amended on page 1 under the part where it reads, ‘amendments to Private Voluntary Organisations Act’, by inserting the following Clause, and then re-numbering the subsequent Clauses accordingly. In other words, I am proposing that we put a preamble to the Bill as it fully appears on the Order Paper to show where we are coming from when enacting this particular Bill.
2 Insertion of preamble to Cap. 17:15
Delete the enacting formula of the principal Act and substituted the following—
“WHEREAS it is recognised that private voluntary organisations play an important role in serving the public good, supporting development, social cohesion and tolerance within society, promoting democracy, respect for the rule of law, and providing accountability mechanisms that can contribute to improved governance;
AND WHEREAS it is recognised that private voluntary organisations can complement the national government in all spheres of public service delivery without derogating from the primary role of Government of Zimbabwe in that regard;
AND WHEREAS it is recognised that the realisation of Zimbabwe’s development goals depend on the contribution of not only the public and private sectors, but private voluntary organisations as well;
AND WHEREAS the Government of Zimbabwe desires to establish an enabling environment for private voluntary organisations by means, among other measures, of improving the regulatory and institutional framework for private voluntary organisations;
NOW THEREFORE be it enacted by the Parliament and President of Zimbabwe as follows:”
HON. MUSHORIWA: Hon. Chair, I do not have a problem in having a preamble as alluded to by the Minister, but the reading of the preamble and you look at the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th paragraphs, they are fine but I have a problem with the 4th paragraph where it says, ‘…and where the Government of Zimbabwe desires to establish an enabling environment for PVOs.’ I am not so sure if the provisions that are before us in the Bill really create an enabling environment. I will be happier if the Minister could delete this paragraph so that we then maintain paragraphs 1, 2, 3, and 5 of his preambles and leave out 4, which I think does not really serve the purpose in respect to this Bill.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Hon. Chair, that is the whole basis of legislation, to lay out an enabling environment that allows to know how you operate unless if Hon. Mushoriwa now has a new definition of what the work of the legislature is all about. Maybe he can clarify. This is the standard. We put in legislation to lay out how we should operate. We set the limits of how we are to operate and that is an enabling environment. So, I move that we proceed.
Amendment to new Clause 2 put and agreed to.
New Clause 2, as amended, put and agreed to.
On Clause 2, now Clause 3:
HON. MUSHORIWA: I move the amendment standing in my name that:
CLAUSE 2
(Amendment of section 2 of Cap. 17:05) the Bill is amended – (a) In line 18 on page 1 of the Bill, by deletion of subparagraph (i).
(b) In line 32 on page 2 of the Bill, in the new definition of “Office”, to delete “section 3” and to substitute “section 5”.
Specifically, I think the Minister has already conceded to this through his amendments in other parts of the Bill. This amendment basically seeks to restore definition of board in the Act. We are adjusting the number of sections that will establish the Office of the Registrar. This one is straight forward. The amendment seeks to restore the existing definition of board in the Act and we adjust the sections that deal with the Office of the Registrar.
I was saying that Hon. Minister, you have in a way, conceded to this through some of the amendments that you have already passed.
Amendment to Clause 2, now Clause 3 put and agreed to.
Clause 2, now Clause 3, as amended, put and agreed to.
On Clause 3, now Clause 4:
HON. MUSHORIWA: I move the amendment standing in my name that:
- In lines 27 to 31 on page 3 of the Bill, by the deletion of all the words between the heading of the clause and the heading of the new section 3 which the Bill will insert in the Act, and substitution of:
“3 New section substituted for section 5 of Cap. 17:05
Section 5 of the principal Act is repealed and the following section is substituted—
“5 Office of Registrar of Private Voluntary Organisations”.
Between lines 27 and 28 on page 4 of the Bill, by the insertion of the following new subsection, the remaining subsections of section 3 to be renumbered accordingly:
“(5) In the exercise of his or her functions under this Act, the Registrar shall consult the board and act in accordance with such general or specific directions as the board may give him or her.”
In terms of our Order Numbers, I think there is a convergence and there is an amendment that was made by the Minister in respect to Clause 3 that I want to raise so that we could actually speak on the same breath. On Clause 3, what we intend to do is to repeal the existing Part 2 because the clause talks of the repeal of Part 2 of the principal Act. My clause will move this provision which repeals Part 2 of the Act which establishes the board. This is in tandem with the adopted amendment on Clause 2 that we have done. What it basically does is that Part 2 will remain in Act. The amendment will also insert a new sub section giving the board power to issue a directive to the Registrar.
If you note on page 4, what we have done is that we have put a new No. 5 which basically says that the …
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): On a point of clarification. The way the amendments have been put on the Order Paper is not correct. Hon Mushoriwa’s amendments were supposed to come after mine because in the current Act, we do not have provision for a board. We had the Registrar and the Minister. Now, I have brought in an amendment and then his amendment will come after mine now. The way it is now, he will struggle to explain it before I introduce my own amendments.
Hon. Z. Ziyambi having approached the Chair.
On Clause 3, now Clause 4:
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Mr. Chairman, I move the amendments standing in my name that the Bill is amended on pages 3 to 8, by the deletion of clause 3 (Now clause 4) and substitute the following Clause—
New Part substituted for Part II of Cap. 17:15
Part II of the principal Act is repealed and the following Part is substituted—
“PART II
PRIVATE VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS BOARD AND OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR OF PRIVATE VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS
“3 Private Voluntary Organisations Board
- In this section—
“northern region”, for the purposes of this Section, means the region of Zimbabwe covered Harare Metropolitan Province, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central Province, Mashonaland East Province and Mashonaland West Province;
“ordinarily reside”, with reference to a person ordinarily residing in the northern or southern region, means a person having his or her usual place of residence within any one of the provinces constituting the region concerned;
“southern region”, for the purposes of this section, means the region of Zimbabwe covered Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, Masvingo Province, Matabeleland North Province, Matabeleland South Province and Midlands Province;
- There is hereby established a board to be known as the Private Voluntary Organisations Board which shall exercise the functions conferred upon it by this Act.
- Subject to this section, the Board shall consist of—
- eight representatives nominated by such private voluntary organisation, association, institution or other organization of private voluntary organisations or organizations which the Minister considers are representative of private voluntary organisations, of whom—
- four members, at the time of their nomination, ordinarily resided in the northern region for an uninterrupted period of at least six months before their nomination; and
- four members, at the time of their nomination, ordinarily resided in the southern region for an uninterrupted period of at least six months before their nomination; and
- one representative from each of the following Ministries—
- the Ministry for which the Minister is responsible;
- the Ministry responsible for health and child welfare;
- the Ministry responsible for justice;
- the Ministry responsible for finance;
- the Ministry responsible for foreign affairs;
- eight representatives nominated by such private voluntary organisation, association, institution or other organization of private voluntary organisations or organizations which the Minister considers are representative of private voluntary organisations, of whom—
(d) the Registrar, an ex officio (but nonvoting).
- Before making an appointment in terms of subsection (2), the Minister shall call upon the association, organization, institution or Ministry concerned to nominate such number of persons as the Minister may specify who, in its opinion, are suitable and available for appointment as members of the Board:
Provided that the Minister may—
- appoint a person to be a member of the Board who has not been so nominated and may decline to appoint any person so nominated;
- where the Minister has called for nominations in terms of this subsection in respect of any appointment to the Board and no nominations have been made in respect of such appointment within such period as he or she may determine when calling for such nominations, appoint any person to be a member of the Board whether or not, in the Minister’s his opinion, the person so appointed is able to represent the views of the body whose nominations were called for.
- Members of the Board shall be appointed by the Minister for such period, not exceeding three years, as the Minister may specify on their appointment.
- The Minister shall designate one of the members to be the Chairperson of the board.
- A member of the board who is not in the full-time employment of the State, a statutory body or a local authority shall be paid, out of moneys appropriated for that purpose by Parliament, such remuneration and allowances as may be prescribed.
- The meetings and proceedings of the board shall be as may be prescribed.
- Functions of the board
The functions of the board shall be—
- subject to this Act, to consider and approve or not approve every application for registration provisionally approved by the Registrar in terms of section --- and every
provisional cancellation or amendment of a certificate of registration effected by the Registrar in terms of section-----; and
- to hear representations by any association, organisation or institution claiming entitlement to be registered as a private voluntary organisation; and
- to advise the Minister and registered private voluntary organizations in respect of any matter arising out of the administration or operation of this Act or any other matter referred to it by the Minister or the Registrar,
- to promote and encourage the co-ordination of the activities of registered private voluntary organisations having similar or related objects; and
- to submit to the Minister an annual report concerning the administration and operation of this Act.
- Office of the Registrar of Private Voluntary Organisations
- There shall be an Office of the Registrar of Private Voluntary Organisations in the Ministry responsible for social welfare, in which shall be lodged the register of private voluntary organisations.
- The Office shall be headed by a Registrar of Private Voluntary Organisations who shall exercise general supervision and direction of the registry and shall be assisted by one or more Assistant Registrars, inspectors and such other officers as may be necessary for the proper administration of this Act, whose offices shall be public offices and form part of the Public Service:
Provided that until an appointment of a Registrar is made, the person for the time being holding the office of Director of Social Welfare shall be the Registrar.
- Subject to this Act, the Registrar shall—
- consider and determine every application for the provisional registration and every proposed cancellation or amendment of a certificate of registration; and
- hear representations by any association, organization or institution claiming entitlement to be registered as a private voluntary organisation; and
- advise the Minister and registered private voluntary organisations in respect of any matter arising out of the administration or operation of this Act or any other matter referred to it by the Minister or the Registrar; and
- to promote and encourage the co-ordination of the activities of registered private voluntary organisations having similar or related objects; and
- to submit to the Minister an annual report concerning the administration and operation of this Act; and
- maintain at his or her office a Register of Private Voluntary Organisations in which he or she shall enter all such particulars in relation to the registration of private voluntary organisations and their constitutions as he or she is required to enter by or in terms of this Act or any other enactment or decision of the court;
- The Register shall be open to inspection during office hours by any member of the public on payment of the prescribed fee, if any:
Provided that the Registrar shall endeavour to create and maintain up to date a website which, among other things, will enable members of the public to have access to the Register at all hours.
- Subject to the directions of the Registrar, the other officers referred to in subsection (1) shall perform such of the Registrar’s functions as the Registrar may assign to them.
- The Registrar shall have power to delegate any of his or her powers to any officer other than the power of delegation.
- The Registrar may in writing authorise an assistant registrar, inspector or other officer referred to in subsection (2) to exercise any of the functions of a Registrar under this Act.
- Subsection (7) shall not be construed as limiting the power of the Registrar to delegate his or her functions under any other law.
- The Registrar shall provide every inspector with a document identifying him or her as an
inspector, and the inspector shall produce it on request by any interested person.”.
Chair, I am proposing substitution of Clause 3, which becomes Clause 4 now as it appears on page 884 of the Order Paper. Basically, that is the new introduction, to take into consideration the representations that we got from CSOs as well as public hearings. The new Clause will also cover functions of the Board, office of the private voluntary organisations. We reintroduce the provisions that are in the current Act. The only difference now being that we have subdivided Northern Region and Southern Region and redefined the powers of the Registrar and what they are supposed to do. I submit Chair.
HON. MUSHORIWA: The new clause, as submitted by the Minister talks to the board. The existing board has 15 and we had about 10 people coming from the civic society. The number is now going to be reduced to eight, which I think needs to be relooked into because I believe 10 would have been a good number to maintain. Secondly, Hon. Minister, I am not so sure whether the sequence there is the proper way, where if you say Northern region, you have demarcated the Northern Region, which is fine. You then put ordinarily reside. Would the ordinarily reside paragraph not to come after the Southern region so that at least we have got Northern, Southern and ordinarily reside.
My major reason to stand is on page 885, in respect to, the Minister shall designate one of the members to be chairperson of the board. I wanted a proviso in this manner to say that the Minister shall designate two members of the board to be Chair and Deputy Chair of the board, provided that the chair shall be a nominee from the private organisation. So, that proviso will be good for the organisation. I do not think it is fair to have a board being chaired by any of the Ministry’s employees to this board. This would be my submission.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Hon. Mushoriwa, where do you want that proviso to go?
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: I got him.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: It is okay.
HON. BAJILA: Thank you Chair. I wish to also concur with Hon. Mushoriwa on the question of the chair and the vice chair and also add that the proviso must clarify that the chair and the deputy must be of different gender. Also, in the appointment of the board, there is reference that says the Minister can then appoint from any number that would have been given from the PVOs; but there is a proviso that says, the Minister can decide also to appoint someone who has not been nominated by anyone. I wish to propose that the Minister should be guided by nominations from organisations that exist.
The proviso which allows the Minister to appoint anyone, even if they have not been nominated from the organisations in the region makes that requirement for a nomination tokenistic. It is about ticking boxes that it exists in the law. If it exists in the law and the same law makes it okay for the Minister to ignore those nominations and appoints from outside nominations, it makes it of no use to exist in that manner because in the preponderance of cases, we will have appointments from outside the nominations by the organisations.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Hon. Bajila, order! Which part of the Bill are you talking about?
HON. BAJILA: I am reading from where it says 4. 1. It says before making an appointment, in terms of subsection (2), the Minister shall call upon the association, organisation, institution…
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Sorry. Where are you reading from?
HON. BAJILA: I am reading from the document which was put on the Order Paper.
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Which page?
HON. BAJILA: It is not appearing with page on the Order Paper, on the Minister’s amendments, under the board. There is the part that says, (3) Private Voluntary Organisations Board. Then, I am now on (4) from that (3). The 4 immediately after 3, which says, before making an appointment in terms of (2), the Minister shall call upon the association, organisation, institution or Ministry concerned to nominate such number of persons as the Minister may specify, who in its opinion are suitable and available for appointment as members of the board, provided that the Minister may appoint a person to be a member of the board who has not been so, nominated and may decline to appoint any person so nominated.
This is the essence of my debate that the persons who must be appointed must be the persons so nominated. This proviso here, says the Minister can appoint someone who has not been nominated anywhere and this is the basis of my debate. Are you with me Chair?
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Yes.
HON. BAJILA: Thank you.
HON. KADEMAUNGA: Thank you Chair. I concur with the two previous speakers and would like to add that on subsection 3 (a), where it speaks about 8 representatives nominated by private voluntary organisations. I think that we need to amend that one to include fifty-fifty provision on gender. It is an important Clause as it is in the Constitution as highly aspirational goal. We need also a consideration of youths and persons with disabilities to be included on the board members.
In addition, on the members, it says four per region. I agree that the number must be increased to ten. Further, it must be one per province so that there is no province that is left out in terms of representation. Furthermore, I think that the five representatives who are coming from ministries must be ex-officio members with no voting rights so that we increase the self-regulatory capacity of the PVOs who will be in that board together with these members. I thank you.
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you Mr. Chairman. I would want to say if members are coming from these organisations that are going to recommend people, they are recommending. That is my observation and that is what the law is saying. They are recommending people and in the opinion of the Minister, they may even recommend somebody who may not be fit to be in that position. The Minister must be given the leeway to also make a decision. If there is no latitude for the Minister to do that, it means these people can just appoint their people and they start operating. In my view, I think while the Minister will consider those recommendations, he must also be given by the same law, the authority to deny those whose standing is not good enough to sit on those positions. Thank you.
HON. MUGWADI: I find this my pleasure to add my voice on the Section in question, which allows the Minister to appoint someone who may not have been nominated by the organisations in question. I must say that this is reasonable discretion and it falls within the normal levels of discretion allowable to ministers or public officials for that matter. Therefore, there appears to be completely nothing amiss with this provision. In fact, it also provides guidance to the organisations in question. In fact, onus is on them to appoint people of repute who may not fall short of the expectations of the authority, which is the Minister.
It should not be debated or put in a context as if it were that the minister would be eager to disappoint their nominations but the onus is theirs also, to appoint people of a positive repute, who may not fall far short from the expectations of the Minister. There is nothing amiss in legal terms in terms of this discretion. It is within the allowable parameters of discretion for the Minister.
HON. MALINGANISO: Thank you Chair. One of the anomalies bedeviling PVOs is that they have become family entities, where maybe, myself, my wife and my cousin will become a body of a PVO. When the question of nominations to the board then arises, it follows therefore that what we will recommend or who will nominate might not necessarily be a person with capacity. The issue of incompetence, a Minister should be allowed, when somebody who does not have the capacity to contribute meaningfully into a certain body is then nominated to decline such nominations for appointments. I thank you.
HON. MUTOKONYI: Thank you Chair. It is important to understand the objective of coming up with this amendment. The idea is to ensure, given the Financial Action Task Force’s recommendations on ensuring that the PVOs operate within the frameworks of the laws that guard against any acts of terrorism or of any other. In that perspective, the Minister should have the mandate to ensure, because he represents the responsible authority and we are saying we need to look at it from the objective, what do we want to achieve? What we want to achieve is to have PVOs that operate within the frameworks of the law, the PVOs that will not clandestinely seek for political or of any other mileage.
So, I also buttress that the Minister should have the discretion to appoint.
Hon. Kademaunga also raised the issue that there has to be a 50/50 on gender. Yes, whilst I agree to that, but if it is put at law, at times it can then become a challenge given that the people that should be in this board should be taken aboard on meritocracy. So, at times we can start to have a situation whereby we no longer have the right person to suit serving on the board and at the end of the day, it then becomes a challenge. Whilst I believe it is good to have the 50/50 …
HON. DR. KHUPE: On a point of order Hon. Speaker. We feel offended as women for the Hon. Member to say there might not be women who are qualified. We have got so many qualified women to occupy these positions, therefore the Bill must include 50/50 representation of women and men. The women are there and it does not matter whether they are taken from organisations, ministries or wherever. Women who are competent and qualified to occupy those positions will be found.
HON. MUTOKONYI: Mr. Chairman, I am sure if I have been heard well, I spoke of gender not women. So, it should be noted that when we talk of gender, we are not referring to women only or men only. I thank you.
HON. ENG. MHANGWA: Thank you Hon. Chair for the opportunity to speak. I agree 100% with the previous speaker that there is need for meritocracy. However, meritocracy cannot only be seen by one person who is the Minister. If indeed there is merit, then the merit is for all to see. We have a pool of more than 1000 NGOs that are nominated and this pool can be given to the Minister. Can the Minister surely not get 10 people out of that pool? If you want something that is representative, then it is ideal that the Minister gets the pool from the people that are nominated. So, I stand in support and buttress the fact that it is important that the nominated list becomes the only source of getting members to be appointed by the Minister.
HON. G. K. HLATYWAYO: Thank you very much Hon. Chair. I wish to associate with the previous speakers who are advocating to have members of the board coming from nominations that are made by PVOs. At the centre of what we are discussing is the question of independence of PVOs. We have a constitutional provision that speaks to freedom of association and it is very important for the Executive to be seen to be respecting independence of PVOs. The last thing that we want to see are what are called GCNGOs or Government Controlled Non-Governmental Organisations. That is the fear that many PVOs have and that is the reason why we are advocating for this Bill to enable Government to be able to control PVOs. So, by making sure that board members are appointed from those that are nominated by the private PVOs themselves, we would actually deal with this question of independence of PVOs. I associate with that thinking and we should make sure that board members are coming from PVOs. I also associate with the request to ensure we have 50/50 representation of women. I think it is very important to have gender equality on this board as something provided for in our Constitution and I think we should be seen to be respecting it. I so submit.
*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you. Hon. Chair. I want to look at a period when Mutharika was President of Malawi. During his reign, there was a similar situation where NGOs were bringing their people. Ninety/ eight per cent of the Malawi budget had input from such people but when there was a threat to his reign, the Minister did not have control of what was happening. So, where a Minister does not have an input, there are people with regime change agendas and it will be difficult to correct that. I thank you.
HON. GUMBO: Hon. Chair, the concept of nomination is aimed at ensuring that the process is inclusive. It is aimed at ensuring that there is participation and not a mere window dressing exercise. It must not be just a facade of the spirit of the law which we are trying to enact. To say that after nominations have been done, discretion is given to the Minister to even go outside the parameters of the nominees militates against the spirit of nomination. Also, the clause proposed by the Minister indicates that the Minister will consider which organisations are representative of PVOs, meaning that the organisations which will nominate are organisations that the Minister will have to agree with. I think our law must be very particularised in as far as which organisations and we can achieve that by qualifying if the PVO is registered or complies with that and that then you have the capacity and power to nominate. Not to simply say that after nominations, the Minister again must decide which organisation is qualified to nominate or not to nominate. I think that gives so much discretion to the Minister and it opens up this process to arbitrariness by the Minister. Next time you will only have organisations which are sympathetic to ZANU-PF.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON (HON. MACHINGURA): Hon. Member order. When I say order, you sit down. Thank you. Where is it written ZANU PF in the Bill?
HON. GUMBO: No, Hon. Chair you were probably not listening, you were talking to Mr. Daniel there. I said the clause here where it says that the Minister will consider which organisations must nominate opens up the process to possible arbitrariness. That level of unfettered discretion given to the Minister will be ambiguous and it will get us to a situation where the Minister might consider only those organisations sympathetic to ZANU PF as the ones that nominate, that is why I say ZANU PF. That is a fact.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Order, Hon. Member.
HON. TOGAREPI: The example the Hon. Member is giving is very offensive. It is not our fault to be in power, we won elections. If the Minister is coming from ZANU PF and he has the authority to make that decision, he makes that decision as a Minister and not as a political party. So Hon. Member, we are not here in Parliament talking about political parties. You must respect that.
Hon. Mushoriwa having approached the Hon. Member debating.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Thank you Hon. Chief Whip. Hon. Mushoriwa, when I say order everybody must sit down. It is in your Standing Orders. Hon. Member, I do not think it is wise for you to talk about political parties. Can you withdraw that part?
HON. GUMBO: I concede Hon. Chair. I withdraw ZANU PF but then I will say it might be sympathetic to any other organisation. We are proposing …
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Hon. Chair before we proceed. In fact, wait because whatever you are saying, you want me to consider. So if I need clarity, I am different from all of you, who are just debating. For me I am here to consider. That is the procedure. There are things that I just want clarity. When we are doing Committee Stage, it is not about general debate. We speak to a specific clause just like what Hon Bajila.
Secondly, let us not digress. This is about Private Voluntary Organisations. If you have your Private Voluntary Organisation that is linked to a particular party, keep it in your heart because these are charitable organisations that are not supposed to be political. So let us stick to law making for private charitable organisations that use public funds.
HON. GUMBO: Well, I will follow the wisdom of the Minister. Clause 3 (a) is where we are referring to which says “eight representatives nominated by such private organisations, associations, institutions or other organisations of private voluntary organisations or organisations which the Minister considers are representative of private voluntary organisations”. What we are calling for there is specificity. Let us particularise the kind of organisations which are qualified to make nominations and not to say that the Minister has to consider that particular organisation suitable to nominate. That will mean certain organisations might be excluded not as a question of law but as a question of discretion by the Minister.
What we are trying to limit there is the discretion granted by the Act to the Minister. We are trying to limit the possibilities and the threat of arbitrary actions by the Minister in as far as considering which organisation can nominate and which cannot nominate. So let us particularise. There is no harm in us amending there and perhaps qualifying to say the organisation that nominates has to meet these standards or provisions.
HON. MATEWU: I want to agree with most of the Hon. Members and I also want to agree with Hon. Mugwadi who said that there must be some oversight. I agree with that. I want the Minister to look at Clause 4 (1) which says “provided the Minister may appoint a person to be a member of the board who has not been so nominated”. That sentence alone makes a mockery of the whole clause. The substance of this clause is to ensure that there are nominations that are coming from these Private Voluntary Organisations.
If that sentence remains there that says that the Minister may appoint a person outside of those nominated and may decline to appoint a person. That is fine, they may decline on whatever basis but I want the Minister to consider the first sentence otherwise the first sentence makes a mockery of this clause. May the Minister please delete that? If the Minister is not happy with all the people that have been nominated the private voluntary nominations must also come back with a new list of names rather than for the Minister himself to then go outside and nominate himself otherwise that whole Clause 3 will fall apart.
*HON. NYABANI: It is written that the Minister may and not must.
HON. MATAMBO: On a point of order. The Hon. Member is not properly dressed and he is not fit to be in this House.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Hon. Nyabani, please proceed.
*HON. NYABANI: As Parliament, this is what we are doing, enacting the NGOs and PVOs laws because they have a right. Hon. Members on our left want to bring their people in NGOs and that is why they are refusing the Minister’s input. The Hon. Minister should have an input and an oversight so that people who deserve to be appointed are appointed instead of those who are anti Government. PVOs complement Government activities but if PVOs are anti-Government, then they cannot complement Government work. I thank you.
HON. NGULUVHE: I just wanted to get clarification from my colleagues on the right. Why is that the President is allowed to appoint Cabinet ministers who have not been voted in? – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] - Can you stop the Minister from appointing those who have not been nominated? That is my question – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
HON. S. SAKUPWANYA: Thank you Hon. Chair. I just want to add my voice to this debate in the sense that Hon. Chair, when a Minister is sworn in, he takes an oath of office just like every other Member of this Parliament such that when we are acting in our duty, we are representing Zimbabwe. No PVO takes the same oath of office and can claim that they represent Zimbabwe – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] - In that sense Hon. Chair, it augurs well that when it comes to names that consider a board that will have oversight, that is mandated by an Act of Parliament to represent the Government interest as oversight. It then follows that the decision making must be made by a representative of the Government of Zimbabwe. The PVO in that sense does not represent the interest of Zimbabwe as much as they complement the efforts made by Government. They are not a representative by law and as a result, it augurs well that the Minister should have some form of discretion to agree with them or not.
The fact of the matter that they are even being allowed to nominate is something whereby we have more or less relaxed the terms. In essence, the Minister should be able to appoint without necessarily recommending or hearing recommendations from the PVOs because these are Private Voluntary Organisations. Their interests are not always necessarily the same as the interest of the people of Zimbabwe – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] - So, it must follow that, and that provision must remain. I thank you.
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Hon. Chair. I think Hon. Mushoriwa indicated that on page 884, the section should be changed. We have ordinarily resided in the middle of Northern Region and Southern Region. I agree. I think the definition, reference to ordinarily reside should be after Southern Region, so that is conceded. Then on the question of 10, I did not get a good reason for 10. I hear somebody shouting Province. Hon. Chair, if we look at the population of Matebeleland South and the population of Harare or Manicaland or Mashonaland West - Mashonaland West may actually have a population which is times three or times five that of – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
The Constitution also speaks of regions not provinces. In order to balance as opposed to spreading where you do not have people, the way we did it actually divides the country into two. If you look at the population, there will be more or less balance. It is not just about saying Province, but this is more representative.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Order Hon. Minister. I am being advised by the Sergeant-at-Arms that Hon. Mahlangu is eating in the House. Please refrain from that. Thank you.
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: So, this one, I think it is alright as it is. The number 8 is good, that one we are not changing. Then there was reference to people with disabilities, we are talking about PVOs. When we get to the Disability Bill, the board will speak about that. If these are nominations that are being called from PVOs to have members in the board, we cannot be prescriptive as if we are the ones who are forming those PVOs. The other one was pertaining to….
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Hon. Minister, have you exhausted that one, 3(a)?
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Yes, I said….
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: It is 3 (a), is it not?
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Yes, it is staying as it is.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: What have you said about the youth, gender and disability, yes?
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: These are Private Voluntary Organisations. We are not looking at the population of a nation and its demography. We are looking at organisations that are doing charitable work. We cannot force people, the youths, women or men to form a men’s organisation, to say there must be a representative of this. We take from the pool of PVOs that are registered. It is not for us to prescribe. It is for them to be there and then the Minister will call for those.
If those organisations and nominations are not called in those organisations, our laws allow you to go to court to say what the Minister did was discriminatory. It is allowed, but we are saying we cannot put that in this Act. It is not speaking about issues of gender, it is speaking about Private Voluntary Organisations.
On page 885 - I agree that 4 (a) Sub-Clause 1; I will delete where it says, “Provided that the Minister may appoint a person to be a member of the board who has not been so nominated”. I am proposing that we delete that, so that it reads, “Provided that the Minister may decline to appoint any person so nominated in which event, the Minister shall invite new nominations to be made”. It makes sense, I took note of what he said.
On Sub-Clause 6, where it says “The Minister shall designate one of the members nominated by PVOs to be the Chairperson of the board”. I think the other about gender is there in the Constitution. We have been complying with that where you appoint a male then the Vice Chair becomes the other where it is a female - it is there in the Constitution. I think it is covered, but I agree that we do that so that the Minister does not appoint his officials to chair. I submit those changes.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Thank you Hon. Minister. There was a point raised on 4 (b), have you covered that one 4(b).
HON. ZIYAMBI: What was it about?
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Yes, there was a request to make all the Ministry appointees’ ex-officio.
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: No, they cannot be appointed Board Chair or Vice but they are full members, except the Registrar.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Alright.
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Chair, if you look at all the professional boards which are regulatory boards, Ministers have appointees in there and they vote. The only person, and this is standard, who does not vote is the Registrar. I am sure those that belong to professional bodies will know that what I am saying is correct. So, I do not think this is an issue because these come to sit with others but the Registrar is the functionary in that particular organisation.
Amendment to Clause 3, now Clause 4 put and agreed to.
Clause 3, now Clause 4, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause Clause 4:
HON. MUSHORIWA: Mr. Chairman, I move the amendments standing in my name that;
The Bill is amended between lines 41 on page 4 and line 12 on page 8 of the Bill, to delete the new Part IIA and to substitute the following new clause:
“3A - New section inserted in Cap. 17:05
Part II of the principal Act is amended by the insertion after section 5 of the following new section—
“5A Private Voluntary Organisation Forums
- The Registrar shall annually, on a date and at a venue to be notified in the Gazette at least three months beforehand, convene a forum of representatives of private voluntary organisations to discuss issues of concern to private voluntary organisations generally:
- Provided that the venue of such forums shall rotate annually through all the provincial centres of Zimbabwe in such order as the Registrar may determine.
(2) The—
(a) selection of representatives of private voluntary organisations to attend annual forums convened in terms of subsection (1); and
(b) determination of issues to be discussed at such annual forums; and
(c) procedure to be adopted at such annual forums; shall be as prescribed or as fixed by the Registrar: Provided that the representatives shall be selected from as wide a range of private voluntary organisations as practicable, and all the representatives attending a forum shall be given a reasonable opportunity to discuss the matters on the agenda.
(3) The conclusions or resolutions of every annual forum convened in terms of subsection (1) shall be recorded and presented to the Minister without -
Mr. Chairman, the old Clause 3 is a long clause as it was put but my suggestion in respect to, more-so given what the clause that we have discussed, which the Hon. Minister brought and we have adopted, it will then reason that we delete the bulk of this Clause 3. I am proposing that from page 4, lines 41 to line 12 on page 8 of the normal Bill – you see there is a problem on the way the amendments have been put on the Order Paper.
It was a question to make sure that we delete from line 41, all the way to page 8 on line 12. Once we have done that, we then bring in the new changes that I have put in, where it will then say Private Voluntary Organisation…
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Order, Hon. Mushoriwa. We cannot locate the place that you are talking about. Are you on page 3? There is line 40 there?
HON. MUSHORIWA: Yes, go to page 4. That was the Clause 3.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: There is no line 41. It is from lines 1 to 5 on page 4.
HON. MUSHORIWA: Let me just come over.
Hon. Mushoriwa approached the Chair.
On Clause 4 now Clause 5:
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Hon Chair, I am proposing those amendments because we had removed the board in the current Bill. We are now reintroducing it having constituted the board. So those are the functions which are more or less like what is in the Act.
HON. MATEWU: On the functions of the Board, I have noticed that when the amendments were then made, and you look at the functions of the Board and those of the Registrar, they are identical. I suggest that on 4 (b), instead of saying “the functions of the Board shall be to hear representations,’ can we substitute it with ‘to consider recommendations of the Registrar in respect to representations by any association’ because now that we have the Registrar and the board - instead of the board hearing representations, they will hear them from the Registrar where the organisations will go first. If it is maintained like that it will be the same as 5 (b). It is critically identical and it gives the Registrar and the board the same job. We are saying the Registrar must then answer to the board. The board should then consider what is coming from the Registrar. Then remove 4 (d) because that will now be the job of the Registrar as clearly stated on 5 (d), which is the role of the Registrar. Let us not conflict the roles of the board and the Registrar. Their roles must be different. We are saying the Registrar reports to the Board rather than the other way round. I thank you.
HON. MUSHORIWA: Hon. Chair, I also want to bring to the attention of the Minister the following: The functions of the Board cannot be the same as those of the Registrar. It is the Board that should advise the Minister and not the Registrar. You cannot have identical duties for both the Registrar and the board. I suggest the following: on page 886 (e) to submit to the board an Annual Report concerning administration and operation of this Act. On page 885 (e), it is correct as the board will submit to the Minister and the Registrar will submit to the board. Secondly, I wanted on (c) for the Registrar to advise the board and then the board advises the Minister. If you go to the same page 886 there is a paragraph under 4 which says ‘the Registrar shall open to inspection during office hours by any member of the public on payment of the prescribed fee if any - provided that the Registrar shall endeavour to create and maintain an up-to-date website’. I want the word endeavour to be deleted.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: If we delete the word endeavour, how does it read?
HON. MUSHORIWA: What I wanted to do and bring to the Minister, because Clause 4 and 5 speak to each other and I wanted that when the Hon. Minister does the amendments on Clause 4, he should know that some of these things are already taken on the Registrar so that they could be smarter in that manner.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Hon. Mushoriwa, can you be clear on Clause 4 and 5. What exactly are you saying?
HON. MUSHORIWA: What is happening is that on the functions of the board under Clause 4 and the functions of the Registrar under Clause 5, there is actually a confliction on the two. Any changes on Clause 4 have got an effect on changes on Clause 5 because procedurally, we are supposed to deal with Clause 4 first before we go to Clause 5. Part of the reason why I was making reference to Clause 5 was to make sure that the changes that we do in Clause 4 will then have a bearing on Clause 5.
HON. MUGWADI: With your indulgence, and the Leader of Government Business in the House. I must apologise, maybe I am a slow thinker, but it is my prayer that coming on a different note to the subsequent section which the Minister amended to say, “where nominations have been rejected to the same board, we are talking about. The Minister will call for further nominations”. It is my highly considered view that in the event that nominations have been made in the first instance and the Minister has rejected them and subsequent….
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Hon. Member, it appears that we have passed through that Clause. We have finished that Clause. We are now on Clause 5 which was formally Clause 4, functions of the board. We are now on page 885.
HON. MUGWADI: I agree, that is why I said it is my prayer with your indulgence Minister. It appears that Hon. Members from the other side of the House want to bully us. I think it is not proper.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: We are now discussing functions of the board. Please I want to remind you Hon. Members you are not chairing this session, I am. Hon. Minister please respond to Clause 5 formally 4, functions of the board.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): On the functions of the board, I agree with Hon. Matewu that we need to change. Actually Hon. Chair, I will just expunge 4(b). The Registrar is a member of the board and the Registrar will take issues to the board. So, if there are any issues that they need, I think I will leave it where it says, “advise the Minister and registered PVOs in respect of any matter arising”. Can you come again on the amendments that you proposed or you have forgotten? There are duplications and we need to clean it up. He was right, but we need to clean it up. Wait a little bit. I want to thank Hon. Matewu, he was right even though they want to reconsider. I think what she indicated; I was to substitute with the following:
On Clause 4, function of the Board, (b) to read as follows, to consider recommendations by the Registrar in respective to representations made by Private Voluntary Organisations and remove that. We expunge (d) and it becomes okay.
Amendment to Clause 5 formerly Clause 4, put and agreed to.
Clause 5 formerly Clause 4 as amended, put and agreed to.
On Clause 6 formerly Clause 5:
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): I move the amendment standing in my name that:
- Office of the Registrar of Private Voluntary Organisations
- There shall be an Office of the Registrar of Private Voluntary Organisations in the Ministry responsible for social welfare, in which shall be lodged the register of private voluntary organisations.
- The Office shall be headed by a Registrar of Private Voluntary Organisations who shall exercise general supervision and direction of the registry and shall be assisted by one or more Assistant Registrars, inspectors and such other officers as may be necessary for the proper administration of this Act, whose offices shall be public offices and form part of the Public Service:
Provided that until an appointment of a Registrar is made, the person for the time being holding the office of Director of Social Welfare shall be the Registrar.
- Subject to this Act, the Registrar shall—
- consider and determine every application for the provisional registration and every proposed cancellation or amendment of a certificate of registration; and
- hear representations by any association, organisation or institution claiming entitlement to be registered as a private voluntary organisation; and
- advise the Minister and registered Private Voluntary Organisations in respect of any matter arising out of the administration or operation of this Act or any other matter referred to it by the Minister or the Registrar; and
- to promote and encourage the co-ordination of the activities of registered Private Voluntary Organisations having similar or related objects; and
- to submit to the Minister an annual report concerning the administration and operation of this Act; and
- maintain at his or her office, a Register of Private Voluntary Organisations in which he or she shall enter all such particulars in relation to the registration of Private Voluntary Organisations and their constitutions as he or she is required to enter by or in terms of this Act or any other enactment or decision of the Court;
- Provided that the Registrar shall endeavour to create and maintain up to date a website which, among other things, will enable members of the public to have access to the Register at all hours.
- The Registrar shall have power to delegate any of his or her powers to any officer other than the power of delegation.
- The Registrar may in writing authorise an assistant registrar, inspector or other officer referred to in subsection (2) to exercise any of the functions of a Registrar under this Act.
- Subsection (7) shall not be construed as limiting the power of the Registrar to delegate his or her functions under any other law.
- The Registrar shall provide every inspector with a document identifying him or her as an inspector, and the inspector shall produce it on request by any interested person.”
I think we discussed this one. I propose that we expunge the new Clause 6 where it reads, New Clause 6 subsection 3 (c.) we expunge it because it is similar to the clause that is on the functions of the board and then we renumber accordingly. The current (e.), we change where it says submit to the “Minister” and we say “board”.
I heard what he said about endeavour to create, this is an operational one which requires funding. So, if you shall say the Registrar will be taken to court, but this is in line with even if you look at the rights that are in the Constitution, it is an aspirational one. It requires funding, where funding is there. So, we cannot say ‘shall’. If the Registrar fails to do that, it will be problematic. I think let us leave it like that. Those are the amendments that I propose there. I so submit.
HON. MUSHORIWA: Hon. Minister, I hear you. In this modern era, one would be persuaded to say that the question of having a website should actually a basic thing that any Ministry should have. Remember, our PVOs operate across, some in town there. Then, Chairman, I had proposed one amendment which I want. I think it should be the new F, where it should read: ‘in the excise of his or her functions under this Act, the Registrar shall consult the Board and act in accordance with such general, I was going to remove the word ‘specific’, directions as the board may give him or her’. So, I needed that amendment that I had proposed to be factored in here as the new F so that it should leave no doubt, that the Registrar in his or her operations shall consult the Board. I was going to then take that proviso and put it as a new F. Since the Minister had expunged C earlier on, this one becomes the new F. I thank you.
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Hon. Chair, that is a dangerous provision. You get boards running the institution. If you have a board and you put in your law a provision like that, you have simply transferred the CEO’s functions to the board. You have made them redundant. Anything that he has to do, they must consult the board.
The normal thing is, you spell out the functions of the board, the functions of the CEO. The Registrar will have a contract with a specific job description that can be drafted according to regulations. If you say on a day-to-day, you defer to the board, then it becomes dysfunctional. So, Chair, this is not accepted.
HON. TOGAREPI: After that I am persuaded to also feel that, I do not know whether you would say you have already gone past that, C. – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –Chair, please protect me from those vultures.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: There is only one Chair. Anything that you want to do, please do it through the Chair. Can you please proceed Hon. Chief Whip?
HON. TOGAREPI: My concern on C, from what the Minister has just said, that we cannot defer the activities of the Registrar to the board as if the board will be there everyday. That, then follows that on C, it is generic, let me say; that when you have a Registrar or a Commissioner or an executive person running a regulatory board, in many circumstances that person, on daily basis, can work directly with the Minister. In the process, this Registrar can advise the Minister. For us to then say it is all always a straight jacket to say when the Registrar has something, he will advise the board, then the board advises the Minister on daily basis, operationally, the Minister can talk to the Registrar and get advice, technically from this person.
HON. MUSHORIWA: Hon. Chair, I just wanted to bring to the attention of the Minister. My amendment does not say day-to-day work. Remember, under your New 5, you listed the functions of the Registrar. This is my proposal that in the excise of his or her functions, the functions that we have put there, the Registrar shall consult the Board. Chair, there is no way that you could divorce the operations of the Registrar and the board, unless we are then going to say that we no longer want to have the board. There is no way you can have a board and then you have the Registrar not consulting the board. In any event, the Registrar is also an Ex-officio member of the Board.
It should not be an issue Hon. Minister. My view is that, we should make sure that this Clause is inserted as F, that; ‘in the excise of his or her functions, the Registrar shall consult the Board’. I think it is a standard proviso. You cannot have the Registrar just doing his or her own things and the board reads it in the newspaper that things have happened. It is not like delegating or giving duties to officer A or B, not those routine day-to-day things. We are talking of the major functions of the Registrar. There should be consultations with the board. That is the import of this Clause.
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Hon. Chair, I will start with Hon. Togarepi. On hindsight Hon. Chair, I want to keep this Clause. I think they were typos in there. It should read; ‘advise the Minister and Registered Private Voluntary Organisations in respect of any matter arising out of the administration or operation of this Act or any other matter’. I think it is a good provision.
The board cannot, on a day-to-day basis, interact with PVOs. In the operation of PVOs, the Registrar is the link between the PVOs and the Minister. Even if they have any other problems in terms of interpretation of the Act, or any other issue that they may have, the person that is the focal point in advising is the Registrar. Having listened attentively, I think this Clause is needed. It should now be rephrased the way I put it, so that it reads, ‘advise the Minister and registered private voluntary organisations in respect of any matter arising out of the administration or operation of this Act’. The person who will be responsible for executing on a day-to-day is the Registrar and then you say or any other matter. I think this one I propose that we then put it.
Hon. Mushoriwa, we have another Act that governs what public entities do, the Public Entities and Corporate Governance Act. It spells out the relationships that should be there. Therefore, in the day-to-day administration, we also have to read it in line with that particular Act. What you are saying will contravene the provisions of the Public Entities and Corporate Governance Act. I believe that the board will issue policy directives. If you do it the way you want it, then you are creating problems. In fact, it will be dangerous. The Registrar will not be able to function at all. The board will be sitting in there, to do his work. I so submit Mr. Chairman.
HON. MATEWU: Thank you. The Minister had started well and I definitely agreed with the Minister that he had expunged Number (C). Mr. Chairman, we have a problem here. If you look at now Clause 5 (c), it says, to advise the Minister. These are the functions of the board. To advise the Minister and registered Private Voluntary Organisations is exactly similar to what the Minister is suggesting that we keep (c) here.
The Registrar is an ex-officio member of the board. If you now ask the Registrar to directly advise the Minister, which is one of the key responsibilities of the board, that undermines the whole board.
It undermines the board because the Registrar is now taking advise to the Minister, instead of the board sitting together, the eight from the PVOs and the five from the Ministries. The 13 of them will all be undermined by the Registrar. The Registrar’s role must be in terms of the Corporate Governance Act, to advise the board. Just like what CEOs do. They do not advise the Minister on policy issues. The board is there for policy issues to advise the Minister on policy issues. I want the Minister to reconsider this because this will definitely undermine the reasons of having a board. I thank you.
HON. MUGWADI: Thank you Chair. This is a question of advising the Minister. The Registrar is an ex-officio member of the PVO board. I am trying to establish where the query from Hon. Matewu is coming from, that the Registrar can equally advise the Minister. What should be a good scenario is that the Minister has a pool of those that can advise him about a particular situation in respect of any organisation or the running of PVOs, both the board and the Registrar. Where is the query? Why are we worried that the Minister can be advised by the Registrar, just as much as he can be advised by the board? The Registrar is a special, ex-officio member of a board by definition. He is a person of special interest. Why would you want to strip that special interest person in respect of what the Minister would benefit from him? I feel that if considerations be made, there is nothing wrong with that.
In fact, I would have wanted to say in hindsight; I said in hindsight because the Government Chief Whip has also spoken something in hindsight. May I be afforded the same privilege as well, in hindsight. My privilege of hindsight is that where nominations are made twice and have been rejected – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – the Minister must be allowed to make appointments where nominations have been rejected because that Clause cannot go like that…
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Hon. Mugwadi, I think the Minister has taken your point about Clause 6, where you are talking about advice to the Minister. The other one has been overtaken by events. I think I have already ruled.
HON. DHLIWAYO: Thank you Mr. Chairman. I would also want to contribute on the current debate. I think it is commendable that the Registrar advises the Minister and the board also advices the Minister. Basically, the board will not be sitting every day and there may be some issues that arise and need a quick decision from the Minister. The Registrar must be able to reach out to the Minister and a decision be taken and implemented immediately. Moreover, I think that will also help in reducing bureaucracy because the moment we always want the board there, that will increase some bureaucracy tendencies that will delay the efficiency of Government operations. Thank you.
HON. ENG. MHANGWA: Mr. Chairman, there is a reason why – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Mr. Chairman, please protect me.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Hon. Minister, can you hear him?
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Yes.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Okay. Please go ahead.
HON. ENG. MHANGWA: Mr. Chairman, there is a reason why the Minister came back and proposed that there should be a board. Initially, it was just the Registrar directly dealing with the Minister and there is a reason why there is a board. It is important that in whatever changes that we make, we preserve the role that is taken by the board. It is important that the board still remains with its role of superintending over the Registrar. It is my belief that it should stay at it is.
HON. G. HLATYWAYO: On a point of order! Hon. Chair. I am extremely bored by the behaviour that is being exhibited by the Members on our left. I think Chairperson, you need to deal with those Members of Parliament – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]-
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Hon. Members, nobody should tell me how I Chair. Seat down! – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
HON. SITHOLE: On a point of order! We are sick and tired of repetitions.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Yes, that is why I have said can I put the question?
HON. CHIGUMBU: On a point of order! I think this is a very important session that we are having as a Parliament. Hon. Chair, you are casting a blind eye on your right side. These Hon. Members are beating the tables and making noise – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
HON. MUROMBEDZI: Thank you very much Hon. Chair for allowing me to debate. Hon. Chair, I have noted that the provision for allowing the director of social welfare to act as the registrar in the absence of the…
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Hon. Member, can you point us on the Order Paper where you are referring to.
HON. MUROMBEDZI: It is under the Office of the Registrar, Private Voluntary Organisation, where it is written ‘provided that appointment of a registrar is made, the person for the time being, holding the office of the director of social welfare shall be the registrar’.
So, my debate on that is that the provision allowing the director of social welfare to act as the registrar in the absence of an appointed registrar creates conflict of interest Hon. Chair. The director’s primary responsibility is to implement Government social welfare policies which may not always align with the objectives of some PVO’s.
This dual role could lead to biased decision making and the prioritisation of Government agenda’s over the needs of the goals of PVO’s. I so submit.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Hon. Chair. I want to thank the Hon. Member. I am smiling because let us not confuse issues here, this is a regulatory board. It is an executive function to ensure that the oversight on operations of PVO’s is done. So, it is not an independent commission and it is housed in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare.
The provision is simply saying before a registrar is appointed, then the director of social welfare in the Ministry is the appropriate person in the meantime to act, but you must be aware that this is a regulatory function, it is not an independent commission, and it is not supposed to act outside the executive authority of Government. So, that submission is not very correct.
However, we are saying in the administration of issues to do with PVO’s, the board must have representations from those PVO’s so that views of PVO’s are well represented, but it is a regulatory authority to regulate those Public Voluntary Organisations that are using public funds to do their work.
HON. MATEWU: I still want to insist Hon. Minister that on Clause C, we need to reconsider it on the basis that we are seriously undermining the board like you said, you just said that the board, the director of social welfare acting as a registrar then you said that the board itself must be the ones because they are coming from different PVO’s to make those decisions, but allowing the registrar to advise the Minister without the board seriously undermines all the PVO’s which have seconded those eight to the board. It also undermines those board members from the ministries who have been seconded, if the registrar who, as an appointee, is now directly advising the Minister who can make an executive decision or whatever.
So, we are saying if this Clause remains, it seriously undermines all the board members who have definitely…
HON. CHOKURURAMA: On a point of order! I think we are not going to finish. I think these people have money in their socks and they should be searched...
HON. MATEWU: In terms of Standing Order Number 98, the Hon. Member is accusing people of bribe. Can he withdraw that?
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Hon. Chokururama, you have correctly put it that we may not finish, but what you have stated further about bribes is unparliamentarily. Please withdraw.
HON. CHOKURURAMA: I cannot withdraw because Hon. Matewu gave me 100…
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Withdraw your statement about putting money in the socks, but what you said that we may stick at one point is true.
HON. CHOKURURAMA: I withdraw.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Hon. Chair, the office of the Registrar of PVOs is within the Ministry of Labour. Even if I had not put that clause, this is an employee of the Government working within the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare. All the employees of Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare advise the Minister on their functions. I do not even know why we are labouring. Even if I remove it, the fact that he is working for the Minister, she is bound to give advice to the Minister. That is the reason why I say I am not removing it because that is the core function of officers to advise the Minister on any issues that he might want.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Order Hon. Members. What I have observed is that there has been a number of propositions and amendments that the Minister has accepted. Now, if there is an amendment that he does not wish to accept, then the whole House stalls because of that. I think it is a little bit unfair. The Minister has been reasonable.
Clause 5, now Clause 6 put and agreed to…
HON. MATEWU: Mr. Chairman, I call for the division of the House.
[Bells rung]
[House divided]
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: We are voting on whether Clause 6, formerly Clause 5 amendments stands as part of the Bill - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
AYES: 68: Hon. Chaimvura N., Hon. Chakukura U. A., Hon. Chari R., Hon. Chibagu G., Hon. Chikwinya N.E. G, Hon. Chinodakufa I., Hon. Chokururama J., Hon. Dhliwayo L., Hon. Dumbarimwe T., Hon. Gava A., Hon. Guyo P., Hon. Hungwe T., Hon. Jere F., Hon. Kambuzuma C., Hon. Kangausaru C., Hon. Karumazondo T. M., Hon. Kudhlande P., Hon. Mahlangu P., Hon. Mahachi A., Hon. Makaza F., Hon. Makwiranzou C., Hon. Mangondo N. T. J., Hon. Mapiki J., Hon. Maposa W., Hon. Mashonganyika D., Hon. Masvisvi D., Hon. Maunganiso T. D., Hon. Mavunga A. T., Hon. Mhuri W., Hon. Monga S., Hon. Moyo F., Hon. Moyo P., Hon. Mpasi J., Hon. Muchimba C., Hon. Mudzingwa L., Hon. Mugwadi T., Hon. Mukomberi T., Hon. Murwira T., Hon. Musanhi K. S., Hon. Mushipe T. T., Hon. Musiyiwa R., Hon. Musweweshiri B., Hon. Mutandi G., Hon. Mutokonyi V., Hon. Muwombi J., Hon. Muzunguwe N. T., Hon. Natiso D., Hon. Ndlovu B., Hon. Ncube E., Hon. Ndou T., Hon. Ndudzo P. D., Hon. Nguluvhe A., Hon. Nhari V., Hon. Nkomo M., Hon. Nyabani T., Hon. Nyelele L., Hon.Pindukai T., Hon. Sakupwanya S., Hon. Samambwa E., Hon. Shamu W. K., Hon. Sibanda S., Hon. Sithole S., Hon. Tavaziva G., Hon. Thompson B. T., Hon. Tagarepi P., Hon. Zevezai C., Hon. Zhou T., Hon. Ziyambi S.,
Tellers: Hon. Matewu and Hon. Mupasi
NOES:53: Hon. Bajila C. D, Hon. Bonda J, Hon. Chidziva H, Hon. Chigumbu D. D, Hon. Chikombo W, Hon. Chikomo T, Hon. Dube P, Hon. Gumbo A, Hon. Gumede M. N, Hon. Gwangwaba S, Hon. Hadebe J, Hon. Hlatywayo G. K, Hon. Hwende C, Hon. Kademaunga M, Hon. Kapoikulu S, Hon. Karenyi L, Hon. Khupe T, Hon. Linyane M, Hon. Madzivanyika C, Hon. Mahlangu S, Hon. Majaya B, Hon. Makombe J, Hon. Makumire R, Hon. Makuvire J, Hon. Marashe S, Hon. Maseko S, Hon. Matambo J, Hon. Matewu C, Hon. Mavhudzi D, Hon. Mazhindu B, Hon. Mhangwa L. E, Hon. Moyo D, Hon. Mureri M, Hon. Murombedzi M. F, Hon. Mushoriwa E, Hon. Mutseyami C. P, Hon. Muwodzeri T, Hon. Ncube F, Hon. Ndebele M, Hon. Ndebele S, Hon. Nyamuronda R, Hon. Nyathi T. C, Hon. Sagandira P, Hon. Shiriyedenga E, Hon. Sibanda Libion, Hon. Sibanda Lovejoy, Hon. Sibanda M. C, Hon. Sihlabo V, Hon. Sithole G. K, Hon. Tsvangirai R, Hon. Zvaipa I.
Tellers: Hon. Pinduka and Hon. Ndebele
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Order, order! The question over which the House divided was that Clause 6, formerly Clause 5, as amended by the Hon. Minister do stand as part of the Bill.
The question is accordingly affirmed and the amendment by the Hon. Minister is hereby made - [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
Amendment to new Clause 6 put and agreed to.
New Clause 6, as amended, put and agreed to.
On new Clause 7,
HON. MUSHORIWA: I move the amendment 5(a). What I am going to do on this Clause is to have Clause 1 and delete the other part of the Clause because it has now been taken into consideration. It will now read, the Registrar shall annually, on a date and at a venue to be notified in the gazette, at least three months before hand, convene a forum of representatives of Private Voluntary Organisations to discuss issues of concern to Private Voluntary Organisations – it then
ends there. I thank you Hon. Chair.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Is the word generally applicable there? Do you want it?
HON. MUSHORIWA: Yes.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): I agree.
New Clause 7 put and agreed to.
On Clause 8 Substitution of Clause 4:
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): I have amendments that I have proposed in my name as they fully appear on page 887 in the Order Paper. This is to cater for the duration of re-registration which the PVOs felt that 30 days was insufficient and we conceded. We have amended that to say within 90 days. I think that is the major change and then the rest was just adjusted accordingly. I so submit accordingly.
Hon. Minister Ziyambi and Hon. Mushoriwa were asked to approach the Chair.
HON. MUSHORIWA: Thank you Chair. Clause 4 has been taken over by events, so I withdraw it.
Amendments to Clause 4, now Clause 5, put and agreed to.
Clause 4, now Clause 5, as amended put and agreed to.
On Clause 5 now Clause 6:
HON. MUSHORIWA: Mr. Chairman, as you may be aware, the manner in which the Order Paper presents these amendments, they are creating a bit of confusion to the extent that I think we need to realign and relook. This is because with the various changes that have happened, it will be prudent that we report progress and seek leave to sit again next Tuesday, so that we finish. This is haphazard, to the extent that we may create some problems in the process.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Hon. Chair, it is my duty to do exactly what he is saying because it is my Bill, so let us proceed.
HON. MUSHORIWA: This is where I was going to say but now that the Minister insists that we go, I just hope that we will not end up with a Bill which we may not probably make sense of at the end of the day. Clause 5, of the Bill seeks to amend Section 9 of the Act which sets out the procedure for registering PVOs. The clause will set a provision requiring PVOs to disclose their beneficiary owners or controllers which in addition, seeks to transfer the power of registration to the Registrar rather than the board, which in my view is bad.
We need the board to continue to retain the power. I think we have already done that when we did the functions of the board. What I seek there is that instead of having the Registrar, the board be the ones; basically, what the amendment seeks to do is to restore reference to the board so that the board retains power to register PVOs.
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Hon. Chair. I reject what he is proposing, the functionary who goes to the Board is the Registrar. The Registrar will do exactly what is there and he is the member of the board anywhere. The Registrar will do all the work and then report to the board, so it is okay as it is.
HON. MUSHORIWA: Hon. Chair, this is exactly why I just had questioned the Minister. Apparently, Hon. Minister you agree that if you go back to the earlier clause, I am talking about the new clause which I have put. What I am saying is that, if we had earlier under Clause 4, if we had agreed in terms of the powers of the board, then all of a sudden, we then have a proviso which seeks to take that power away from the board.
If you look at my proposal, it touches some of the amendments that you made. The problem is this, what has happened is that some of your amendments and what is there right now, we cannot keep track. Honestly speaking Hon. Minister, you and I know that the manner in which the Order Paper has been done in terms of these amendments, we will not come up with a right product and I think the…
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: On a point of order. Hon. Mushoriwa knows, we are on the old Clause 5, amended to Section 9, of Chapter 17.05, Section 9, Registration of the Principal Act is amended like this. I am simply saying he must say I do not agree with this and that and I propose this, but he is going round and round. I do not even know what he wants the House to appreciate.
HON. MUSHORIWA: The issue is very simple and the Hon. Minister is aware. If you look at Clause 5 in the Bill, this has been affected by some of the amendments that the Hon. Minister has made. In the process of having been affected, it creates a challenge of realigning the provision because what it now means is that we need to reopen some of the amendments that the minister has made. This is the reason why I had requested the Hon. Minister to simply say, we need this to be realigned. Let us have the secretariat do the renumbering of the issues that we have…
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: It has never happened that we get what has been done before we complete the process. What he is asking for is not procedural. What is procedural is he must tell us on the clause that we are now at rather than continuously making reference to what we have put to the House and agreed to. So, I suggest Hon. Chair, that you put the original Clause 5 to the House for a vote.
HON. TOGAREPI: Hon. Chair, I think we are faced with a very simple situation here. We have Hon. Mushoriwa who has confessed before this House that he is confused. So, if we are dealing with somebody who is confused, surely, we can proceed while he recovers from the confusion.
HON. MUSHORIWA: Hon. Chair, I think the Hon. Chief Whip needs to withdraw that statement. The question is simple and I just want to demonstrate to you that if we go by the suggestion from the Hon. Minister, that we go to Clause 5, the Hon. Minister may not be aware, maybe he has not read Clause 5. Clause 5 has been affected by the amendments that he has made and that means that the current Clause 5, as it stands in the Bill and we read it and say it stands as part of the Bill, what it does is it will undo the amendments that the Minister has proposed and which have been adopted by this august House.
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: If the Member is unable to pin-point what he is saying is a duplication or what he wants to be amended, can we proceed and put the Clause?
On Original Clause 5,
HON. MUSHORIWA: In lines 25 to 46 on page 10 of the Bill, we should delete paragraph b, c, and d. Clause 5 as it stands in the Bill is intended to amend Section 9 of the Act, which sets out the procedure for the registration of PVOs, but there is no basis for us to have the b, c, and d as I alluded to, lines 25 to 46. So, to that end, I move that these be removed from the Bill.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Hon. Mushoriwa, let us go to page 10 of the Bill. I can see two bs there. There is a, b, b, c, d.
HON. MUSHORIWA: I mean between lines 25 and 46. In fact if you go to page 10 in the middle of the page b, c, d line 25 to line 26 that it should be expunged.
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Hon. Chair, I do not agree with what Hon. Mushoriwa is proposing. Like I indicated before, the Registrar will do all those functions on behalf of the board so that there is no inconsistency. Hon. Chair, I move that we adjourn debate and seek leave to sit again.
Motion put and agreed to.
House resumed.
Progress reported.
Committee to resume: Tuesday, 16th July, 2024.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI), the House adjourned at Nineteen Minutes past Six o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 16th July, 2024.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 10th July, 2024
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER
REINSTATEMENT OF HON. CONSTANCE CHIOTA AS CCC PARTY MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I wish to inform the House that on 19th July, 2024 the High Court handed down a judgement through the High Court Order HCBC 488/24 instructing Parliament to reinstate Hon. Constance Chiota as a Coalition for Change (CCC) Party Member of Parliament representing Mashonaland East Province.
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ZIMBABWE-ARGENTINA PARLIAMENTARY FRIENDSHIP ASSOCIATION
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that following the establishment of Zimbabwe-Argentina Parliamentary Friendship Association, the Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade is calling for Members who wish to join the association. Membership is open to all Members of Parliament on a first come first served basis. The association has a maximum of 15 members. For registration, Hon. Members should contact Mr. A Mapetere, the Committee Clerk for the Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade on 0713313170.
APOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM HON. MINISTERS
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have got a list of apologies from Hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers. Hon. D Garwe, Minister of Local Government and Public Works; Hon. B. Kabikira, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Public Works; Hon. K. Kazembe, Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage; Hon. C. Sanyatwe, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage; Hon. Dr. A. J. Masuka, Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement; Hon. V. Haritatos, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement; Hon. D. Marapira, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement; Hon. W. Chitando, Minister of Mines and Mining Development; Hon. Prof. M. Ncube, Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion; Hon. Prof. A. Murwira, Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development; Hon. A. Gata, Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education; Hon. T. Mnangagwa, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry; Hon. S. Chikomo, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade; and Hon. J. Paradza, Deputy Minister of Environment, Climate and Wild Life.
HON. MUSHORIWA: On a point of order Madam Speaker. You have just announced that there are six ministries that have given their apologies in terms of the Minister and Deputy Minister. Would you be kind enough to advise the Hon. Members which Ministers are present in this august House so that Members can prepare accordingly? They end up putting pressure on the Leader of the House every Wednesday as he carries the burden of answering questions for the entire Cabinet, which is not good.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Your point of order has been noted. The Hon. Members present are Hon. Z. Ziyambi, Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs; Hon. E. Moyo, Minister of Energy and Power Development; Hon. B. Rwodzi, Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry; Hon. D. K. Mnangagwa, Deputy Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion; Hon. S. Mhona Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development; Hon. Mavhunga, Minister of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs and Hon. Kabikira, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Public Works.
*HON. MUTSEYAMI: I rise on a point of order Madam Speaker. Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Leader of Government Business, Hon. Ziyambi is burdened with answering questions for more than 15 ministries. Despite being very knowledgeable about all those ministries, do you not think we are burdening him a lot or we are just doing our work as a formality because questions pertaining to Government have been asked and should be answered? Do you think he would know everything about the more than 15 ministries, that one individual? Why are you doing that to him?
*THE HON DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Mutseyami. I am sure more Ministers are on their way. There is no way Hon. Ziyambi can answer for the more than 15 ministries.
TABLING OF REPORTS
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. K. D. MNANGAGWA): Thank you Madam Speaker. In terms of Section 12 (1) (a) of the Audit Office Act, [Chapter 22:18], I lay on the table the Report of the Auditor General Appropriation Accounts, Finance and Revenue Statements and Fund Accounts for the Financial Year ended December 31, 2023.
I lay upon the table, the Report of the Auditor General on State Owned Enterprises and Parastatals for the financial year ended 31st December, 2023.
I lay upon the table the Report of the Auditor General on the local authorities for the financial year ended 31st December, 2023. I so submit Madam Speaker.
HON. MASVISVI: My question is directed to the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement. What is Government’s preparedness position in regard to the coming planting season for 2024/25 on the supply and availability of the Presidential inputs; particularly maize seed, small grain seed, cotton seed, fertilisers and logistics? I so submit.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question. As the Government of the Second Republic, led by His Excellency, Cde E. D. Mnangagwa, we have learnt several lessons, particularly after the last El Nino drought that ravaged us this past season. As a result, we are coming up with robust response mechanisms to ensure that we are food self-sufficient. Among those responses, we will ensure that coming this season, we will distribute seed according to region. We have realised that we were just buying maize seed and sending maize seed in a region where you cannot grow maize. What we are doing is that we are now going to ensure that there is food self-sufficiency in terms of procuring seed in the region where it will grow well. That is work in progress.
We have committees that are looking into that and we are hopeful that this coming season, we are going to have a bumper harvest, not only of maize but also of several grains. Like what we have done with the winter cropping season, we have tried to ensure that we close the gap of the food deficit by growing a lot of winter wheat. We are pleased that the hectarage that we actually have at the moment is the highest in the history of this country. I so submit.
HON. MASVISVI: As much as I appreciate the response given by the Leader of the House, my supplementary question is - what measures is Government putting in place to avoid the cotton inputs delays as reflected by the previous season where cotton inputs were distributed very late in December?
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: That is now a different question. The first question pertaining to the Presidential Inputs Scheme was targeted at food self-sufficiency. He did not include the history of delays in cotton and now it has come as a specific question that there were delays in cotton distribution. That is now a logistical issue.
*HON. HWENDE: What measures is the Government putting in place for those who were abusing the Presidential Inputs Scheme when it comes to distribution of maize seed? In Mhondoro where I come from, some were just given cups of maize seed as inputs. They did not get the inputs according to the allocation from the President. That is my question.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Please put your question in writing so that investigations can be carried out to ascertain whether indeed there was stealing of inputs.
*HON. KARENYI-KORE: Hon. Minister, what plans do you have for monitoring and evaluation to ensure that those who get Presidential inputs are not abusing them because sometimes we see people selling the inputs instead of using them? Are there any measures in place to ascertain that those people who benefit from the programme do not abuse the inputs?
*HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the follow up question. This year, when we realised that the whole country was dry, we decided to give inputs to everyone. We did not give bags per household but per individual. We are doing that this year because there was a drought. When there is no drought, the Presidential Input Scheme is a social assistance programme which is meant to give you inputs for your survival for that year.
The Agritex officers give you seed that will produce maize cobs that would be enough for your survival to the end of the year. What we do is that when we distribute those inputs, we do not just give to lazy people. If there is no drought, even if you come and say you are in need of assistance, we will tell you that your neighbour harvested well, but where were you? These days we monitor the yield and harvest. We do not just give inputs to people but we give to people who live with disabilities or the elderly, because we have realised that they are not able to work for themselves.
*HON. NYABANI: Thank you Madam Speaker. We thank the Government for the policies that are there, but we realise that most of the seed distributed does not germinate – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
HON. DHLIWAYO: On a point of order Madam Speaker!
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Nyabani. What is your point of order?
*HON. DHLIWAYO: My point of order Madam Speaker is, the words that the Hon. Member is uttering are not true because most of the seed germinates – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
An Hon. Member having stood up on a point of order:
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member! Please may you take your seat? Hon. Nyabani, please may you ask your question truthfully – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order! May we have order in the House? Hon. Nyabani, pose a factual question because all of us come from beneficiaries of seeds – [HON. S. SITHOLE: Hon. Nyabani must sit down. He must not continue to ask.] – Order Hon. Sithole! Hon. Nyabani, please ask your question.
*HON. NYABANI: We are thankful for the seed that is being distributed to people but some of it, because of the conditions where the seed is stored…
*HON. ZVAIPA: Thank you Madam Speaker and good afternoon. Hon. Nyabani now seems to be avoiding his question. May he please ask the question about seed that does not germinate?
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Nyabani, please ask your question.
*HON. NYABANI: Please do not force me to ask a question that you want me to ask. Let me ask my question. Madam Speaker, some of the seed that is stored in inappropriate conditions ends up not germinating. What is Government policy with regards to storing seed properly so that it does not inconvenience farmers when it fails to germinate? I thank you – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! May we have order in the House please!
* HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I would also like to thank Hon. Nyabani for his question, where he is trying to understand. The questions that come into this House are twofold. There are policy questions, where we ask about the status of Government policy and Hon. Nyabani’s question is technical. The seed houses are the ones that have the expertise to know how many days it takes for a particular seed to grow and how it is supposed to be stored. That includes our experts from the Ministry of Agriculture. In order for the Hon. Member to get a satisfactory answer, may the Hon. Member put the question in writing and cite examples of exactly, where such seed is stored. That would assist us to understand the question.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you for your response, Minister. No more supplementary questions.
*HON. MURWIRA: Thank you Madam Speaker and good afternoon. My question is directed to the Minister of Agriculture. I would like to first of all thank him for resuscitating irrigation – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: On Members on my left side, please may we have order in the House. You are questioning why the Hon. Member is thanking, what is wrong with that? Hon. Murwira, please go ahead.
*HON. T. MURWIRA: Thank you Madam Speaker for protecting me. I would like to thank the Hon. Minister of Agriculture and the Ministry for resuscitating irrigation schemes. My question is, after resuscitating those irrigations, what is the current percentage of that programme?
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you for that question. May you please put your question in writing so that the Hon. Minister may research as to the exact percentage of resuscitation?
HON. MURERI: Good afternoon Madam Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. What is Government policy pertaining to the protection of school children from hate speeches at rallies, which they are forced to attend by certain political parties?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Madam Speaker. Our Constitution does not allow what the Hon. Member has said. If the Hon. Member has that information that such a thing is happening and he is not protecting the learners by reporting to the authorities, then there is something disturbing about the Hon. Member. I submit.
*HON. MASHAVAVE: My question is directed to the Minister of Local Government. Hon. Minister, what is the Government position pertaining those slabs which were left idle but were meant for flats and I mention this for your attention. Along Quinton Road at Zambezi Flats, there are certain slabs which were left idle for years. They were erected under the tenure of the Minister of Local Government then the late Chikowore and up to today, those slabs are still idle. What is the Government position pertaining those slabs which were left idle?
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Mashavave, your question is specific. It is not a policy question. I advise you to put your question in writing.
HON. MUSWEWESHIRI: Thank you, good afternoon Madam Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. What is the Government position in regards to the shortage of computer teachers, especially in rural areas?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Madam Speaker ma’am. I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question. The policy thrust of the Second Republic is to ensure that we do not leave any place behind. Having said that, it is something that we cannot do overnight. It is an aspiration that we progressively realise. So, the Ministry has a policy in place supported by His Excellency. You have seen him going round donating computers but the Ministry has a policy to ensure that we have those subjects across the whole breadth of the country. I thank you.
HON. HWENDE: My question is, what is Government policy with regards to ensuring that computers that were donated to schools that have no electricity will be electrified so that those computers will start working?
*HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the question. I would like to applaud him for congratulating His Excellency for doing a splendid job of distributing computers to schools regardless the status of the school. His Excellency intends to challenge any school, if they get computers, to work hard to electrify the schools even with solar. If they receive computers, then everyone has a duty to ensure that anyone can donate or ensure power is installed so that those computers can be put to use.
HON. GUMEDE: My question is directed to the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development. What is Government policy on the regulation and moderation of university fees in Zimbabwe, particularly regarding measures being taken to ensure affordability and prevent exploitative practice?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question. Madam Speaker, this is not a new question. I have been in this Parliament and Hon. Minister Murwira has answered this question several times indicating, I remember that is his favourite spot somewhere there and he would even explain the various avenues that learners at universities are allowed to follow to ensure that if they do not have fees, they can follow those procedures so that their fees can be paid. So, I would want to refer the Hon. Member to the Hansard so that he can get a full response that was given by the Hon. Minister.
*HON. HWENDE: Madam Speaker, this is exactly what Hon. Mutseyami referred to. If Ministers are not available here, it is better for you to allow us to go back home.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Hwende, if that question was asked several times, it has been responded to.
HON. GUMEDE: Maybe the Minister did not understand me because he is not answering my question.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Gumede, that is unprocedural. Hon. Hwende is standing and you are also standing. Is it now a competition?
*HON. HWENDE: Hon. Speaker, this question was asked during the Ninth Parliament and not during the Tenth Parliament. May the Minister respond to it.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Maybe the question was asked when you were not around.
HON. HWENDE: May you please go back to the Hansard and tell us when the question was asked?
HON. GUMEDE: Madam Speaker, may I please come again because it seems the Minister did not understand the question. I was not asking about affordability of fees but about a regulation structure in terms of fees being different from each and every institution. If you go to UZ, currently a Masters programme is USD1 200. If you go to MSU, currently the Masters programme is ranging from USD800. I am simply saying, can we not have a fees structure which is regulated by Government so that students can be able to afford…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: And you are now talking of specific university institutions?
HON. GUMEDE: I am giving examples Madam Speaker. The Minister did not understand my question. I am talking about a regulation structure…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Gumede, please may you put your question in writing so that the Minister…
HON. GUMEDE: Let him answer my question because it is very simple.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, Hon. Gumede, put your question in writing so that the responsible Minister will come to this House today with a comprehensive answer.
HON. GUMEDE: No, he should answer my question, it is simple.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You cannot say no, I have already ruled.
HON. GUMEDE: That is unfair though.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Please take your seat.
HON. CHIDUWA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. My question is directed to the Minister of Energy and Power Development. What is Government policy regarding power generation using combustion of fossil fuels that is coal, oil and gas, given the anti-fossil uses that are coming from climate activists? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]-
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Chiduwa, Hon. Members, if you behave like kindergarten kids, I will show you the exit door. Do you hear me! Behave like Hon. Members. Hon Deputy Minister, please respond to the question.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. SIMBANEGAVI): Thank you Madam Speaker. Thank you Hon. Chiduwa for the pertinent question. The use of fossil fuels such as coal is still very much being used in Africa, especially here in Zimbabwe, we are still using coal. Hon. Members would know that Hwange 7 and 8 are still using coal and we are looking into how we can even expand the use of coal.
I understand that your question is coming from the background of CoP 27, where it was indicated that we need to look into the use of cleaner energy sources, which is really good. As a State, we have said that whilst we take cognisance of that, we are looking into how we can be able to clean up our use of oil as a source of energy. We will do it in moderation and gradually, graduating into the use of cleaner technologies. That is why we are now doing research into what kind of technologies we can be able to utilise in terms of minimising carbon emissions that we can emit into the air. Currently, we are still using coal whilst we are looking into other options that we can have. Thank you.
HON. CHIDUWA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. As we push for energy security, I wanted to find out from the Hon. Minister if there are any plans to generate electricity using the abundant Lupane gas that we have?
HON. SIMBANEGAVI: Thank you Madam Speaker. Of course, we are looking into the use of gas. As I indicated the other day, we are looking into how we can be able to use other sources of renewable energy which includes gas. Thank you.
HON. MANGONDO: Thank you Hon. Speaker Ma’am. My supplementary question to the Hon. Minister is related to the issue of the Gokwe/Sengwe Coal Powered project which she indicated to the House that she will be bringing in the ministerial statement regarding the progress of that particular project. My question to the Hon. Minister is whether she is now ready to give a ministerial statement regarding the Gokwe Sengwe Coal Powered project. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Mangondo, I am sure the Hon. Minister has taken note of that. She will bring the Ministerial Statement.
HON. ENG. MHANGWA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. To the Hon. Deputy Minister, yes, we appreciate that currently we are using non-renewable energy as our main source. What is the ideal energy mix for us as a country and how long will it take us to achieve the ideal and what steps are being taken for us to have the ideal energy mix?
HON. SIMBANEGAVI: Thank you Madam Speaker and thank you very much Hon. Member. In terms of our country and how we can be able to achieve what you are calling an energy mix, I would say that currently, we are using hydro energy. We also have abundant sun. We can be able to use green energy, like using solar energy to power our industries, houses and whatever we may want to use or even in the schools as was indicated earlier. We can also even use gas which we are currently doing. We are using gas and I will give you an example. If one has a house, one can use electricity for other things and use gas for cooking. So, that is like probably using multiple sources of energy. If I understood your question correctly Hon. Member…
HON. ENG. MHANGWA: May I be allowed to clarify for the Minister. The energy mix means that we are saying we have 52% renewable energy, 48% non-renewable energy by the year 2030. Currently, we are at 18% and will take five years. In the interim, we use IPP, etcetera to achieve what we want. That is what I was asking.
HON. SIMBANEGAVI: Madam Speaker, Can I be allowed to present what he wants in the Ministerial Statement?
HON. MUTOKONYI: With regards to the coal supplies to the power generation for ZPC, what is the Government’s plan to ensure that there is fair competition given that there are many coal suppliers to the power station?
HON. SIMBANEGAVI: I am not sure what the Hon. Member is asking. Competition in terms of supplying coal or competition in terms of licencing of IPPs?
HON. MUTOKONYI: Competition in terms of coal supply to the power generation. I read previously that there are many suppliers of coal to the ZPC, whereby some suppliers do not seem to get the fair chance to supply coal to ZPC. I read that in the media.
HON. SIMBANEGAVI: I get the feeling that the Hon. Member’s question is kind of assuming that there is no fairness in the supply. I am hoping that the Hon. Member can ask the question next time when he has specifics on who has been disadvantaged and how he sees the situation as unfair.
HON. HWENDE: On a point of Order Madam Speaker, that is why we were saying before, that Ministers should come and attend the question and answer session.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Your point of order is over ruled. Please take your seat.
HON. MATANGIRA: Madam Speaker, that is very contentious. Arikushora Parliament uyo.
HON. MAUNGANIDZE: My question is directed to the Minister of Health and Child Care. In light of a number of women dying during child birth in Government hospitals, can the Minister please provide an update on the specific steps and measures being taken by Government to address this issue and improve maternal health care? I thank you.
HON. ZVAIPA: On a point of order. Good Afternoon Madam Speaker. My point of order pertains to the Hon. Member who just spoke. We were told that the colour yellow is not allowed in this House. So, how did the Hon. Member come into this House?
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: We are not here to make jokes. Who said yellow is not allowed in this House? Please leave the House now.
Hon. Member escorted out of the House.
HON. MUSHORIWA: On a point of order Madam Speaker. We are not questioning your ruling, but we just wanted to bring to your attention that the standing position as announced by the Speaker was that anything yellow - even the people at the gate are not allowed to entertain anyone with yellow attires. So, the question by the Hon. Member is justified. So, naturally I think it is a fair question.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am not going to entertain that. Hon Mahlangu is wearing yellow. Who said yellow is not allowed? Hon. Mahlangu please rise. Is she not wearing a yellow top? If you came here to make jokes you will all go out of this House.
HON. MATAMBO: Madam Speaker, what is happening in this House seems very much unfair because on a number of occasions, people from this end of the House were chased out of the House because they were wearing yellow. Now that it is someone from the right side who is wearing yellow, you are ruling in favour of the person. It seems the law is only favouring one side of the House. I so submit.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Members, may you please take your seats. What is wrong with you?
HON. MALINGANISO: I rise on a point of clarity. Madam Speaker. I just wanted to say that this is not yellow. It is lime green. People do not understand that this is not yellow. It is lime green, people must learn colours.
HON. MAUNGANIDZE: My question is directed to the Minister of Health and Child Care. In light of a number of women dying during child birth in Government hospitals, can the Minister please provide an update on the specific steps and measures being taken by Government to address this issue and improve maternal healthcare? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON. DR. MOMBESHORA): Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to thank the Hon. Member for asking this very important question. Yes, we have lost a number of women giving birth and this is not acceptable but over the years, we have seen our indicators improving, but not to the level that we are happy with. We are taking a multi-pronged approach to address this issue. We are addressing it at the level of health facility, human resources for health and at the level of equipment, drugs and sundries. In addition, at the level of facilities, especially in the rural areas where most women have to walk several kilometers to health facilities where they can deliver, we are building a lot waiting shelters at the clinics so that women can go and wait a week before their due dates. We have also increased the number of those training to be midwives, who we can deploy to all health facilities where deliveries take place. This is a long-term plan because it will take two years and we want to reduce it to one and half years so that we can churn out a lot of midwives to be able to take care of our women who need to deliver at the health facilities. We are also improving the equipment, especially to deal with cesarean sections. We need to equip our hospitals, especially our district hospitals. We have currently purchased more than 10 anaesthetic machines to equip hospitals that have maternity wards in the rural areas. In the urban settings, most of the facilities are better equipped but we are still working on improving that equipment.
We are also looking at providing adequate drugs relating to theatre and postpartum management. We also have a challenge of blood supply and I am glad to say Treasury has released some funds to make sure that blood and blood products can be processed and are availed to women in need because one of the largest cause of mortality for women is postpartum hemorrhage and we are addressing this in these various ways that I have just mentioned.
*HON. MASHONGANYIKA: My supplementary question is, if you look at the machines that you talking about, they mainly work on electricity. When there is no generator for back up especially in Government hospitals, we find this to be very problematic. Is it not possible to make an arrangement to ensure that hospitals are equipped with such facilities to ensure that no power interruption takes place?
*HON. DR. MOMBESHORA: Indeed, it is true that some areas have problem of accessing electricity but the plan that we have is that we want to ensure that our hospitals are all electrified and are solar equipped for back up because some of them have now gotten to a stage where they use solar instead of using electricity from ZESA.
The problem that we have is that our major hospitals like Parirenyatwa and Sally Mugabe Hospitals have not been equipped with solar system as a backup. We have since made an agreement with the Ministry of Energy to ensure that the hospitals do not face power interruptions. At the moment, I cannot respond as to where that arrangement is. Some clinics have prepaid meters and we agreed that prepaid electricity should be removed from hospitals and health facilities because sometimes they may not have money to buy electricity when they need it. I thank you.
HON. DR. KHUPE: Part of the reason why women die while giving birth is as a result of user fees for pregnant women because they cannot afford to pay any user fees and end up not going for prenatal care. They only go to a health institution when they are about to give birth whereas complications would have happened already. I would like the Minister to confirm whether pregnant women are still paying user fees when they go to give birth because our call has always been that women should not be punished for giving birth. As they give birth, they are performing a national duty and therefore, they should not pay a single cent when they go to give birth.
HON. DR. MOMBESHORA: Yes, your point is very valid, and our policy is to say anything related to pregnancy should be treated in public hospitals for free including blood and blood products. We have a voucher system where we give pregnant women coupons so that they can access blood for free. I know at times you find some people who get overzealous and try to charge pregnant women but my plea is that please report any such cases to us so that disciplinary measures can be taken. Pregnant issues are supposed to be dealt for free in public hospitals. If you decide to go to a private hospital, then we do not interfere with the payment that may be demanded in those private institutions.
*HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: On the issue of waiting shelters for expecting mothers, I really would like to understand what the arrangement is with regards to all rural clinics because most of those houses are not there. That is why they wait whilst they are at home and that delay trying to go to hospital at a critical stage results in loss of life. Is that arrangement planned for on all clinics, especially in rural areas?
*HON. DR. MOMBESHORA: The point that you said that those shelters for expecting mothers in rural areas are not there, indeed they are not enough. That is why I said we have a plan to construct them. There are a lot of clinics in this whole country. If you go around, you will realise that here and there, you find construction taking place. It is true that we cannot afford to construct all at once. The most important thing is that Government has put funding through Treasury to construct those shelters.
We also have donors and development partners and I would like to applaud some of you Hon Members who are making such efforts because the country is supposed to be built by its owners. So, let us help each other. I thank you.
*HON. KARENYI-KORE: Maybe the Hon Minister responded but let me take him back a bit when he referred to women who expect to deliver through caesarian section. May they carry out a research in conjunction with Hon. Khupe’s question where the question was about user fee payment. Expecting mothers who are supposed to deliver through caesarian section are paying because they are asked to procure a lot of things that are used, be it drips or injections and they are very expensive. May the Hon. Minister look into that to ensure that they are available because this is one of the causes of death during delivery.
An Hon Member having stood on a point of privilege.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Please give me time, I was in the middle of responding. Thank you. I believe the Hon. Minister understood you. I do not know whether he has something else to respond to.
*THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON. DR. MOMBESHORA): I understood Madam Speaker and we will look into that. It is true that there are some areas where expecting mothers were asked to procure certain things. I know there are different cases but if there are shortages here and there in hospitals, they may be asked to do that. I know that there are some places where anesthetic drugs were not available, so they were asked to procure them, but we have since procured them. If you can inform us quickly wherever there is a problem, we will be able to resolve that problem quickly.
This reminds me that user fees are actually anti-progress. As the Minister of Health Care, I will present a Health Insurance Bill which I will kindly ask you to support, where we are saying anyone who wants to access treatment in a Government hospital should be treatment through that insurance. We realise that where there is a user fee that cannot be done with – we are saying, anyone who wants to access treatment at a Government hospital must be able to do so for free. There must be a basic access where the National Health Insurance can pay.
HON. G. K. HLATYWAYO: Thank you so much Hon. Speaker. I have seen that there are lot of questions around the issue of maternal health. With your indulgence and with your permission, I was going to request that the Minister prepares a Ministerial Statement on this important topic, especially given the appalling figures that we saw, I think about two weeks back in the media, around the statistics of how many women are dying as a result of this issue. I think it is very important because we need to interrogate it further as Parliament to get more information. Thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am sure the Hon. Minister has taken note of the request of that Ministerial Statement.
HON. KUKA: Thank you Hon. Speaker Ma’am. My question is directed to the Minister of Finance. What plans are in place to compensate pensioners who lost their pensions during change over challenges to USD era in 2009? I thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. D. K. MNANGAGWA): Thank you Madam Speaker and thank you to the Hon. Member of Parliament for that question of national interest. Madam Speaker, the roadmap for compensation is being guided by the Justice Smith Commissioner Report. You will recall in the 2024 Budget, Treasury made a commitment of 174 million towards the compensation, which was commensurate to the blame- worthiness of Government and the loss of pensioners’ money.
In the same vein, pension funds have been asked to submit their plans. These plans were supposed to be submitted by the end of March. Out of the 1 250 funds that were supposed to submit, I think we have got 50 outstanding. We have had missing or hazy data which has made IPEC’s job a bit difficult in ascertaining some of these compensation plans. I can assure the Hon. Member that this is a priority as it is part of our Treasuries and Governments bringing confidence to our pensions and also restoring lost value to pension funds. Indeed, there is a plan. Government has committed 175 million. The pension funds are supposed to contribute the rest and make sure that pensioners receive their money whilst they are still alive. I submit Madam Speaker.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you Madam Speaker and the Minister for the good response. However, my follow up question is on the case with reference to the Justice Smith Commission, which was set up in 2015. The fundamental finding from that Justice Smith Commission of Enquiry was that, it is Government and IPEC which failed to prepare an equitable and fair process of conversion from Zimbabwean Dollars to United States Dollars. Is it not a problem of the IPEC Board which has got its members of the board who are also leaders of pension funds? Is that conflict of interest not the one that is causing these unnecessary delays? That is my question Madam Speaker.
HON. D. K. MNANGAGWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I think the Hon. Member is trying to personalise issues. There is a process that is clearly defined, that is independent of individuals or board members. Maybe he has got some information on specific IPEC board members who also own pension funds, who are stifling progress on this. I believe it is in the best interest of all our constituents of Government, of everyone to get this issue sorted. I do not think that there are any individuals that have the capacity to stall progress of an exercise of this nature. I thank you.
HON. MUSHORIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I want the Hon. Minister to assist us. Given the fact that IPEC did come up with a Statutory Instrument 162 of 2023 and gave the insurance companies 90 days, which was supposed to expire in December 2023. We are now in July and we have heard the Minister saying that Government made a commitment of about $170 million dollars. Can the Hon. Minister explain to us and if he is unable to do so Madam Speaker, we would then want him to bring, maybe a Ministerial Statement in respect of the compensation framework. Remember this is a 2009 issue and we are now in 2024. A number of people have actually died along the process. We need to find out which insurance companies have got hazy data and which insurance companies are prepared.
I think if it is possible, the Hon. Minister should come to this august House because this is an issue that goes to the depth of many Zimbabweans. I would probably urge that maybe this question cannot be properly answered without a Ministerial Statement by the Hon. Minister. I thank you.
HON. D. K. MNANGAGWA: It is noted and accepted Madam Speaker. We will prepare a statement detailing some of the submissions as requested. I thank you.
HON. NKOMO: Thank you so much, good afternoon Hon. Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Good afternoon.
HON. M. NKOMO: My question is directed to the Minister of Women’s Affairs. What specific programmes have been implemented to support women on SMEs and the entrepreneurs?
THE MINISTER OF WOMEN AFFAIRS, COMMUNITY, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRENUERS DEVELOPMENT (HON. SEN. M. MUTSVANGWA): Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Hon. Nkomo for that very important question. We all know the key role which is being played by SMEs in this country. We know that the SMEs, starting from micro, small and medium enterprises, are playing a very important role, in fact, I would call them the pulse of the economy of this country.
We have more than 3.8 million SMEs in this country and I want to say fifty-six percent of those are women. Our Ministry is mandated to make sure that we empower women. We also empower SMEs, cooperatives and communities. We have quite a number of programmes which we are undertaking to make sure that we train.
First, we do financial, technical assistance and also make sure that whatever they are producing, they find markets so that they can be able to sell them. So, our Ministry has been given officers from the national level to the ten provinces. We have got provincial development officers for the ten provinces and we also have 61 district development officers. Then we go all the way to the ward level. We are grateful to the Government for giving us officers who go all the way to the grassroot because, you know our President’s mantra is not to leave any one or any place behind.
So, in terms of training, we train business entrepreneurial skills. We are also training digital skills as we are all aware that the four walls of banking halls are beginning to disappear and most of the banking is now being done on our women’s phones or SMEs phones. We are also training digital skills so that they can be able to use their phones as banks. They can also be able to use their phones for e-commerce or e-market. We know what happened during COVID-19 when there was a lock down, most of our SMEs went broke because they were not able to continue with their businesses. So, the issue of digitals is very critical, we are giving loans. We have a number of loans which are given through my Ministry, the Treasury gives through our Ministry Women Development Fund and that is targeted at start-ups, especially women to make sure that if you want to start, whether it is a piggery or poultry project, we will be there to help you, not only with the money, but also with the training so that once you start your project, it will be sustainable.
We also have the Community Development Fund (CDF) again
from the Ministry. It is not enough, yes, but we do have a lot of requests because our communities are very resourceful but let me say, it is a whole Government approach and we are aware of the village business units which the Ministry of Agriculture are coming up with. We are busy training our women in terms of making sure they will be up and running with those business units. You are aware that our Government is drilling boreholes in all the thirty-five thousand villages in this country and we are making sure that our women are aware of these projects which Government is coming up to make sure that we empower the SMEs.
This country has become one of the first ones to have a women micro finance bank and I want to tell this august House that the women’s bank is there, targeted for women and this was in realisation of the fact that women do not have collateral. So this is a bank which is 100% owned by Government and in the past, it has not been capitalised enough to go through all the list of women who had applied for loans, but we continue to see this bank and we are very grateful to the Ministry of Finance, they have been able to give them some money and they are also going out giving loans to our SMEs and women specifically – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] -
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MACHINGURA): Order, order Minister; Hon. Members! We have not come here to play like the Deputy Speaker said. Why are you shouting instructions to the Minister? Let her be heard in silence.
HON. SEN. M. MUTSVANGWA: Thank you Hon. Speaker for
protecting me. I want to continue to say the work which we are doing in terms of specific programmes for women, these are the specific programmes which I am talking about, SMEs. It is important for Members of this august House to be able to take this information and give it to the people in their constituencies.
The women development fund that I talked about, the community development fund and then the women micro finance bank have seen women farmers being empowered by being given tractors at zero deposits. We have seen business models which they have come up with where women farmers are being empowered by tractors and other equipment.
We also have SMEDCO that is another bank of Government, 100% owned and it is there to make sure that they help the SMEs retool so that they can produce products which are sellable, of good standard and also, we have ZIMTRADE which is working closely with us. We have started to see a lot of women businesses exporting the products they are making. Just last week, we saw our President opening a processing plant. This is part of the empowerment of these women businesses. A place in particular, like Hauna where a lot of women, more than a thousand farmers, have been producing bananas. They have actually been going to waste because they did not have a processing plant. Government, through our Ministry, are putting up a processing plant where they can then add value to whatever they produce. So, these are some of the programmes which the Ministry of the Government of the Second Republic is doing to empower women and SMEs.
HON. NKOMO: What time do they take to give those who own SMEs?
HON. SEN. M. MUTSVANGWA: I want to thank Hon. Nkomo for that supplementary question. It is understood. I think she is very concerned Hon. Member who is working with a lot of SMEs in women in her constituency. This is an issue which, as a Ministry, we are pushing. I think this is affecting most of us in the Ministries. The money which we are talking about is disbursed from Treasury. We are pushing so that monies can actually go in the beginning of the year so that at least these SMEs which would have applied for loans in the previous year can actually get their loan payments in the beginning of the year so that at least they can start. This is an issue which the Ministry of Finance insists to have, early disbursement of what would have been budgeted for. I thank you.
HON. SHIRIYEDENGA: Thank you Mr. Speaker for this opportunity and thank you to our Minister for your response. My questions lie in the fact that the Minister has spoken good projects that they are working on, but my question is, is there any public awareness with regards to these programmes? In the communities that we reside in, SMEs are not knowledgeable that women can benefit from programmes like being provided with tractors. Secondly, what are the qualifications for these SMEs to be considered as beneficiaries and what is the selection criteria? I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you very much for recognising that the Minister has said a lot of good things, but while she was speaking, people were shouting to say she is saying too much. I suppose you represent the people that you are talking about and when the Minister is giving you answers, it is also for the benefit of those people that you say are not aware of the programmes of the Minister. I will indulge you and ask the Minister to respond.
HON. SEN. M. MUTSVANGWA: I want to thank Hon. Shiriyedenga for the question and concern as you rightly say. Information is power and we realise the importance of making sure that information goes all the way up to the grassroot. As a Ministry, I said this earlier on that we have decentralised in all districts all the way to ward level. Hon. Member, in your district, there is a District Development Officer (DDO) of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development. Below that DDO, there is a Ward Coordinator at every ward level. They are working together with all line ministries, development partners, NGOs and CSOs because we want our efforts to be all aligned as we help our people.
So, the issue of making sure that information gets to the people is very close to our heart and this is what we are doing. We are also doing this through community radio stations because we realise that community radio stations have got a far wider reach in terms of reaching communities. We will continue to talk like this. I am happy Hon. Nkomo has asked this question because Hon. Members in this august House have got a duty to take information and make sure that it gets to the people so that they can benefit from all the programmes which are being done by our Government.
Our SMEs in this country are well structured. We have got SMEs Chamber and we deal with all the presidents, the chairmen of all those chambers and the district chambers of those areas. They all deal with the Ministry. We also send information through our circles. We are promoting and registering a lot. Our co-operatives are also making sure that they make their membership aware of the programmes which are being provided for by the Government. There is no qualification.
I just want to say everybody needs to understand that the Women Micro-Finance Bank, the SMEDCO, yes, they are Government banks but everybody has to understand that this is business. When you get a loan, you need to pay back. That is very important and whilst they are not asking for collateral, we always tell our women, businesses, our SMEs, to be able to pay back so that money can go round. This is the only way it can be sustainable.
So, we encourage our membership to say there is nothing for free in business. When Government comes up with money and they give loans to our SMEs and to our women who are starting businesses, we expect them to pay back so that money can go round and benefit more. I thank you.
*HON. MASHONGANYIKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the Hon. Minister. We have women in different provinces and His Excellency says that no one should be left behind. We have women who have different projects which include goat rearing, poultry and other income generating projects. My question is, what does the Ministry plan to assist these women so that they can access international markets where they can sell their wares because they are doing good projects and I believe that they can be sold outside the country. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. M. MUTSVANGWA: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. I want to thank Hon. Mashonganyika for such encouraging words which motivate us as women. The Hon. Member raised quite an important issue that there are so many women in the rural areas and Government has the mantra that no one will be left behind. There are some who are engaged in different projects like poultry, road runners and crocheting. So, we work with ZIMTRADE which creates a platform for SMEs and women where they can have market linkages so that they can access the international and global market.
I also want to say that we have women and SMEs who have benefitted from such initiatives. Some have gone to exhibit their wares outside the country. Last week, we had women in Zambia where they attended an exhibition. Some have gone to Botswana, Zambia, Dubai and different destinations. As we are facing the OSAKA Japan Expo 2025, we believe that women are going to be part of this exhibition. Some will be exhibiting their baskets and other projects.
We have an arts handicraft which is a parastatal that has funding. The parastatal would target women in different provinces so that they have value for their money and value for their projects instead of them being taken advantage of. They are working hard to make sure that women benefit. They work together with ZIMTRADE and the Standards Association of Zimbabwe so that whatever product can compete competitively with other products in the market.
Indeed, we have quite a big responsibility. We have women who are rearing goats. There are some businesses which would need constant supply instead of supplying products today and then you find that the following day someone does not have the product. We want to make sure that co-operatives assist women. There are some co-operatives which are producing milk for sale. We have families who work together and they produce 18 600 litres which were supplied to Dairibord. In Nyanga, there are some women in business who are excelling and by the end of the year, they anticipate that they will deliver goods worth US$1 million and in ZiG it will be roughly 13 million. We continue focusing on the development of women so that no one is left behind. We want to transform people’s lives from the family level. I thank you.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Minister Mutsvangwa, you indeed touched on my constituency where there is a lot of milk.
Normally I allow 2 supplementary questions so that we cover more questions but because this issue involves women, I will allow one more.
HON. DR. KHUPE: Thank you very much. The Minister spoke about the Women’s Development Bank and Development Fund. These are positive developments but the reason why we proposed those institutions to exist was for them to be lenient when it comes to women in terms of collateral and interest rates. My problem is with interest rates because many of these SMEs are collapsing because women are failing to service their loans because of high interest rates. Can the Minister please highlight to this House whether these two institutions are lenient when it comes to interest rates? We want it to be just like banks in Bangladesh where women do not pay collateral and interest rates are very low. You find that those banks are very successful because many women end up borrowing money and statistics have shown that if you lend money to a woman, they will work, make money and pay back the loans. However, because of the high interest rates, women are unable to service their loans. So, can the Minister highlight whether these institutions are lenient in terms of interest rates?
HON. SEN. M. MUTSVANGWA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. It is a pleasure seeing you Hon. Khupe. I know she has been in the women movement pushing for women empowerment for a very long time. I do respect that passion and that concern which you have just expressed. We want to continue working together to ensure that women in this country will enjoy the same way their male colleagues are enjoying. Yes, there has been a lot of work which has been done by the women movement in this country to make sure that Government is lobbied so that we have these institutions. Like I said, having the women micro finance bank is very progressive. I am very proud when I go to regional, continental or global forums to talk about the Women Micro Finance Bank. Yes, we have had challenges here and there but this is very good. The Women Micro Finance Bank is targeted at women. We all know that historically, in this country, women have always been behind. They did not own means of production and that is well known and it is only fair to have that affirmative action. The reason we all know that women were not able to move into the traditional commercial banks and get loans was because they would ask for collateral or sometimes even a husband’s consent. So, when this bank was formed…
HON. MATEWU: Mr. Speaker Sir, when we come to this House, we expect Cabinet Ministers to tell us the truth and not to misrepresent what they are saying. According to the 2022 Auditor General’s Report, the bank that she mentioned, the Women’s Micro-Finance Bank - these institutions are technically insolvent because they have been so underfunded for so long. So, when the Minister says we have 3.8 million SMEs surely, if we had 3.8 SMEs which were functional then we would have so much money in the Consolidated Revenue Fund but we do not have because…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Matewu, you are out of order. Please take your seat. Hon. Matewu when you point at the Minister - it is I who is Chairing so when you start pointing at the Minister - please leave the House.
Hon. Matewu escorted out of the House.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order. It is the truth and only the truth that must set us free. We are Hon. Members and this is an Hon. Parliament which must take a lead in telling the truth.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, please take your seat.
HON. MAKUMIRE: n a point of order Hon. Speaker.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Please take your seat.
HON. MAKUMIRE: Standing Order No 65 allows me to give a point of order.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
HON. MAKUMIRE: I refer you to Standing Order No. 65 which allows me to give a point of order.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Please take your seat and let the Hon. Minister be heard in silence. I will recognise you some time but as for now, let the Minister conclude her submission.
HON. MAKUMIRE: What does the green book say Mr. Speaker Sir? Can we be guided by the green book?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Please take your seat and let the Minister continue in silence.
HON. SEN. M. MUTSVANGWA: Hon. Speaker Sir, I will be very happy if the Hon. Members can actually take this information seriously and give it to the people they represent. I will be happy to bring the evidence to this House of what monies have been paid to Women Micro Finance Bank by the Ministry of Finance, the projects we have done and the number of people who have benefitted. I am very happy that there is a lot of energy coming out from our Hon. Members, which means they have to understand the programmes which are being done by the Government of the Second Republic under the astute leadership of the President Dr. E.D Mnangagwa. We do not have any reason to lie because the evidence is there. What we are talking about here is that if they want a paper which talks to the loans which have been disbursed, where, which province and which beneficiaries and the success story behind, we will be able to bring it to this House. I wanted to say Hon. Khupe, we are open for discussion with all those who would like to see success stories of women in this country and we would like to say the knowledge you have out there, which you have acquired over a number of years, is very much welcome on board so that we can move together. The issue of interest rates, what I talked about on collateral free loans, I talked about interest rates which are not punitive or prohibitive for our women to get loans. This is what we are targeting.
The Women Micro Finance Bank which you are talking about through a whole Government approach, has actually received more than 600 tractors from the Ministry of Agriculture, which they are giving to women farmers. So, there is a lot which we can do together and ideas are welcome on board. I thank you.
*HON. NDUDZO: My question is directed to the Minister of Public Service Labour and Social Welfare and in his absence, I am going to redirect the question to the Leader of Government Business in this august House. How is Government distributing food relief in line with the President’s proclamation that this is a year of famine as a result of drought? Those who are in A1 and A2 farms are not getting food relief like those who are in rural communities. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you for that question which speaks to the drought and hunger that we are facing. After the ZIMVAC had made investigations and generated a document which depicts what is happening, Government decided to intervene with a food relief programme which does not select whether they are new or old resettlement areas. The challenge at the moment is the distribution logistics. Our desire is that if possible, every household or individual should benefit and get food supplies which are enough to cater for three months and then after three months, another cycle of distribution would commence.
The most important thing is creating inter-ministerial relationships where logistics are expedited in such a way that grain is taken to different communities. Peripheral areas should be prioritised. Every area should be covered and every place would benefit from the programme. The Hon. Member is aware that rainfall patterns are known by all. You would find that in Mashonaland West and Mashonaland Central is where we get most of our grain. Transporting grain from these provinces to other provinces has been the challenge. This is what is being worked on. I thank you.
*HON. NDUDZO: I want to thank the Hon. Minister for the response. My question is, what is Government doing in terms of transport and logistics for our grain to reach all areas so that there will not be an impression that there is a demarcation between the rural people and those in resettlement areas? At times you find that those who are in rural areas might be far and those who are in resettlement areas are near, but still are not considered. The question is, what is Government planning to do to in order to correct that?
*HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: The issue that is being raised by Hon. Ndudzo shows that there might be corruption that is happening and that is not Government policy to skip other beneficiaries. The President said that everyone should benefit and the response that I gave is that like what we were told yesterday, the GMB in Gokwe can distribute to Nkayi because they are nearby instead of coming from Matabeleland North. That is understandable. Where you find a truck by-passing villagers and going further, that is not correct. I suggest that you report to the Social Welfare so that such cases are investigated. I thank you.
*HON. MALINGANISO: My supplementary question is that we are receiving grain which is a good thing. How is Government dealing with disparities where you find that sometimes the number of registered beneficiaries is more than the delivered grain? I thank you.
*HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: I said before that the research that was done regarding the stock on small grains, maize and other grains are enough to be distributed and to cater for the beneficiaries until we reach the month of October. Government promised that everyone should be given at least 7.5kgs of maize multiplied by 3, which is supposed to last for three months. If there are five people in a household, then all five should benefit. In the next distribution cycle, those that did not get the food aid would also benefit. That is what Government policy is and any formula or mathematics contrary to this set up will not apply.
*HON. MAVHUDZI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My supplementary question to the Hon. Minister is that we appreciate the food relief programme but this drought also affected those who live in urban areas. What are Government plans to cater for those who are in urban areas? I thank you.
*HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. This question was once responded to but I am going to respond again. From the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZIMVAC), research which was done even in urban areas and those who need relief were identified. It is not everyone who is in urban areas who need relief but there are those who need food relief. From the findings, it is easy to distribute maize to those who are in rural areas because the shopping centres are scattered. They are not so close to where the beneficiaries live. Those who live in urban areas will be given money which is enough to buy the same amount of grain in towns. I thank you.
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order Number 68.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
MEASURES TO CURB ILLEGAL MINING OPERATIONS INSIDE THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, KILLARNEY AND PARKLANDS AREAS
- HON. GUMEDE asked the Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife to inform the House the measures being put in place by the Ministry to curb illegal mining operations inside the National University of Science and Technology, Killarney and Parklands areas.
THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE AND WILDLIFE (HON. DR. NYONI): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Allow me to thank Hon. Gumede for the question. Let me start by acknowledging that illegal mining is a serious issue in Zimbabwe as we continue to face serious challenges with illegal mining in several places, not only the places mentioned here. In this particular case, we acknowledge that illegal mining activities have caused significant concern around the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Killarney and Parklands.
My Ministry, through EMA, has been working closely with the law enforcement agencies to combat illegal mining activities around the area in question. I am pleased to inform the House that few raids have been made and some illegal activities curtailed. However, we recognise that this is not a problem that can be solved by an isolated effort alone. It requires concerted collective efforts from the Ministry of Mines and also the Ministry of Local Government, but also the university itself.
We appeal to these authorities to join forces and work together to tackle this illegal mining effectively. These are people who take advantage of the situation to attack and run away. Therefore, they require a coordinated approach. We have not received any complaint from NUST after the raids. We will also ensure public awareness campaigns and educational initiatives undertaken to inform the local communities about the adverse effects of illegal mining and hope that this comes to an end. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
PROTECTION OF WETLANDS AND SENSITIVE WATER BODIES UNDER LOCAL AUTHORITIES
- HON. JAMES asked the Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife to apprise the House on the policy regarding the protection of wetlands and sensitive water bodies under all local authorities.
THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE AND WILDLIFE (HON. DR. NYONI): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would like to thank Hon. James for the question. The management of wetlands is becoming critical, especially in the face of the increasing impact of climate change. As part of combating the management of wetlands locally and globally, the country has acceded to the Ramsar Convention in May 2013. Furthermore, the provisions of Ramsar Convention have been domesticated in terms of Section 113 of the Conventional Management Act [Cap: 20:27].
The legal framework that governs wetlands utilisation is provided in the Environmental Management Act [Cap. 20:27] under the following sections:
Section 113 provides for declaration of any wetland to be an ecologically sensitive area which the Minister of Environment may impose limitations on development in or around such an area.
Section 113 prohibits the reclamation of draining of any wetland, disturbance by drilling or tunneling, construction of hard-core buildings with reinforced concretes and steel foundations that interfere with the natural function of the wetland without authority from the agency or the Minister. The foregoing is provided for under the Statutory Instrument 7 of 2007 on EIAs and Ecosystems Protection.
Mr. Speaker Sir, Government having noted gaps in the wetland management legislation in the country, a robust policy framework was developed in 2021 leading to formulation of the National Wetlands Policy, National Wetlands Management Guidelines and National Wetlands Masterplan. This framework enables the Government to map and gazette all wetlands in the country followed by gazetting of ecological sensitive areas for specific wetlands in urban and rural local authority areas covering 259 092 ha. Urban centres covered are Harare, Chitungwiza, Epworth, Ruwa, Mzingwane, Marondera, Bindura and Gweru.
Currently, preparatory work to gazette ecologically sensitive areas in Chinhoyi, Mutare, Bulawayo and Masvingo has been completed for gazetting this quarter covering 4 000 ha. Furthermore, Mr. Speaker Sir, Government has developed a five-year wetland restoration roll-out plan (2021 to 2025) targeting priority 40 wetlands in both rural and urban areas with a budget of USD11. 5 million, which Treasury has been supporting. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. JAMES: Thank you Hon. Minister for a very comprehensive reply. Is the Minister aware that some local authorities are merely applying for change of use on some of these areas, how does the Ministry curb that?
HON. DR. NYONI: I am aware. No local authority has the authority to change the land use and abuse the proper use of wetlands, that only lies with the Ministry of Environment. If there are such cases, please bring them to our attention because our idea is to protect our wetlands. They are very important for keeping our underground water and also for biodiversity. So, we need to join hands to preserve, protect and develop our wetlands. I thank you.
CONTROL OF THE SPREAD OF HYACINTH WATER WEED IN WATER BODIES
- HON. MAZHINDU asked the Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Wildlife to apprise the House on measures being taken by the Ministry to control the spread of hyacinth water weed which is threatening Lake Chivero, Prince Edward Dam and other water bodies.
THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE AND WILDLIFE (HON. DR. NYONI): Mr. Speaker, allow me to thank the Hon. Member for the question posed. Indeed, water hyacinth is an alien invasive weed that has become a cause for concern. In response to the written question submitted by Hon. Mazhindu, I would like to provide a detailed overview of the actions and strategies implemented by my Ministry.
The Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife has been actively engaged in addressing the issue of water hyacinth infestation in various water bodies across the country. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is an invasive aquatic plant that can rapidly multiply and form dense mats on the surface of water bodies, leading to ecological imbalances and negatively impacting biodiversity.
Water quality monitoring and law enforcement.
Mr. Speaker, my Ministry through the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has been monitoring the quality of water in dams such as Chivero. It is disheartening, however, to note that there has been the deterioration of water quality in these dams. Such deterioration has been driven by the discharge of partially treated municipal and industrial effluent into rivers that pass through a number of our major towns owing to the breakdown of sewage treatment plants operated by local authorities such as Harare, Ruwa, Chitungwiza and Norton.
These rivers are the tributaries of our dams and lakes. The discharge of sewer water rich in nutrients has resulted in the proliferation of water weed. In order to mitigate this, the Ministry through the agency has implemented a raft of measures that include issuance of fines, serving of environmental protection orders, prosecution through the courts and bringing the local authorities for hearings before the Environment Management Board.
Surveillance and monitoring
One of the key measures undertaken by the Ministry is regular surveillance and monitoring of water bodies known to be at risk of water hyacinth infestation. Through aerial surveys, satellite imagery analysis, and on-going inspections, we are able to track the spread of water hyacinth and identify areas requiring immediate intervention.
Mechanical removal
To combat the spread of water hyacinth, our Ministry has deployed mechanical removal techniques such as using specialized boats equipped with cutting blades or rakes to physically remove the plants from affected areas. This manual removal process helps in clearing large patches of water hyacinth and preventing further expansion.
Biological control
In addition to mechanical removal, we have also explored biological control methods as a sustainable approach to managing water hyacinth infestations and Kariba weed. This involves introducing biological agents such as water hyacinth hopper and Kariba weed weaver that specifically target water hyacinth while minimizing harm to native species and ecosystems. In this regard, my Ministry is working with the Plant Protection Institute under the Department of Research and Specialist Services in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water Fisheries and Rural Development. The trial will target Umguza, Shangani and Chinyika Dams as well as Borrowdale Ponds.
Community Engagement
Furthermore, community engagement plays a crucial role in our efforts to control the spread of water hyacinth. We work closely with local communities living around affected water bodies to raise awareness about the impacts of invasive species like water hyacinth and involve them in clean-up activities and monitoring initiatives.
Research and Innovation
Mr. Speaker Sir, my Ministry continues to invest in research and innovation aimed at developing new technologies or strategies for more effective management of water hyacinth infestations. By collaborating with scientific instructions and experts in this field, we strive to stay at the forefront of combating invasive species threats.
- Coordination with Stakeholders
Lastly, we recognise the importance of collaboration with other Government agencies, non-governmental organisations, research institutions, and international partners in addressing the challenge posed by water hyacinth infestations. By fostering partnerships and sharing best practices, we can enhance our collective efforts towards sustainable environmental conservation. In this regard, for a lasting solution to the infestation, there is need for our local authorities to ensure that they treat their waste water to the appropriate levels set by the law.
This will require a complete revamp of the sewer reticulation and treatment infrastructure. Although my Ministry was part of an Inter-ministerial Committee on pollution in the past that successfully lobbied for borrowing powers to rehabilitate such infrastructure, it is disheartening to note that less than a decade after there is the continued discharge of approximately 416 megalitres of raw effluent into our rivers daily. I thank you Hon Speaker.
2024 FIRST QUARTER HIV PREVALENCE AND MEASURES TO FIGHT THE SCOURGE
- HON. BAJILA asked the Minister of Health and Child Care to provide the 2024 first quarter HIV prevalence province by province and to inform the House the measures in place to continue fighting the scourge after the lapse of PEPFAR Scheme.
THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON. DR. MOMBESHORA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to thank the Hon. Member for asking that question to provide 2024 first quarter HIV prevalence province by province and to inform the House the measures in place to continue fighting the scourge after lapse of EPF Scheme. The summary of Zimbabwe HIV estimate is done once a year not on a quarterly basis. So, the statistics that I am going to give you are from the 1st of January, 2023 to end of year 31st December, 2023.
PROVINCE HIV PREVALENCE %
Matabeleland Province 17.30%
Matabeleland North 14.50%
Bulawayo 11.70%
Midlands 10.90%
Masholaland Central 10.40%
Mashonaland East 9.90%
Mashonaland West 9.90%
Masvingo 9.60%
Manicaland 9.40%
Harare 10.90%
Measures for sustainability beyond donor funding, the HIV response in Zimbabwe is funded by Government of Zimbabwe, National Aids Trust Fund and Partners who include Global fund and PEPFAR. Currently, both Global Fund and PEPFAR are still supporting HIV programmes in Zimbabwe although indications are that this may change beyond 2026.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care and the National Aids Council are currently working with various stakeholders to develop a sustainability road map that is expected to define strategies to plug anticipated gaps in the event that partners are no longer able to support our programmes. The National Aids Council and the Ministry will continue to run the programmes using local resources. I thank you.
HON. MUSHORIWA: Hon. Speaker Sir, could the Hon. Minister explain the above average preference rate in Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North. You look at the other regions – the other provinces, it is hovering around 9% and those ones are double figures. What could be the reason? What special action is Government taking to make sure that we bring those rates to the average rate that is prevailing in other provinces?
HON. DR. MOMBESHORA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Hon. Member, I am sorry to say I cannot give an adequate explanation for those discrepancies. It is not that much of a discrepancy except in Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North where the percentage is 17.30 and 14.50 respectively. We have to get reports from those provinces through the Provincial Medical Directors. They give us their annual reports which then explain where they had these deficiencies so that corrective measures can be taken. Otherwise, the programmes are run the same throughout all provinces.
So, the uptake of programmes or the mobility of people on the ground may be challenges but I cannot give a specific answer for each province at the moment. I thank you.
HON. BAJILA: Supplementary! Thank you so much Mr. Speaker. PEPFAR stands for Presidential Emergency Plans For Aids Relief. It was launched by someone called George W. Bush in 2003. The Minister of Health and Child Care confirmed that Zimbabwe has been benefiting from this facility since then.
My question goes to say, part of these funding programmes that are happening - partners have been around the question of availability of birth control pills at low cost as well as free condoms to Zimbabweans in the fight against HIV. So, are we as a country anyhow moving towards local manufacturing of these products in the event that these partners move away? I thank you. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
HON. DR. MOMBESHORA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Thank you for that supplementary question Hon. Bajila. At the moment, Zimbabwe is not manufacturing any of those commodities. We have an arrangement with a specific company in India to manufacture oral contraceptives specifically for Zimbabwe but as for condoms, we buy from anywhere.
We are not 100% reliant on donor funds for our contraceptives, we are actually purchasing. We have funds that come from Treasury, a committed fund every year that we also use to purchase contraceptives. These contraceptives are distributed free in all our institutions for the needy women and adolescents who require them.
As for manufacturing, as Government, we are planning to manufacture a lot of molecules locally. It is not an easy thing because you need a licence unless you have developed your own formula which you can then manufacture. We are planning in terms of partnering with those who can help us build our manufacturing capacities. We visited quite a lot of manufacturing facilities specifically in Egypt where they developed their local manufacturing much more than any other country in Africa. We are learning from them and there are interests which have been expressed to come and build our capacity to manufacture medicines in Zimbabwe but to say specifically for contraceptives and condoms, not at the moment. Thank you.
HON. G. K. HLATYWAYO: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker. Thank you, Hon. Minister, for the information. I just wanted to find out – my understanding is that the United States Government PEPFAR programme is mostly being implemented through private voluntary organisations and other non-State actors as it were. What would be the impact if the Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Bill is to become an Act? Is it going to have any effect in that sector?
HON. DR. MOMBESHORA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. As far as I am concerned, the organisation that is being used to channel those funds is already compliant to the new PVO proposals. So, I do not see that as a hindrance but what we have seen is that generally PEPFAR funds including the Global Fund, are reducing their contributions and as Government, we are working towards covering that gap that is being created, like I mentioned in my presentation. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Minister. – [HON. TOGAREPI: You seem to be favouring the other side] - Okay Hon. Chief Whip, I do not see anyone standing up for a supplementary. – [HON. MUSHORIWA: I have been standing.]- Sorry, I did not notice you. Okay, let me give way to the Chief Whip then I will come back to you.
HON. TOGAREPI: I just wanted to check from the Hon. Minister. We have our National Aids Council and I understand they have been receiving a lot of Government funding to help fight the HIV scourge. They have been making a lot of noise with a lot of campaigns to try and fight AIDS but of late, they have just gone into hiding. I do not know, maybe I am missing them given the figures that you have already shown us – if we go to 10% of a population, it is frightening in my view. What is the Government or Ministry doing to ensure that this fund and council go back to work? Zimbabwe was at one point applauded throughout the world because we initiated our own funding to fight the AIDS scourge. What is Government doing to try to revitalise them to go on with the fight to destroy the AIDS challenge in our country?
HON. DR. MOMBESHORA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to thank Hon. Togarepi for your question. Firstly, I would want to say the National Aids Council through the National Aids Trust Fund which was created by Government has done quite a lot and supported the programmes to bring the prevalence down to those figures that we are talking about. I think yes, you can say it is frightening to talk of 10%, but we came from a figure which was almost 30% at the peak of this scourge. So when we look at where we are coming from - almost 30%, now down to figures like 8 to 14%, we have done a lot to come down.
I am surprised to know that their visibility has reduced, I will find out because they are still doing quite a lot in terms of purchasing commodities, laboratory equipment and rapid diagnostic kits which have helped us bring down this prevalence to the levels that we are talking about.
They have a certain percentage that they also help put the Ministry in terms of procurement of drugs, this is why we say we are moving towards self-sustenance rather than depending on donors. However, the most important thing is that as the numbers are decreasing, it means that our requirements in terms of financial resources are also going to be decreasing rather than increasing.
We currently have about 1. 2 million on ART treatment and we hope the figure is not going to increase but we are going to see a decrease as some are going to get natural attrition and the new being born without being HIV positive because of the modern treatment that we are now instituting. So, the National Aids Council through the National Aids Trust Fund is doing quite a lot to assist the Ministry of Health and Child Care to be able to be on top of the situation. I thank you.
HON. MUSHORIWA: My supplementary question Hon. Minister relates to the distribution matrix of condoms in this country, the free condoms. I want to raise the point that the Protector Plus which was supposed to assist the vulnerable and the poor, currently in the market is going for a dollar, and in a few places, they are costing a dollar for two. Given the fact that most of our youths have to do an opportunity cost whether to use the dollar to get themselves high or to buy condoms, I just want to find out whether there is any chance that the Government could direct the National Aids Trust or even take some of the resources to ensure that there is the availability of condoms across the country, especially in poor neighbourhoods?
HON. DR. MOMBESHORA: I am not sure whether the condoms the Hon. Member is referring to are condoms that are coming through our system. The Hon. Member must also know that the way we distribute our condoms is we put them in public places for people to collect for free. However, some people may be too shy to be seen going to collect so they may be going to purchase from private pharmacies, private pharmacies can also purchase these condoms for their sale but I am not very sure about the prices and so forth. Condoms that come through global funds and NAC are distributed for free, so I cannot comment on the prices that are now on the market, but we have plenty.
I am surprised because a few months ago we had a challenge of space at NATPHAM and I ordered that most of those condoms be distributed because I was saying you are keeping a lot of stock, let that stock go out so that we create space for incoming drugs and other commodities. I am not very sure whether these are our commodities that are being sold or whether people are abusing our commodities because when we distribute them for free, they collect them and start selling them, I cannot comment on that.
WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
PLANS TO COMPENSATE VICTIMS OF HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICT IN CHIPINGE SOUTH
- HON. C. HLATYWAYO asked the Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife to inform the House the plans being put in place to compensate victims of human-wildlife conflict with specific reference to areas such as Gumira, Chisuma, Mashubi, Gavhiri in Chipinge South.
THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE AND WILDLIFE (HON. DR. NYONI): Allow me to thank Hon. C. Hlatywayo for the question. Let me start by acknowledging that human-wildlife conflict is a serious issue for conservation, not only in Zimbabwe but also in the SADC region. Zimbabwe continues to face serious challenges with human-wildlife conflicts, especially in wildlife corridors and in areas adjacent to wildlife areas.
This challenge is increasingly threatening human life and people’s livelihoods. Indications are that losses and injuries emanating from this conflict are fast increasing. The consequences of human-wildlife conflict are more serious, particularly in wildlife areas where livestock and crop production are an important part of people’s livelihoods and income.People are either injured, maimed or killed as a result of encounters with wild animals in efforts to protect their crops or when they carry out their day-to-day routines. Food security at household level is threatened by wildlife damage. Crop damage does not only affect the people’s ability to feed their families but reduces income and also affect nutrition, health and education.
Mr. Speaker Sir, Hon. Members, this situation is being made worse by increased human and wildlife populations coupled with settlement encroachment into wildlife corridors and areas. I am sure you might have heard cases in which certain communities are resettling themselves and parceling out land in designated wildlife and forest areas around the country against Government policy. The continued growth of human and wildlife populations and illegal settlements have profound effects on our ecosystems and of our communities. The encroachment of illegal settlements into wildlife areas poses multifaceted challenges that threaten both biodiversity conservation efforts and human well-being. Illegal settlements in wildlife areas contribute to habitat destruction and fragmentation, leading to loss of crucial ecosystems and biodiversity which is obviously the mainstay of Zimbabwe’s economy.
Following the land reform exercise, some land that was set aside for wildlife was allocated to local beneficiaries for various agriculture purposes. Private land with wildlife animals used to be fenced to stop dangerous animals from going into surrounding communities. Furthermore, most fences were taken down by people, some fences were vandalised and used to protect vegetable gardens and some for snaring animals-an illegal form of hunting. This resulted in wildlife moving out of the areas where they were protected, resulting in increased conflicts with settled farmers. It is this influx of people onto wildlife areas and corridors that has exacerbated conflicts between humans and wildlife. As settlements encroach upon natural habitats, they come into closer contact with wild animals, leading to increased incidents of human-wildlife conflict. Crop raids, livestock depredation, and even attacks on humans are escalating tensions and posing significant risk to both human and animal populations. Additionally, illegal settlements often lack basic infrastructure and services, exacerbating socio-economic challenges for inhabitants. Limited access to clean water, sanitation, health, and education perpetuates cycles of poverty and marginalization. It is disheartening that many of such encroachments are no longer genuine communities seeking land but barons and other speculators who are seeking monetary gain.
On the other hand, climate change is also a topical issue in global environment discourse and some conflicts are attributed to climate- induced shortages on food and water, forcing wildlife and livestock to share the scarce resources wherever they occur (livestock being driven into protected areas for grazing and wildlife dispersing into communal areas in search of water). The EI-Nino induced drought is expected to affect not only our communities but our wildlife. There is potential for more conflict and we are preparing ourselves together with key stakeholders to ensure we are able to adequately respond. Therefore, addressing the challenges for human-wildlife conflict requires both holistic and collaborative proactive and reactive approaches that prioritise environmental conservation, social justice, and sustainable development.
Mr. Speaker Sir, to answer the question of what we are doing in terms of compensation, you may recall that in Government, having noted these incessant challenges, approved the establishment of Human-Wildlife Conflict Relief Fund in November 2022 to provide relief to victims. This approval was followed up by an affirmation by His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) of the 3rd of October 2023, on the need to speed up the process of passing the Parks and Wildlife Amendment Bill which informs the establishment of the HWCRF into law.
The fund can only be launched and implemented when the current work on the new Parks and Wildlife Management Bill is completed and it becomes law. Therefore, while work on this Bill is underway, we have begun to engage our key stakeholders to ensure that by the time the Bill comes into law, we will be ready to implement the various provisions. We understand that hopes and expectations of wildlife victims are high but we have to follow all due processes and ensure a sustainable funding mechanism for the fund is established before its launched.
The fund will initially focus on relief to victims for death, injury, or maiming as a result of problem animals. It is envisaged that at a later time, more areas will be covered by this fund as more resources are realised. Unlike most other funds, human-wildlife conflict relief is complex considering that we are dealing with fugitive animals which cannot always be targeted and controlled. It is our firm belief and hope that once operationalised, the fund will cushion victims and provide a softer landing especially for vulnerable communities. We have been having discussions with key stakeholders on workable modalities of how such a fund can be successfully operationalised including its sustainable funding models. Our hope is that Treasury will be able to provide seed-funding to this important fund as soon as it becomes legally set up. Our expectation is that we will get more resources from our wildlife economy as well as grants from well-wishers in the conservation and development sectors.
Mr. Speaker Sir, it is important to highlight that our Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, the Forestry Commission, some Rural District Councils, organisations, private players such as Bubye Valley Conservancy and Gonarezhou Conservation Trust already have some functional modalities that they are using to provide some form of assistance to victims. I am sure communities in Gumira Chisuma Mashubi, Gavhiri in Chipinge South should be able to get assistance for verified cases. Our intention is to come up with a functional national system whilst allowing local level initiatives to continue. The approved national system will be brought to this august House for consideration.
In conclusion, Mr. Speaker Sir, it is also important to highlight that we are not using the word compensation but relief. Compensation schemes face the following challenges such as lack of sufficient funds, fraudulent claims, bureaucratic inadequacies, and the practical barriers that some illiterate farmers from remote areas must overcome to produce a claim and valuation of compensation and verification processes.
I thank you.
DEFORESTATION OF TIMBER TREES IN CHIPINGE-CHIMANIMANI AREAS
- HON. C. HLATYWAYO asked the Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife to inform the House what plans the Ministry is putting in place to address the deforestation of timber trees in Chipinge, Chimanimani areas.
THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE AND WILDLIFE (HON. DR. NYONI): Mr. Speaker Sir, indeed deforestation of our timber resources is a serious issue which needs to be addressed. The country’s economy relies heavily on natural resources to generate employment, income and foreign exchange. The forestry sector which largely consist of exotic plantations and commercial indigenous timber contributes approximately 3% to the GDP.
Approximately 40% or 15 624 000 ha of Zimbabwe’s land area is covered by forests. Of this, 5. 1% is classified as primary forest, which is the most biodiverse and carbon-dense form of forest. Zimbabwe currently has approximately 100 000 ha of planted or exotic forests. The major players in the industry include Allied Timbers, Border Timbers, Wattle Company, Hunyani Forests and Mutare Board and Paper Mills. The exotic plantation forestry industry contributes most of the 3% that the forestry sector contributes to the GDP.
However, Zimbabwe has been facing significant challenges in managing its timber and forestry resources, including wildfires, land invasions and encroachment, brain drain, baboon damage, conflicting national legislation, capitalisation, siltation in rivers and destruction of forest business. As a result, the area under forest has rapidly declined, which will impact the future supply of timber. If the challenges currently affecting the sector are not addressed, Zimbabwe is likely to become a net importer of timber.
The local resource alone will not be able to meet the current demand for such timber, which means the situation will definitely worsen in the future. Although there is an Instrument (S. I. 116 of 2000) that bans the export of indigenous timber, it has not been effective in addressing poaching, overharvesting and smuggling.
Apart from commercial timber, which is limited to one geological area, the country’s indigenous forest and woodlands provide a diverse range of products including fuel wood, artisan crafts, fodder, fruits, honey, mushrooms, insects, bark for rope, medicines, leaf litter and gum. These forests also provide important services such as watershed conservation, carbon fixation, windbreaks, shade, soil stability and wildlife habitat.
The indigenous forests in Western Zimbabwe are crucial for environmental protection. Due to their significance in terms of environmental conservation and commercial timber exploitation, 800 000 ha of these forests were designated in the 1970s, while another 700 000 ha are being managed as communal forestland.
Mr. Speaker Sir, my Ministry is putting in place measures to ensure we reverse this loss of both viable land for timber as well as the timber itself. We are engaging beneficiaries of land reform who were given plantation land and are now converting it to other uses. Our intention is to have those who were allocated plantation land to continue with trees as a viable form of land use. We are glad that the current growth in the construction sector has allowed farmers to see value in timber plantations as viable business options. We are also engaging the Ministry of Lands to ensure that we deal with the issue of illegal settlers who in most cases are responsible for the bulk of degradation taking place in our forest areas. Over and above this, we have embarked on a tree planting drive and creation of legacy forests. We are supporting the Presidential horticultural programme and we have received support from the First Lady who has been instrumental in spearheading a culture of tree planting across the country.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the above actions coupled with monitoring and law enforcement by the Forestry Commission, should be able to reduce the rate of forest loss in the country. However, to effectively manage our forest resources, we need a well-resourced and capacitated Forestry Commission. The institution is in dire straits due to funding challenges which are not entirely of its own making but a policy decision issue. In January 2016, as part of austerity measures, the Treasury discontinued its employment grant to the Forestry Commission.
This grant had been a long-standing pledge to the FC, made as a conciliatory gesture after one of the two major revenue streams of the Forestry Commission, Allied Timbers was privatised and registered with the Government of Zimbabwe as the shareholder. To sustain the institution, Treasury decided to continue providing salary grants while funding operations with proceeds from own funds, including Ngamo Safaris, a strategic business unit.
However, Mr. Speaker Sir, the Forestry Commission has been facing several distressing challenges since 2016. Revenue generation has significantly declined over the past decade. In 2015, the Government brought in a levy for tobacco farmers. The idea was to include the sector within the country’s afforestation drive. The levy was reintroduced at a rate of USD0. 015 per dollar of the selling price, with the revenue generated ring-fenced to finance re-forestation activities. The Forestry Commission which was approved to be the recipient of this fund has only received ZWL162 million in 2019 and 2020. This has crippled the organisation which had advanced own funds in anticipation of the release of the tobacco levy.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I therefore, call upon Parliament and Treasury to ensure that the institution is supported. We cannot renege from our responsibility of financing forestry in Zimbabwe. I thank you.
PROBLEM OF CROCODILE ATTACKS AT LAKE CHIVERO
- HON. TSVANGIRAI asked the Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife to inform the House what measures the Ministry has put in place to address the problem of crocodile attacks at Lake Chivero.
THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE AND WILDLIFE (HON. DR. NYONI): Allow me to thank the Hon. Tsvangirai for the question. Allow me to give a background on the human and crocodile conflicts. A total of three (3) people were recorded by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) as having been attacked by the crocodiles, two men had their legs injured in February 2024, whereas one woman was killed at Crocodile Creek in March 2024. The problematic crocodiles were searched and eventually eliminated (killed) in March 2024. Since then due to various interventions, there has been no reports on incidences of human-crocodile conflict.
Mr. Speaker Sir, my Ministry has put in place the following measures to mitigate human-crocodile conflicts in Lake Chivero;
- ZimParks is holding frequent education and awareness session with fishermen and holiday makers on the potential threats posed by crocodiles on the lake.
- ZimParks has put up “Beware of Crocodiles” signs at all strategic points (entry points, offices and on the lakeshore).
- ZimParks has intensified enforcement of the “fish from the bank” by law through Ranger patrols along the lakeshore.
- ZimParks is making arrangements to open up a canoe hiring facility for fishermen/anglers so that they do not dip legs in the water as they fish.
- The recent increase in crocodile sightings has also spurred ZimParks to investigate the root cause of such. Current efforts are underway to investigate reports of escapees from former crocodile farms upstream of Lake Chivero where crocodiles are said to have been abandoned and may have found their way into the river systems and ultimately into the lake.
- ZimParks has enhanced monitoring efforts in Lake Chivero and where possible, remove problem crocodiles in the water body. Due to its sensitivity to high human activity, it is important to reduce the crocodile population to levels where human-wildlife conflict is kept at a minimum. I thank you.
DISCONNECTION OF CHIPINGE SOUTH CONSTITUENCY FROM A DEDICATED POWERLINE
- HON. HLATYWAYO asked the Minister of Energy and Power Development to explain to House why Chipinge south Constituency was disconnected from a dedicated power line at the Green Fuel Ethanol Plant, a situation which has deprived local residents from benefitting on the electricity supplied.
THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. E. MOYO): Thank you Hon. Speaker. Part of Chipinge South Constituency is normally fed from a Chisumbanje One 33kV line from Mukwasine 132kV substation to Checheche and the surrounding areas. In the event of outages on Chisumbanje, one 33KV line, the clients are fed directly from the Green Fuel 333kV transmission line that evacuates power generated at Green Fuel Ethanol Plant onto the national grid for the benefit of all the lines fed from the matinal grid. Currently, all lines are in service. If there are nay clients having power supply challenges, may you please get in touch with the ZETDC Chiredzi Depot to expedite the resolution of the problem?
INCENTIVES FOR INDEPENDENNT POWER PRODUCERS
- HON. C. MOYO asked the Minister of Energy and Power Development to appraise the House on the incentives that have been put in place for Independent Power Producers (IPPS) to tap into the lucrative solar investment projects.
THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. E. MOYO): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
- Government Project Support Agreement for solar Power Projects aimed at de-risking ZETDC off taker risk and related financial risks now in place for use by prospective IPPs.
- Solar IPPs now able to directly sale their power to private off takers like mining companies and industry in order to get foreign currency receipts from their energy sales that will enable them to pay off their underlying foreign currency debt obligations.
- Mining Companies and ferrochrome producers now compelled to establish their own power stations in order to eliminate subsidies that they are getting from ZETDC through power supplies. The development should see more Solar Power Stations by IPPs being developed by IPPs for uptake by Mining Companies and ferrochrome producers.
- ZETDC has adopted a massive net metering project and power banking facilities that allows Solar Generators to integrate their generation with ZETDC system for power set offs that incentives private players to develop more Solar Projects.
- Deliberate efforts are being made to further reduce current import bill through replacement power from Solar IPPs.
- Duty exemptions on Solar equipment by IPPs investing in Solar Generation and
- USD45 million fund created by a partnership between Government and the private sector to support more investment in green energy of which Solar IPPs are critical in unlocking the opportunities arising from climate change mitigation measures.
MEASURES TO SOLVE POWER CONNECTION CHALLENGES IN TSANZAGURU, RUSAPE
- HON. SAGANDIRA asked the Minister of Energy and Power Development to explain and to appraise the House on the Ministry’s plans regarding measures being taken to solve power connection challenges in Tsanzaguru new stands in Rusape.
THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. E. MOYO): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Tsanzaguru project, the reticulation project is being funded by customers who are pooling resources towards the construction of the MV lines. ZETDC will then come in with construction of HV lines and three substations. Phase 1 of the project is at 35% and phase 2 is at 10% completion. To accelerate the two projects, ZETDC is in the process of mobilising funding to procure power line and substation materials. The project is expected to be completed in the 2nd quarter of 2025.
INTERVENTIONS ON REDUCING NEW HIV INFECTIONS AND ACCESS TO SEXUAL REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AMONGST THE YOUTHS
- HON. P. ZHOU asked the Minister of Health and Child Care to apprise the House of the following:
a) Government’s policies and interventions towards reducing new HIV infections in Zimbabwe among young people, particularly in the 15–24-year age group.
b) What Government has done to increase access to youth-friendly Sexual Reproductive Health Services
c) What Government is doing to ensure access to HIV prevention services to young people
(a) The first step in sustaining the response was to achieve epidemic control, also known as 95-95-95, that is at least 95% of the people living with HIV know their HIV status, at least 95% of people who know their HIV status are on treatment, and at least 95% of people on treatment have a suppressed viral load. Now, that we have achieved that, we need to sustain or maintain our achievement through the following: - increased domestic aid response (look at new sources of funding for health and HIV including the formal sector); improved community engagement, ownership, and leadership and increased public-private partnerships.
(b) The ministry is training healthcare providers to be more assertive, understanding, and judgmental when providing sexual and reproductive health services to adolescents and young people.
The Government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), has made efforts to improve sexual and reproductive education and services for young people by supporting sexual and reproductive health programming articulating ethical and evidence-based policy options and providing norms and standards and promoting their implementation and monitoring.
This was done through the following actions: - In 2015, with support from partners, the MoHCC and the National Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Coordination Forum, initiated the process of adapting 2015 WHO Global standards for quality health care services for adolescents. These guidelines have also adopted the East and Southern Africa (ESARO) region standards addressing Policies, Procedures, and Institutional Support in addition to the eight WHO Standards for Quality Health Care Services for Adolescents.
These National Guidelines on Clinical Adolescent and Youth Friendly Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Provision (YFSP) assist service providers and managers in all settings to provide quality, efficient, and accessible youth populations. They are also a key reference document for on-the-job training and mentorship opportunities for service providers in youth-friendly service provision.
The guidance aims to provide services that should be safe, effective, and affordable; meet the individual needs of young people (adolescent males and females) who return when they need to and recommend these services to “friends”, understanding what young people want in the context of their community and society is, therefore an essential aspect of this definition.
Clinical services are being provided through service delivery points in a variety of settings such as outreach in places where young people meet; tertiary institutions, youth centres and health facilities.
What the Government is doing to ensure access to HIV prevention services for young people?
( c) putting in place policies to reduce new HIV infection; information education and communication on abstinence and mutual faithfulness; HIV testing and counselling which is an entry point for enhanced HIV prevention as well as referral for access to HIV treatment services; condom promotion and communication. When used correctly and consistently, condoms are an effective way to prevent HIV transmission; voluntary medical male circumcision to reduce HIV infection at individual and population levels; we also prevent HIV infection through pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) given to HIV discordant couples or those who do not know the HIV status of their partners and feel they are at risk. There is also Post-exposure prophylaxis for victims of rape or sexual assault by HIV positive or unknown status; putting HIV-positive persons on treatment and making sure they adhere to treatment so that their viral load is undetectable is also a good way to reduce/prevent further transmission (known as treatment as prevention).
Questions with Notice were interrupted by THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER, in terms of Standing Order No. 68.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
ELECTRICITY SITUATION IN ZIMBABWE
THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. E MOYO): Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. I rise to give a Ministerial Statement on the electricity situation in Zimbabwe. My presentation is going to be divided into the following sections: - power generation, I will look at our different stations: IPPs, the outlook of our electricity situation and our priorities to mitigate the current electricity situation.
On power generation, the country through the Zimbabwe Power Company is currently generating a daily average of 1 300 megawatts against a demand of an average of 1 850 megawatts.
Hwange Power stations, stages one and two are producing 380 megawatts from units 1, 3, 4, and 6. Unit 2 is under statutory maintenance and is expected to return to service in July 2004. Unit 5 is undergoing a major overhaul which is expected to be completed in May 2025. Units 7 and 8 are stable and generating a total of 614 megawatts.
Kariba Power Station remains constrained due to low water levels. As a result, the Zambezi River Authority is implementing a tight water allocation schedule that has seen Zimbabwe and Zambia reducing their generation. Kariba power station is generating at an average of 292MW out of a dependable or an installed capacity of 1050MW due to low water levels.
Independent Power Producers (IPPs)
IPPs are producing an average of 50MW which is coming into the grid while solar net metering is giving out 24MW.
Imports
An average of 200MW have been secured from import arrangements with ESKOM, EDM and HCB to help cover the electricity shortfall.
Load shedding is being implemented in stages depending on the shortfall on a particular day as follows;
Stage 1: Supply shortfall is below 300MW and load shedding is mainly targeted at residential loads while prioritising productivity and security points.
Stage 2: Supply shortfall is between 300MW and 500MW and targets some industrial loads in addition to residential loads.
Stage 3: Which is very rare the supply deficit is above 500MW.
Due to the shortfall in internal generation the country has been experiencing Stage 1 load shedding until mid-June, 2024. Thereafter, there has been increased demand resulting in stage 2 load shedding. Furthermore, ZESA has ring fenced 100MW for winter wheat to cater for food security.
Outlook
Demand in the winter season is expected to increase to an average of 1900MW, which without significant intervention would result in continued load curtailment. There are however several mitigation measures that are being implemented in order to narrow the supply demand gap.
Government is looking at increasing power supply sources through an enabling policy and regulation environment for support and procurement from Independent Power Producers (IPPs), Embedded Generation and the continued involvement of third parties in the reformed electricity supply industry such as the Intensive Energy User Group (IEUG), Utility Warehousing, Africa GreenCo, Negomo and others - these players procure power locally and regionally and supply direct customers, energy efficiency improvements and demand side management. Government will continue mobilising foreign currency to enable the utility to increase our electricity imports.
Prioritisation of Hwange Power Station.
The refurbishment of Hwange Power Station’s Unit 5 is a critical step in addressing Zimbabwe’s Electricity shortfall in the short to medium term. Recent updates indicate that the completion of refurbishment work on this unit will result in an additional 160MW to the national grid which is a significant boost considering the current deficit of 300MW. This enhancement in capacity is expected to have a positive impact on both economic and financial performance by mitigating production losses due to power shortages.
Furthermore, the allocation of resources to Hwange Units 1 to 4 and 6, in order to minimise plant down time on failure, will further alleviate the electricity shortages. With these developments, prioritising resources for the power station’s key production related issues is indeed a viable short term solution.
The repowering of units 1 to 6 in 48 to 60 months’ time in the short term will eventually restore the station’s capacity to at least 840MW which should significantly curtail load shedding and stabilise the power supply for the country.
Demand Supply Management
The Switch-off Switch initiative is a strategic approach within Demand Side Management (DSM) that encourages consumers to actively participate in energy conservation by turning off non-essential electrical devices. This not only contributes to immediate reductions in energy consumption, but also promotes a culture of energy awareness and responsibility. ZESA Holdings has begun a public relations campaign to effectively communicate the benefits of energy conservation to the public, fostering a collaborative effort to manage demand and contribute to a more sustainable energy system.
Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)
The integration of a BESS is indeed a critical step towards enhancing energy supply stability; BESS systems are designed to store electrical energy for later use, playing a pivotal role in balancing the supply and demand for electricity within the power grid. By storing excess energy generated during periods of law demand, BESS can provide backup power during peak demand times, thus ensuring a stable energy supply and mitigating disruptions caused by load shedding.
It is essential that BESS installations are paired with a reliable source of charging supply such as solar or wind power to maximise their effectiveness. This approach not only ensures a continuous energy supply, but also facilitates the integration of renewable energy sources into the grid, contributing to a more sustainable energy ecosystem.
As we continue to regularly monitor the hydrological outlook on the Zambezi River, the country expects an improved hydrological season for 2024 to 2025 due to the anticipated La Nina phenomenon.
We urge all consumers to be responsible in their daily power consumption and to work hand in glove with the Government to resolve the energy challenge. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. CHIDUWA: Supplementary question Mr. Speaker Sir. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I just wanted to find out from the Hon. Minister, the reliability of us purchasing power within the Southern African power group under the Short Term Energy Market (STEM). Why I am asking that question is you indicated that you are also getting power from ESKOM, and my understanding is that South Africa is also load shedding and seemingly, you are saying we are importing from South Africa.
I may not understand the dynamics, but I thought we could get something from STEM within the Southern Africa power group. I submit.
HON. TOGAREPI: I just want to check, we are looking at a situation where the energy supply, maybe is in a deficit. Why are we not pursuing what we have seen in other countries, where all water bodies that have enough water have small hydroelectric power stations created? We have even big rivers like your Tokwe-Mukorsi, Mutirikwi and you also have got small dams. If you go to countries like Switzerland, they go to every small dam and there is hydroelectric power that can look after communities around it. Have you explored that as Government, to try and increase our energy that comes from hydro power?
HON. SHAMU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. In listening to the Minister’s statement, I find that missing out are major challenges if we are talking of the state of affairs as we stand today. The issue of cables, Mr. Speaker Sir, in Chegutu we have over 1000 hectares that we should have planted wheat, but we failed to do so simply because ZESA says we have no cables.
Furthermore Mr. Speaker Sir, we hear of ring-fencing areas that grow wheat. We grow wheat, but the amount of shedding that we are facing is crop threatening and if no measures are taken to ensure that anomaly is corrected, we will find that our yield would be affected.
Finally, the Minister talked of public relations in order for people to be made aware of the conservation of energy. We have not as yet met any officer who is there to promote the conservation of energy and even if it were so, maybe they know that there is no energy to go and conserve because of the load shedding that we are facing. So I would feel that it would have been much better if the Minster would have included those areas that are affecting our efforts to economically recover the challenges we are facing in this country. I thank you.
*HON. NYABANI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to find out more from the Minister about solar power. The Minister mentioned that we have 24 megawatts and as I was searching, the Gwanda Project is supposed to start this year until 2026 and is anticipated to generate 600 megawatts. Are there other partners or any other programme meant to augment the electricity? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. E. MOYO): Mr. Speaker Sir, the first question was on the reliability of purchasing power from the Southern Africa Power Pool. We have recently signed a power purchase agreement with ESKOM, which was done in April and that goes for a year. So, we have a firm supply of 50 megawatts from ESKOM and then 50 megawatts variable supply, meaning that the other 50 is supplied as and when it is available but then the 50 megawatt supply is firm because it is contractual. We also have imports from EDM Mozambique which gives us 50 megawatts. There is also HCB of Mozambique also giving us 50 megawatts. All these contracts were signed for a year and were resuscitated this past April; they will subsist until April 2025. So, we have firm 150 megawatts supply and variable 50 megawatts supply. Energy supply deficit and all water bodies should ordinarily have generation capacities. We have small hydros that are located in the Manicaland provinces and in terms of their efficiency, run seasonally. During the rainy season, they produce more but now they have depleted their production because of low water levels.
In the case of dams like Tokwe-Mukorsi, there is something that is going on right now. There were issues of ownership between different agencies but I think those have been resolved. That particular generation hydro plant at Tokwe-Mukorsi has attracted national projects status, which means they are able to secure funding even from our pension funds in the country. I know that those logistics are being finalised. Then for the other dams, the current dams that are being built now like the Gwayi-Shangani, those are built with a provision for power generation. So, rather than have a dam just for the sake of water, we now also have a multi-purpose use of those dams. So, the current Government policy position is that all water bodies should have generation capacities. Unfortunately, some of the dams were built and that provision was not done. I am sure it could be looked into and perhaps some innovative ways could then be developed. I think it is a good point. Some of these things were not done because in the past, Kariba used to be very reliable and power shortages were very rare. Now that we are facing these hydrological issues, we now have to be innovative.
The other question was about missing information in the text. Yes, we could have put in everything but we looked at key areas that were demanded when this Ministerial Statement was ordered. The issue of theft of cables is a very worrying element in our energy space and we call upon neighbourhoods, citizens, MPs and everybody to make people aware of the problems associated with this. Someone goes to sell a cable for a few dollars just to buy a bottle of beer and yet their parent is dying. They go to the shops and complain that the beer is not cold enough when they have themselves stolen a cable which will have deprived them of electricity. So, I think there is need for constant awareness on the effects of these thefts. What we have done to mitigate the issue of time-out as a result of cable shortages is that we have gone into a joint venture with a foreign company which has partnered with ZENT - ZESA Enterprises for the cable manufacturing. So, we are going to have the bulk of our cables manufactured locally so that we save on importation and save on the time that we have to wait for cables coming from outside the country.
The ring-fencing for wheat production – yes, 100 megawatts has been ring-fenced for that purpose. However, to benefit from that, maybe there was missing information through farmers associations that we requested to put together farmers into clusters and then their meters to be submitted to ZETDC for that purpose so that they are spared that load shedding to enable their crops to grow well. I am surprised that some farmers have not benefitted from that. Every Thursday morning, we have a virtual meeting with farmer leaders and some other farmers in the country and they have expressed that they are happy with the supply of power for their wheat crop. If anyone missed out on that, they need to get in touch with their local ZETDC office to register so that they are part of the ring-fenced power supply.
On the publicity to conserve energy, I think different media platforms are being used. The Website is being used and I think we need to do more. I agree there is not much especially on net metering. There are a lot of people who have roof tops that are generating in excess of their requirements and we need to have a sort of arrangement so that they can also benefit from their excess supply. Currently, we are receiving 24 megawatts from net metering programmes but we think that the potential for net metering benefits is in excess of 100 megawatts. So, that is one thing that will have to add energy to.
The Gwanda Solar Project has generated a lot of interest and it is something that the ZPC and the developer are working on. As you may be aware, there have been a lot of problems that have caused delays and since some of the issues are still pending in the courts, I may be limited to say more than what I have done. The project, through a court ruling, was supposed to go ahead and I think there are still a bit of issues here and there but the focus is that the project has to materialise.
HON. MUROMBEDZI: My question to the Hon. Minister is, in his report we have heard how this country continues to grapple with a significant power generation deficit that affects both the rural and urban population, exacerbating challenges for economic development and quality of life.
The setbacks from the Chivhayo solar scandal that he has just alluded to where taxpayers’ money was mismanaged have only deepened these issues. Considering the critical role that PPPs play in addressing our energy needs, what comprehensive measures and robust mechanisms is the Ministry implementing to ensure that future mega projects like these live up to their billing? Specifically, how will the Ministry ensure that these projects are managed with the highest standards of transparency and accountability to prevent mismanagement of funds?
Additionally, what strategies are in place to guarantee that the benefit of such projects extend to our rural communities, ensuring equitable access to reliable power across the entire nation?
*HON. MAPIKI: As we migrate from hydro electricity to thermal and smart electricity, how far have you gone on the issue of having floating solar panels at Kariba? I wanted to check on the issue of lithium batteries. What is the Ministry doing, because getting electricity from ESKOM costs about 0.04c but with lithium, sometimes people use them to complement the power?
There are farmers who do not have transformers and 60% of water bodies do not have transformers. We have companies which are under your Ministry but these companies are quiet about transformers.
HON. BAJILA: I would like to thank the Minister for the question and also thank Hon. Mapiki for picking my question on a floating solar panel on our water bodies so that we could be using them to get more electricity. My remaining question is on the issue of theft. Cable theft is a serious problem. I would like to find out if the Minister has done an investigation on the possible involvement of ZESA employees in cable theft because they are the ones who know when electricity will be gone and when it will be back? We have not heard of any cable thieves getting harmed in the process of conducting cable theft. Has this investigation been done with the view of making amendments to the Electricity Act so that cable theft can become a more serious crime than what it is now with very heavy penalties of minimum of 100 years in prison? I thank you.
HON. MUSHORIWA: I want to thank the Hon. Minister for his Ministerial Statement. The World Bank reports that the 2030 aspiration by Government may not be achieved due to energy and power challenges because currently we are losing close to 6.1% of our GDP. I want to find out from the Minister, you look at unbundling and rebundling of ZESA as an entity to bring more efficiency. We know that Government created five companies out of ZESA but the question we then understood when Dr. Gata was appointed as chairperson of ZESA was that there was an indication of rebundling so that they create efficiency. Can the Hon. Minister advise this House how far that has gone?
Tied to the above question is the question on infrastructure investment. One of the key things that we have noted is that we are losing a lot of power due to our infrastructure because the distribution and production system has actually outlived its life.
My third question is on net metering which the Hon. Minister has alluded to. What is Government doing in making sure that companies which are doing solar installation should be mandated to ensure that there is a provision that allows the automatic net metering between the home owners and electricity companies?
What is the gestation period of the agreement that the Minister has reported to have signed with Sky Power in terms of power generation in Manhize? Mazowe and other places. When can we have those 300MW that we understand this contract would generate for the country?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Can you please clarify your question on infrastructure. Are you saying because the infrastructure is poor the power that is generated is lost or is leaking somehow? Can you clarify on that one please?
HON. MUSHORIWA: On infrastructure for instance, the distribution system, we are losing a lot of power primarily because there has not been any investment for some time. The efficiency in terms of making sure that the electricity that is generated at 100MW, by the time it reaches the consumer, it arrives at 76MW. That is my question.
HON. E. MOYO: Thank you to all Hon. Members for your questions. On the power generation deficit, I spoke about earlier on especially with reference to the Chivhayo issue as exacerbating the problem that we have. True that is so. The power that we could be benefiting from that project if that project had taken place would have assisted us in reducing the current deficit. That is agreed. On the logistics of going forward, I indicated that the ball now is between ZPC, ZESA Holdings and Intratek. That is how far I can go.
On the PPP projects, what are the measures to safeguard taxpayers’ money. With each episode of a problem lessons are learnt even on how to structure these agreements. My own view is that there could have been a problem in that agreement. Now that we have structures in Government that are dealing with investments, specialists that have been employed to deal with that like ZIDA and we also have legal advisors in different departments of Government, this should reduce the risk of weak contractual agreements.
On the Rural Electrification and that you might not meet the target; our aspiration is to meet the target 2030 and we are accelerating pace of deployment, particularly when you look at the rural areas, we are not only doing grid extensions, we are also doing mini-grids which come with a clean energy source.
A few weeks ago, we were in Bhemba in Thsolotsho where we were commissioning such a smart village with all the power in the different houses even in the huts, all done by REA. We also have street lights there in the rural areas, boreholes, irrigation facilities, all schools in the area, clinics and business centres were done. We are encouraging profitable use of that electricity by people coming up with a small industry like welding and other such industries. So, these are some of the efforts that we are doing to also attend to our rural areas and show that by 2030, we are able to take everybody on board. So, we do not want to plan for failure, we want to plan for success.
There is also what we call a total electrification strategy that we have come up with, which we shall soon be launching and that strategy has been done in collaboration with a number of partners including the World Bank. It is going to be launched and people will soon know how we want to roll it out.
Floating solars in Kariba; we have done a lot of work regarding that. I am sure you will not understand that when you go into that kind of exercise, there a number of milestones that you must achieve to get there, with EMA, the agreements that area has to do with National Parks, we are sharing the water course, sharing the dam with Zambia. We need to link up with the Zambians. So those were stages that have been taken so far. We are at a stage of discussions around the PPA (Power Purchase Agreement), ZDET sees as the off taker, you need to agree with the possible developer so that at the end of the day, there is agreement on the PPA and then a license is applied for with ZERA so that the project can begin. Our expectations are that by January, February next year, we should see that project being deployed on that lake.
We have also asked different people who have come through to say that they are interested in deploying floating solar systems to also look at other water bodies in the country. The problem sometimes that people are looking for water bodies that are closer to the grid so that they avoid building transmission lights. So, by then, we are trying to come up with a mechanism that is going to ameliorate that problem.
Lithium batteries, yes; I was reading somewhere that there are companies that are now beginning to produce lithium batteries. The idea really is that we be self sufficient in terms of that. However, we are still not yet developed in terms of technology to be able to be efficient in that area. We have gone offshore to look for investors to come and partner with us in the country so that we can produce all those things locally.
The issue transformers, is also another issue. We are producing transformers at ZENT here in Harare, but then we cannot match the demand for customers. So, this is why we have approached possible partners and we have signed MOUs with them so they can come and partner ZENT and then we can have our transformers produced 100% locally.
We currently have a company that was here two weeks back which is part of this consortium of companies that are coming in to deploy technology and funding for production of electrical equipment in the country.
The issue of theft of cables, yes; we do a lot of investigations and with each case, we determine who is doing it, where they are selling it and all that goes around the issues of theft. The current statistics that we have indicate that scrape metal dealers are the major culprits in this business but it is also true in some, not in the majority of cases, where you find that you have ex-ZESA or current people who are involved. Because of the penalties, what we have seen is that there are very few active employees who are involved in this.
Let us also remember that the issue of electricity is not confined to ZESA employees only. We have people that work in mines who are electricians, engineers and people that work in different settings in the country who are also conversant with this thing about electricity. So, it is really the issue of our own vigilance as communities and also tipping or working with the police so that they are aware of what is happening because these people do these things in communities and sometimes, they hide their loot within the communities. So, it calls for all of us to come on board to try and reduce this scourge.
On ferrochrome, I have just given ferrochrome as an example, in trying to reduce the burden of electricity and subsidy in the country, what we have asked ferrochrome producers to do is to develop their own generation plants for own supply. That is also going to reduce because the ferrochrome sector alone takes about 25% of electricity generated. So, we are saying they should now begin to develop their own generation plants so that they can free electricity for other uses.
On infrastructure investment, it is true that our infrastructure is old and there has been some time without investment in the development and strengthening of the integrity of our infrastructure. However, this has been as a result of a non-cost reflective tariff for over ten years and it was only last year in December that we reached a cost reflective in terms of tariff in the country. Some work has begun to refurbish our network and I am sure you can bear witness; you have seen our people working all over the country to revive electricity infrastructure in the country.
We are also looking at further investments and a few weeks ago, we were in Spain meeting investors, some of whom are interested in these transmission investments. Transmission investments take a lot of money and require long term investments. You need a long-term investor to go into that, but it is noted there are losses, however, we are working on strengthening that network.
Net-metering; what should happen really is that, you know it is not easy to know who has excess power generated from their rooftop. So, it should be the customer coming on board but however, on the other side, we need the utility to advertise this so that people know what to do. We now have some people who are currently applying and we have others who have connected on the net-metering platform and they are giving us a total of about 24 megawatts currently.
On Sky Power, yes, we signed an MOU with them and they had promised to come into the country to launch in Matopo, I think on the 29th May, but from their side, I think side had issues and they could not come. So, an MOU is not really an agreement, it is an operation statement to say we are going to cooperate on this and they have committed themselves to say they are going to do that. We will continue to energise them as the Ministry of Energy.
HON. DR. KHUPE: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker Sir. Hon. Minister, if I got the figures that you gave to us correctly, you said our current generation is 1300 megawatts and our requirement is 1850 megawatts. According to my calculations, the deficit is 550 megawatts whereas we are importing 200 megawatts. Why is it that we are not importing an equivalent to our deficit as a stop gap measure whilst we are looking at other avenues to cover the deficit? Is it because of foreign currency challenges or are there other factors apart from foreign currency challenges? I thank you.
*HON. CHIDZIVA: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. Hon. Minister, may you please clarify the issue of a machine with troubleshoots faults? When you invite ZESA technicians, they tell you that there are a few machines and it takes time for faults to be attended to. There is also an issue of computer colleges. Is there something that can be done so that children who go to such schools are not prejudiced? Moreover, there is the pilot project of the Presidential Solar Schemes, how far has the project gone?
Regarding the sealing of cables, when replacements come to different communities, sometimes aluminum cables are coming. Can we use aluminum as an alternative if it works the same as copper? In addition, the issue of transformers, they should not be in dark secluded places because this is where people go to steal. There should be lights covering the transformers. The ZESA employees were not clarified and I dedicate the response on how they are given transport and logistics.
Furthermore, the other issue is of energy mix. How far has the issue gone? I wanted to understand the issue of wind power and solar as alternatives. I thank you.
HON. MANGONDO: Let me first acknowledge the comprehensive response that has been given by the Hon. Minister. I have a couple of issues to raise with the Hon. Minister. The first one has to do with the several mega projects that…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Member, when you acknowledged the comprehensive responses that he is giving you, I did no hear anyone clapping their hands…
Some Hon. Members having clapped hands.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Okay, that is much better, thank you. Can you proceed?
HON. MANGONDO: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. My first issue has to do with the mega projects that this country has carried out studies in the past and I was hoping the Minister will touch on some of those mega projects. A few weeks ago, I have the question on the Gokwe/Sengwe Power Project and I also raised the same issue earlier with the Hon. Deputy Minister to understand what the status of that project is, especially in view of the fact that it has potential to answer all our energy deficits.
That project, the Gokwe/Sengwe was said to have the potential of generating 200 megawatts. We also have had the Batoka Gorge hydro-electric project which has been on the cards for more than 50 years, which is supposed to be jointly developed with Zambia. We have had Zambia taking initiatives recently but not much on our side. We also appreciate if the Hon. Minister can brief this august House on the progress and prospects of the Batoka Gorge hydro-electric project.
Let me first acknowledge that I tried to raise the issue of PPPs but I would like to say that it would appear that Zimbabwe has not been able to take advantage of the expertise and the financing that comes with PPPs. I attribute this mainly to the absence of institutional frameworks, preferably a legal framework. Part of my issue would have gone to the Ministry of Finance, if I get the chance to ask regarding the establishment of PPPs unit within the Ministry of Finance as has happened in countries such as South Africa.
With specific respect to the Hon. Minister, other countries have also come up with Independent Power Producers Office (IPPOs) under the Ministry of Energy. What are we doing in terms of ensuring that we have a nationally coordinated unit which looks at all these PPPs relating to either renewable energy projects or these other projects which will be focused on ensuring that Zimbabwe takes advantage of the opportunities that are inherent with such PPPs? The Minister made reference to the issue of PPAs which has been a major challenge for Zimbabwe. The Power Purchase Agreements have always been a problem.
We have several projects that were approved particularly in the Eastern Highlands, small hydro-electric projects. We had several and most of them failed to take off because of the absence of Power Purchase Agreements. What is so difficult in Zimbabwe having standard framework for these Power Purchase Agreements considering that the off taker is a Government entity?
I would like to say that if Zimbabwe were to have proper institutions such as a PPP unit in the Ministry of Finance and an IPPO under the Ministry of Energy, we certainly would be able to implement some of these power projects that we have and we will be able to take advantage of the private funding that goes with PPPs and also the expertise that come with organising or having such institutional arrangements. We would also be able to have standards that can be benchmarked against other countries standards in terms of PPPs and IPP arrangements? I thank you.
+HON. MAHLANGU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to thank the Minister with the work that he is doing. I would like to know about the substation up to the stage when it is built. How long does it take for it to be fixed? I want to know if the transformers or cables are stolen, who should replace them? Most of the time, citizens engage themselves in order for them to have electricity fixed and most of the time their property is destroyed because electricity comes at any time after load shedding. I thank you.
HON. E. MOYO: The first question on this round was why not import to cover the total deficit. The Southern African Region, even the Central Regions in the country and the Western Regions have power deficits and we can only import as much as we can pay for. I think we are all aware that when we import the PPAs are in foreign currency and when people pay in the country they normally pay with local currency and to change that local currency to cover the total import bill is not easy. I am sure we all know our situation. So, we only import as much as we think we can cover and also as much as is available in the Southern Africa Power Pool. In the SAP market, we have deficits - I will not name the countries but we have deficits in many other countries here and yet we have countries who have got excess power, but those countries with excess power which I will name; are Angola and Tanzania, we are not connected to them.
We are currently, as SAP, working on interconnectors for Angola and also for Tanzania, so this is work in progress. We have been having discussions around that because these are billion-dollar projects. Some investors have expressed interest to support those developments.
On surveillance technology, yes, there is a technology but then it is not enough. Let us also understand these things in the context of a period of over 10 years without a cost reflective tariff where the barest minimum was being done but then we are currently working together with the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education to develop our own technologies for surveillance to curb these deficits. Some work is being done with some institutions and one of the institutions I know is NUST, HIT and UZ. These things are being done and developed. We are not yet there but we are walking the mile.
Computers in schools, power goes, we encourage all institutions to have back up just like in the homes, solar equipment can be imported free of duty. In fact, it is imported free of duty and we also have schools programmes where there are partnerships with different partners who are deploying solar equipment in the schools, clinics to mitigate this problem of power supply demand gap. These things are really happening, they might not have covered the whole country but these programmes are being rolled out all the time and mini grid and micro grid that we are deploying as Government through REA and sometimes with other partners. We do schools, in the community we do households, irrigation schemes, clinics, business centers. All these are efforts to try and reduce the impact of power outages.
Replacing of copper with aluminum, this is ongoing. You will understand that a lot of our infrastructure, our cables were in copper and we cannot pull them down one day and complete them. However, where opportunities arise, we replace copper with aluminum. There are other components where you cannot replace with aluminum which needs high conductor efficiency and then you need copper for that.
On the transformer thefts, what we are doing, apart from encouraging local vigilant groups to also keep their eyes on electricity infrastructure, we are also changing the mode of placing transformers on those support structures. You will see that the transformer is now placed much higher and there is also what we call transformer hardening where we make sure that no one can unbolt it easily. These are some of the things that are now being done and also placing these transformers where there is population density so that people can be seen when they temper these transformers. For example, in business centers, we move the transformers from the road to the actual business center so that even the security that is guarding the shops is able to see what is happening.
In the homes, rural areas it is also placed closer to a particular home. These are some of the measures, adjustments to curb that problem.
The availability of vehicles, am sure you can see on the roads that we now have more ZETDC vehicles. Yes, we are not yet there but most of the key stations now have new vehicles to try and assist us attend to faults timeously. The frequency of faults is very high and sometimes it is not possible to attend to all of them very quickly but sometimes when they occur and the frequency is low, I think the speed at which these faults are attended to is much faster.
Energy mix, our aspiration is that we have more of renewables than fossils but it is not an easy thing we have a lot of coal in the country and we have invested so much in these fossil fuels, thermal power stations, we cannot throw them away. However, we are encouraging new entrance in to the sector to come up with renewables. What has happened is that we have developed some sites and done feasibility studies for different sites for solar and also for winds and some of them are being run because we need to run say for about 18 months to see if the wind is such that we can put a wind turbine so some of them are being done right now. As soon as everything is ready these are going to be auctioned for possible developers to come into the sector.
On the mega projects and one sited is the Gokwe-Sengwe project. In January we were able to scout for investments in China and UAE we were able to get some investors who were interested and those investors followed up in three months’ time that was in March beginning of April they were here in the country. They visited those areas and Hwange to see where they could site their power stations using coal. They went back to work out their numbers and also to make financial arrangements. We are waiting for them so they are not just a pipe in the air there are projects that we envisage are going to come on very shortly.
On the Batoka Gorge there was some time back an initial arrangement were two international developers were going to partner to develop the Batoka Gorge. The process of selecting those two had some problems to which some legal proceedings ensued and then we had to first of all clear those issues before we can invite new entrance or new applicants for the development of that. At the moment what I can safely say is that the pre-feasibility studies have been completed and now Zimbabwe River Authority who are the custodians of the gauge are working on the actual feasibility study so that any player who comes in already guess the numbers because these feasibility studies can take years and years so that is what is happening. We also envisaged that before the end of the year the tenders are going to be out for people who want to develop there. We also have had some unsolicited expressions of interest from different developers who want to come in to develop that but then from the previous experience, we think we are advising them to submit tenders because if we just head hunt and appoint it creates legal challenges.
IPPs Ministry has got a department that deals with renewable energy and IPPs. So, when someone is interested in developing – coming in as an independent power producer, there are people who have come to the Ministry, we deal with them and take them through the whole process so that one is there. We may differ in the name, but the function is there in the Ministry.
On the projects failing on account of the PPA, like I said earlier on. The background is that ZESA as the major off taker, has been incapacitated by a non-cost reflective tariff, therefore, having to rely on project implementation agreements from the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion. Again, the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion will also look at the cost benefit analysis and say; if the tariff is so low, what that actually means is that the burden is on Government to pay that PPA. This reduces the agreements. It becomes difficult because electricity should come to people not as charity but also as business, people paying for it. We are happy now that with the cost reflective tariff, a lot of IPPs are coming on board and some PPAs are succeeding on the basis of that.
The other thing is on standards, we have the standards. We know what it costs but then of course, these come with some deviations depending on the costs build-up of a particular project which when people are applying for a power purchase agreement, they have to submit their cost build-ups to justify they applied for tariffs. So, it is no longer a big issue really in terms of PPAs but in the past, it was difficult because people would ask for PPAs, and technology had not developed then, things were still expensive. If you looked at the cost of panels then and now, you find that there has been a marked drop in the cost of procuring solar equipment, more so that now we no longer pay any duty for that.
Substations being overloaded – I think I would need more information on that with specific detail so that we can investigate and see what the problem is. Is it the overloading? Is it the transformer? Is it because someone has tampered with it or whatever? Sometimes when these things burn down, it is because people have stolen from the transformer. So, we need specifics on that in order to give a correct answer.
Who replaces stolen cables? Ordinarily, the utility must replace those cables but however, it is difficult to anticipate when budgeting to say we are going to budget for thefts. We want to eliminate theft. So, sometimes you find that for the utility to come up with money to pay and purchase those cables, it may take time but, then people would want to have electricity like yesterday. We then encourage them to say you if you are in a hurry and cannot wait for these processes, when procuring you know the Government procedures, you have to go through a lot of processes, competitive bidding, awarding of tenders et cetera, and that takes time.
People sometimes would say no, we need this power like yesterday and we can put our monies together to purchase – we allow them to do that. Once they get to ZESA to get the QOPs, they get that and then they can buy with those specifications. Then ZESA will come and install. Once they have done that, ZESA has an obligation now to reimburse those people. We cannot pay them in cash because of cash flow situations. We pay them in units, they submit the names and meter numbers of people who have contributed and the amount that was contributed, and then those people are repaid in units.
I think sometimes when these outages occur, the damage to equipment in the house also occurs. Who pays for that? At the moment, I am not sure but what I would advise is that normally, we want to insure our property in the houses. Secondly, we buy surge protectors so that when there is that surge, our equipment is not damaged. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I would like to thank you Hon. Minister for the Ministerial Statement. This brings us to the end of the Ministerial Statement laid on the table by the Minister of Energy and Power Development.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. E. MOYO), the House adjourned at Eleven Minutes past Six o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 10th July, 2024
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE
BILL RECEIVED FROM THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have to inform the Senate that I have received the Administration of Estates Amendment Bill [H.B. 3A, 2024] from the National Assembly.
SWITCHING OFF OF CELLPHONES
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I wish to remind Hon. Senators to switch off their cellphones or put them on silence.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Mr. President Sir, I move that Order of the Day, Number 1 on today’s Order Paper be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE JUDICIAL SERVICE COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2023
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on Motion on the Report of the Judicial Service Commission for the year 2023.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 11th July, 2024.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE ELECTORAL COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2023
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on Motion on the report of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission for the year 2023.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 11th July, 2024.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2023
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on Motion on the report of the Human Rights Commission for the year 2023.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 11th July, 2024.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that Order of the Day Number 5 on today’s Order Paper be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE DELEGATION TO THE 80TH SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND THE 45TH CONFERENCE OF APU HELD IN COTE D’IVOIRE
Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on Motion on the report of the delegation to the 80th Session of the Executive Committee and 45th Conference of the African Parliamentary Union (APU).
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. CHIEF NECHOMBO: Mr. President, I rise to conclude our report. I rise as my duty and privilege to conclude our report on the 45th Conference and 80th Session of the Executive Committee of the African Parliamentary Union (APU).
As we conclude this report, I would like to highlight a significant milestone in the stream of historical time. This year 2024 marks the 48th anniversary of the adoption of the Abidjan Declaration, which is a foundational document for the APU established on the 13th of February 1976. The declaration emphasises the importance of promoting peace, democratic governance and strong human rights across the African continent.
Hon. Members, as we conclude, let us draw inspiration from the spirit of the Abidjan Declaration which embodies the essence of Africa. Let us commit to upholding the principles of peace and democratic governance as envisioned in the declaration. The declaration also champions the empowerment of women, a value we all hold so dearly. Guided by the Abidjan Declaration, alongside other relevant mechanisms, we must actively support our women’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade. That being important, but even more important, we should aim to achieve substantive and equitable participation of women in all socio-economic activities.
In closing, Mr. President, I extend my sincere gratitude to Hon. Sen. Chief Ngungumbane for his eloquent thought through support on this important subject matter. I also express my appreciation to all Hon. Members who thought through and debated on this subject matter.
With that Mr. President, and to that end, I move for the adoption of the report. I thank you – [Hear, hear.]-
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order! You are moving for the withdrawal of this motion, so, take note.
HON. SEN. CHIEF NECHOMBO: Thank you Mr. President for the correction. I move for the withdrawal.
Motion that this House takes note of the Report of the Delegation to the 80th Session of the Executive Committee and 45th Conference of the African Parliamentary Union (APU) held from 11th to 15th December 2023 in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire, put and agreed to.
MOTION
ESTABLISHMENT OF HYDROCEPHALUS DEVICES IN GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE PHARMACIES
HON. SEN. SIBANDA: Thank you Mr. President. First, I
would like to pass my sincere condolences to the Senate over the passing on of Hon. Senator Chabuka.
Hon. President, I would like to move my debate to a further date. Thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Member, you like to request - [HON. SEN. SIBANDA: To be stood over!] - that we stand over your motion to a later date?
HON. SEN. SIBANDA: Thank you.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REHABILITATION OF OPEN MINES BY ARTISANAL MINERS
Eighth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the need for
artisanal miners to rehabilitate open mines.
Question again proposed.
*HON. SEN. MUZODA: Thank you Mr. President for affording me this opportunity to add my voice to the motion that was tabled by Hon. Senator Moyo on mines and mining activities. I thank Hon. Senator Moyo for moving the motion so that we could come up with interventions to ensure that as we engage in mining activities and make livelihoods out of it, we make it sustainable mining as this issue deals with artisanal mining.
In most instances, I hear a lot of bad things being said about artisanal mining, but there is nothing bad about it. They are people who are trying to earn a living legally to sustain their families. What we are not taking into consideration and is of paramount importance is the law. There is a law, but we are not abiding by the law – this is where the problem is. If the Government and all its representatives put their heads together and act in unison and look into mining activities and how the mining is being done regardless of whether one is an artisanal miner or not, when mining activities take place, excavated pits are left unattended and without being rehabilitated because the miners will have realised the mineral that they will be seeking. No one takes into consideration the environment activities and the people who live around the area because as we remove the mineral; there is need for sustainable reclamation of the pits. There should be strict adherence to the environmental laws that ensure that our mines and land are properly taken care of.
Going to the areas where mining activities are happening, we are blessed as a country. I reiterate the fact that we are blessed because we have a lot of mineral wealth and there should be the rule of law. If we abide by our laws, because of the abundance of minerals that we have, we will not even feel the current drought. My plea to the nation is that the mining laws that govern the mining of minerals should be adhered to. People that come to mine in our country are not rehabilitating their mining activities and the people around those areas are not getting anything meaningful.
I recall Hon. Sen. Gotora talking about the need for the rule of law or the laws that should govern the community and the miners so that they enhance community relations which will enable any miner whether local or from outside the country to relate well. These miners should be able to do meaningful development for that particular area in terms of corporate social responsibility.
If you mine in Mutoko and you do not rehabilitate the potholed roads, you will be doing injustice to our country. We are leaving these miners getting away with murder. They are going away with our minerals and the locals within the community remain poor. These miners do not even employ the locals. Instead, they bring their labour force. These miners laugh and mock the locals, not knowing that the land that they are actually mining was given to them by their ancestors.
It is my plea Mr. President that each area has its representative and when I talk about a representative, I will be referring to our traditional leadership. The chiefs should be given their due respect and power to administer the areas where they live so that those who want to be involved in mining must approach the traditional leaders. Yes, it is the correct procedure to go to the offices of the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development but they must not ignore the local leadership, the chiefs who have jurisdiction over those areas.
Mr. President, let me reiterate the issue of artisanal miners and the areas they mine. These are dangerous places and very scary also. looking at the road leading to my communal home, a lot of mining activities are happening there. A person will be even apprehensive about driving along that road because one may not clearly understand the intentions of those artisanal miners. During the day, they will be people and at night those same people will behave like wild animals. I therefore ask that a law be enacted to protect the community where artisanal miners are operating. It is also my plea that there be pressure groups that look at how the girl child lives in an area where artisanal miners are operating.
Mr. President, if you go to Mazowe, Jumbo Mine area, at the moment there has been a cessation of mining activities, but in the past one would be ashamed to spend a day in that area or just to pass through seeing dirty and nasty activities happening there. I beseech the Government to do what is right. We want the Government to go and intervene specifically in the issue of community relations between the miners and the locals.
Coming back to those who are into commercial mining, these commercial miners should give us our dues from their mining activities. Mr. President, I have looked at several places where commercial mines are operating, but the people that are nearby have pathetic living conditions. It is not good that the country should lose its wealth under our watch by people whom we would have allowed.
In conclusion, my understanding of the motion of Hon. Sen. Moyo is that if this country is united and we fight corruption, our mines and those who are operating them will lead to the sustainable development of this economy. If you look at mining areas, once you have discovered gold, a war would have started, a war of documentation. Mr. President, I recall a certain home that is in Zimbabwe where old people have been staying for over 60 years, they found the gold mineral right on their doorstep. They were able to gather three kg of gold and next door there was a claim by someone who claimed to have owned the claim 10 years before they had registered that they were occupying the place. Such behaviour needs to be looked into because it is not good to take advantage of being powerful to the extent of oppressing other people who would have found minerals at their homesteads.
Let the law be very clear. There must be laws that are clear in terms of the guidelines on what should happen should one find a mineral at their homestead. Should they be interested in mining that area, what are the procedures that need to be taken?
As we speak Mr. President, this type of behaviour is bothering people and it is causing problems in the mining of the mineral. We want to go back to our culture and look at how we interact with one another. You cannot just come to one’s homestead for the past six years and start demanding things. Do you know what they would have done to protect the area? We need to go back to someone who has a field or a homestead that has got some minerals and come up with guidelines so that there would be no one who comes from Shurugwi, for instance going to Guruve and say they have seen the mine 10 years before.
Mr. President I want to thank you for the opportunity that you have given me to talk about sustainable mining in this rich country. If we were taking care of our minerals and there were no leakages, Zimbabwe would not be suffering as a country. Look at Botswana, they are being sustained by one mineral, diamond. Botswana has clear mining laws, let us come up with clear laws to guide us in terms of mining. I thank you.
HON. SEN. S. MOYO: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 11th July, 2024.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
ELECTRICITY SITUATION IN ZIMBABWE
THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. E. MOYO): Thank you very much Mr. President and good afternoon.
Power Generation
Mr. President, the country, through the Zimbabwe Power Company, is currently generating a daily average of 1300MW against a demand of an average of 1850MW.
Hwange Power Station stages 1 and 2 are producing 380MW from Units 1, 3, 4 and 6. Unit 2 is under statutory maintenance and is expected to return to service end of July, 2024. Unit 5 is undergoing a major overhaul which is expected to be completed in May 2025. Units 7 and 8 in Hwange are stable and generating a total of 614MW.
Coming to Kariba, Kariba Power Station remains constrained due to the low water levels. As a result, the Zambezi River Authority is implementing a tight water allocation schedule that has seen Zimbabwe and Zambia reducing their generation from that power station. Kariba Power Station is generating at an average of 292MW out of a dependable or an installed capacity of 1050MW due to low water levels.
Independent Power Producers (IPPs)
IPPs are producing an average of 50MW which is being fed into the grid while solar net metering is giving out 24MW.
We need to also take into account that there are many other solar plants in the country which are for captive power. Solar plants which are for dedicated use by individual developers.
Imports
Now coming to the power imports into the country, an average of 200MW have been secured from input arrangements with ESKOM, EDM and HCB to help cover the electricity shortfall.
Load shedding is being implemented in stages depending on the shortfall on a particular day as follows;
Stage 1: Supply shortfall is below 300MW and load shedding is mainly targeted at residential loads while prioritising productivity and security points.
Stage 2: Supply shortfall is between 300MW and 500MW and targets some industrial loads in addition to residential loads.
Stage 3: Although we have not gone to that, it refers to a situation where the supply deficit is above 500MW and the shedding is on all loads except only the security loads.
Due to the shortfall in internal generation, the country has been experiencing stage 1 load shedding until mid-June, 2024. Thereafter, there has been increased demand resulting in stage 2 load shedding. Furthermore, ZESA has ring-fenced 100MW for winter wheat to cater for food security.
Electricity Outlook
Demand in the winter season is expected to increase to an average of 1900MW which without significant intervention, would result in continued load curtailment. There are however several mitigation measures that are being implemented in order to narrow the supply demand gap.
Government is looking at increasing power supply sources through an enabling environment policy and regulation environment for support and procurement from Independent Power Producers (IPPs), Embedded Generation and the continued involvement of third parties in the reformed electricity supply industry such as the Intensive Energy User Group (IEUG), Utility Warehousing, Africa GreenCo, Negomo and others - these players procure power locally and regionally and supply direct customers, energy efficiency improvements and demand side management. Government will continue mobilising foreign currency to enable the utility to increase our electricity imports.
Prioritisation of Hwange Power Station.
The refurbishment of Hwange Power Station’s Unit 5 is a critical step in addressing Zimbabwe’s electricity shortfall in the short to medium term. Recent update indicates that the completion of refurbishment work on this unit will result in an additional 160MW to the national grid which is a significant boost considering the current deficit of 300MW. This enhancement in capacity is expected to have a positive impact on both economic and financial performance by mitigating production losses due to power shortages.
Furthermore, the allocation of resources to Hwange Units 1 to 4 and 6 in order to minimise plant down-time on failure will further alleviate the electricity shortages. With these developments, prioritising resources for the power station’s key production related issues is indeed a viable short-term solution.
The repowering of Units 1 to 6 in 48 to 60 months’ time in the short-term will eventually restore the station’s capacity to at least 840MW which should significantly curtail load shedding and stabilise the power supply for the country.
Demand Side Management
The Switch-off Switch initiative is a strategic approach within Demand Side Management (DSM) that encourages consumers to actively participate in energy conservation by turning off non-essential electrical devices. This not only contributes to immediate reductions in energy consumption but also promotes a culture of energy awareness and responsibility. ZESA Holdings has begun a public relations campaign to effectively communicate the benefits of energy conservation to the public fostering a collaborative effort to manage demand and contribute to a more sustainable energy system.
Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)
The integration of a BESS is indeed a critical step towards enhancing energy supply stability. BESS systems are designed to store electrical energy for later use, playing a pivotal role in balancing the supply and demand for electricity within the power grid. By storing excess energy generated during periods of law demand, BESS can provide back-up power during peak demand times, thus ensuring a stable energy supply and mitigating disruptions caused by load shedding.
It is essential that BESS are paired with a reliable source of charging supply such as solar or wind power to maximise their effectiveness. This approach not only ensures a continuous energy supply but also facilitates the integration of renewable energy sources into the grid contributing to a more sustainable energy ecosystem.
As we continue to regularly monitor the hydrological outlook on the Zambezi River the country expects and improved hydrological season for 2024 to 2025 due to the anticipated La Nina phenomenon.
We urge all consumers to be responsible in their daily power consumption and to work hand in glove with the Government to restore the energy challenge. I thank you Mr. President.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank you Hon. Minister. I will now allow Hon. Members who would like to seek some clarifications from that Ministerial Statement on the energy situation in the country, in particular looking at electricity supply.
HON. SEN. NCUBE: Thank you Mr. President and I want to thank the Minister for his Ministerial Statement. Minister, with regards to Hwange Unit 5, which is going to boost us with 160 megawatts, you have not given an indication when that is likely to come on line, that is number 1. Number 2 Hon. Minister, households are encouraged as much as possible, to install solar panels in order to alleviate people from power shortages. What happens when people install solar panels which are in excess of what they can use daily? Is it possible to have a friendly policy to enable those who have got excess? It does not matter how small the excess is, it can actually be fed into the grid. Have you worked on that Hon. Minister and what impact does that have? I thank you.
HON. SEN. C. MUTSVANGWA: With your permission Hon. President, I would like to very much thank the Hon. Minister for the Ministerial Statement which he has made on this issue, which is really key to the development prospects of the country. I think after water and air for the nation as a whole, energy is the absolute requirement for national progress. I would also want to put praise to our President as I make my question that his decision to not listen to those who were saying we use coal two or three years ago in Scotland, in Glen Eagles, has borne fruit. With what is happening with Kariba, imagine if the President has not gone for thermal power stations, we would be in total darkness and the situation just ascribed would be worse.
The Hon. Minister took a trip to one of the countries and was seeking investors in the power sector a few months ago and the trip was very successful. I would like to ask him; attention is being focused on the refurbishment of 1 to 4 Hwange. How much time does it require and what would be the cost? Is there, perhaps not a case whereby we just go for those who are prepared to invest in Hwange 9 and 10 because starting a new plant with new technology may be much easier than trying to refurbish antiquated technology, which came from 30 to 40 years ago. Advances in thermal power generation have been much more than what would be needed to refurbish the 1 to 4, which would be a cost-effective, speedy and much quicker solution to bring in a completely new investment in Hwange 9 and 10 as opposed to refurbishment.
I would like also to highlight at the recent irrigation conference, the tax exemption which was given to wheat farmers for solar panels. Why can we not extend that whole tax regime or tariff regime to the solar sector so that the storage batteries and solar panels you alluded to can be imported duty free? This would justify what my previous colleague has mentioned about that solar panels being used to access power can become possible through anybody and everybody who can buy solar panels, bring them into the country and provide non-distributed energy as well as connected energy. We should have a tax free regime for all the solar sector so that private money, be it big or small, can be harnessed to address this dire situation, collect revenue when you are in darkness, which then deters people from buying solar panels and makes them remain in darkness, it is not a wise policy. What we should say, we forego the revenue to the Ministry of Finance and we focus on everybody putting his energy into solar generation or wind generation, in particular, solar generation by encouraging a tax-free tariff free regime.
This is coming at a time when the price of solar panels in the last 10 months…
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order Hon. Senator C. Mutsvangwa!
HON. SEN. C. MUTSVANGWA: I am done, would then make it possible to reduce the load shedding which we are having. I thank you.
HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: Thank you very much Hon. President, let me start my contribution by thanking the Minister for respecting this Senate and coming through to give us in detail what the Ministry is doing to increase energy generation and hence enable economic activity, this is most appreciated. However, Mr. President, I wish to find clarification on the issue of IPPS, how the Ministry is facilitating easy licencing of those interested in independent producers who are invested in generating electricity of the country. I am aware that it is a very tortuous process to get a licence to produce electricity if you are an independent player. Perhaps we need to make sure that this process is user friendly so that we can attract more people into the IPP sector.
Secondly, I also wish to find clarity with respect to issues of solar net metering on solar energy generation and what the Ministry is doing to widely publicise this so that more people can hook on this and assist to jerk up the 24 megawatts that they are currently generating. I think there is huge potential on this low hanging fruit to double the energy that can be enjoyed from net metering.
+HON. SEN. S. MOYO: Thank you Hon. President, I will first want to thank Hon. Minister E. Moyo for the great job regarding provision of electricity in our country of which electricity is a major challenge in our country. I would like to thank him for giving us this statement.
I want clarity regarding the issue of 800 megawatts without giving us time frames as to how long it will take. Looking at companies, Mr. President, they operate for about two weeks without electricity and some of them have been closed. Hon. Minister, my interest is mainly on Hwange Power Station which is where we get most of our coal. Hwange, or the country as a whole is unable to get enough coal to assist us to get 800 megawatts. We realised that we have two contracts there which are getting coal. We are experiencing a situation whereby more coal is being exported out of the country.
Hon. Minister, how are you going to rectify this? I was of the thinking that you would invest more to this country so that it gets enough coal. Thank you.
HON. SEN. FANUEL: I also want to thank the Hon. Minister for his statement. I want to thank him specifically – I cannot talk about other districts, we have received the cars. When we had faults, the district had no cars. My question is, why is the Ministry not providing some big engines or generators to improvise when there is no electricity and everything else is down? School children are turned away from school, everything is down – especially businesses. It also affects the supply of water. If there is no water, the children do not attend school for almost a week. Why is the Ministry not improvising? I thank you. – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.]-
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Thank you Mr. President. I just wanted to say to the Hon. Minister that what we are doing is an endeavor to increase power generation. We have to deal with the demon called climate change. They say we should not use fossils, we have coal but we are now being asked to stop using coal. What is our position as regarding the disuse of coal? Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. E. MOYO): Thank you very much Mr. President and thank you Hon. Senators who raised questions.
Unit 5 will give us 160 megawatts and, I think, I mentioned in my presentation that the refurbishment of Unit 5 is going to be completed before the end of May 2025. So that is the timeline that we have so far. All things being equal, unless there are unforeseen glitches, we expect that that timeline is going to be met.
The second question was on households being encouraged to install solar. We very much encourage people to install solar. I did speak about net metering in the system. What it means is that if you are generating more than you use on your rooftop, if you then join the net metering by applying to ZESA to say I have got this rooftop, it is generating this kind of wattage. I would like the excess power to be fed into the grid - that is done. Unfortunately, it is not easy to know who has excess and who does not until someone applies.
We are trying to work very hard. I have been talking to ZESA stakeholders’ relations to encourage them to very much publicise this. We think that there is an excess of 100 megawatts that can be harvested from net metering efforts. So, that one is being done. Currently, we are able to get 24 megawatts out of net metering but we think the potential is much higher.
Question three, energy is very key, that was from Hon. Sen. Mutsvangwa. It is very important and we know we are being stopped from using coal here and there. However, we also applaud the bold decision against the headwinds that the President took to secure funding for Units 7 and 8 which are giving us a constant 614 megawatts on a daily basis without fail. The refurbishment of Units 1 to 4, in terms of the costs, I do not have the figures at hand but I know these things are very costly. When we are talking of power stations, we are talking of everything, the equipment there is very, very expensive. Usually it comes from original equipment manufacturers and that is manufactured on licence and the price is take or leave. So that becomes very difficult.
However, we are moving unit by unit. We have done some units but what we are doing is not repowering. What we are doing is refurbishment where we are trying to improve the efficiency of those units to produce slightly more. Repowering will imply that we take out all the equipment in there, remove all the technology and put new technology.
Correct what you said and observed that technologies are fast changing. It may be very difficult to calibrate new technologies on an existing infrastructure because the existing infrastructure was designed for old technologies. However, whilst we await the start and conclusion of negotiations regarding Units 9 and 10, we think, we would rather be refurbishing the existing units so that we increase on power supply. As soon as we have our Units 9 and 10 - by the way to build a power station might take us two to three years. In the interim, we would like to refurbish so as to increase the efficiency of those units but we take note that the current technology cannot fit into the old infrastructure.
Now on tax exemptions for solar equipment, that is already in place. Anybody who brings in solar panels, batteries, inverters or whatever it is that has to do with solar, it is tax free, you are exempt from taxation, so people are encouraged to import duty free.
Independent Power Producers (IPPs), we facilitate as a Ministry and encourage IPPs to come on board. IPPs provide a window of opportunity for people who are enterprising who would like to get into electricity supply as a business and we encourage people to move in there very fast.
The incentives that we have put in place include the issuance of Government project documentation agreements. In January when we were in Victoria Falls where we had an International Energy Summit, we were able to issue ten Government projects implementation agreements for solar projects for IPPs. So, we encourage people to come on board to get these.
Yes, the comment is also that it is a bit difficult for people who want to do solar to come into the sector. These have been made very easy. Those who find it very difficult can check even with my office because granted, you may find people who always enjoy making things very difficult. I would have said more but for the sake of the Hansard, I would not say much.
However, as Zimbabweans, sometimes we like examinations. When you come to an office, someone gives you an examination to pass. It may make it so difficult but then our thrust as a Ministry is to make it as easy as possible to get into the sector. On how we do it, we give you all the information that you require. We also direct you to say, for licencing, go to ZERA, ZERA has streamlined their system or processes so that it is easy.
The only difficulty that many people find, for solar projects, you normally need land. A lot of people are finding it difficult to secure land on which to erect their solar plants. Sometimes, they make agreements with people and when they are about to implement the project, those people change the goal post. This is what we have found in many cases. Sometimes, it is the issue of funding because for one megawatt of solar production, you need about one million. So, to secure funding for such projects, sometimes it becomes difficult. However, the Government project implementation agreement, we are de-risking those investments and we are encouraging people to use that facility.
Net metering, yes we have spoken about it and we are trying to publicise that programme so that many people can get on board.
On what Hon. Sen. Moyo asked on when our country is going to get enough energy, it is a moving target. However, our envisaged supply is that by the end of 2025, we should have an excess of 2500 megawatts and by 2030, we want to have an excess of 5000 megawatts. We think even if we might not fulfil the entire demand, we would have tried our best.
At the moment, some of the measures that we are putting in place are for those that are using more energy power like the ferro-chrome sector, they need to have their electricity projects so that they can use their power. This will assist us in freeing our power supply by ensuring that it is subsidised. So, by the end of next year, this has to stop.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Minister, may you stick to one language.
HON. E. MOYO: The challenge is that some of the issues do not have English terms, I will try.
Hon. Senator Moyo also indicated that most of our coal is exported and you end up failing to get enough coal to help empower generation. We have enough coal and it will take us centuries to lapse. At the moment, we have about 52 billion metric tonnes of coal in Hwange. So, we have enough coal. For those who are selling coal, they are doing so as a business but currently, we have enough coal to produce electricity.
The Hon. Senator was also pin-pointing the shortage of cars. We have schools that are buying their generators so that they can have electricity even when power is off. Talking of schools and the education sector, we have a programme of putting solar in schools, hospitals, and clinics. These also have an opportunity to ensure that when power is off then they can use electricity from generators and that from solar power.
On climate change, yes, it is being highlighted all over the world that we need to reduce the use of coal, which is why we have indicated that we will try using solar more to assist in electricity generation. I thank you.
MOTION
COMPENSATION TO PENSIONERS AND POLICYHOLDERS BY PENSION AND INSURANCE COMPANIES
Ninth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the reduced value of the Zimbabwean dollar.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. S. MOYO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 11th July, 2024.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE 148th ASSEMBLY OF THE INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION (IPU) HELD IN GENEVA
Tenth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the report of 148th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and related meetings.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to
Debate to resume: Thursday, 11th July, 2024.
MOTION
CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES TO HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA ON ASSUMPTION OF THE PRESIDENCY OF PAP
Eleventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion that a congratulatory message be conveyed to Hon. Senator Chief Charumbira on his ascendancy to the Presidency of the Pan-African Parliament.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 11th June, 2024.
MOTION
ESTABLISHMENT OF PUBLIC HEMODIALYSIS FACILITIES IN DISTRICTS
Twelfth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the treatment of chronic kidney disease in Zimbabwe.
Question again proposed.
+HON. SEN. SIBANDA: Thank you Mr. President. I would like to thank Hon. Zvidzai for bringing this very important motion to this House. This disease, cancer, is one of the most painful diseases, which sometimes you fail to find what can help you, like what happened to one of us. When you are already affected and infected by this disease, it needs a lot of support through medication and dialysis. For most of those people who go under dialysis, it becomes very expensive in terms of money.
Mr. President if we, as Government, can consider this disease as a chronic disease and put aside money that is mainly for such diseases, it would help us because we end up being mainly affected as Zimbabweans. So, I suggest that anyone who is infected by this disease should be assisted using the set aside fund.
We also realise that the time when this infected person is expected to rest, he or she is working hard to survive and to find something that he or she can help herself with, there should be a way that those infected by the disease can be assisted by the Government. The people that we represent are looking up to us so that we can help them in coming up with ways that will help us so that we do not become laughing stocks. The reason is you find that when we are sick, we are still coming to work because we do not have what can help us and our coming to work will be a way of raising financial support to pay our bills.
We are also failing to help our colleagues because of lack of financial support. We even end up failing to assist those who are close to us. I do not know how best we can get assistance so that the people who are infected by this kidney cancer can be easily helped through providing them with medication. Even if we know they will die, they should at least find medication to prolong their lifespan and that even when they are at work, we can surely say that at least they look well. That is the reason why they are at work. I thank you Mr. President for this opportunity.
HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: I move that the debate be now adjourned.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 11th July, 2024.
MOTION
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO ZUPCO AND PRIVATE TRANSPORT OPERATORS
Thirteenth Order read: Adjourn debate on motion on the inadequacy of public transport in the country.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Mr. President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 11th July, 2024.
MOTION
PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT SERVICES FOR TEENAGE MOTHERS
Fourteenth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the effects of teenage pregnancy.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Mr. President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 11th July, 2024.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE DELEGATION ON THE ELECTION OBSERVATION MISSION TO RUSSIA
Fifteenth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the report of the Delegation on the Election Observation Mission to Russia on Russian Presidential Elections.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 11th July, 2024.
On the motion of HON. SEN. MUZENDA, seconded by HON. SEN. GOTORA, the Senate adjourned at Seven Minutes to Four o’ clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 9th July, 2024
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair)
HON. MATEWU: On a point of privilege Madam Speaker. It is now mid-July and Hon Members have not received their allowances for this current year, which is having an impact on their welfare. Secondly, this House’s Hon. Members have not received the Constituency Development Funds for almost two years now. I ask your indulgence to ensure that Hon. Members get these things. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank your Hon. Matewu. Your point of privilege has been noted, but I am deferring my ruling to Thursday.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 6 be stood over until Order of the Day Number 7 has been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
CONSIDERATION STAGE
ADMINISTRATION OF ESTATES AMENDMENT BILL
[H. B. 3A, 2024]
Amendments to Clauses 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 put and agreed to.
Bill, as amended, adopted.
Third Reading: With leave, forthwith.
THIRD READING
ADMINISTRATION OF ESTATES AMENDMENT BILL
[H. B. 3A, 2024]
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Madam. Speaker, I now move that the Bill be read the third time.
Motion put and agreed to.
Bill read the third time.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 6 to 8 on today’s Order Paper be stood over until Order of the Day Number 9 has been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
SECOND READING
PRIVATE VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS AMENDMENT BILL [H. B. 2, 2024]
Ninth Order read: Adjourned debate on the Second Reading of the Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Bill [H. B. 2, 2024].
Question again proposed.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): I move that the Bill be now read a second time.
Motion put and agreed to.
Bill read a second time.
Committee Stage: Wednesday, 10th July, 2024.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 10 to 11 on today’s Order Paper be stood over until Order of the Day Number 12 has been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO ZUPCO AND PRIVATE TRANSPORT OPERATORS
Twelfth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on inadequate and unreliable public transportation.
Question again proposed.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am for allowing me to debate on this very important motion which was introduced by Hon. Mashonganyika. The prayer in this motion is for Government to support ZUPCO and private transport operators. Secondly, the prayer from the motion is that the law enforcement agencies improve surveillance and enforcement activities on the issue of unregistered operators. The prayer also goes on to talk about the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe promoting awareness with regards to the issue of accidents and unregistered operators to the general public of Zimbabwe.
Lastly, the prayer in the motion also talks about giving financial assistance to the National Railways of Zimbabwe so as to capacitate or recapacitate its operations and improve the transport service delivery in this country. Let me be very clear Madam Speaker, that I am going to support only two parts of the motion. The other parts I am not going to support on the basis of the arguments I am going to put in my debate.
Let me go step by step on the prayers. The first one, the issue of financial assistance to ZUPCO - it is imperative to understand that ZUPCO’s mandate is to provide efficient public transport both in the rural and urban areas. Over the years, we have seen many ZUPCO buses being purchased to support this very important agenda. However, what pains me the most is the corporate governance malpractices and the culture of corruption that we see in our State-owned enterprises including ZUPCO. From 2018 to 2021 Auditor’s General Reports, there is a plethora of scandals or circumstances that shows that there were corporate governance malpractices both in ZUPCO and the National Railways of Zimbabwe.
Let me highlight a few of them so that I put things into perceptive. Let me start with ZUPCO; part of its property and equipment which it has, it has been leasing it elsewhere. So …
HON. J. TSHUMA: I rise on a point of order. May the Hon. Member, while he is debating, not come too close to the mic because we cannot hear some of the words? I think he is speaking sense but he must not come too close or shout, just speak softly. Soft as wool, we want to hear what you are you saying.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Tshuma. I am sure Hon. Madzivanyika has taken note of that.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you Madam Speaker, point well taken note of. Let me stand straight, I am not sure if the Hon. Member is now hearing me loud and clear. I was referring to the Auditor General’s report and I was saying that there is a plethora of corporate governance malpractice and this malpractice…..
HON. DHLIWAYO: I rise on a point of order. The Hon. Member is debating a report that is under consideration by PAC and it is not yet presented in this House. So, I think if he can concentrate on debating…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I think the Hon. Member is debating the motion. Hon. Madzivanyika, may you please go ahead. I have made a ruling Hon. Member, may you take your seat.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you Madam Speaker, I used to get offended by points of order until recently when I realised that they will not stop the real substance at hand, so I am continuing. ZUPCO, in its asset register had some equipment which it was leasing out to another third party, under IFRS40. That investment property, that equipment that was leased outside and the proceeds thereof, were supposed to be put under what is called investment property. If you do not put it under investment property, the implication is that the equipment is being used by the company in the day to day running of its business. This equipment was being leased and it was generally income from outside. It creates that opaqueness, which gives opportunity for fraud and embezzlement of national funds. The real risk of fraud was evident. That is number 1 Madam Speaker. …
HON. DHLIWAYO: Point of clarity Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Please go ahead.
HON. DHLIWAYO: I wanted to find out whether that is the correct procedure that he is exhausting that report here, yet we have not fully considered that report in the Public Accounts Committee PAC and it has not been presented in this House.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Madzivanyika, please may you approach the Chair.
Hon. Madzivanyika approached the Chair.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Dhliwayo, I will allow Hon. Madzivanyika to proceed because he is not the Member of the Public Accounts Committee. Therefore, I will allow him to proceed.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you Madam Speaker for the protection. Secondly, on corporate governance malpractices, during the year 2021, ZUPCO invoiced diesel and the diesel which was delivered had a variance of over 250 thousand liters, the diesel which was delivered versus what was invoiced. This means that money was paid to acquire the diesel but on the delivery side, nothing could be shown for it. Where does it show Madam Speaker? For a normal person like me as a legislator, it shows that there is a real risk of fraud in our State institution.
It is my worry that this trend has been continuing since 2018. If we look at the successive Auditor General’s reports, to me, continuing to put money in such an institution, where there is no clear framework for good corporate governance, is just putting water in the drain. I do not think it is prudent to support that kind of situation. I cannot bury my head in the sand and behave as if everything is normal when this kind of tragedy is taking place in our State institutions and to continue giving money to such an institution is putting our money into the drain.
Madam Speaker, when Auditor General’s reports are being produced, they also take a leaf from what happened in the previous AG’s reports. In 2021, for 2020, out of the 11 adverse reports generated, only three were corrected. It shows that this company has not reformed. To me, if something is said to be wrong by the Auditor General who is constituted by the law of this land and a year later when they make another audit, you will see the previous AG’s reports were not being attended to; this is a sign that there is no change. Why can we not reform ZUPCO itself first? Before we support it financially, we should make sure that we are giving money to people who are genuinely interested in upholding the interest of Zimbabwe first.
Let me go on to the second item, the prayer. The second item on the prayer talks about the issue to do with the law enforcement agencies so that they expedite, improve or increase enforcement activities to weed out unregistered operators. It is true that unregistered operators are a menace to our society, especially in urban areas, even in the rural areas, vehicles which are not designed to carry human beings are used. This is a real cause for concern. Honestly, I support the legislator, the one who brought this motion, Hon. Mashonganyika.
However, I also want to add further to say, can we also, Madam Speaker, try to motivate our police officers? Most of them are living below the poverty datum line. Under the current circumstances, they are expected to do their work and do it with the real desire to work, but they need to meet their basic requirements or needs. It is my prayer that as much as we want them to do further enforcement work, we should also try to motivate them. How many police officers own houses out of their own remuneration? They are very few. Madam Speaker, this situation is not sustainable because you cannot tell the guard to guard billions whilst he does not have breakfast. Let us try to move along that trajectory to assist our police officers and at the same time ensure that they improve enforcement activities.
The third prayer talks about the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe. It is not in doubt that the issue of awareness is important. We should, by all means necessary, try to assist and ensure that people are assured to arrive and aware to the constitutional provisions which relate to the issues of transport. Our legal framework is perfect. We have got the ZINARA Act, the Road Traffic Act and many other pieces of legislation which guide us in the area of transport. It is important honestly to promote traffic awareness by Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe. I support this issue and the mover of the motion.
The issue of financial support to purchase public service vehicles, the Government has already provided S.I. 38:2022 as a way of trying to support public transport operators. This S.I. says, for you to be legible, you bring your public motor vehicle, buses or mini-buses into Zimbabwe without payment of customs duty. That S.I. is in existence but on condition that number one, you are supposed to be a member of the transport operators’ association. Number two, you are supposed to get a letter from the Ministry of Transport. Number three, you need to have a route authority and those other small requirements. So, I am very sure to say that the support that these people are getting from Government is so sufficient.
Lastly, let me talk about National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ). The mover of the motion pointed that we should support NRZ, in an endeavour to resuscitate its dilapidated locomotives as well as the railway systems. It is another sorry state; when I looked at the Auditor General’s report, I realised that for 2017 and 2018, 2017 alone, the institution made a loss of USD256 000. In 2018, it made another subsequent loss of USD286 000. The going concern aspect of this institution is in doubt. The last two months, I witnessed a video of a Zimbabwean train moving literally in the bush trying to locate the railway line. To me, it was so embarrasS.I.ng. What is the problem? This is very important. We cannot just come and say we want to resuscitate and support it without understanding the underlying problem. The problem comes back again; the issue of corporate governance, the issue of corruption.
From the 2018 Auditor General’s report on NRZ, NRZ invested cash into a local bank worth USD460 000 and were generating income but that cash, we have nothing recorded as investment property in its balance sheet. So, it means that there is someone who is benefiting behind the back at the expense of the generality of Zimbabweans. Then you come back and put money again, putting money into that kind of an institution without correcting the corporate governance system of this company. It is common cause that when you are in business, you should insure your products. You should ensure your assets and there was no insurance up to 2018 from NRZ. No insurance on the NRZ assets, no insurance on the locomotives and no insurance on the railway line itself. What does that mean? If there is an occurrence of a national disaster which disturbs the operations of NRZ, it means we would be found hamstrung. So, I was of the opinion that let us correct the corporate governance situation before we deal with the issue of giving out money to this institution.
The other issue in terms of corporate governance in order to terminate corruption is the fact that NRZ has its own land and its real State land. Right now, as we speak, it has got illegal tenants but can we call them illegal? I do not think so. Someone authorised them to stay on NRZ land, build properties on NRZ land. Why can NRZ not, in its own wisdom, build properties, rent out, get income to support the locomotive system to support the day to day operations of NRZ? To me, it is important to deal with the scourge of corruption. It is important to deal with the scourge of corporate governance malpractice before we give money into these institutions. I thank you.
HON. J. TSHUMA: Good afternoon Madam Speaker. Mine is going to be very short because I think the whole discussion here is very simple. I will take you back to Bulawayo; we had one of the best transport systems in Bulawayo that was managed by an organisation called tshovhamubaiwa. After that, there was a doctor, the structural impact of their existence could be felt. We had so much efficiency that even organisations were now coming into our communities to come and help, especially the bereavement in the community. They could offer their kombis to ferry mourners for free because it was now a very close-knit sort of environment. So, nothing is important as having a system put in place. We have seen the introduction of ZUPCO coming in but the mess that I have seen being created as well there, was deplorable. It is important and for the first time, I actually said I was going to agree with Hon. Mushoriwa when he spoke about corporate governance.
I was so appalled one day when I stayed in Pelandaba, Bulawayo. As I was driving to town, I saw people waking to town and they came from as far as Pumula, Magwegwe and stuff like that. When I stopped to offer them a lift, I asked them what was wrong, they said there were no buses at all. As soon as I dropped them in town, I went straight to ZUPCO depot, only to find the manager sitting, who told me that they did not have diesel. ‘How do you not have diesel, did the Government fail to give you diesel? No, we were late to order diesel, so it is on its way’. That now to me, clearly shows that here is a manager who is seated in a ZUPCO office with an air conditioner, driving a ZUPCO company car, may be a 4X4, staying in ZUPCO company house, which is in the low-density suburbs, probably also married a wife uS.I.ng the ZUPCO resources but they forget to come and do their work. At the end of the day, Government is blamed and most of the times, it is not Government to be blamed. They blame our party and say look at what ZANU PF is doing, yet it is somebody who is supposed to be competent, somebody who has been hired to come and perform their duty. So, governance in this institution must be something that is supposed to be of paramount importance, otherwise we will be wasting our time.
If we go to an institution like NRZ, NRZ used to carry goods, especially coal from Hwange, delivering it to ZISCO Steel and other parts of the country. This thing was dismantled purposely so that we put into our gonyetsi. If we look at that road from Victoria Falls coming to Bulawayo, it is a death trap.
One of our best band in Matebeleland had an accident there and their members died. All these things speak of people who are being greedy, people who do things knowing that there are some people who do not want to open their minds and think, and they will challenge back ZANU-PF. That thing must stop. Let us make everybody carry their own cross and make sure that everybody pays for whatever they cause. At the end of the day, they say, ‘your works shall follow you’. This is a very important thing that will need to have registration put in place. We need to have a system put in place so that we do not experience some of these things that we experience in the community.
I just came in to highlight these two issues. Let us do something about the NRZ scenario. I am glad to have interacted with the General Manager of NRZ, a very good lady, very focused and she is doing her best to resuscitate that company. We just need to come in and support her. Hon. Members who are ladies here must be happy to know that one of your own, a lady who is running NRZ is doing so well. If you listen to her plans, follow what she is thinking about and what she wants to do. You can tell that no, may be when they say musha mukadzi/umuzi ngumama, they are saying the truth. They are doing a very good job there and we just need to support her.
So, Madam Speaker, as I conclude, I want us to liberalise the transport system. Let us let the Harare people sort themselves out in terms of transport so that we remove the mushikashika. The mushikashika are coming in because there is chaos that they have created and these mushikashika people, every day are robing people and raping our children, mothers, sisters, fathers and brothers, taking away their monies because they are not registered at all. They can get away with murder. It would be better if they were a registered company or association like the mutshovhamubaiwa in Bulawayo, the BUPTA in Bulawayo. Those associations are so organised, you would know which car is what and have done what, that way, there is a system that can easily make somebody to be tracked when there are shenanigans.
I watched a video of a Honda Fit for mushikashika running away from the Traffic Police and the City Council police as well. He was literally driving in reverse gear in the middle of town. That is the kind of chaos you get if you do not organise yourselves and do not want to adhere to simple principles of good governance. Madam Speaker, this motion is very important and I think every member here in this House should make it a point that we support it so that we bring sanity in that industry.
Lastly, I want to just say probably throw in a small point that worries me a lot. Do you know that there is something called road rage? Road rage is whereby you have got two lanes then somebody is driving on the inner lane. That inner lane is supposed to be the fast line or the overtaking lane. Someone is driving there and the other one on the outer lane is also driving slowly. Then when you frustrate the other driver behind you, they become angry and this is when accidents start happening.
While we are registering these companies and doing everything, we need to conscientise people and have Traffic Safety doing the defensive driving and have people learn. This issue of people that are driving on our roads, most of them do not even have proper licences. They have bought the licences; they do not know the rules of the road. While we are doing that, let us nip it there to say while we are regularising that industry, let us also think about training defensive driving and publicising on how you conduct yourself on our roads. If we do that, the Lord himself shall come down and bless us as a nation.
*HON. MUNEMO: I would like to add my voice on this debate about transport and registration and all other documentation. Firstly, if you see a lot of accidents that are taking place on the roads, you will realise that those cars will be driven by unlicenced drivers. Most of those accidents are actually on a hit and run basis because they will be unregistered and they know they can safely run away and never be caught. I think it is good that our transport system must be properly registered and people be licenced.
If you see some of those vehicles, they are bigger vehicles being driven by young people who are not even fit to drive such cars. In the event that they are involved in an accident, they prefer to run away because they know that there is no way they can be traced. As we speak, I have an aunt who boarded a commuter omnibus and she does not know the car she boarded. She was robbed of everything including cell phones and all that she had. As we speak, she is hospitalised. The car was not registered and no one could trace or locate how it went. I think such vehicles must be properly registered under the Ministry so that they are licenced and have route authority to avoid such unscrupulous behaviour.
Also, they must comply with the laws of the country. Sometimes you realise that a young person will be driving a bus with over 50 passengers. That young person cannot withstand the pressure in the event of an accident and they are not in a position to pay, so they prefer to run away. Indeed, I agree and support the motion that in order for us to bring sanity in the transport sector, I think it is good for us to ensure they are licenced accordingly. In addition, if we also want our Government to benefit financially, licencing both the vehicles as well as the drivers will ensure that the Government benefits financially and that will contribute to the development of this country.
Hon. Speaker, you saw a video on social media where buses were chasing each other and competing but you realise that a bus that has everything in terms of being unlicenced and working legally, you discover that there are also some buses that are licenced but only meant to cause commotion and chaos on the roads. So, I support that motion. For us to be able to get proper transportation, they must be registered by the Government. Thank you.
HON. MANGONDO: Thank you Madam Speaker. I rise to contribute to the motion on public transport. Also, when there is order in the transport sector, it gives confidence to the people. The disorder in the public transport causes the working people to wake up much earlier in order to get pirate taxis and those other buses that are not punctual and may not be safe. That is the same situation after work. They also wait for very long hours and at times knock off at 5 pm, but get transport at 8 or 9 pm and still are expected to wake up around 3 to 4 am in order for them to get affordable transport.
The background of public transport must be understood very well in this country. We had companies that were responsible for Harare and another serving the southern region. Firstly, there was a group of companies called United Overseas Transport, Salisbury United Omnibus Company and the Rhodesia Omnibus Company (ROC) which were responsible for the southern part, including Bulawayo. Salisbury United was responsible for Harare. The Harare Company had an agreement with the local authority in Harare which was to ensure that if the company made losses, Harare City Council was supposed to take over until it recovered. That enabled the company to purchase new buses because that way, it was sustainable since it had a subsidy and ensured that is ferried people at affordable fares as it was not meant to make huge profit margins.
So, this proposal that Government should fund ZUPCO and NRZ is to ensure we have a transport system that works and that is very important. The transport system should be viable and sustainable. How long should we continue to ask Government to fund these companies? If you look at ZUPCO, it is just a fraction of what it was, an amalgamation of all those companies that I talked about – if you look at the current structure right now, the President chipped in and procured buses that were given to ZUPCO, but our public transport system is still very difficult. So, we need to analyse which system can work for both the urban, rural and farming areas. Right now, we also speak of growth points that are developing into towns and they also need transport systems that work to ferry workers to and from work.
In other countries, the transport system is now owned by private operators and no longer under parastatals. They work in collaboration with the parastatals or local authorities. Investors that can chip in to invest in that sector can be found, but they consider how they can get their returns from their investment. Government should contribute, but I believe the pension funds and other private investors should chip in. If we do not address our transport system and continue asking Government to fund ZUPCO, that is money being wasted and not contributing to the development of this sector. You will find that in the rural areas where I come from in Murehwa South, people cry foul because buses leave much earlier at 3am with drivers seemingly racing and within 10km of travelling, they block each other so that the other bus does not overtake as a way of competing. I am saying the whole transport system needs complete overhaul to make the system viable. The pirate taxis are putting people’s lives at high risk. Small cars like a Honda Fit or Probox carries 10 or more passengers, in the front seat, three people in the middle and four people in the boot. That is why you see the touts having their legs hanging outside the car and in case of emergency, they can fall out and get injured. All those things must be addressed.
The Railways issue must be looked into. Let us consider Private Public Partnerships so that our train system maybe used for transporting people as well as goods. These things must be addressed categorically and I think that can help us because the fares that people are being charged shows that the business is profitable. If it was not profitable, the transporters would not be plying those routes. The system needs to be looked into so as to come up with at modern viable system suitable for our country.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Mangondo, you are left with five minutes.
*HON. MANGONDO: By carrying 10 passengers or so, it means it is profitable otherwise they would not be doing it. Our public transport system is viable and it only needs to be modified. There is need for private players to be involved. I really would like to encourage private investors to come into play, including ZUPCO which must be opened to private investors so that they introduce new management methods which will ensure that those businesses become viable and ensure that they are sustainable.
If you look at South Africa, there are a lot of players in the transport sector. There is a train meant for ferrying employees to work between Pretoria and Johannesburg. It is lucrative. There is also what they call mass bus rapid transport system which is also working and it is assisting the public in addition to how trains work. In other European countries, there are trains which drop people to work. I keep on emphasising that private players are the way to go. Indeed, Government has a role but you know that Government funds are limited to invest in efficient transport system. I believe that in this House, there are other Members of Parliament that may try to invest in that sector if it is opened up, especially if ZUPCO were to be privatised.
HON. GUMBO: The problem that inundates our public transport system is more than just a funding problem. I will pose to this House that what we have in Zimbabwe is a confidence problem. One of the key fundamentals of a successful transport system is that the consumers or users must have confidence in the public transport system. For that to happen, it is very pertinent that our transport infrastructure is reliable. If we are to ask each other here, all of us have vehicles and the reason why we were clamouring that the vehicle scheme be expedited is because we required a reliable transport system for ourselves so that we get to work on time, attend to our several tasks on time and meet our appointments.
If you go to town today and observe what we call the traffic rush, it is caused mostly by people who want to get where they want to get to on time. The reason why there is a successful and booming mushikashika business in Harare, Bulawayo or any town in this country, is because everyone wants to get where they want to get to on time. How do we improve or how do we go and work on the confidence issue? I will propose to this House and debate that in order to improve reliability in our transport system, it is pertinent that we consider, as a House, putting in place regulations that promote what we call bus lanes in our cities. What are bus lanes for purposes of some Hon. Members who might not know? Public transport will prioritise those lanes. This is where special purpose lanes are created.
I notice the improvements on the road network that is happening – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]- but what lacks is proper and coordinated planning amongst several ministries which are responsible for public road networks and public transport systems. Instead of just building one complex road, it is important that Government considers also building public bus lanes which are meant specifically for buses. This is not a new phenomenon; we have such system in countries like Australia and United Kingdom where there are specialised lanes for public transport.
What does this do Madam Speaker? This ensures that all public transport vehicles stick to their schedule. It ensures that all public transport vehicles adhere to their timetable and time lines. That then gives confidence to the public because everyone will know that if I get on to a bus at 6am, if the bus is scheduled to arrive in Chitungwiza at 7am, it will not have problems of congestion because there are priority lanes for such buses. The moment that is implemented, of course that will require legislative intervention in terms of putting in place regulations which then allow for free movement of public buses. It improves confidence amongst the citizens. Once confidence in the citizens improves, you will realise more of us will want to go and pay money so that I can beat the congestion because my own car will not get me to Parliament on time. That is one thing that this House must consider in terms of its legislative interventions.
The previous speakers have touched on the question of corruption and corporate governance. We must reduce the fraud that is happening in the public transport system, particularly at ZUPCO and NRZ. The existence of so much human interaction in the ticketing system leads to illicit bus fare management. It also leads to corrupt dealings between consumers and the management of these service providers. It is very important that as a country, we then consider automating. I know there was at one point, an attempt within ZUPCO to introduce what they call tap cards. It is better if we introduce a platform where people will buy tickets online. What does that do, it limits human interaction and improves efficiency in the procurement of the ticket because while you are seated at your House, you can buy your ZUPCO ticket online and when you get to the bus, all you have to do is to produce the bar codes attached to your ticket and you access the transport system.
If you see the confusion that is happening when boarding ZUPCO buses today, you witness a queue and everyone is trying to jump in and at one time, we had a video footage of individuals jumping on the bus through the window.
Why? Because it is very difficult and cumbersome to buy a ticket at a stampede in trying to get a cheap public transport ticket. It is absurd Madam Speaker. If we consider automating our systems, our public procurement system, it will ensure a flawless activity within the sector and improve confidence again, because now you know with your nice suit, as an Hon. Member, you do not have to suffer being pulled backwards so that someone can buy a ticket you can quickly access.
Thirdly, we must improve what we call customer satisfaction. Any person who has run a business or any person who sells a product or a service like myself, a lawyer, I know very well that customer satisfaction is at the center, at the heart of customer retention. If I have to keep the customer in my office, I must make sure there is air conditioning when they get into my office and Mazoe for them to drink. That is customer satisfaction. If you witness what is happening in the public transport sector, there was a funny video at one point, it was during the rainy season and someone was in a ZUPCO bus holding an umbrella because it was raining in the bus.
If I am seated in my house and witness that, there is no way I will be implored or be pushed to go and board a ZUPCO bus. There is evidence that rampant in the public glare of the harassment which passengers have to suffer and endure under the hands of the conductors and some of the individuals and personnel that will be manning these buses. It is as if it is a privilege or a favour for you to board a ZUPCO bus.
Before you board a ZUPCO bus, you are busy trying to be friendly to the personnel on the bus instead of them being friendly to you because you are the customer. By the way customers are treated – yes, this touches on issues of corporate governance and so forth, management system and all that, we agree. The moment we improve how the personnel in the public transport vehicles and buses behave, how they treat the customer will improve the confidence of the customer. We will have more people and more passengers preferring the public transport system because going to mushikashika and going to ZUPCO bus, same fanana. It is the same thing. You are treated the same way, you are harassed, you are shouted at and sometimes having to interact with conductors with smelling armpits. This is the reality that people are facing. That is what then destroys confidence. As confidence dwindles, what else dwindles Madam Speaker?
The fourth issue in terms of our proposition is to enhance connectivity. These might seem like ideas from Mars because we know at one point, we proposed bullet trains and some these guys thought these were impossible ideas. They are not impossible ideas. The previous speaker was touching on the issues of goods train and so forth…
HON. S. SITHOLE: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Gumbo. What is your point of order?
HON. S. SITHOLE: My point of order includes also clarification that we require from the Hon. Member. Can he clarify which guys is he referring to that refused the bullet.
HON. GUMBO: I mean you guys. I think it is clear. The House is in two…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Gumbo. There are no guys in here. There are Hon. Members. Why are you referring to Hon. Members as guys?
HON. GUMBO: The Honourable guys. Madam Speaker, it is not derogatory. I am a guy myself and among the Hon. Members, we maintain respect.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Gumbo, it is not proper to use that language in this House. You must say, Hon. Members instead of saying, guys. Please may you withdraw that?
HON. GUMBO: Madam Speaker, I do take note of your wisdom.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I said, please may you withdraw.
HON. GUMBO: I withdraw the statement. I will say, these Hon. Members and their other guys outside – [AN HON. MEMBER: No. Madam Speaker, akuda kukura musoro like juru.] – Madam Speaker, I withdraw guys.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Proceed.
HON. GUMBO: Madam Speaker, another critical cog of restoring confidence is that we are in a world where every person holds a smartphone. Everyone has a smartphone here. Some even call their other smartphones kambudzi but is a smartphone. We are in that age. We are in the age on GPS. We are in the age of internet. It is important that in improving the confidence in the public transport sector, we utilise GPS technology.
We have a problem now that ZUPCO has now also become like mushikashikas because we find these buses with ZUPCO stickers. They are the ones that are competing for customers, but once passengers alight, you will have no confidence that the bus is going to go the route that it promised. You have no confidence that the bus is going to go straight in Murehwa. Sometimes you find yourself in another area which you are not sure where you are, but the destination has been promised Murehwa. It is important that every passenger, once you have gotten into the bus, you have a GPS tracker that allows you to see and track your own journey.
These are things that happen. Most of us have been on an aeroplane and the technology in bullet trains that we witnessed in other countries. Just Behind the seat of the bus, you can be tracking that apa we are now at Chibi turn off, now we are now at this location and as you head towards your journey, you are also able to plan. It is important that we encourage as legislators, such smart ideas in improving confidence in our public transport sector.
The moment there is confidence, we have resolved the question of funding. The Hon. Speaker who spoke earlier mentioned that there are not enough funding in Government. We know Mthuli does not have money, but that is a conversation for another day. What innovative ways can we put in place to ensure that we improve revenue collection and revenue streams which will self-fund ZUPCO and self-fund NRZ?
It is important that we consider, not to just saying Government must fund, but we consider creative ways and mechanisms of ensuring a boom in the revenue collection of these entities. Lastly, the other Hon. Speaker was busy saying, no, it is not a ZANU PF thing. Stop blaming ZANU PF and so forth. It is difficult Madam Speaker, to not blame ZANU PF – [HON. J. TSHUMA: Point of order Madam Chair.] –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What is your point of order Hon. J. Tshuma?
HON. J. TSHUMA: My point of order is that the Hon. Member, I am sure is getting lost somewhere, whilst he is trying to bring up his point. I was very clear that our colossal party; our revolutionary party ZANU PF has nothing to do with what ZUPCO does if they fail to provide service. We are tired of people pointing fingers at our party instead of making people carry their cross and that is a statement that is so true. So, he must withdraw trying to put ZANU PF that it is the causer of these problems. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Gumbo, can you please withdraw?
HON. GUMBO: Madam Speaker, what am I withdrawing?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Withdraw referring to the Party ZANU PF – [HON. GUMBO: No, no.] – Hon. Gumbo withdraw your statement? - [HON. GUMBO: No, Madam Speaker, that is an unfair ruling.] - Hon. Gumbo, can you please withdraw your statement? – [HON. GUMBO: Madam Speaker, he made reference to ZANU PF, why must I not take a debate to that. It is an unfair ruling.] - You cannot be blaming the Party ZANU PF - [HON. GUMBO: Why?] –
HON. MATEWU: On a point of order Madam Speaker. There is nowhere in the Standing Orders that says one cannot be inclined to debate mentioning a party. A lot of time here we mention our parties, CCC, MDC, ZANU PF, it is a normal debate and there is nowhere in the rules that penalises a Member for mention or accusing a party. Our Members must be allowed to freely debate this motion. Thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Matewu, I have made my ruling. Hon. Gumbo, withdraw, before you proceed.
HON. GUMBO: I withdraw ZANU PF and I will revisit my point by saying the previous Hon. Member referenced the point that people must not blame the ruling party for the failures of ZUPCO, NRZ et cetera. It is difficult not to blame the ruling party, why? If you go to NRZ today, who is the chairperson of the board, Mike Madiro, former Deputy Minister of the Ruling Party, former Member of Parliament for the ruling party and political central - I do not know of the ruling party. Why can I not blame the ruling party?
HON. S. SAKUPWANYA: On a point of order Madam Speaker. I think when we want to discuss the competences of the people who are in such positions, it is important to look at their capabilities based on their CVs. The person in question should not be castigated based on his affiliation to a ruling party because everyone has political choices. That is their own personal business but when dealing with Government business, we must deal with the person’s own capabilities based on their CVs. I feel it is important that the Hon. Member not attack someone based on his affiliation to a revolutionary and ruling party. I even want to say that even us, just by our affiliation to the ruling party that rules Zimbabwe, he has castigated us as well. Actually, he must withdraw that statement.
HON. CHIGUMBU: On a point of privilege. I think it has become a norm in this House that when someone is debating, the Members of Parliament on your right are always destracting debate. The reason why we have debate here, if you have a counter-debate, you have to register your name with your chief whip and debate. The debate is open to every Member of this Parliament. Why are they always destructing others? - [HON. NYABANI: Point of order.] –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. TSITSI ZHOU): Can you please allow him to finish?
Hon. Nyabani having insisted on his point of order.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Nyabani.
HON. CHIGUMBU: Secondly, if we discuss issues in this House, we are not in any way disadvantaging this country, rather we are enhancing proper governance in this country. This is classroom where we should be talking about issues that happen in this country. Why are they always distracting debates that has got something to do with enhancing governance in this country? These Hon. Members claim that they are patriots but their behaviour is contrary to that which they claim they are. We are here to play our oversight role...
*HON. NYABANI: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am – [HON. MEMBERS: Nyabani gara pasi.] -
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Gumbo, you are not allowed to mention people who are not here to defend themselves. Can you please your statement and finish your debate?
HON. GUMBO: The fact is that, but…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Do not say but, just proceed. If you do not have any points, you can wind up then we proceed.
HON. GUMBO: I have numerous points. We cannot debate – honest debate in this House requires that we are also be honest with facts, they are stubborn. We might not like the stubborn facts but they are facts. So, even the people who are put to manage these institutions must be people who are beyond reforms. They must people who are not linked to a political organisation which general citizens of this country have no confidence in that kills the question of confidence which is at the centre of my debate today.
Let us go back and revisit the appointments that have been made. No political appointment to the NRZ; no political appointment to ZUPCO. The ports that runs public transport system must be people who are professional, qualified and who do not sing for their supper and ululate for their breakfast. I thank you.
HON. GANYIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker for giving me this opportunity to add my voice on the important subject motion brought by Hon. Mashonganyika regarding the importance of a relook on issues to do with registration of public transport system in our beloved nation. As I was listening to all the Honourable Members that have debated earlier on, it seems we were going the same way except probably, and I must appreciate Hon. Gumbo when he even made it so open when he appreciated what the Government led by His Excellency is doing on the issue to do with construction of the roads that is taking place in our land. I think this is evidence of the Government that is able to do what it is supposed to do to its people.
Let me touch a bit, especially connecting from my previous debate then back when debating on the budget. I once brought issues to do with systems that can help us in policing and regulating our transport systems in a way that can bring also sanity to some extent. Some of the proposals seem to be harsh but they will work and are working in other nations.
Madam Speaker, previous debaters spoke about the importance of organised associations that can also help or ease the regulations of their members as far as they see if the operators are properly registered. If we can also look back, we had taxis that used to operate under the banners of associations like Rixi Taxi and A1 Taxi back then, early 2000. They were properly managed from the framework in which these associations were regulated or policed if I may say that, internally within those associations. I think it proved that it is the only way that we can go in as far as bringing back sanity in our public transport systems.
Madam Speaker, at the moment, I heard so many speakers focusing on, of course buses, mushikashika and NRZ but there is also a mushroom of other online transport operators like UBER system whereby people can be using their own private vehicles to ferry the public on hire. These operators are not regulated properly, neither do we know if the authorities are aware of the numbers of people who are actually working as private taxis that are not registered under the red number plate that are supposed to be placed on their vehicles. This is also something that needs to be looked at when we are putting our minds and facts around this important motion raised by Hon. Mashonganyika, such that we protect the lives of our beloved citizens from being robbed of their hard-earned cash or subjected to lose their precious life.
Previously, I once spoke about the need for us to make sure that the policies or regulations within the transport sector, from the studies that I did, we cannot fully liberalise the transport system and leave the private players to fully take charge and control of that sector. Anywhere in the world, it is the mandate of the government to make sure that the transport sector is controlled and the government has got the hand to control that because the transport sector, to some extent, if it is liberalised without putting policies that promote or enhance the public operators including the private operators such that they can see the benefits of investing in the transport sector, we will end up losing control of that sector to the private operators.
All of us can recall that not long ago, twice in history, we once witnessed other advocates conniving with private players to join hands in what they called ‘stayaways’ whereby they ordered them not to ply their usual routes. What it basically means, indirect or direct, is if we liberalise it, it becomes a security threat to some extent. Hence the need for us to support the prayer that was asked by the Hon. Member who raised this motion that we need to see how best we can revive ZUPCO and NRZ. However, it is true that we cannot continue pouring funds whereby the same receiver is using the same system that they once received money previously for and without having to bring meaningful changes within those private or public institutions.
As they said, repeating the same thing over and over again expecting different results might be the highest level of just over fighting certain issues. If my children and my wife in the house are spending beyond my means or my budget as far as their grocery issues, I do not opt to punish them by not providing for them next month, but I will need to sit down and put down regulations on how they should be disciplined within their means of expenditure as well as making sure that I also instill a sense of not so high spending pattern. So, I propose that yes, obviously ZUPCO needs money because money anchors all things but if we are all going to agree that we should answer their prayer by giving them money, we may then need to look into the issues of how they are going to use those funds. As a principle of banking says, you do not borrow to buy but you borrow to invest, which means we can only second whereby they can ask for grants to reinvest, especially on acquiring more buses that can service our citizens other than to apportion some of the funds that we may second them to get then end up spending the funds on allowances or salaries.
I would want to look at the issues that I once talked about referring to the debate I contributed during budget that our wish as a country is to get to a point whereby going to Bulawayo or Gutu, my rural area should not be a choice but how I get there should be my choice. We need to get to that point, just like what other Hon. Members alluded to. We need to get to a point whereby I should also wish to use the bus because it will be reliable and safe to use. It will be coming on time and safely, leaving me at my destination. How can we do that? We start by making sure that we put deliberate policies that protect that industry, be it for public sector or private sector. We need to ensure that we put policies that can enhance their functions when they are operating their business. For example, let it be a policy whereby for bus operators that are registered, let us normalise them not paying toll-gates or if they are to pay, let them pay at least 50 cents because mind you, as I once proposed that if we put five toll-gates from Harare to Chiredzi, they will not pay any cent as they should be charged on the registration of the public transport operating licence. The mushikashika on the other hand who are not complying with the required regulations for them to be registered, will not be registered and as they pass, those five toll-gates especially if we put our toll-gates close to the rivers or just after a river, they will not find a way to escape the toll-gate. When they get there, they will be penalised by paying heavy toll-gate fees, whether they are carrying passengers or not and they will see that it is not profitable for them to continue doing that. It makes sense for those who would have invested in buying buses that are properly registered and insured. There I can see and in Shona we say kungwarira kana kuisa musungo kune avo vanenge vachida kunzvenga kusava namapepa akakwana. I am saying these are some of the proposals that we can put in place whereby the bus will not pass that pain of paying five toll-gates to and fro every day. They will pass on the cost to the passengers whilst the mushikashikas will meander and bypass these toll-gates or they pass through the toll-gates and they are being charged lesser. They do not feel it. These are some of the proposals that we can put in place to bring sanity as well as to ensure that we reduce the human interaction as far as law enforcement is concerned. We see a situation whereby there are other traffic offences globally that no longer warrant a police officer or any VID personnel to enforce on their own.
We see many accidents that happen and to some extent they are caused by human error. I once witnessed a bus that was involved in an accident some time ago after passing a road block with worn out tyres. These are other issues that can also be put in some policies that we can propose in as far as registration of these transporters is concerned, be it public or private. I thank you for listening.
HON. ENG. MHANGWA: I rise to further buttress the fact that public transport is there for a reason. It is there to provide safe, efficient and affordable way to move people from place to place. Currently, as a country, we cannot with confidence, say we have a functional public transport system. There is something that is missing and evidently when all of us were touching on the misgivings, it talks to lack of a masterplan. There is need for long term planning of our public transport system.
Where we come from, the way the buses go to rural areas is haphazard and the State has left this mainly to be done by private players. The public player that is supposed to be there is missing in action. Whenever public transport is there, there is need for a seamless integration between local government and the transporters. I believe it is critical in all our planning, be it central or local government planning that we have a masterplan. This masterplan talks to having seamless connectivity. It talks to having convenience. Transport should give convenience to people. Transport should be affordable and there should be a way of regulating fares.
In the not so distant past, people have mentioned conveniently that operators say they cannot find change. They arbitrarily put figures. Trips that used to cost 50c have been moved to a dollar and in some instances $2. So, it is important that we plan and have a mechanism to regulate the fares of public transport.
It is also important, other than for it to be affordable, it should also be environmentally sustainable such that it is important that we embrace newer technologies like electric vehicles et cetera as we look into the future in terms of our public transport system. It is important that there are fixed timetables to enhance reliability. It is important that as we think about our network, we should not only not look at the roads as a way of providing transport, there is need for rail to go beyond merely what it is currently. We can think about trunks and other means of taking our people through and into the towns in a way that does not lead to congestion or in a way that makes our towns navigable.
It is my fervent hope that with a masterplan, we have improved mobility and accessibility, enhanced customer experience, increased efficiency and reduced pollution. With these few summations, it is my desire that as we go forward, we will plan and have parastatals that will help us realise this goal to have public transport that is efficient, especially in towns and that makes going to work less of a burden. It is important for this House that we support sound plans and not throw money down the drain as has been in the past. I so submit.
HON. MASHONGANYIKA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. PINDUKA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 10th July 2024.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. KAMBUZUMA: I move that we stand down all Orders of the Day on today’s Order Paper until Order of the Day Number 13 has been disposed of.
HON. MATEWU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON DEFENCE, HOME AFFAIRS, SECURITY AND WAR VETERANS AFFAIRS ON THE PETITION FROM THE CHILDREN OF WAR VETERANS AND HEROES DEPENDENTS FORUM
Thirteenth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Petition from the Children of War Veterans and Heroes’ Dependents Forum on the Economic Empowerment for War Veterans and their Dependents.
Question again proposed.
*HON. NYABANI: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. Good afternoon to you. I want to say a few words. I noted that the Hon. Members on the left side are really interested in what I am saying. I want to talk about the children of war veterans. Indeed, what was raised by the children of war veterans is true. As I stand here, I am not going to just address children of war veterans, but I want to go back and say that there are some parents who left their children when they were going to participate in the liberation struggle.
In Rushinga where I come from, there are some people who were maimed by landmines which were planted along the border post to deter people from going to Mozambique where most fighters were going. A war was waged in that particular area. In Rushinga, there are people who lost their limbs and arms and there are a lot of issues that happened there which still affect us now. There are some parents who left their children without anyone to look after them and they perished in the war. It is known that some people went to war and left their children, but the children did not have anyone to look after them even up to now. So, it is my desire that this House looks at the plight of the children of war veterans.
So many people sacrificed their lives and their children also wish that if their parents were there, they were going to have a better life. Government should look into that issue so that their plight is addressed. We also want to look at war veterans who are still alive. As an Hon. Member, we are living the lives that we live as a result of the sacrifices that were made by war veterans who went to war without any salary. When you tell someone to work, they will ask you what am l going to get, but we have people who sacrificed their lives for no payment. This was done because they were patriotic and they did not reason to say what if we die. They sacrificed and went to participate in the liberation struggle. So, everyone anticipates that after working they get pension, even MPs also require two terms. Everyone desires to prepare for their future. War veterans of the liberation struggle should have decent lives because they sacrificed their lives. Some died because of the different predators that were found in the bush and some because of diseases. How many in this august House can go to war, especially on the left side? They will not go because they would want to go to America. War is indeed painful. There is no war which is simple. Some come to this august House and laugh that there are no Ministers in Rushinga because people in Rushinga are not educated. They are not educated because there was war. That is why many war veterans are not educated because they were participating in the liberation war.
People should be given resources despite lack of education. War veterans should be remembered, and this is their time. This is a time of recognising them. Some were given 30 or 50 hectares of land. Then you find people saying they have failed. How can they fail without farming implements? They must be given farms and farm implements like tractors, combine harvesters and inputs, particularly seed and fertilizers. Instead of blaming them for failing to farm, they must be given resources. My desire is that Government should empower war veterans so that they can fend for their families. This is what their children should be proud of, that this is what our parents fought for.
I also want to add on the issue with regards to education. It is not an issue that children of war veterans only receive school fees up to Form 4 because Form 4 now is equivalent to the past years’ standards. It has no value, university education is what matters now. How many children of war veterans can afford to go to university and those who have gone to university so that war veterans will say, this is the country we fought for? You find people despising war veterans but there are people who were running away from the war. Such people would just criticise and look down upon war veterans whilst war veterans are suffering.
Some will say that you liberated the country, can you take it back where it was whilst the children of war veterans are suffering? There was a man in 1978, who said that when an eagle comes, a chick will run away otherwise it will be taken away by the eagle. You would find people talking about the war which they read about in papers. Ask those who experienced the war. The war was not easy. War destroys. We have relatives, war collaborators and a lot of people who participated in the struggle and some who died. Now that you are in Parliament, you just say agreed, agreed, without valuing those who sacrificed their lives in order to free and liberate Zimbabwe.
I once went to a certain country in Europe. Europe does not follow African culture but they follow their own culture. There are war veterans in Europe who have a history. In Germany, you are told that there is East and West Germany but we do not care about such. We leave our own heritage, our heroes and heroines, Mbuya Nehanda, Sekuru Kaguvi, Chingaira and others. When you inherit other people’s culture, you will continue suffering. You are told that you should honour your father and mother for your days to be many on this earth. Instead of honouring Americans, you must honour Nehanda and Kaguvi, otherwise you forfeit your blessings. Our ancestors will be happy when we honour our own. There are so many who still manifest where we come from, who would even talk about what happened during the liberation war.
Some people who lost their lives during the war, you would find that their children did not benefit in any way but such children will end up manifesting so that there is closure regarding where their parents died and buried during the liberation war. We need to know that as black people, there are ancestral spirits and if spirits are anguished and hovering, nothing is going to move or thrive for us. When our war veterans are complaining, nothing will move and prosper for us. I want to say that what the children of war veterans said is indeed correct and I stand with them. Even those who did not get the opportunity to speak, who had their fathers who perished during the liberation war, we want to speak on their behalf that such children should also be considered. With these few words Madam Speaker Ma’am, I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity. This should not be an issue of just talking, but we need to take action. I thank you.
*HON. MUNEMO: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I want to add a few words to the motion pertaining to the children of war veterans. What pains me regarding this issue is that the war ended long back in 1980 but up to now, we are still talking about the children of war veterans and the war veterans who deserve also to be treated in a decent manner like everyone else. This issue has been talked about for a long time and I believe that we are behind time because some of these children were very young and they are growing old. Some have passed on, some of the war veterans we are talking about have been dead for some time and never benefited in anyway. Those who participated in the liberation war did so out of sacrifice. That sacrifice was done in a manner that they wanted a free and independent Zimbabwe and they believed that they were going to partake in the heritage and riches of Zimbabwe. Some died and some did not come back and they left orphans. Such families do not have anyone fending for them now. As a result, the children worked hard. You will find children at households as a result of that, poverty moves from one generation to the next. It is a vicious cycle for them. My desire is that such children should be given the opportunity to learn just like other children because they grew up suffering. We need to strike a balance between these orphans who were suffering during the liberation war and even after the war. After 1980, they were several droughts and you wonder how they were living. We discussed this issue now after over forty years, some have died following their parents. This was a sacrifice which was done by war veterans. I believe that Government should also commit to looking at their plight and making them happy. I believe it was going to be better if they were given resources time and again to better their lives. The tears of the poor, the tears of those who died during the liberation war might bring hunger to the nation because they are not resting in peace. Some might be saying that we did not benefit. That is why the Portuguese said that the poor does not rest and the poor do not rest because those who are rich would be enjoying on their own. When loans are given out by banks, they should also cater for war veterans, whether it is the allocation of funds, war veterans should be considered and they should have loans so that they will recover from their loses which they suffered during the liberation war. The plight of orphans who did not see their parents is quite difficult. It is different from that of orphans who saw their parents. Some would be wondering how their parents were. At the end of day, they do not have food, education and they cannot participate in public debates because they are not educated enough to be able to engage in public discourse. Government should empower such children so that they attain a certain level of education. They should be given jobs in Government and their own quota as children of war veterans when position come out in different Government departments. There is a song which says that mother and father do not mourn me when I die during the war because I died for Zimbabwe. We need to appreciate that they sacrificed their lives for the freedom of Zimbabwe. Indeed, they sacrificed their lives but they did not benefit in any way. I wanted to request that if possible, such children would be sent to school so that they benefit because their parents also wanted a good life for their children. They would be very happy if they see their children rejoicing even though they did not benefit from the heritage of the nation. There is an English saying which says indeed parents went to war and freed Zimbabwe but the orphans are not independent. We do not know what is going to happen in the future but it is important that because of the challenges that war veterans went through together with their children, there is need to address their plight now because we do not know what the future will be like. I want to request that if possible, when different projects are being implemented, the children of war veterans and the war veterans should be considered. There are some that we live with in our communities in different rural areas who live as destitutes. Sometimes we wonder saying that these people fought for the liberation of the nation which means that what they went for has not been fulfilled. It is long since we have been in an independent country. It really affects the dead and the living. It is quite touching. I thank you
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Hon. Madzivanyika having stood up to debate after the Minister had moved for the adjournment of the debate.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Madzivanyika, you are out of order on the question of adjournment.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 10th July, 2024.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): I move that we revert to Order of the Day Number 1, on the Order Paper.
MOTION
APPROVAL FOR THE RATIFICATION OF THE AGREEMENT ON THE CO-OPERATION OF THE DEVELOPMENT, MANAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABLE UTILISATION OF THE RESOURCES OF THE SAVE WATER COURSE
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI), on behalf of THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL SETTLEMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): I move the motion standing in my name:
THAT WHEREAS Section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that any convention, treaty or agreement acceded to, concluded or executed by or under the authority of the President with one or more foreign States of Governments of international organisations shall be subject to approval by Parliament;
AND WHEREAS the Agreement on the Cooperation of the Development, Management and Sustainable Utilisation of the Resources of the Save Watercourse was signed on 23 May 2023 at Harare, Zimbabwe;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe has not ratified the Agreement on the Cooperation of the Development, Management and Sustainable Utilisation of the Resources of the Save Watercourse;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous of ratify the Agreement;
AND WHEREAS in accordance with Article 26 of the Agreement, the Agreement shall enter into force 30 days after the deposit of the instrument of ratification by the parties;
NOW, THEREFORE, in terms of section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution if Zimbabwe, this House resolves that the aforesaid Agreement is hereby approved for ratification.
MOTION
APPROVAL FOR THE RATIFICATION OF THE HOSTING AGREEMENT OF THE BUPUSA COMMISSION SECRETARIAT.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER, FISHERIES AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): I rise on the motion that;
WHEREAS Section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that any convention, treaty or agreement acceded to, concluded or executed by or under the authority of the President with one or more foreign states od governments of international organisations shall be subject to approval by Parliament;
AND WHEREAS the Hosting Agreement of the Bupusa Commission Secretariat was signed on the 23 of May 2023 at Harare, Zimbabwe;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe has not ratified the Hosting Agreement of the Bupusa Commission Secretariat;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous of ratify the Agreement;
AND WHEREAS in accordance with Article 15 of the Agreement, the Agreement shall enter into force 30 days after notification by the parties to the Depositary that the procedures and requirements of the domestic laws of both Member States were fulfilled;
NOW, THEREFORE, in terms of section 327(2) (a) of the Constitution if Zimbabwe, this House resolves that the aforesaid Agreement is hereby approved for ratification. I so submit.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
APPROVAL FOR THE RATIFICATION OF THE AGREEMENT ON THE ESTABLISHMENTOF THE BUZI, PUNGWE AND SAVE WATERCOURSE COMMISSION.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER, FISHERIES AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT: I rise on the motion that;
WHEREAS Section 327(2)(a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that any convention, treaty or agreement acceded to, concluded or executed by or under the authority of the President with one or more foreign states od governments of international organisations shall be subject to approval by Parliament;
AND WHEREAS the Agreement on the Establishment of the Buzi, Pungwe and Save Watercourse Commission (Bupusa Commission) was signed on the 23 of May 2023 at Harare, Zimbabwe.
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe has not ratified the Agreement on the Establishment of the Buzi, Pungwe and Save Watercourse Commission.
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe id desirous of ratify the Agreement.
AND WHEREAS in accordance with Article 14 of the Agreement, the Agreement shall enter into force 30 days after the last notification to the Depositary, by the Parties that their respective constitutional procedures have been complied with.
NOW THEREFORE, in terms of section 327(2) (a) of the Constitution if Zimbabwe, this House resolves that the aforesaid Agreement is hereby approved for ratification. I so submit.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
APPROVAL FOR THE ACCESSION TO THE CONVENTION ON THE PROTECTION AND USE OF TRANSBOUNDARY WATERCOURSES AND INTERNATIONAL LAKES AND CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE NON-NAVIGATIONAL USES OF INTERNATIONAL WATERCOURSES.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER, FISHERIES AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT: I rise on the motion that;
WHEREAS Section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that any convention, treaty or agreement acceded to, concluded or executed by or under the authority of the President with one or more foreign states or governments of international organisations shall be subject to approval by Parliament;
AND WHEREAS the proposed accession to the Convention on the Protection and use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes and Convention on the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses (hereinafter “the global water conventions”) was approved by Cabinet on 09 April 2024;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe has not acceded to the global water conventions;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous of accede to the global water conventions;
NOW, THEREFORE, in terms of section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution if Zimbabwe, this House resolves that the global water conventions be and are hereby approved. I so submit.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
APPROVAL FOR THE RATIFICATION OF THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA AND THE REPUBLIC OF ZIMBABWE ON THE SUPPLY OF TREATED WATER FROM BEITBRIDGE WATER TREATMENT WORKS IN ZIMBABWE TO MUSINA TOWN
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I rise again on a notice of motion by the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement;
THAT WHEREAS Section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that any convention, treaty or agreement acceded to, concluded or executed by or under the authority of the President with one or more foreign states of governments or international organisations shall be subject to approval by Parliament;
AND WHEREAS the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Republic of Zimbabwe on the Supply of Treated Water from Beit Bridge Water Treatment Works in Zimbabwe to Musina Town (hereinafter “the Agreement”) was signed on 14 March 2024 at Musina, South Africa;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe has not ratified the Agreement;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous to ratify the Agreement;
NOW, THEREFORE, in terms of section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, this House resolves that the Agreement be and is hereby approved.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
APPROVAL FOR THE RATIFICATION OF THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) ON THE DEVELOPMENT, MANAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABLE UTILISATION OF THE WATER RESOURCES OF THE BUZI WATERCOURSE
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you once again Madam Speaker Ma’am. I rise on a Notice of Motion of the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement;
THAT WHEREAS Section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that any convention, treaty or agreement acceded to, concluded or executed by or under the authority of the President with one or more foreign states of governments or international organisations shall be subject to approval by Parliament;
AND WHEREAS the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Development, Management and Sustainable Utilisation of the Buzi Watercourse was signed on the 29th of July 2019 at Mutare, Zimbabwe;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe has not ratified the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Development, Management and Sustainable Utilisation of the Water Resources of the Buzi Watercourse;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous of ratifying the regulatory framework;
AND WHEREAS in accordance with Article 25 of the MOU, the MOU shall enter into force 30 days after the deposit of the instrument of ratification by the parties;
NOW, THEREFORE, in terms of section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, this House resolves that the aforesaid Memorandum of Understanding is hereby approved for ratification.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 8 to 20 be stood over until Order of the Day Number 21 has been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed.
MOTION
CONDOLENCES ON THE DEATH OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN, HIS EXCELLENCY EBRAHIM RAISI
HON. TIMBURWA: Hon. Speaker, I seek leave of the House to withdraw my motion, Order of the Day Number 21 on today’s Order Paper. The motivation to withdraw my motion has been prompted by the similar development that happened on the same motion at a higher level whereby the condolence message was passed onto the nation of Iran. I thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. SHAMU: I second.
Motion, with leave, withdrawn.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI), the House adjourned at Five Minutes to Five o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 9th July, 2024
The Senate met at Half-past two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE
DEATH OF HON. SEN. KERESENCIA CHABUKA
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: It is with profound sorrow that I have to inform the Senate of the death of Hon. Sen. Keresencia Chabuka, Senator for Manicaland Province, on Saturday the 6th of July, 2024. I therefore invite all Hon. Senators to rise and observe a minute of silence in respect of the late Hon. Senator.
All Hon. Senators observed a minute of silence.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Mr. President, I move that Orders of the Day Nos. 1 to 19 be stood over until Order of the Day No. 20 on today’s Order Paper has been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
CRIMINAL LAWS AMENDMENT (PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS) BILL, [H.B. 4A, 2024]
Twentieth Order read: Second Reading: Criminal Laws Amendment (Protection of Children and Young Persons) Bill, [H.B. 4A, 2024.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. President. Allow me to present my Second Reading speech on the Criminal Laws Amendment (Protection of Children and Young Persons) Bill, [H.B. 4A, 2024]. Mr. President, this is a pertinent Bill which seeks to align sections 61, 70, 76, 83 and 86 with the Constitution of Zimbabwe. These sections define a young person as a person below the age of 16. However, the Constitution of Zimbabwe places 18 years as the age of majority. So, Mr. President Sir, there was a gap whereas the Criminal Code was saying a young person is somebody 16 and below and the Constitution was saying 18 and below. This is now an alignment Bill to ensure that the Act is aligned with the Constitution in so far as the definition of a young person is concerned.
Therefore, Mr. President Sir, the Bill seeks to confirm the amendments made by the Presidential Emergency Decree that was necessitated by the implementation of the Constitutional Court judgement in Kawenda versus Minister of Justice and Others. The President’s intervention was rendered more urgent by a court which ordered release of all offenders convicted of statutory rape. The Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act [Chapter 9.23] contains several sections that protect children from sexual exploitation. The sections call children ‘young persons’ and that term is defined as meaning boys and girls under the age of 16 years. However, Mr. President Sir, the Constitution fixes 18 years as the age at which one is considered to have attained adult status. Mr. President, although the Criminal Law Code protects the children under the age of 16, it does not provide protection for children between the ages of 17 and 18. As a result, the Constitutional Court has declared the definition of ‘young person’ in Section 61 as well as Sections 70, 76, 83 and 86 of the Code to be unconstitutional, null and void.
This Bill, Mr. President Sir, therefore seeks to extend the protection of children up to the age of 18 as enshrined in the Constitution. Mr. President, the Bill also seeks to criminalise deliberate infection of a child with HIV or any sexually transmitted infection. It is imperative to note that the Bill seeks to enhance the protection of children against culprits who have a tendency of deliberately infecting children with HIV or any other STI. The Bill, Mr. President Sir, does not seek to re-criminalise deliberate infection of persons who are above the age of 18, but only criminalises deliberate infection of children.
The Bill Mr. President, will also amend the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act to make it possible for children and other witnesses who cannot talk, to give evidence in other ways such as through written statements, signs and other argumentative and alternative communications. The amendment Mr. President, ensures that people with speech impairment are not left out in enjoying their rights to be heard and participate in court proceedings.
Mr. President Sir, as I conclude, allow me to encourage the Hon. Senators to support and pass this important law which seeks to enhance the protection of our children against sexual exploitation. It is also an important law that will promote the inclusion of people with speech impairment in our justice system so that they may be accorded an equal opportunity to be heard and participate in all court proceedings.
Mr. President Sir, I therefore, urge Hon. Senators to support and pass this Bill. I so submit and move that the Bill be now read a second time. I thank you.
+HON. SEN. PHUTI: Thank you Mr. President. I want to thank you for this opportunity without forgetting that we have lost one of our Members, Hon. Sen. Chabuka.
I want to thank the Hon. Minister for bringing this Bill even though I still feel that we delayed bringing the Bill because a lot has happened on the ground. We realised that in the past, children were being sexually abused in the absence of a section of the Constitution protecting them. I am happy now that we have a law that protects children. In the past, people were considering someone who is of the age of 16 years as an adult.
Now that this Bill is here, I applaud the Hon. Minister for bringing it. In the past, children were sexually abused and raped. When the matter was taken to courts, you would find the perpetrator being sentenced to community service after infecting the child with a sexually transmitted disease; and this child would spread the disease to other children.
Mr. President, I thank you. I thank also the Hon. Minister for this Bill and I am urging my colleagues to support it. I thank you.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: Thank you very much Mr. President. I congratulate the Hon. Minister for bringing this very important Bill to the Senate.
Let me go backwards Mr. President, when we were in COPAC. It was resoundingly clear that stakeholders on the Bill in terms of what the law should do and mean was that children should be people who are under the age of 18 and not under the age of 16. Therefore, the gap from 2013 to 2024 was a disadvantage to our children, particularly those who are of school going age. Of course, there are those who were protected by the Marriages Act that no one should marry someone who is under the age of 18.
I therefore want to congratulate the Hon. Minister and urge my colleagues here to support this Bill wholeheartedly. Three or so weeks ago, I was part of a consultative team that went around the country to solicit the people’s opinions on this kind of law and it was very clear that almost every place I personally went with the other Hon. Senators – it was clear that people were saying the age of 16 was colonial. It was not of the current dispensation. They publicly made it clear that anyone who is under the age of 18 is still a child and must be protected by both an Act of Parliament as well as by the Constitution.
Further to that, the people we consulted spoke very clearly about the transmission of HIV and other STIs to children. They were very clear that we should not make a mistake of saying the spread of HIV and STIs was meant for adults, those people who are above 18, but those who were under the age of 18. It was again very clear, people wanted those who were doing it to be criminalised. I remember in Mutare, someone was even saying they must be imprisoned for life because giving somebody HIV meant that you are sending a child to live with HIV, so it was again very clear.
Then comes the issue of people with speech impairment. Again, it was very clear that we must not disadvantage these people because of their inability to speak and therefore they should be protected. Therefore Mr. President, I stand here to wholeheartedly support the Bill that the Hon. Minister has brought to the Senate and urge my colleagues here to do the same. I thank you Mr. President – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
*HON. SEN. HUNGWE: Thank you very much Mr. President. First and foremost, I want to express my sincere condolences on the passing on of the late Sen. Chabuka, may her soul rest in eternal peace.
I also want to add my voice just as my colleagues have done. It was quite a disturbing issue to hear that a 16-year-old could be left alone to indulge in sexual activity. The girl child is the one who is on the receiving end because she would have a difficult future. We now observe that there is this trend of people who are abusing drugs, even inhaling or taking them through drinking. It is mostly affecting the girl child because she would have lost a life. No meaningful family can be created by 11 or 16 year olds but you will find such girls being impregnated and most of the times they have complications in delivering a child for their body is not fully developed.
Therefore, thank you Hon. Minister for bringing such a piece of legislation, we wholly support it. I do not believe that anyone in this august House would be against this Bill. It should be enacted so that our grandchildren can grow up better people. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHIKWAKA: Thank you Mr. President for affording me this opportunity to add a few words. However, let me first of all express my condolence to this august House for the passing on of Hon. Sen. Chabuka and may her soul rest in eternal peace.
The truth of the matter is that we must thank the Hon. Minister, if it were possible, he should have brought the law together with a law that is targeting those that rape children, because it is child abuse. As traditional leaders who preside over cases, we were caught between a rock and a hard place, that a child who is 16 years cannot be married because they are a child, yet on the other hand, the Constitution gives a right to be sexually active for those 16 years olds.
My child can be impregnated and no one will marry her and this becomes a burden to parents. The majority of the people in the communal lands and even in the urban areas are now looking after their grandchildren because their parents are gone. This is a huge burden on our families because the law did not help us well in that regard.
Lo and behold, the Minister has now brought a panacea to our problem. If you look at the majority of these children, the majority of them will be in tertiary education. The age of 16 to 18 years is a gap that was too big. This gap was causing parents headaches because most of our children were not completing their education. They are dropping out of school because the law was not protecting them and nothing was going to help them in order not to disturb their lives because they had the right to be sexually active, even if they cannot be married. There was an explosion in terms of the population and children ended up mushrooming everywhere because there was no proper family planning.
This Bill came at the right time, if we are going to come up with a law that no child marriages, it could not work because of a lacuna in the law for the child who is 16 or 17 years would have been sexually abused and the police could not assist us because there was no legislation to handle such matters.
If we pass this law, anyone who would have broken this law should be dealt with by the law. That is why you heard me saying that it should have come, coupled with the one that would prevent those that are raping our children. If this law could come tomorrow morning, we will strongly support it.
I would like to reiterate that you have done well Hon. Minister for coming up with such legislation and similar legislation that work hand in glove with this particular law, it should be quickly brought in this august House so that there is no lacuna between statues and the Constitution. The Constitution and the laws should be in sync so that there is peace in this country and that our efforts are not in vain.
However, today, Hon. Minister, we are grateful, not even a single member of this august House would want to talk of an additional clause that needs to be added. We would want to have this law passed hook, line and sinker. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. MUZODA: Thank you Mr. President for affording me this opportunity. I would like to pass my sincere condolences to this august House on the passing of the late Hon. Sen. Chabuka.
I would want to congratulate the Hon. Minister. The Bill before this august House has been anticipated for a long time. People suffered in their livelihoods, communities and families because of the oppression or peer pressure that comes to children that will then misbehave.
Mr. President, sexual child abuse that leads to pregnancy is not a light matter but a serious one that causes a lot of problems in people’s lives. At the end of the day, we end up blaming people who had nothing to do with our livelihoods because there will be no law. However, now that we have a law we urge the Ministry to go back to the people and create awareness nation wide so that people appreciate and understand that we now have a new law that forbids children, especially the girl child who are below the age of 18 years to be married.
It must be said loud and clear because others do not appreciate it that a girl child is one type of a person. What we refer to as a girl child in this august House, in terms of the law, a girl child would be 18 years and below. Anyone who is below the age 18 years is still a minor.
We want the law to deal ruthlessly with perpetrators of the kind of affairs being discussed. In our country, because of the drought that we have, a lot of our children were going to be involved in arranged marriages due to a bucket full of maize exchanging hands. For the second time, well done Hon. Minister albeit the law has come late but a stitch in time saves nine. We are better off and we will go and tell our communities about this good law.
Three weeks ago, there were three children below the age of 16 years that gave birth but no reports were made even at the clinics or hospitals. They just turn a blind eye. The 16-year old girls who are now mothers are not in good health. Their health is quite pathetic. Good things come to those who wait; thus our elders always say. Let us give our children a chance to grow up so that they enjoy their youth. We should not be protecting people that abuse children because they are envious of children or they have lust for children.
We know there are areas where arranged marriages can be made. Let us go to such places and enlighten them on that new aspect of this law that they should no longer be living as they used to do in the past. Zimbabwe, as a country, has now come up with a law that child marriages are an offence and that the father who is responsible for officiating the marriage, the child that has been married and the person who has married them, will be dealt with severely at law.
Hon. Minister, those that will rape children and infect them with diseases should not be countenanced at all, because once we countenance such behaviour, they will continue to behave in that mode. Once they have been arrested they should not be granted bail. They should be remanded in custody so that they know how to control their feelings.
Hon. President, I want to thank you for the opportunity that you have granted me and in conclusion, say that we are in agreement with the Bill. We are in agreement with this new law. If it were possible, we should just endorse it now before the Minister has finished because it is an important piece of legislation. I thank you.
^HON. SEN. MALULEKE: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to add my voice pertaining to what the Minister has brought before this august House. Minister, I am really glad that you came through. We have been complaining a lot when our children are suffering. What you have brought before this House is very noble. I want to thank you because you have attended to our plea and our children will be able to learn and also grow up in a good way.
It was really disturbing that very little was done to promote our education or to support our children in their academics. What you have brought before this House, we appeal that may those caught on the wrong side of the law be severely punished, even sentencing them to life imprisonment will be okay. I am very grateful if the law that has been brought by the Minister is ascended to. I thank you.
+HON. SEN. NYATI: Thank you for the opportunity Mr. President. Before I debate, we are bereaved following the demise of our late Senator. May her soul rest in peace.
Mr. President, I want to thank the Minister for bringing a new Bill. This Bill will bring a good picture of our country because currently we have a lot of problems with our young stars. We went around with the Committee and we met a number of young people below 16 years who indulge in different activities.
I thank the Minister for bringing this Bill because it will protect a number of young children as we have realised that now in the villages, a lot of our children are infected sexually because most of them, especially the boys, indulge in taking drugs. We are also confident that this Bill helps in schools because these children were dropping out of school and were being disturbed by a number of men who were coming to the schools. So I support this Bill because it will help us in coming up with a good society.
*HON. SEN. KUNAKA: Thank you Mr. President for the opportunity you have given me on the Bill that has been brought by Minister Ziyambi. I say this Bill is good because it protects the children, but I also say that as legislators, the first thing we should think of when children fall pregnant should be that they are of the legal age of majority. It shows that we have a problem. For us to give a solution, we should identify the problem because being pregnant at 16 is a sign that there is something wrong.
In the past, we had the issue of a curriculum which is in schools. During our days, we learnt that there are issues that we could not openly discuss but these days we find there is curriculum content that is being taught openly in schools, for example sexual reproduction. At a school, you will find family planning methods being supplied at school which sort of encourages a lot of mis-behaviour. This is what encourages these children to experiment what they would have learnt.
So I am saying that the curriculum that is being taught in schools is, to an extent, taking a culture which is not ours. I plead that in terms of curriculum that is taught in schools, it should be Afrocentric, which is based and grown from our traditions and values. We should not import those curricula. We also request that this law should bring back our powers as parents because previously, 16-year-old children were given a lot of rights that protected them in the sense that when their parents wanted to discipline them, we were told that we were abusing these children. So, we claim back our powers as parents to discipline these children.
When we pass these laws as legislators, we should consider that parents should discipline their children and only corporal punishment should be regarded as illegal. I say discipline should be brought back and given back to the parents. We ask those in the health sector that a child who is under those ages who gets pregnant should be taken for counselling and narrate her story.
As we put this law, even if Zimbabwe is a multi-religious country, we also noticed that there are some churches which are against that and they break these laws. They say they should marry children in their congregations. I do not know what we are going to do as Zimbabwe to reach out to those churches or regions that marry young girls. I thank you.
**HON. SEN. FANUEL: Thank you Mr. President for affording me this opportunity to speak. As we pay our condolences to our late Hon. Sen. Chabuka, I want to thank the Minister for bringing this Bill. A lot was said during COPAC on the rights of children that they should afford education. They should go to school and after school, they should be employed. Children are indulging in drug abuse and they are sexually abused. I thank the Hon. Minister that children should not be expelled from school, but should be sent to vocational training centres and get empowerment skills.
+HON. SEN. R. NDLOVU: Thank you very much Mr. President. I will first pay my condolences to the late Hon. Sen. Chabuka. I say may her soul rest in peace.
I therefore thank Hon. Ziyambi for bringing this Bill. Hon. Minister, even though this Bill has come after a lot of damage has happened outside there, we are confident that we will protect these children even though they are already damaged. Children should understand that they are no longer supposed to marry when they are below 18 years, but it will take time as most of these children in the rural areas are married because of hunger.
They are lying idle without anything to do. In most schools, they are not learning well and they travel long distances. This forces them to go into early marriage. My request to the Minister is that if possible, these children who get pregnant at 16/17 years is because they are not being reprimanded and disciplined at home. Once disciplined, it is considered that they are being abused. We request the Minister that the law should allow parents to discipline their children at home.
Parents also have a problem because they want to eat. We marry our children out because we want to get rich and we want to be given food. So, let there be a law that if a child aged 16/17 years is pregnant, the parent and also the one who would have impregnated the child are supposed to face the law. This is because Hon. Minister, once you say the only person to face the rule of law is the one who impregnated her, it will not work because at the end, the girl will say I love my boyfriend. The boyfriend will also say I love my girlfriend. At the end, it waters down everything. I request the Minister that he who impregnates, the parent and the one who is pregnant should all be taken to face the law. I thank you Mr. President.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Thank you Hon. President. I have just arrived and I hear there are matters before the august House. Well-done Hon. Minister. We were being bothered by this issue of the age of consent vis-à-vis the age of marriage. There were serious areas that needed to be rectified. So, I arise to thank the Minister for bringing such an important law. In our culture, people say our culture permits that those who are in the age of consent can be married but as chiefs, we say that those who say so are ignorant of their culture.
There is no culture that allows a child who is below the age of 18 to be married, although it is not strictly stated that it is 18, but in terms of our culture, for one to get married, one will be more than 20 years in the strictest of following our cultural beliefs. So as Chiefs, we support that no one below the age of 18 should be married. They are not yet mature to run a family, would they know about running a family?
I am happy that this is now in sync with our culture although the majority of our cases as Africans or as blacks, our children are married well after the ages of 18, those who do otherwise are doing it outside cultural boundaries. Those ignorant ones will say there are certain things that can be done by blacks that has nothing to do with our culture. Thank you, Hon. President of the Senate.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND LEGAL PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. President, firstly I want to thank the Hon. Senators. It is very difficult when you bring legislation to get both sides of the Senate agreeing on something and today is one of those few occasions where you encountered with no dissenting voice and I want to thank the Hon. Senators.
You see, every time I come to this august Senate, I jokingly say that this is a House of mature people who are able to separate petty issues from issues that are national and in this case Hon. Mr. President Sir, we are dealing with an issue on the protection of our young children. The support has been very good from Sen. Phuti who started off by applauding us for bringing this Bill, indicating that it is very good that we are targeting those sex predators who want to target our young children.
Hon. Sen. Gotora who lamented that this process started with COPAC and raising of the age for children to 18 years and lamented that it took a long time, indicating that by and large, those that they met when they did the public hearings were in support of the Bill. He was of the view that those that have sexual intercourse with our young people must be sent to jail for life and applauded the provisions that deal with speech impairment - by and large he was supporting it.
Hon. Sen. Hungwe, also supported the Bill, so did the Hon. Sen. Chief Chikwaka and Hon. Sen. Wunganayi. Everyone by and large, I can pick Hon. Sen. Maluleke even though I could not pick a few of the things that she was saying but I could tell that the sum of it is that she was supporting it. The same goes for Hon. Sen. Nyathi who indicated that it is a good thing that we are criminalising the transmission of HIV.
Hon. Sen. Kunaka took us along the line that we must deal with issues that are not necessarily in the Bill but that are thought provoking: distribution of contraceptives and condoms in schools, teaching of sexual reproductive health in schools, indicating that these are issues that we need to have a look at. I suggest Mr. President, as this is a big topic; that the Hon. Senator, if she so wishes, can bring a motion that can be a topic of discussion in this Senate, to say what is it that we recommend even though it does not specifically touch on issues that are in the Bill. She spoke about the need also to publicise the Bill, which is a good thing to some of the religious sects that may need to be educated on the need not to practice the culture of marrying off children under the age of 18.
Hon. Sen. Fanuel also supported the Bill so as Hon. Sen. Ndlovu and lastly Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira summed it up indicating that some of the practices and things that we have been doing are not even part of our culture. I want to thank all the Senators for the debate and having said that Mr. President Sir, I move that the Bill be now read a second time. I thank you.
Motion put and agreed to
Bill read a second time.
Committee Stage: With leave, forthwith.
COMMITTEE STAGE
CRIMINAL LAWS AMENDMENT (PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS) BILL [H. B. 4A, 2024]
House in Committee.
Clauses 1 to 13 put and agreed to.
House resumed.
Bill reported without amendments.
Third Reading: With leave, forthwith.
THIRD READING
CRIMINAL LAWS AMENDMENT (PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS) BILL [H. B. 4A, 2014]
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Mr. President, I now move that the Bill be read the third time.
Motion put and agreed to.
Bill read the third time.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. President Sir. I now move that we revert to Order of the Day Number 14 on the Order Paper.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
APPROVAL FOR THE RATIFICATION OF THE AGREEMENT ON THE CO-OPERATION OF THE DEVELOPMENT, MANAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABLE UTILISATION OF THE RESOURCES OF THE SAVE WATERCOURSE
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. President. I rise on behalf of the Hon. Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement;
THAT WHEREAS Section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that any convention, treaty or agreement acceded to, concluded or executed by or under the authority of the President with one or more foreign states of governments or international organisations shall be subject to approval by Parliament;
AND WHEREAS the Agreement on the Co-operation of the Development, Management and Sustainable Utilisation of the Resources of the Save Watercourse was signed on 23rd May, 2023 at Harare, Zimbabwe;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe has not ratified the Agreement on the Co-operation of the Development, Management and Sustainable Utilisation of the Resources of the Save Watercourse;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous to ratify the Agreement;
AND WHEREAS in accordance with Article 26 of the Agreement, the Agreement shall enter into force 30 days after the deposit of the instrument of ratification by the parties;
NOW, THEREFORE, in terms of Section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, this House resolves that the aforesaid Agreement is hereby approved for ratification.
Mr. President Sir, the Second Republic under the guidance of His Excellency, wants to enhance productivity and the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement was tasked to look at international agreements that we need to ratify and ensure that they come into force. These are agreements which already had been agreed to and we do not have a leeway as a House to alter anything, save where we feel that we can make a reservation on.
However, the process is that they must come through Parliament so that Parliament can ratify it and it becomes part of our laws. This is the process that His Excellency, the President has tasked us to do to ensure that all these agreements are brought before Parliament and are ratified so that we can fully benefit from the provisions of those agreements, hence we are bringing these agreements.
You may find out that they are many but in essence, that is the thrust that the Second Republic has, to ensure that we increase our productivity. We ensure that we become self-sufficient, each and every agreement that we sign that we have not ratified to ensure that it comes through Parliament, becomes binding on us and we can reap the rewards that are due to the tenets of those agreement.
HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: These ratifications as the Minister has said, need to come to Parliament for approval which is correct. As we do entertain so many, we debate and endorse them. One key principle is that your own Head of State signs, which means it is good for us all. I do not see a situation where we can meet and then stand up to say ‘No’. What information would I have better than the Head of State? When he signs, I think there would have been quite deep research as to the merits and benefits for that particular agreement. As a result, we only stand to support because we do not need to go into too much detail on what our own Head of State, elected by ourselves to represent us to all such important fora would have done.
The Minister has been here several times and the Hon. Minister is also my brother, very close brother and I am always praising him. However, he made a very unfortunate statement when he said we cannot change anything, so we may ask saka wavingei nacho? I just want to be honest about it. If really we are here and we cannot do anything, saka tavingei?
However, he ended up saying I am here for you to ratify. Indeed, we are not here to amend or change anything but in terms of the Constitution of which he is the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, it is a legal constitutional procedure matter that Parliament has to approve. If that is not done, then we have a problem.
So, it is not that we do not have the power to change anything, no. It is not about that. I just thought that was a bit unfortunate in the language although the conclusion was good to say can you ratify, that is, I support the agreement or the protocol, and I think everybody will agree with me that we indeed endorse it. I thank you.
+HON. SEN. M. PHUTI: Thank you for the opportunity that you have afforded me to contribute on this matter. From my own understanding, I believe that our leadership sat down and realised that there is a need for us to work together with other countries. There is a saying in Ndebele that for the bells to ring louder, they have to be in two hands, hence the need why they thought it was good for us to work together with other countries, especially on things to do with agriculture.
I agree with Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira and also agree with the Hon. Minister that they can go ahead and ratify. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Mr. President Sir, I want to thank you and thank the Hon. Senators for their debate. Mr. President, my statement was very correct to say that International Agreements, when they are signed, when they come here for ratification, you cannot delete or add a statement. Either you say yes or you say no, but you cannot amend. You can only note a reservation on a section, but you cannot remove a comma, add a yes, add a no on any sentence because these are agreements that would have been signed by a party that is not part to this august House.
If the process of ratification is to say we agree with this and we agree to be bound or we do not agree with this and we do not want to be bound because the negotiations would have been done Government to Government; at that stage, that is when you can remove a phrase or a sentence or whatever you do not want.
So, it was not an unfortunate statement, but an indication that what we can simply do as Parliament is to say this particular clause, we want His Excellency to note a reservation because we are happy so that it is just a reservation on that and then you agree to be bound by everything else like what we do when we are doing our own legislation to say can you amend this and I say, ‘yes, I think we can amend’, then agree and pass. That is all I was saying, maybe I said it in a way that did not come out clearly. I so submit and move that the treaty be ratified.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
APPROVAL FOR THE RATIFICATION ON THE HOSTING AGREEMENT OF THE BUPUSA COMMISSION SECRETARIAT.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): I move the motion standing in my name;
THAT WHEREAS Section 327(2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that any convention, treaty or agreement acceded to, concluded or executed by or under the authority of the President with one or more foreign states of governments of international organisations shall be subject to approval by Parliament;
AND WHEREAS the Hosting Agreement of the BUPUSA Commission Secretariat was signed on 23rd of May 2023 at Harare, Zimbabwe;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe has not ratified the Hosting Agreement of the BUPUSA Commission Secretariat;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous of ratifying the Agreement;
AND WHEREAS in accordance with Article 15 of the Agreement, the Agreement shall enter into force 30 days after notification by the parties to the Depositary that the procedures and requirements of the domestic laws of both Member States were fulfilled;
NOW THEREFORE, in terms of section 327(2) (a) of the Constitution if Zimbabwe, this House resolves that the aforesaid Agreement is hereby approved for ratification.
I so move Mr. President Sir.
HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Mr. President, I continue to say that when the President signs an agreement, it is for the good of the country and we need to proceed. On this one what is BUPUSA, but we want to support it. Thank you.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Minister?
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Sorry Mr. President Sir. I was whispering to the Clerk trying to find out whether they circulated the agreements. Pardon me, it was not meant to be heard. My apologies.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Your response. The Hon. Senator wants to know what BUPUSA means.
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: My response is this agreement was circulated and if the Hon. Senator does not have it, that is why I was whispering to the Clerk to say did you satisfy the requirements, but I will then have to check the actual abbreviation. Offhand, I do not know, but the agreement was circulated.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: Point of order Mr. President.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order, order. Let me help the Minister. It is Buzi, Pungwe and Save Rivers. It is to do with water resources which we are as what are called in legal language, I think pariah states. We share these.
Hon. Sen. Gotora you had a point of order. What is it about?
HON. SEN. GOTORA: Mr. President, you have already clarified what I wanted to deal with because I happen to know the background during my days in Campfire with the Chumachado of Mozambique who worked with these things.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
APPROVAL FOR THE RATIFICATION ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BUZI, PUNGWE AND SAVE WATERCOURSE COMMISSION (BUPUSA COMMISSION)
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): I move the motion standing in my name;
THAT WHEREAS Section 327(2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that any convention, treaty or agreement acceded to, concluded or executed by or under the authority of the President with one or more foreign states of governments or international organisations shall be subject to approval by Parliament;
AND WHEREAS the Agreement on the Establishment of the Buzi, Pungwe and Save Watercourse Commission (BUPUSA Commission) was signed on the 23 of May 2023 at Harare, Zimbabwe;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe has not ratified the Agreement on the Establishment of the Buzi, Pungwe and Save Watercourse Commission;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous of ratify the Agreement;
AND WHEREAS in accordance with Article 14 of the Agreement, the Agreement shall enter into force 30 days after the last notification to the Depositary, by the Parties that their respective constitutional procedures have been complied with;
NOW, THEREFORE, in terms of section 327(2) (a) of the Constitution if Zimbabwe, this House resolves that the aforesaid Agreement is hereby approved for ratification.
HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Mr. President, this time and without any reservations or question, what is the meaning of this, it has been explained. I stand up to support for approval. Thank you.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
APPROVAL FOR THE RATIFACTION OF THE ACCESSION TO THE CONVENTION ON THE PROTECTION AND USE OF TRANSBOUNDARY WATERCOURSES AND INTERNATIONAL LAKES AND CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE NON-NAVIGATIONAL USES OF INTERNATIONAL WATERCOURSES
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER, FISHERIES AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): I move the motion;
THAT WHEREAS Section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that any convention, treaty or agreement acceded to, concluded or executed by or under the authority of the President with one or more foreign states or governments of international organisations shall be subject to approval by Parliament;
AND WHEREAS the proposed accession to the Convention on the Protection and use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes and Convention on the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses (hereinafter “the global water conventions”) was approved by Cabinet on 09 April 2024;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe has not acceded to the global water conventions;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous of acceding to the global water conventions;
NOW, THEREFORE, in terms of section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, this House resolves that the global water conventions be and are hereby approved.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
APPROVAL FOR THE RATIFICATION ON THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA AND THE REPUBLIC OF ZIMBABWE ON THE SUPPLY OF TREATED WATER FROM BEITBRIDGE WATER TREATMENT WORKS IN ZIMBABWE TO MUSINA TOWN
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER, FISHERIES AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): I rise on a notice of motion by the Minister of Lands as it fully appears in the Order Paper.
THAT WHEREAS Section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that any convention, treaty or agreement acceded to, concluded or executed by or under the authority of the President with one or more foreign states or governments of international organisations shall be subject to approval by Parliament;
AND WHEREAS the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Republic of Zimbabwe on the Supply of Treated Water from Beit Bridge water Treatment Works in Zimbabwe to Musina Town (hereinafter “the Agreement”) was signed on 14 March 2024 at Musina, South Africa;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe has not ratified the Agreement;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous to ratify the Agreement;
NOW, THEREFORE, in terms of section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, this House resolves that the Agreement be and is hereby approved.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
APPROVAL FOR THE RATIFICATION OF THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON THE DEVELOPMENT, MANAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABLE UTILISATION OF THE WATER RESOURCES OF THE BUZI WATERCOURSE.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER, FISHERIES AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): Thank you Mr. President Sir, I rise again on a notice of motion in the name of the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development.
THAT WHEREAS Section 327(2)(a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that any convention, treaty or agreement acceded to, concluded or executed by or under the authority of the President with one or more foreign states or governments of international organisations shall be subject to approval by Parliament;
AND WHEREAS the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Development, Management and Sustainable Utilisation of the Buzi Watercourse was signed on the 29th of July 2019 at Mutare, Zimbabwe;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe has not ratified the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Development, Management and Sustainable Utilisation of the Water Resources of the Buzi Watercourse;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous of ratify the regulatory framework;
AND WHEREAS in accordance with Article 25 of the MOU, the MOU shall enter into force 30 days after the deposit of the instrument of ratification by the parties;
NOW, THEREFORE, in terms of section 327(2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, this House resolves that the aforesaid Memorandum of Understanding is hereby approved for ratification.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Mr. President, I move that we now revert to Order No. 12 on today’s Order Paper.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
APPROVAL FOR THE RATIFICATION OF THE AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING MUTUAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE IN CRIMINAL MATTERS BETWEEN THE REPUBLIC OF ZIMBABWE AND THE REPUBLIC OF RWANDA
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Mr. President, I move the motion stand in my name:
THAT WHEREAS Section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that any convention, treaty or agreement acceded to, concluded or executed by or under the authority of the President with one or more foreign states of governments or international organisations shall be subject to approval by Parliament;
WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe and the Republic of Rwanda signed an agreement establishing Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters on 19 March 2021 at Harare, Zimbabwe;
WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous of ratifying the Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters;
AND WHEREAS in terms of Article 26 of the Agreement, the entry into force of the aforesaid agreement shall be upon 30 days after the date on which the Parties have notified each other in writing that their respective constitutional requirements for entry into force of the Agreement have complied with;
NOW, THEREFORE, in terms of Section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, this House resolves that the aforesaid Agreement be and is hereby approved for ratification.
Motion put and agreed to.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI), the Senate adjourned at Twenty-Two Minutes past Four o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 27th June, 2024
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. SPEAKER in the Chair)
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Hwende, you are late. How come you are late? Do you not want to pray with us?
*HON. HWENDE: It is because of the meandering roads Mr. Speaker Sir.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: I also use the same roads and I plan my trips so that I arrive before time.
*HON. HWENDE: Some of us do not have convoys Mr. Speaker to pave way for us – [Laughter.]-
*THE HON. SPEAKER: I leave early, so please give yourself two hours to prepare, just give yourself enough time to prepare so that we pray together. Is that not so Hon. Member?
*HON. HWENDE: Indeed, Hon. Speaker Sir.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: I noticed the other side, a number of people, two or three people. What is happening Hon. Members?
When I crack the whip then people say this old man – [AN HON. MEMBER: Inaudible interjection.] - I will take away your coupons, I will not give you coupons. – [AN HON. MEMBER: Inaudible interjection.] - The press should hear that. When you discipline your child, it means that you love the child.
Before I make the announcements, there is an Hon. Member who moved a motion on the late Vice President of Malawi. Is the Hon. Member here?
+HON. BAJILA: I am here Hon. Speaker.
+THE HON. SPEAKER: Please come forth Hon. Member, may you approach the Chair?
Hon. Bajila approached the Chair.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I see too many gaps on my right. People who sit on that side are not there, and up there they are not there. That middle row there, people are not there. Hon. Members, what is happening? – [AN HON. MEMBER: They are attending Central Committee meetings.] -
THE HON. SPEAKER: So both sides are having Central Committee meetings? – [Laughter.] - If you do not appear, you may disappear. Alright, let us proceed then accordingly.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. SPEAKER
NON-ADVERSE REPORTS RECEIVED FROM THE PARLIAMENTARY LEGAL COMMITTEE
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that I have received non-adverse reports from the Parliamentary Legal Committee on the following:
- The Administration of Estates Amendment Bill [H.B. 3A, 2024]
- All Statutory Instrument Numbers 55 to 101 published in the Government Gazette during April and May 2024.
All of them have complied with the Constitutional requirements.
HON. CHIDUWA: On a point of national interest.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I do not see your name here Hon. Chiduwa, what happened? We must refer to our Whips so that we have structured procedures. I will allow you to proceed.
HON. CHIDUWA: Thank you, Mr. Speaker Sir, I rise on a point of national interest to applaud and commend the positive milestones we have made as a country in our national budget processes. On the 29th of May 2024, the Open Budget Survey published by the International Budget Partnerships announced that Zimbabwe has made significant improvements in its rankings of budget transparency, inclusiveness with an open budget index of 63 out of 100 against a global average of 44 for the 2022/23 assessment year.
Hon. Speaker, the Open Budget Survey (OBS) assesses the formal opportunities that are offered to the public for meaningful participation in the different stages of the budget process. It examines the practices of the Central Government’s Executive, the Legislature, and the Supreme Audit institutions using 18 equally weighted indexes aligned with a global initiative for the fiscal transparency principles of public participation in fiscal policy.
Zimbabwe is among the top performers and ranks third after South Africa and Benin in Africa. Zimbabwe’s open budget index has consistently improved over the years and signifies Government efforts to enhance open and free inclusive public participation and legislative oversight in the national budgeting process.
Hon. Speaker, in the 2023 open budget survey, it has been noted that Zimbabwe has increased the availability of budget information by increasing the information provided in the mid-term review. Zimbabwe’s Parliament has done well by conducting public hearings related to the approval of the annual budget.
In terms of budget oversight, Zimbabwe got a score of 56 in 2023 compared to 48 received in 2021. The key budget documents that Zimbabwe makes available to the public like the pre-budget statement, the executive budget proposal, the budget estimates, the citizen's budget, and the mid-term review, were all deemed to be very comprehensive.
The improvements in national budget transparency are critical for the realisation of Vision 2030 as it builds public trust through robust and inclusive engagement. It shows that we are on the right track concerning our fiscal management process. We are an example to follow regionally and internationally. We should stay the course and work on the areas that require improvements. I so submit Hon. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Why are colleagues from my left quiet? This is an accolade to you all – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Silence is not speech.
Hon. Chiduwa, that is a critical observation. If you listen very carefully Hon. Members to his statement, it speaks to the collaborative role that you play with the Executive in the budget process. The kudos therefore go to all of you. This is why I was saying that silence on my left – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – This is because the Committee on Budget and Finance comprises Members across the board. So you must be proud of that achievement.
Moreso, the Zimbabwe Parliament remains the only Parliament in the world that is ISO-certified – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – be proud of yourselves. You have made a tremendous contribution and I hope that when you attend future budgets, you will upscale the standards accordingly. Thank you Hon. Chiduwa.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. KAMBUZUMA: Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 3 be stood over until Orders of the Day 4 to 7 on today’s Order Paper are disposed of in that order. I thank you.
HON. MUNEMO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON DEFENCE, HOME AFFAIRS, SECURITY AND WAR VETERANS AFFAIRS ON THE PETITION FROM THE CHILDREN OF WAR VETERANS AND HEROES DEPENDANTS FORUM
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the petition from the Children of War Veterans and Heroes Dependants Forum on the economic empowerment for War Veterans and their dependants.
Question again proposed.
*HON. ZEMURA: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to debate on the motion regarding the children of the late war veterans and our war veterans who are still alive. Indeed, this issue was raised by children of war veterans.
As we stand here, it pains us also because we live with children of war veterans, both veterans who are alive and those who passed on and left their children. Looking at their children and what they are receiving as pensions indeed pains us. When war veterans left for the war, we were here. We were left looking after the children of these war veterans, some who are here and some who have already passed on.
We were left with the burden of looking after their children because there was no-one there to look after them. Some were sick, others could not go to school. Most children of war veterans could not proceed with education because their parents were outside the country.
I thought that this issue would be looked into in the early 80s to determine what these children would get. This is painful indeed, Hon. Speaker Sir. What pains us is what war veterans are receiving. Not even mentioning their children, but war veterans on their own, are not getting anything. Sometimes some of them would be requesting for assistance from other people, assistance in terms of tilling their land and other needs.
So from my area, a lot of people went to participate in the liberation struggle. Some left their families when their children were still very young, but today the few children of war veterans are desperately seeking help.
We are in such a beautiful Parliament through independence because of the sacrifices that were made by our war veterans. We drive nice cars because of these war veterans. Many people might not know what a war veteran is or the children of war veterans. These are the people who liberated Zimbabwe, so their families should benefit indeed.
It pains me because I am one of the people who looked after children of war veterans. Unfortunately, that person from the Zemura family did not come back. I was teaching and I was even left paying school fees for the children of the war veterans. I believe that if someone goes outside the country to fight for independence, the nation or the Government should look after them.
Indeed, we have some war veterans in this House, both male and female, but for us who did not go to war, we have better livelihoods Hon. Speaker because we do not have some diseases. Some were disabled. I live next to a woman who was affected by a bullet and she had to have her breast removed. We go to work, we have medical aid and we are in a better state.
I therefore request and I implore the Government to look into the interests and welfare of war veterans. Some of us are war collaborators. Forty five years after our names were captured in the database of war collaborators Hon. Speaker Sir, we are still talking about these issues for Government to intervene. Zimbabwe waged a protracted liberation war for it to attain independence.
There are some parents who were left with their families and who lost their children. Some even testified that they lost their children to the war and they have not benefitted in any way. Now in 2024, the children of war veterans are raising their issues of their plight. Indeed, we support them in their plea and we support that Government should intervene because they did not benefit even from the land redistribution programme. This is what their parents were fighting for but they did not benefit. Even when we queue for the livestock distribution programme, you would find that some who are benefitting are children of war veterans in every Government programme. Those who are not supposed to benefit speak good English and they benefit while the children of war veterans are not benefitting in any way.
So, we want to assist them and want to fight for their welfare. This is our time as war veterans to win this war which will result in children of war veterans benefiting. There are a lot of women who were left behind and their husbands passed away. We also have widowers who also lost their wives to the war. All those people should benefit. I am raising issues which are pertinent and this is what is happening.
You find that some women work for others and they are not receiving any food aid, whether it is grain or what and no one bothers to look into their welfare. To investigate how they are surviving despite losing their husbands to the war is very painful. If I was not in Parliament and was at my party or in my neighbourhood, I would cry and shed tears. This is because I am one of the people who have neighbours who lost family members to the war. Some might take it as a minor issue, but the Lord we worship in this august House will look after the children of war veterans because we are talking about reality. Some people are suffering. They do not have anything yet we are seated here in this august House as a result of the blood shed by our war veterans.
Some might be enjoying whilst others are suffering but we fought for this country. Widows and orphans of war veterans should be given benefits - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - Mr. Speaker Sir, can I be protected?
THE HON. SPEAKER: You are protected
*HON. ZEMURA: I was saying even orphans are given pensions instead of them not receiving anything. We desire that they be invited by the Ministry of War Veterans so that they benefit. Moreover, 44 years after losing their parents, whether they are over 18 or 19, the children of war veterans should be given the pensions of their parents. Such things should be looked into. I thank you Hon. Speaker.
*HON. GANYIWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Let me add my voice to the motion which was moved by a Member of the Portfolio Committee on War Veterans which is looking at the welfare of beneficiaries of war veterans who are alive and those who passed on. This is quite an emotional issue which affects a lot of people and there is no family which did not lose or which does not have a person who participated in the liberation struggle.
We need to work together in seeking to share ideas regarding the welfare of the children of war veterans. Indeed, a lot of Hon. Members have raised this. I am a child of a war veteran. I once spoke and said that I have been thinking and looking at the difference that was there between those who had both parents and some of us who grew up without both parents. When I go home, I am received by my children who will be happy that I am coming from work.
Some of us did not have that privilege of meeting our parents or enjoying time with them because they had gone out. We need to work together as Zimbabweans to address the plight of widows and orphans of our war veterans who were left behind as a result of the deaths that occurred because of the liberation struggle. There are times when we hear people saying that war veterans who fought for this country are very emotional people and sometimes what happens is that when you are provoked by things that have been bothering you for a long time, you might be harsh. War veterans are sometimes ridiculed, some loved, some despised and some would say who sent them to war; they must go and tie it wherever it was tied to by colonisers.
This is emotional to us and it reminds me of where we are coming from for some of us who grew up without our fathers. The issue which was moved by Hon. Nguluvhe that the children of war veterans and their beneficiaries should be considered in things like land redistribution and other benefits, is because they were left behind since they did not have both parents. I will use a Shona idiom which implies that the good health and the lifestyles that we have as Zimbabweans, and given the opportunity to participate in politics in whichever political party, came as a result of the sacrifice of our war veterans who sacrificed so that we get independence.
In English, they say and I quote, “musicians are the only prophets that never lied, and everything that they have said have come to pass”. The late Cde. Chimbetu sang that it is only the brave who went to war. There was no incentive for crossing the border going to Mozambique. People were inspired by the spirit of Murenga and also by the desire to bring independence. The artist also said for us not to forget Jojo Michael and brother Tanyanyiwa who were inspired and who went to the war to fight for independence. I remember my father told me that the first job that he did was plumbing and being a groundsman in order to raise money for bus fare so he could join his colleagues. His first salary, he went to different shops in the city and bought shoes while others used their money because they had passion for setting Zimbabwe free from colonialists.
I believe that this issue should be supported by all actors from different political parties because there is no family which does not have a family member who participated in the war of the liberation struggle. We need to work together to better the lives of our war veterans and their children. I also believe that the other challenges that we meet are because of the anger of those who passed on, sometimes they might be saying that we are neglecting their orphans and their widows – some were affected by the war, some were maimed and some were walking long distances without bus fare. There is an opportunity which will culminate in them being given certificates which show that this is a war veteran who fought for the Independence of Zimbabwe because they are old.
I propose that they board buses for free because they already paid by their sacrifice. When they go to the banks, they must be given the opportunity. There is this English adage which says, ‘A common place, poor and rich people meet, but for different reasons’ - whilst a rich person gets in the bank to get the money to go and invest and the poor only get in there to save.’ They do not get the opportunity to go and start their own businesses because they do not have collateral. I believe that the collateral they have is proof enough. The evidence that they went to war and they gave us the opportunity to partake in businesses in an independent country - when they go to the banks, they must get assistance. Indeed, it might be a small amount but they must not be asked so many questions which raise tempers and emotions because they did not have the opportunity to create their own wealth and to go to school because they fought for the liberation of this nation.
It is good to live in an independence country. I once said before in a similar issue when we looked at the budget that they should be a bigger allocation to ministries which look at the welfare and the security of the set because the lack of threats to national security means there is security not going to reclaim our sovereignty.
I believe that they should also be prioritised. Let me conclude by saying that when we are genuine indeed that we are independent having received our independence from those who had colonised us, let us thank our war veterans by tangible things. Some of them are grown up and they have a few days or years left in their lives.
At one point, I was angry looking at the time my parents passed on and what they owned. I saw that indeed this man died but if he was alive, he would be complaining. I believe that children of war veterans and our war veterans should be the first to benefit from land re-distribution because this is the land they fought for. They should be given the priority. We grew up knowing that whatever resources sometimes consumed by those who will be working to produce such resources. In the same vein, we need to bring these families together so that we eat together and partake of whatever benefits together. I believe that my views will be used. I thank you.
HON. BONDA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for allowing me this opportunity to debate on the motion on the petition from the children of the war veterans and heroes. Firstly, I just want to dwell much on the motivation side that motivated the gallant children of Zimbabwe to take up the weapons and go to war. It was a motivation that was a very good one in the sense that everybody when they left home going to the neighbouring countries to take up arms, we were promised that and the children of war veterans were supposed to benefit from the parents who were promised that the land will flow with milk and honey. Mainly, what they went out to fight for was the rule of law and the just atmosphere or environment.
Most of these children are not actually educated because the parents left to take up arms. Some of the parents were not educated and when they came back home, they came back uneducated and were unable to support their children in as far as education is concerned. When they came back from war, the gallant sons of the soil of Zimbabwe, expected to get land and mechanisation to till land and allow the milk and honey to flow but unfortunately, it is out of reach for them, their children and their generations to come.
Some got fertile land as we know, but most are in the arid areas always hit by drought year in year out. Poverty is passed from one generation to another. No land entitlement was given to the gallant sons and those who managed to come back. In some areas they are moved, paving way to some developments leaving them poorer without land. I will take, for example, the areas like Chilonga and Hwange where they are actually being moved from one point to another paving way for the miners and the farmers in Chilonga.
All this occurring, they failed dismally to educate their children. In some cases, some of these children never got any chance to see their parents who left for training in neighbouring countries but never come back. All this happening, some of the children never got their birth rights, here I am talking of even birth certificates, and some of them do not have. For such kids to fend for themselves without equipment needed in the world, which is education, it is quite a difficult one.
They do not have any education whatsoever because they did not inherit anything that could actually make them get some better education to be better people in the country. Whilst we go down checking on what is happening to the welfare of the children of the War Veterans, they do not have land as their parents settled in resettlement schemes where stands are audited and only original stands stay put. We have seen this happening in the previous months whereby if a son of a war veteran decides to come back home, build a home or get a stand next to his parents, they actually met some kind of difficulties to build or to increase the number of the stands in those resettlements.
It is so sad that most of them will not inherit anything as most of their parents are leaving nothing behind to alleviate their plight but actually, they are exacerbating poverty to these children who at times pay expensive bills for their parents which is supposed to be catered for by the Government. Let us, as the House, assist the children of the war veterans who are crying in the wilderness seeking some kind of help. Those who lost parents in the war do need to re-bury their parents in a dignified way to actually get closure.
As I round up, the process of exhuming and according proper burial has taken too long. The children should be supported by the Government and projects availed as well as scholarships so that they can manage to fend for themselves. Also the exhumation and re-burial will actually bring closure to the parents so that they get to know. As you know in our culture, we really need to know who our ancestors are and at times there is our culture that sometimes we need to visit burial places of our ancestors. It is actually a sorry state for these children of war veterans who do not even know where their parents are buried. Thank you Madam Speaker. I have added enough flesh to this debate that was raised by Hon. Nguluvhe.
*HON. SHONGEDZA: Thank you Madam Speaker for giving me this opportunity to support the motion which was moved by Hon. Nguluvhe, seconded by Hon. Kaitano. After receiving a letter from the children of war veterans raising their concerns. Let me take us back a bit to say that the war was painful. In 1974 when I went to war as a young girl, five grains of maize were allocated to you and you would eat them until the following day and you could not tell anyone or ask anyone. The war that was fought by war veterans was painful.
After independence when I was bathing, my daughter got into the bathroom and saw a big wound and she asked what happened to my leg. I said I was injured in Mozambique so she said some people are enjoying your sweat and your blood whilst some are suffering and this affected me, it really touched me. This prompted the children of war veterans to write expressing their plight and indeed it was not easy, the war was very painful. I remember one other year, I do not know why they were saying, endai munodzorera kwamakatora nyika, this statement hurts and sometimes I wonder whether this is a person who really cares whilst some sacrificed their lives and some war veterans do not have arms, legs and some could not give birth because of the war. We went through a lot of things crossing rivers. Hon. Nguluvhe indeed raised a pertinent issue which I believe is the work of the spirit of Nehanda. The money which is being given to war veterans which was allocated to the Home Affairs Ministry should be taken to the Ministry of War Veterans.
I appreciate the efforts of His Excellency President E. D Mnangagwa, who introduced the Ministry of War Veterans because we have a Ministry which will address our plight as war veterans and this august House should sit and agree that war veterans and their children should be prioritised. We have war collaborators who were assisting during the war and some
did not have the opportunity to see their children. Whenever my parents were asked by the Rhodesian soldiers about my whereabouts, they would say that she is not here and we do not know where she is because they were afraid of saying exactly where I had gone to. This was because they wanted to protect their lives as a family.
Sometimes you find war veterans who are suffering and others who went for so many years came back suffering and are still suffering today. The 20% that is being discussed in different ministries, I believe should be allocated to the war veterans. May war veterans be allowed to participate in different nation building programmes?
Madam Speaker Ma’am, this is quite an emotional issue. Some of us grew up during the liberation struggle and did not enjoy our childhood life. We went as children but we came back with an independent Zimbabwe and people are enjoying the fruits of Independence. I thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Shongedza. Please allow me to give Hon. Matangira an opportunity.
*HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you so much Madam Speaker. I stood up to add my voice to the motion – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Matangira, please proceed and continue to address the Chair.
*HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you so much. Thank you for the protection Madam Speaker Ma’am. I want to add my voice to this quite pertinent issue that affects everyone and the prophecy which was said by Mbuya Nehanda that my bones will rise again. Indeed, they rose like during Ezekiel’s time. The war was waged, we got our independence and everyone was so happy.
We enjoyed the benefits of independence and forgot - the bones rose again reminding us, how come you have forgotten? This was done during the petition that was generated by the children of the war veterans. This also encompasses those who participated in different ways like war collaborators. Today, we are debating about the issue.
Hon. Speaker Ma’am, we may differ in terms of ideology but we are looking at this reality. This is not just an issue which can just be debated but because the issue is in Parliament, we are debating it. It is not surprising that war veterans should benefit from what they deserve. The world-over, there are revolutionary wars that were fought and participants in different wars are being compensated and this is cascaded down to their children and grandchildren.
When we refer to the Bible, we find that there are families of the Levites. Levites bore Levites and this continued from one generation to the other. The war veterans of Zimbabwe are like Levites who sacrificed their lives, and their families. Their children should benefit from what they deserve. How can we do this? I believe that this is what we should do.
Zimbabwe is independent and we need to go back to the drawing board looking at what led to the war. We fought for our land and war veterans should be getting their allocations. If it is a beast that is being slaughtered, then we should consider which part should be allocated to them. This is a country that attained its independence through a protracted war. War veterans are the people who are suffering the most and should benefit from the land but they are suffering in a land of their forefathers.
This is a legislature. We need to enact laws that state that those who mine in our country should allocate a certain percentage to war veterans. When they extract different special minerals, then a percentage should be allocated to war veterans and their families – whether it is lithium, diamonds, coal or oil, they should be given their allocation because this is what they fought for. It is not proper for people who are coming from outside to benefit whilst they are suffering. As Parliament, we need to agree on what to do concerning the war veterans issue. Let us agree, there was no ‘one man, one vote’, and there was no black man who was allowed to be a Member of Parliament without selling out but we are here in this august House to enact laws in a democratic manner where everyone is free to voice their thoughts.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, what pains me is that those who fought for this country are now on pension and what are they being paid for? It is for an independent Zimbabwe. There are some people here who say, ‘it does not matter, we can take the country back to the colonisers and set it free again’. Is that so?
It is not easy Madam Speaker Ma’am that after God had sent the Israelites to spend 40 years in the wilderness, just like our war veterans spent so many years in the bush fighting for independence, then you hear someone uttering such a statement. We do not use vulgar language in this House, but we say, ‘ask yourself, what should we give to these war veterans and their children?’
The children spoke about their heritage, their fathers perished in the war, and some came back with different ailments…
*HON. HAMAUSWA: Madam Speaker Ma’am, there is a bad habit which is happening in this august House whereby Hon. Members are raising issues which are insulting and derogatory to others
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. TSITSI ZHOU): Order Hon. Hamauswa
*HON. HAMAUSWA: I have not finished speaking Madam Speaker. Are you happy that people are being insulted?
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Hamauswa. Let me say that everyone in this august House is allowed to debate, so you are allowed to see your Chief Whip for you to debate.
HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Let me shorten my contribution. I wanted to say that we have raised this issue and I believe that different Members of this House are hearing what we are saying. A hatchling of a snake moves along the same way as the snake itself. So the children of the war veterans should be given what they deserve. Let us give them their heritage. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Let me remind this House that when a motion is raised, there are issues or prayers which are in line with the motion. So, let us not digress from those.
*HON. MAJAYA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to the motion which was raised by Hon. Nguluvhe after a petition which was brought in by War Veterans.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, I believe that there should be a database for war veterans. If this was done after independence then we would be in a better position.
The children of war veterans only benefited when their parents were given the $50 000 allocation in 1997. It is not every war veteran who was given that package because vetting is still ongoing and they do not have anything, which means that their families are suffering. Their children do not have money to go to school. I believe that this is the Government's responsibility to cater to their children’s education even if it means putting those children on the BEAM programme that would make sense.
Children of war veterans and their parents sometimes fall sick in the rural areas and end up going to traditional healers because they do not have medical aid, nor do they have funeral policies. When they die, they are given a pauper’s burial, some just receive contributions and are buried in a makeshift coffin.
War veterans do not have farming implements. If they had implements, then they would be able to fend for their children. They also do not have income-generating projects which give them money for sustenance so the Government should consider introducing income-generating projects for them because their plight is touching. Their living standards do not portray them as people who fought for the independence of this country. So the Government remembers the war veterans and looks into their welfare because they brought freedom to Zimbabwe. War veterans look like paupers and they are poor. I thank you.
*HON. ZVAIPA: On a point of order! I am kindly requesting for this lady who was debating to be accorded more time.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: The Honourable who was debating’s name is Hon. Zvaipa? To start with, this august House does not have mothers, it has Hon. Members and also the Honourable who was debating debated up to the point when she said she is done.
HON. KANAGAUSARU: Hon. Madam Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity today to add my voice on the motion in support of the petition submitted by the Children of War Veterans and Heroes Dependents through Hon. Nguluvhe, seconded by Hon. Kaitano.
The matter is of greater importance and requires urgent attention of this august House. The petitioners have raised several critical issues that deserve our consideration and action. Firstly, they have rightly pointed out the need to amend the definition of dependent in the Veteran of the Liberation Struggle Act [Chapter 17:12]. The current definition which limits dependents to the children under the age of 18 is far too restrictive. Many children of war veterans require educational assistance beyond the age of 18, particularly for higher and tertiary education. By maintaining this narrow definition, we are failing to adequately support the educational needs of this important group.
Madam Speaker, education is a fundamental right and a critical path way to economic empowerment. The children of our liberation war veterans should not be denied the right simply because they have reached the age of 18. We have a moral and constitutional obligation to ensure that the benefits and the recognition afforded to our war veterans are extended to their dependents regardless of their age. Amending the Act to broaden the definition of dependents would go a long way in addressing this injustice.
Secondly Madam Speaker, the petitioners proposed that the Act be amended to include a provision on respecting, honoring and recognising the veterans of the liberation struggle. This is a valid and important request. Our war veterans sacrificed immensely for the freedom and independence we enjoy today. It is only fitting that the contribution enshrined in the law that they be accorded the utmost respect and recognition by the State and the people of Zimbabwe.
The neglect and marginalisation of war veterans is a stain on our national conscience. By incorporating provisions on respect, honour and recognition into the Act, we can begin to rectify this historical wrong and ensure that war veterans and their families are treated with dignity, integrity, sincerity, honesty and are given the appreciation they deserve. Madam Speaker if you do not have a history…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Kangausaru. The Hon. Member who has just walked in, you should be aware that you are not allowed to walk in front of an Hon. Member who is on the floor.
HON. MUTIMBANYOKA: My apologies Madam Speaker.
HON. KANGAUSARU: Thank you Madam Speaker. Without history you cannot have a story. Our history speaks for itself, but we see most of our children saying, kana makasunungura nyika endai munoyisungirira tigoisunungura isu because they do not know the story that when you have walked a certain path, you cannot walk it twice like in our liberation. No one wants to go back there. No one would like to go back there.
It reminds me of a story, Madam Speaker, of a small boy who was going to school with his friends and they were laughing at him saying your mother is ugly. Look at her face, it is so disfigured. The boy sat there wondering. Day after day they would laugh at him in school and one day the young man took the guts and asked his mother what happened for her to be so ugly. The mother was surprised. She said come here my son. Sit down here and let me tell you a story of what happened so that you can know.
She said that once upon a time, you were in the hut and the hut was burning. As it was burning, my family said to me, sister the child is gone and the hut is burning. There is no need for you to go and help your child. The mother said to the boy, I took a wet blanket. I covered myself and ran into the hut. I covered you in the flame of the fire and when I came out, I was no longer protected. I was protecting you and I was burnt severely. That is why you see I am so ugly. The boy understood from there. When they went to school and his friends said your mother is ugly, he said I do not care because I know where I came from. I know who I am. I am what I am because my mother sacrificed for me.
That was the story Madam Speaker that we need to know ourselves, that our history speaks of itself and that there are people who have sacrificed their lives. I have heard the previous speaker saying that she showed her child a part of my body that was the sacrifice that was done. I can tell you as a war collaborator myself, I know where I am coming from. I know what happens. I have people, I have my nephew who is also sleeping now and did not benefit from this country because he died, but his children are there. People like Charlse Ziwome Kangausaru who is sleeping, but his children are struggling. They cannot even go to school. They did not go to school because their father was in the war.
Furthermore, Madam Speaker, the petitioners have called upon the Parliament to exercise its constitutional oversight role to ensure that the rights and the benefit of our war veterans are upheld. This is a critical function of Parliament and one that we must take seriously. We cannot allow the constitutional rights of our war veterans and their dependents to be violated and to be neglected. It is our duty as law makers to hold the Executive accountable and to ensure that the provisions of the Act are fully implemented and are respected.
Finally Madam Speaker, the petitioners have raised the issue of the eviction of heroes’ dependents from allocated land in the farms. That is a deep concerning matter that requires immediate attention. Our war veterans and families have sacrificed immensely for this country and they deserve secure access to land and other resources. The evictions of heroes and their dependents is not only a gross injustice, but also undermines the very principle of our liberation struggle.
Madam Speaker, I urge this House to take a decisive action in support of the petitioner’s demands. The time has come to arm the Veterans of Liberation Act to enshrine respect and recognition of our war veterans and to strengthen Parliament’s oversight role in ensuring the implementation of this critical legislation. Furthermore, we must hold the eviction of heroes’ dependents and ensure their rights to land and other resources are protected. Our war veterans and their families deserve nothing less than a house to stay with their children and their dependents, and I call upon Members of this House to stand with the Children of War Veterans and Heroes Dependents Forum and to work tirelessly to address the issues raised in this petition. The future of our nation depends on it. I thank you Madam Speaker.
*HON. NYAKUYEDZWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I would like to air my views on the issue on the table which was raised by Hon. Nguluvhe. Madam Speaker if we revert to the liberation struggle, we will take our thoughts deep down because during that time in this country there was no peace.
So the issue on the table is a very important issue which was raised by the children of these war veterans. It is very important because they deserve to be earning something to applause or to appreciate the big duties which were taken by their parents. Madam Speaker, I agree with all the people who were debating before and those who just debated today. Even those from the opposition and those from the ruling party side are all in agreement to say the peace came after the liberation struggle.
Honestly speaking, we have to respect all those war veterans to an extent that whenever they feel sick, they have to be attended to in hospitals free of charge. They must be offered free stands in urban areas. Those who want to do farming should be offered farms and the inputs.
*HON. NYAKUEDZWA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am and good afternoon. I would like to air my views on the issue which was raised by Hon. Nguluvhe. If we revert to the liberation struggle, we take our thoughts deep down because during that time, there was no peace in this country. The issue is very important that the children of war veterans deserve to be earning something in appreciation of the work that was taken by their parents.
I agree with all the people who were debating before and those who just debated today. Even those from the Opposition and those from the Ruling Party, we are all in agreement to say peace came after the liberation struggle. We have to respect all those war veterans to an extent that whenever they feel sick, they have to be treated free of charge in all hospitals. They must be offered free stands in urban areas. Those who want to do farming should be offered farms and inputs.
Some people say during the liberation struggle, we used to prepare food for these war veterans and others would say we are the chimbwidos and others were calling themselves the mujibhas. I was born after the liberation struggle had already started. I asked myself as to who I am. I remembered that when my father went to fight for the liberation struggle, he had me with him. So, I call myself a war veteran because during the liberation struggle, I was still in my father’s body.
So, we need to get our share as children of those war veterans. I heard other people saying they are war veterans, whenever they think they liberated this country, let them take it back to those colonisers and we will liberate it ourselves. I strongly say no, those are just day dreamers. They must only remember that war veterans are very important. If you see anyone underrating these war veterans and their children, for example to me, it is an impossible task to them. Let us also respect these war veterans and their children.
In this country, just like what His Excellency usually says, Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo. I am kindly asking those who are on my right side, the Opposition and the Ruling Party, let us unite and have the same mindset to say let us protect and safeguard our country. Let us have a policy or a law that ensures that children of war veterans get payments or rewards from the country at large. Hon. Members are receiving vehicles for us to move from point A to point B. So, let us altogether respect the war veterans who are alive even those who passed during the liberation struggle to ensure that their children are given tokens of appreciation because their parents fought for this country.
They fought peacefully without any reward. They went there on their on free will to fight so that we are liberated as a country. All those chiefs and headmen in various areas were given back their traditional territories to rule. It is important for us to ensure that children of war veterans, on any educational level, are assisted. They have to be educated up to university level free of charge. They must be assisted as well in a year like this one where we experienced drought. They must be given food aid free of charge, and not be vetted to say you earn a lot, no, we need only to give them since we have their parents who worked for free without any payment.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, I agree with you to say everybody in here has a relative who died during the liberation struggle. By so doing, I would like to say, an issue like this one should be taken seriously and with much respect. Let us all respect those liberators and their families. A peaceful nation is a good nation for everyone to live in. In a peaceful country, you can do anything that makes you happy in your motherland.
So, this country of ours is a democratic nation where you are allowed to do whatever you feel like doing as long as it does not offend or affect someone else. I would kindly say, these youngsters of ours just like myself, men so kind. I think you agree with me that men like us are so kind. We can even offer transport to a female along the road…- [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Nyakuedzwa.
HON. NYAKUEDZWA: Thank you for your protection Hon. Speaker Ma’am. I was saying men are so generous to an extent of transporting ladies free of charge. We have other relatives of ours, War Veterans who passed on during the liberation struggle in various areas but we have others who do not look at the history of this country. We have Hon. Members just like Hon. Brian James…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. TSITSI ZHOU): Can I please request you to withdraw that statement – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
*HON. NYAKUEDZWA: My apologies Madam Speaker Ma’am – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, order Hon. Members. Withdraw your statement Hon. Nyakuedzwa.
*HON. NYAKUEDZWA: I withdraw Madam Speaker Ma’am.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: You can proceed Hon. Member without mentioning other people’s names.
HON. TSVANGIRAI: The Hon. Member who spoke just now simply said I withdraw. What is it that he is withdrawing? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – He has to withdraw what he said.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, Order. I kindly asked him to go back and withdraw what he said. He has withdrawn. Hon. Nyakuedzwa can you proceed?
*HON. NYAKUEDZWA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. Without wasting much time, I would like to thank you for the time you gave me to debate and support what was said. Let us all give enough respect to children of war veterans. This is an issue that we, as a country, have got to agree to. They must be given whatever they want because in our country we have peace and it also helps us concerning those who are abusing drugs and the like. They must be taken off substance abuse so that they have a bright future. I thank you.
*HON. MAKUMIRE: Thank you so much for the time have given to me. The issue was put before us by Hon. Nguluvhe. I am kindly supporting that. Children of those war veterans should be heard.
Without saying much about the children, I know that for the children to be there, it started from the parents. The parents went and fought the war of liberation to ensure that our country is free. We are all here because of the blood which was spilt. We are all here because there are other people who became disabled during the liberation struggle for us to be independent.
Our intention was that these children of war veterans do not continue bringing grievances here but for their issues to be resolved once and for all. It also hurts us if we hear that war veterans have been arrested and taken into prisons. It once happened in August 2021. War veterans were taken into custody after they had brought a grievance, to say kindly improve our welfare and they were taken into prison. On this issue – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: May you kindly allow Hon. Makumire to debate in peace. Do not shout while he is still debating. Go ahead Hon. Member.
*HON. MAKUMIRE: Thank you Hon. Speaker. This issue did not go down well with us as children of war veterans. If I think of this issue, I will end up crying – [Laughter.] -
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I think you mentioned something that is quite interesting that is why people are laughing.
HON. MAKOPE: I think the Hon. Member is debating what is not on the prayer of the motion. In the motion, there is nothing of the arrest and we do not even have that case in Zimbabwe. If we have it, we have to prove it. I think the Hon. Member should debate the prayer of the motion – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Makumire please go ahead.
*HON. MAKUMIRE: Thank you Madam Speaker for protecting me. If I recall the issue of war veterans, it reminds me of the poem which was done by the late Cde Muzenda. May his soul rest in peace. He was the Vice President of the country – his poem was entitled ‘Nehanda Nyakasikana’. In this poem, he asked a question at the end of each verse. He would say ‘kuchazovei vanyai tichitambura’…
HON. MAPFUMO: On a point of order. My apologies for interrupting this very good debate. May the IT please adjust the sound system? It is really affecting our ears.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I did not get your point of order.
*HON. MAPFUMO: I am sorry Madam Speaker Sir. I do not know whether it is a point of order or not but I was asking the IT department to adjust the sound system, it is affecting us.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Sorry Hon. Member, there was information that we got from the ICT about the use of the microphone. They said if two microphones are on at the same time, then there is bound to be echoes. I did not understand what you were saying. May you say it again?
*HON. MAPFUMO: What you have just said is exactly what I was saying. I was simply saying the microphones are bringing out some echoes. Other Hon. Members are saying the air conditioning temperature is too hot in here. May it be kindly adjusted so that we do not sleep in the House.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Sorry Hon. Member, the IT Department informed us that when two microphones are switched on at the same time, we will experience some echoes. So, I did not get what you were saying. Can you please repeat what you have just said – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] – Order Hon. Members!
*HON. MAPFUMO: Thank you Madam Speaker, the issue that you have just alluded to is exactly what I wanted to say that we are experiencing some echoes. Some are also complaining of heat in this House.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I am kindly asking the personnel responsible to look into that issue because this might cause people to sleep. I think I agree with the same sentiments that you have just said.
*HON. MAKUMIRE: I thank you Madam Speaker. The yesteryear Vice President of the country in his poem asked questions, ‘kunozoveiko isu vanyai tichitambudzika, kunozova rini varwi verusununguko vachitambudzika. Up to when Hon. Speaker will our children continue to suffer? He continued to show grief in his poem asking questions that when will we be rich as sons and daughters of Zimbabwe? Those are the same questions that are being asked by our liberators, together with their children and grandchildren.
They are crying that those children that you blessed us with, who are our future generation, are also crying in their own mother land. The people of Zimbabwe are not happy Hon. Speaker. The war liberators are not happy, what is happening? The wealth of our country is not being shared equally. No one looks at the welfare of the liberation war collaborators or their children. This is not a good situation Hon. Speaker. Those war liberators suffered so much, they must not continue to beg from us their children whilst some are feasting.
The previous Vice President in his cry also mentioned that they do not have enough land. The children of war liberators do not have land to mine. Our minerals are being mined by outsiders, people who do not come from Zimbabwe. They are the ones who mine our minerals and take them out of the country. We as grandchildren and children of war collaborators do not have gonyetis that can transport lithium. They do everything for themselves and the children of war collaborators do not have anything. This hurts me. They shared the wealth of this country amongst themselves when others are suffering.
*HON. NYABANI: On a point of order Madam Speaker!
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
*HON. NYABANI: My point of order is that he must speak on a low voice because our ears are hurting – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order! Can we have order? Hon. Nyabani, I was being handed a paper concerning our sound system. I did not get what you were saying. Please repeat.
*HON. NYABANI: Yes, the Hon. Member is debating, but I am concerned about the loudness of his voice. Can he please adjust his voice?
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I thank you Hon. Nyabani.Like I said there is communication going on with myself and the ICT personnel. As it is right now though we are experiencing problems, we must also try to speak with low voices because if we speak with loud voices, people might fail to understand our debates.
An Hon. Member having mistakenly switched on her microphone.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order! Those Hon. Members whose microphones are on, please switch off your microphones.
*HON. MAKUMIRE: Thank you Madam Speaker. The yesteryear Vice President said that they share the wealth of this country amongst themselves. In some families, they will be 12 members and each of them will be owning a farm whilst other households do not even have a single farm.
*HON. MAKUMBE: Hon. Speaker, the poet is speaking on the oppression of the country of Zimbabwe by the whites and those who go to the white people so that our country remains oppressed. The one word that has been said by the poet is that there are people who go outside to ask for sanctions to be placed against their own country.
HON. HAMAUSWA: On a point of order.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What is your point of order? You cannot raise a point of order on another point of order.
HON. HAMAUSWA: Yes, because that is a point of madness.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: You cannot raise a point of order on another point of order.
HON. HAMAUSWA: It is not a point of order; it is a point of madness.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, order Hon. Hamauswa – [HON. HAMAUSWA: It is unfair! It is unfair!] – I will give you an opportunity to speak. It will not end well if you give yourself the opportunity. Order, order Hon. Hamauswa, please take your seat! Sit down Hon. Hamauswa! My comment was, and I remember saying this before while Hon. Matangira was debating, to say let us go along the prayer that was written by children of war veterans. I said the same to Hon. Makumire. Let us give him time to proceed.
HON. MAKUMIRE: Hon. Speaker … - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]-
Several Hon. Members having switched on their mics to raise points of order.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I would like to thank you, you all want to speak at the same time but in this august House, we only allow one speaker at a time. Kindly sit down, Hon. Makumire.
HON. MAKUMBE: On a point of order Madam Speaker!
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What is your point of order Hon. Member?
*HON. MAKUMBE: Thank you. My point of order is, can we have the Hon. Member who said point of madness withdraw his statement?
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: The Hon. Member who said point of madness, I have cautioned him to behave. Let us all allow Hon. Makumire to proceed.
*HON. MAKUMIRE: Thank you very much Madam Speaker Ma’am. In this poem, the writer used to pinpoint on the oppression that used to happen before the independence of this country. All the things that used to happen, it shows we still have all those irregularities as we speak.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Makumire, please proceed.
*HON. MAKUMIRE: Today, they are enjoying the wealth of the country while we are suffering. The war veterans are struggling Madam Speaker Ma’am while others are enjoying the juiciest fruits of the struggle. Only the few are enjoying but most of the war veterans, their children and their grandchildren are suffering. It must not be like that. Let us remember all these people who worked hard for our liberation.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Makumire, you are left with one minute.
*HON. MAKUMIRE: Madam Speaker Ma’am, my time was reduced because of the irregularities that were happening here. Kindly accord me a few more minutes so that I can complete my debate. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
Several Hon. Members having switched on their mics to support Hon. Makumire’s request.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What is happening? This august House has procedures? Who seconds? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Who objects? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order Hon. Speaker!
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I am being advised that you cannot request for your own extension of time Hon. Makumire.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: You can go ahead.
*HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Madam Speaker Ma’am, I have one challenge that I observed.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I thought you wanted to speak along the same issue on the table. If you want to ask for the extension of Hon. Makumire’s time, I am going to allow that.
*HON. MADZIVANYIKA: That is what I want to say Madam Speaker Ma’am. Kindly accord more time for these other Hon. Members because our Clerks-at-the-Table are only keeping time this side and not on the other side.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Madzivanyika. These time keepers simply tell us the permissible time for debate. In this House, we have procedures. Thank you.
Hon. Madzivanyika has requested that Hon. Makumire’s time be extended. Is there any seconder? Are there any objections? I will now ask Hon. Sithole to debate. – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order, order Hon. Madzivanyika! Hon. Madzivanyika order!
HON. S. SITHOLE: Thank you Madam Speaker for the opportunity to debate on this motion that was tabled by Hon. Nguluvhe, seconded by Hon. Kaitano on children of war veterans’ economic development which includes their forebearers.
Madam Speaker, this petition and motion is not a demand but a right. I want to impress on Hon. Members that I think we are all moving on the same track. The land issue that was presented by the petitioners, I think His Excellency has established a Ministry of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs that will cater for the welfare of war veterans and their children. Madam Speaker, this is the right time because we are now using our own currency that is backed by our gold. Some people may say, why did they not do it back then and whatsoever? This is the right time. This is why we say our Presidium is moving with God.
The land issue, Madam Speaker, we can say war veterans were supposed to - yes, they were supposed to have their 20%. When you give someone land without equipment, it is nothing and when you give someone land with equipment like tractors, he sells the tractor.
I am saying this is the right time because the war veterans now have a Ministry that will go around ascertaining the requirements of individual war veterans, be it tractors, chickens, pigs or cattle. We cannot just say, take the tractors because you have a farm but come end of day, we will be crying again.
The petitioners have brought their issue of being moved from their land by some workers around the Ministry. We are debating here - yesterday morning on the 0600hrs news bulletin, the Commissioner of War Veterans was alluding that all Sections are there, what is needed is only the amendments. For us as Committee members of Defence and Security, we went outside for verification of that petition, and we brought it in. So what is needed is for all of us to come together as Members of Parliament to just buttress and make amendment Bills.
In the health sector, they have said what they said, they need free medication whilst we are not supposed to even build their hospitals. The army is there, they have some hospitals and clinics, we have somewhere even when they are based somewhere in plateaus or sections, we call medics and they are always there. War Veterans just go there with their cards and say I am in the army, for example in Mbalabala. War Veterans are in Filabusi, Umzingwani - they can go to Mbalabala for free treatment. Here they can go to Tongogara Barracks for free, that is my view.
On the issue of the burial of War Veterans, all these chapters and sections are there for us just to amend and bring it here to pass because they are supposed to be buried decently. It is that which they fought for, it is not a demand but it is what they have fought for.
Madam Speaker, on job opportunities, there are some retired and some are there, they can qualify either at DDC positions or by the offices either to secure these criminal issues around, the ministries and some parastatals where there are boards. They are supposed to be recommended there, even their children are supposed to be recommended there. In the army, in terms of job opportunities, they should be accepted.
You know education sometimes is a culture…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, order! Hon. Hlatywayo, Hon. Hadebe, and Hon. Madzivanyika, please behave like Hon. Members.
*HON. MAMBIPIRI: Thank you, Madam Speaker. The prayer of the motion here is focusing on the children…
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Member. Kindly submit your name to the Chief Whip and debate when your time comes.
HON. S. SITHOLE: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I know that when we are debating issues like these, some were killed during the war because of being ‘sellouts’. So that spirit is coming, you want to go the way where the grandfather and the fathers go. We know, so be very careful…
*HON. MAKUMIRE: On a point of order! Thank you, Madam Speaker. The word ‘sellout’ is not good when we are debating as Hon. Members in this House.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Makumire you were given your time and you debated, so let us allow Hon. Sithole to proceed with his debate.
HON. S. SITHOLE: Thank you for the protection from the other vultures who want to eat me whilst I am alive.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, order! Hon. Sithole, proceed.
HON. S. SITHOLE: Thank you Madam Speaker, the issue we are debating here is a very critical and serious issue. We are debating about people who made us all to be here. I am debating this and I am in the Committee of Defence.
Madam Speaker, I think all of us here are debating the same thing. The souls and the spirits of our fellow comrades are looking down on us because some are benefiting because of them. There are thousands of them who died because of the Smith regime, both outside the country and inside the country. They are in shallow graves. Those who are here, it is just by luck, so you must respect that.
On the issue of children of war veterans, Madam Speaker, education is very important. Madam Speaker, in this 10th Parliament we, the Defence Committee and the Parliament here are supposed to see that if we never do anything for the children of war veterans, our generations will pass. When our generation passes, the whites will take their chance. So we want to make Bills and Acts which will protect our young generation forever. We do not want to debate again on war veteran issues. We are supposed to deal with war veteran issues once and for all in this 10th Parliament. Do all the amendments and come to the Parliament and pass them. If we do not do that, the burden will be on us as a Committee and as a Parliament. The burden will be on us from God also and those who died for this country.
Madam Speaker, the Ministry of War Veterans of Liberation Struggle must take a stance to pay those who are vetted war collaborators, which will be the first phase and then go to the next phase. From that phase, we go to another phase to try and vet the relatives of those who were left in the bush. Not to say we want to vet everybody and then pay them. No, let us pay them now. Let us deal with those vetted and bring another phase.
That is my contribution, Madam Speaker. My prayer is that this petition and this motion be adopted. My thinking and my prayer is that this motion was supposed to have been adopted like yesterday. Then as a Committee, we make the Minister do those amendments, bring them and pass them in this Parliament because even the issue of land, we have the Chairman of lands, with the issue of mines, we have the Chairman of mines. So we, as Parliament, as Committees, are supposed to push the Ministries. May God bless them and may their souls rest in peace. Thank you.
HON. NGULUVHE: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I move that the debate do now adjourned.
HON. S. SITHOLE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 2nd July, 2024.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER
NON-ADVERSE REPORTS RECEIVED FROM THE PARLIAMENTARY LEGAL COMMITTEE
THE TEMPORARYSPEAKER: I wish to inform the House that I have received a non-adverse report from the Parliamentary Legal Committee on the Persons with Disabilities Bill [H. B. 2, 2024].
I also wish to inform the House that I have received a second non-adverse report from the Parliamentary Legal Committee on the Parks and Wildlife Amendment Bill [H. B. 1, 2024]. I thank you.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
MEASURES TO REDUCE ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. On Tuesday, 12th June, 2024, Hon. Tafanana Zhou requested that I deliver a ministerial statement on road traffic accidents which have become rampant in the past few weeks. Resultantly, I was requested by the Hon. Deputy Speaker to deliver a ministerial statement on road traffic accidents. This of course, calls for me to address this august House on measures my Ministry is undertaking to reduce road traffic accidents.
It is true that the rate at which we are experiencing road traffic crashes is alarming, especially along our highways. A series of accidents we witnessed last month are a cause for concern. To demonstrate the frequency, I wish to highlight the accidents which were recorded only in the past one month.
Accidents in the Past One Month:
On June 2024, four people were killed and 24 others were severely injured near Melfort when two buses collided. One of the buses was trying to avoid colliding with an oncoming truck when it crashed with another bus. The Ministry carried out a regulatory compliance assessment of the buses and established that they were both compliant. It is however, concerning that the truck that caused this crash was unroadworthy. Consequently, the truck driver was charged with culpable homicide.
On 12th June, 2024, seven people died and five others were injured when the right front tyre of a kombi burst and the vehicle subsequently veered off the road and hit a tree at the 120 km peg along Harare/Nyamapanda Road. Investigations have revealed that the operator was not registered and thus, the kombi was not authorised to carry passengers. The operator was charged.
On 16th June, nine people died and 10 others were injured when a bus they were travelling in caught fire in Gandanzara, Rusape. It is also concerning to note that this vehicle was not roadworthy and unauthorised to carry passengers. As such, both the driver and operator were charged.
On 18th June, 2024, five people died whilst 13 others were injured when a kombi was involved in a head-on-collision with a truck in Mazowe. This kombi was not compliant and as such, the operator was charged.
It is surely saddening to note that the above mentioned five public service vehicles that were involved in road traffic crashes have claimed 26 lives and caused injuries to 56 people over a period of 13 days. Lives were lost, survivors continue to live in fear and stressful conditions as a result of the accidents. May the dear souls of those who departed rest in eternal peace.
The sad news of these horrendous road traffic accidents usually come through when we are least expecting. Social media is always awash with the news of these accidents. As authorities entrusted with the public policy environment of road safety management, we continue to do our best to ensure that we put in place appropriate, fit for purpose administrative, regulatory and administrative measures to reduce road traffic accidents on our roads.
I would like to commend the Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution and their provincial various accidents and disaster response mechanisms, including the Civil Protection Committees, the Transport Systems Development and Management Department in my Ministry, the Vehicle Inspection Department of the communities in which these road traffic crashed occurred and many more stakeholders for their usual swift reaction to the scenes of accidents when they happen. I also wish to express my gratitude to Hon. Members of this august House for the support and speedy reaction when such disasters strike. May that spirit prevail in our road safety stakeholders throughout the country.
- MEASURES AGAINST ROAD CARNAGE BY THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT
As I have maintained in this august House, my Ministry is not aloof to the realities that we find ourselves in regarding road traffic accidents. As you may all be aware, the National Development Strategy (NDS)1 (2021-2025) envisages that by 2025, Zimbabwe should achieve high quality and efficient public transport service, leveraged by a safer, efficient, affordable, accessible and smart multi-modal transportation system, covering both the rural and urban areas, with a view to reduce road accidents and fatalities by a 25% margin per annum.
We are building on this policy position to deliver safer roads for our people. Resultantly, to prevent further road traffic crashes and manage the prevalent risks, my Ministry has, in the short term, taken the following immediate steps:
- My Ministry reviewed its procedures for licencing public service vehicles by streamlining the role of VID in ensuring that these vehicles meet the necessary safety standards and are fit to be driven on public roads before being licenced to carry passengers or goods. This is particularly important in promoting road safety by reducing the risk of crashes caused by faulty and unroadworthy vehicles.
- My Ministry continuously monitors and enforces compliance of public service vehicles with regulatory requirements by ramping up monitoring of, and enforcement of traffic laws to mitigate violations.
- My Ministry is strengthening the role of Transport Operators Association by implementing a policy directive that prescribes that every transport operator should be a member of an association of their choice, properly constituted and registered. The associations will foster self-regulation and observe a standard code of conduct that promotes road safety.
- My Ministry drafted and sent to the Attorney General’s office for further review, a Statutory Instrument to raise the minimum age of drivers of public service vehicles such as omnibuses and commuter omnibuses of more than seven passengers from the age of 25 years to 30 years.
Programming against road carnage and promotion of road safety are a multi- stakeholder function which require a systems approach. The fight against road carnage under my Ministry is addressed under the auspices of five pillars: Road Safety Management; Safer Roads and Mobility; Safer Vehicles; Safer Road Use; and Post-Crash Response.
The value of having these pillars is only possible and achievable if Zimbabwe adopts sustainable policy, legislative, administrative and institutional review for a lasting solution to the dangers we face as a result of road carnage.
In view of the above, my Ministry is working closely with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage in the implementation of the Integrated National Transport Management Information System. This initiative shall be anchored on digital solutions for road safety to ensure integrated e-transport enforcement mechanisms, through effective tracking of vehicles on the central vehicle tracking and monitoring centre. This will lead to the implementation of the long overdue Penalty Point System, real time detection and ticketing of violations and many more digital solutions in traffic enforcement.
In line with these Conventions and the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety by the United Nations General Assembly (through Resolution 74/299), which declared a Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, it is a good practice to integrate and strengthen the five pillars of road safety. In view of the foregoing and in compliance with the Road Safety Review Report launched on 12 January 2022, following technical and financial support by the United Nations Road Safety Fund, the Ministry is finding modalities of technically enhancing and financially equipping the departments responsible for Vehicle Inspection, Vehicle Registration and Licensing and Road Motor Transportation.
Post-Crash Management is also another crucial pillar. We will achieve this through establishment of the Road Accident Fund (RAF) which provides for compulsory cover to all users of roads in Zimbabwe against injuries sustained or deaths arising from accidents involving motor vehicles within the borders in Zimbabwe. I will soon table the Cabinet principles relating to the RAF. This cover is in the form of indemnity insurance to persons who cause the accident as well as personal injury and death insurance to victims of motor vehicle accidents and their families.
The RAF shall be responsible for:
- Providing appropriate cover to all road users within the borders of Zimbabwe;
- Rehabilitating and compensating persons injured as a result of motor vehicles in a timely and caring manner.
The RAF shall provide for two types of cover namely;
- personal insurance cover to accident victims or their families and;
- indemnity cover to wrongdoers.
Once Cabinet approves our proposals, we count on this august House to render support and expedite enactment of the law establishing the Fund.
In conclusion, road crashes are unacceptable because we all know that they are preventable and avoidable. I therefore appeal to all road users to behave responsibly on our roads. I have taken it upon myself, normally whenever I drive along the highway, if I see a speeding bus, I assure the august House that that driver will not be driving a public service vehicle again. I have done such in a number of cases and even commuter omnibus operators but I cannot do it alone. I humbly call this august House that if you see anyone violating the rules of the road, get the registration number: we deregister that vehicle and punish the drivers so that we take corrective measures.
On that note, I appeal to families, individuals, institutions, private and public companies and you members of this esteemed august House to join me in fighting road carnage in our motherland. Let us all play our part for road safety as it is everyone’s responsibility.
Together we can save thousands of lives. Before I sit down, with your indulgence if we can observe a minute of silence to pay our respect to those who have departed because road carnage.
All Hon. Members observed a minute of silence.
*HON. P. ZHOU: I would like to thank the Minister for his report. From the onset, he has spoken very well by saying that Hon. Tafanana Zhou called for a Ministerial Statement to be made. I should also state that the mover of the motion was Hon. Perseverance Zhou, that is the omission that I saw. I thank you Madam Speaker.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: It is true that the motion came about as a result of your question to the Minister on a Wednesday. We thank you. It was an omission on that part.
*HON. NYABANI: I want to support the Minister’s Ministerial Statement but I would want to show the Minister that the problem with accidents, does it arise from defective motor vehicles, human error or it is because of the road conditions. On these roads, when you travel, buses overtake about five vehicles or overtake on a steep slope. Most of the accidents in Zimbabwe are caused by the licencing authorities. You observe that most of the VID officials are always arrested for corrupt activities, for issuing out driver’s licences. Are these drivers properly licensed or they are corruptly attaining these licences through bribery? There is no competent driver who can overtake three vehicles on a steep gradient. I thank you.
HON. MUTOKONYI: I want to thank the Minister for the statement where he has alluded that he is going to come up with a five-pillar approach to manage various issues, including road vehicles and the manpower.
Madam speaker, with regard to that, he also alluded to the issue of integrated transport system that will give them a real time measure. I would want to ask the Minister, particularly on the issue of these small vehicles which have actually become normal transporters in the system. I would suggest that given all these issues, they should also put strong measures even if they are to arrest. We know the arrests are happening every time but they should also come up with strategies that would actually see the reduction or the removal of these vehicles in the public transport systems. A lot of accidents have also been witnessed from these vehicles. This is where a lot of havoc and chaos is happening.
HON. KAPOIKILU: Thank you Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the Hon. Minister for his comprehensive statement. I would like to bring the following to the attention to the Hon. Minister. If you check our roads, most of them particularly highways, they are very narrow and the volume of traffic has increased. Most of our roads, particularly high ways have aged, they are now too old and they have potholes. I would like to urge the Minister to embark on a road dualisation programme nationwide. Half of the times when you are driving on our highways, we miss each other by an inch all the time when you are travelling. So it is dualisation which is a long-term solution to this problem. Thank you.
HON. MUSANHI: Thank you Hon. Minister for the statement that you have just submitted. Hon. Minister, is it not that the causes of these accidents are the de-regulations that have been done on road transport, especially the public service vehicles? Before it was regulated, each bus was given a timetable and there was less competition by that time, but when this de-regulation came, it actually made a lot of competition and most of these buses - I have parked my car, especially along Bindura Road on the side when the buses where racing and I think this is all to do with the competition of trying to fight for passengers. Do you not think it is right that you regulate again? Thank you.
HON. J. TSHUMA: Thank you very much Madam Speaker, I wanted to add on what Hon. Musanhi has said, but my addition is that I have noted when you are on the highway, you are probably travelling at 120Km/h, you find that a bus overtakes you and disappears, which clearly means that driver will be travelling at over 140 or 160km/h. I wanted to try and urge our Hon. Minister to enforce again that issue of governing the speedometers of buses to at least a maximum of 100km/h. That could help in the recklessness that you find. Also, the Ministry must try to expediate information dissemination. At times we might want to blame bus drivers only, but have you ever noticed how ordinary people who fail to observe rules of the road. Probably it is because most of them buy these licences. Maybe can you use media and everything to try and conscientise people to observe road rules, like for example, you have got a two lane way that is going in the same direction, then you find somebody is using the inner lane and they are driving at 40km/h blocking traffic and creating a traffic rage. Then in that moment when people are angry, they fail to exercise due caution and accidents happen like that. Let us have people getting information and try to disseminate information through radios, social media et cetera, so that these things are tackled. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Minister, please note that most of these are suggestions and not questions after the Hon. Member has asked his point of clarity, I will allow the Hon. Minister to respond.
HON. SIHLABO: Hon. Minister, I would like to bring in an idea. We note that a lot of these accidents are caused by failing to enforce the law. Basically, most of the laws which are there should be protecting us, the Minister can do all the regulations he can, but the enforcement is our biggest problem. We have got drivers driving at 120km/h. All public service vehicle drivers know that they should not be driving at 120km /h and above, but they are doing that and no enforcement is being done. We have the pirate taxis driving on double lanes. They all know that it is wrong but even if the Minister does any other regulation, as long as enforcement is a problem, we are not going anywhere. Therefore, I urge the Minister to probably collaborate with police so that we at least first make sure that enforcement is done. If we do enforcement, half of our problems are going to be solved. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Madam Speaker, let me thank my Hon. Colleague, Hon. Members for very important suggestions and also seeking clarity on some issues and my apologies again to Hon. Madam P. Zhou – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] -
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order! Can we allow the Hon. Minister to be heard in silence?
(HON. MHONA: I was saying I want to apologies to Hon. P. Zhou for that omission. Yes, she is the one who had started asking about the carnage on our roads and resultantly, Hon. Tafanana Zhou raised and mandated that I bring a Ministerial Statement.
Hon. Nyabani talked about causes of accidents, the reasons according to a survey, they claim that almost 97% or so are due to human error, which are true and if we would actually follow up to some of the questions and points raised by Hon. Members indeed, it is the indiscipline that we are witnessing on our roads and I once said in this august House, the Ubuntu that we used to have as Zimbabweans has disappeared where we have become so impatient and do not tolerate one another when we are driving. We always want to be ahead of everybody and this has caused serious problems navigating our roads and indeed we used to think that they are roads but whenever we visit an accident scene, you would actually see that someone was trying to overtake where there are dual lines and you wonder what sort of a highway code that person went through.
To concur with Hon. Nyabani, in terms of regulations, yes, we must know that whenever you are given a licence to drive, it is not you who is only driving. You are also driving the next person’s car and you must show due respect for that other road user, whether a motorist or a pedestrian. I want to thank him very much for that very important question and to apologise to say that I have started responding in English. Hon. Nyabani had asked in Shona. My apology for that.
Hon. Mutokonyi, the issue of mushikashika is a worrisome development in our country. In other Western countries they have got what they call bhoda bhoda, which are motor cycles, but here we have got mushikashika, which are a menace on our roads and we have seen the lawlessness that they demonstrate where they are supposed to carry four or five passengers, you see them accommodating nine or ten and you wonder how they are fitting into that. Also, to say to the people of Zimbabwe, the life is ours and if we board such kind of mushikashika, at the end of the day you must also think of yourself, your own safety before you proceed actually board such a vehicle. However, I know that if you are under pressure and want transport, at the end of the day you are bound to be in such a vehicle. It is my humble plea to the people of Zimbabwe to work closely so that we avoid mushikashika. Yes, the solution is under urban transportation where we are working closely with the Local Government to make sure that in all our urban cities, we have easy and accessible mode of transport. We are advocating for bigger buses but above all, we are thinking of a metro-train to also ease and decongest some of our roads.
This is the ideal situation that you find the introduction of metro-trains in our cities so that we have driving into town as a matter of choice, not that you do not have any form of transportation. Hon. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Hon. Kapoikilu for raising that question. We were talking of roads that are narrow. Indeed, he is right. For the past 40 years or so, we were just traversing on narrow roads but we must hasten to remember that the volumes of traffic, we were talking of less than 500 000 vehicles in the country then. Now, we are talking of over 1. 5 million vehicles plying our roads, which actually justifies the need to dualise our roads. However, we can talk of dualisation once we have rehabilitated the existing road infrastructure. Our target is to earmark the trunk roads. These are the roads linking our country with our neighbouring countries.
This is the exercise that we are doing, working on the Beitbridge-Harare, then Harare-Chirundu, Harare-Nyamapanda and Harare-Forbes, which is Harare to Mozambique where we have also started dualisation. The ideal situation is to dualise all our trunk roads. In the meantime, we want the roads to be trafficable. Again, good news to say is one of a problematic and topical, important road which is Beitbridge-Victoria Falls and it goes through Bulawayo. I am glad to say to this august House that we now have a partner. Soon, you will see us descending on the road to rehabilitate the 760 km entire stretch. That will ease a number of challenges that we were witnessing on that road.
The standard road, if you would relate well, even the Beitbridge, it was a 7 metre road, but we were saying surely, you cannot overtake easily or drive within that particular narrow road. However, we have enlarged it currently before dualisation to a 12, 5 metre so that you can even take advantage of the yellow lane, where it is a 2,5meter lane. You can actually drive if you are not driving fast to the far extreme left of that particular road. It is now wide but the ideal situation is to dualise. I want to thank you so much for raising that.
Hon. Musanhi – deregulation, it was the issue of also enabling our people to participate in the transportation system. This is why there was the issue of deregulation. However, we then lost the issue of timetable. We still have timetable but they are not respecting it. They are racing trying to make sure that they get first in terms of picking passengers, which is something that we are also revisiting that you stick to your timetables. If you pass through a toll gate, that is where we are going to catch you if you are speeding because you will be against the time that you were allocated.
So, we are putting devices so that if you start a journey from a certain point, as you pass through a toll gate, you are actually checked in terms of the speed that you were travelling at. In terms of ticketing, we will also be having law enforcement ticketing again, manning our tollgates.
Hon. Tshuma – governing buses, this has been done. We have S. I. 118 of 2023, which was promulgated and came effective on the 1st of January 2024, where we are limiting public service vehicles to 100 km/hour in tandem with other SADC region countries. You will see that we are enforcing that they continue storing the gadgets. I do concur in terms of information dissemination. We also need to up our game so that we communicate, not necessarily on the happenings along the roads, but also just basic information to the public. I assure you that we will improve in that regard.
Last but not least, my Hon. brother seated in front, apparently I missed your name again, you asked - are accidents lack of enforcement? You are right. Pirate taxes are on the increase, collaborate with police – I cannot agree with you anymore. Actually, you have said it all in terms of what we are supposed to do; the whole of Government approach where we have seen and I can cite a good example, the accident that happened along Bindura Road. The kombi had passed through a roadblock checking point where it was manned by our police and our VID officials. The question was - how did that vehicle pass through a checkpoint without checking the relevant documents?
So, we are advocating again to punish our own people first, punish the kombi operators and punish the drivers. We have agreed with the Minister of Home Affairs that the police officers, the VID officers who are manning a checkpoint, if a kombi or a bus is involved in an accident, you are accountable. I want to assure you that we will do that. The collaboration will continue even to other relevant ministries so that we reduce road carnage. I want to thank you Hon. Madam Speaker. If I have missed something, kindly indulge me on that regard. Thank you.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA), the House adjourned at Twenty-Two minutes past Five o’clock p. m. until Tuesday, 9th July, 2024.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 27th June, 2024
The Senate met at Half–past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE
NON-ADVERSE REPORTS RECEIVED FROM THE PARLIAMENTARY LEGAL COMMITTEE
THE. HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I would like to inform the Senate that I have received Non-Adverse Reports from the Parliamentary Legal Committee on the following Statutory Instruments: 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74 and 75 published in the Gazette during the month of April, 2024 and Statutory Instruments Nos 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 81A, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100 and 101 published in the Gazette during the month of May, 2024.
APPOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM HON. MINISTERS
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have, as is always the case, a list of Ministers who have tendered apologies and are as follows: Hon. M. Ncube, Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion; Hon. Coventry, Minister of Sports, Recreation Arts and Culture; Hon. M. Mutsvangwa, Minister of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development; Hon. Ziyambi, Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs; Hon. Mavetera, Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services; Hon. Murwira, Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development; Hon. E. Moyo, Minister of Energy and Power Development; Hon. Mombeshora, Minister of Health and Child Care; Hon. M. Ndlovu, Minister of Industry and Commerce; Hon. N. Nyoni, Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife; Hon. Kazembe, Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage; Hon. Sanyatwe, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage; Hon. Chitando, Minister of Mines and Mining Development; Hon. Kambamura, Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development; Hon. Kabikira, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Public Works; Hon. Marapira, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development and Hon. T. Mnangagwa, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry.
I have a fairly good list of Members present in the Chamber today. Well done Hon. Ministers. We have Hon. Matuke, the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and also the Leader of Government Business in the Senate; Hon. Mhona, Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development; Hon. Chikomo, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; Hon. Munzverengwi, Minister of State in Mashonaland East; Hon. Soda, Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities; Hon. Mayihlome, Deputy Minister of Defence; Hon. T. Moyo, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education; Hon. Masuka, Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement; Hon. Haritatos, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement; Hon. H. Moyo, Minister of War Veterans Affairs; Hon. Mupamhanga, Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment and Vocational Training; Hon. Rwodzi, Minister of Tourism and Hospitality; Hon. S. Sibanda; Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education; Hon. D. Phuti, Deputy Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services; Hon. Mazungunye, Deputy Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Hon. Marupi, Deputy Minister of Information Publicity and Broadcasting Services and Hon. Gata, Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
HON. CHITSAMBA: Thank you Mr. President Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development. What is the Ministry doing to stop the surge in road carnage as this has become a weekly occurrence whereby hundreds of people continue to perish on Zimbabwe roads, especially those using public transport? There is too much recklessness by drivers of public transport. Thank you Mr. President.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Mr. President Sir. Let me also thank Hon. Senator Chitsamba for that very important and emotional question. It is quite saddening that for the past three weeks, we lost – when I am referring to public service vehicles, over 26 precious lives beginning June. We cannot continue on that trajectory as a country. Over 56 people were injured. If we were to factor in private motor vehicles, the number could be more.
Today, after this session, I was also mandated by the National Assembly to table a Ministerial Statement pertaining to the carnage that we are witnessing which I will also gladly address this august House on that particular matter, which is quite topical. We are taking very serious measures in terms of mitigatory measures as a Ministry but this calls for a holistic approach. Where we have witnessed recklessness; where we did not preserve the sanctity of life on our roads, where others are driving under the influence of alcohol and through the enforcement agents, we have said if a vehicle passes through a manned check-point and it is involved in an accident, the officials are accountable. Not only that, even the operators of those buses, so we are not only charging the drivers. We have witnessed that of all the accidents that I have reported, they did not have certificates of fitness, meaning that the vehicles were not supposed to be plying our roads. So we cannot continue watching. We cannot continue allowing that anarchy and lawlessness on our roads. We are tabling a very deterrent Statutory Instrument (SI) to cater for such malpractices. I want to thank the Hon. Senator for raising that very important question, which is worrying the nation. We are witnessing 2 000 lives per annum being lost in this small country, Zimbabwe. We cannot continue having such an alarming number. I want to assure the august House that we will not rest on our laurels as a Ministry, but will continue even appealing to this august House for deterrent measures. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Before we go to the next Senator, I want to correct, Hon. Mupamhanga is the Deputy Minister for Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training.
HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: Thank you Mr. President. My question is directed to the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement. It is relating to issues of the importance of soya beans in this country to support the beef industry, the milk industry, fisheries, et cetera. At the moment, the country produces only 70 000 tonnes of soya beans as opposed to a demand of 240 000 tonnes. What is the Ministry doing to close that gap and to help the affordability of milk, meat and fish?
THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA) Mr. President Sir, I thank Hon. Senator Zvidzai for the question which is relevant in the context of the El Nino induced drought and the need to produce seed for our livestock. Let us step back and look at the policy pronouncements by Government. Soya bean before 2020 was regarded as an oil seed crop and secondarily as a feed crop, which meant that we required 240 000 metric tonnes (mt) of soya bean and more than 200 000 hectares to be grown every summer.
Soya bean competes with maize for prime soils in summer and competes with maize for irrigation. We felt that from a policy perspective, soya bean gives us about 16/18 percent oil content. We needed to look at other crops; we then examined cotton and sunflower. Sunflower can give you 25/30 percent crude oil content. We de-classified soya bean to become a feed crop. That policy shift alone reduced the demand for soya bean from 640 000mt annually to the 240 000mt because now it becomes a feed crop not an oil seed crop. Then we promote sunflower and cotton as oil crops. The demand competing for land in summer is reducing, which then increases our food security as we focus on maize.
Following that, Government stopped the direct support for financing soya bean because we felt that the feed side was the responsibility of the private sector to support production. Government would continue to support production of soya bean through the creation of an enabling policy and regulatory environment to under gird the gross that we were looking at. We have an S.I. on oil seeds that promotes contracting for oil seeds and store them, then it was an oil seed but also we have feed crops in which we have said a minimum package ought to be given to farmers for a contractor to then purchase. Then Government, through what used to be called Command Agriculture, which is now the National Enhanced Agricultural Productivity Scheme, enabled Government guaranteed financial support for farmers through CBZ Agro-yield; through AFC, now through NMB, is able to support farmers to produce soya beans.
We also then engaged the private sector under the umbrella of the Food Crop Contractors Association, about eight or so large contractors including those that supply the likes of National Foods to be able to access resources through AFC, CBZ or any other. That is the facilitation that we have done as Government to encourage the production of soya bean as a feed crop for livestock. We also then removed soya bean from the Presidential Input Scheme and we said Government will no longer support the production by communal and A1 farmers. Therefore, the focus of Government for that sector is food security. Soya bean is the first crop that has now been weaned from direct Government support, where we are now just providing a conducive policy and regulatory environment to ensure that there is rapid growth barring the drought that we had. Last season 2022/23, we actually had increased soya bean to over a 100 000 mt and we said in 2026, we should be able to close that demand gap. I am very optimistic that with the prediction of La Nina in the 2024/2025 season and the summer plant that we are concluding now, we are actually budgeting for self sufficiency in soya bean production. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: We also have in the Chamber, Hon. Jesaya, the Deputy Minister of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture.
HON. SEN. TSHABANGU: Hon. President, with your indulgence as usual, kindly allow me to pose two questions that are very critical. Mr. President, this is where I am coming from, I am the Leader of Opposition, at the same time I am a Senator of this House. So I am wearing two jackets.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Tshabangu, you address the Chair, ignore anybody else who is making noise, I will deal with them. Address the Chair!
HON. SEN. TSHABANGU: Thank you Mr. President, this is what we usually do in the Committee. My question is directed to the Minister of Finance. In his absence, I will direct it to the Leader of the House, sihlalehlale sikhumbuzane ngomgwaqo we Nkayi and Victoria Falls. There is an allegation that ZEC, which is a product of Chapter 12 of our Constitution, engaged a South African company to deliver materials for the elections. The company did not deliver the materials to date. The invoice that amounts to US$9 million was authorised by the Ministry of Finance after the elections . My question is, why did the Ministry of Finance settle the full invoice amounting to over US$9 million which went through their Banker CBZ on the 7th September, 2023 for the procurement of portable toilets for V11 forms and translucent light boxes that were never delivered?
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PRESIDENTIAL AFFAIRS IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET (HON. SEN. MATUKE): Thank you Mr. President and I want to thank the Hon. Senator for a very important question. The allegations are not substantial. We cannot deal with information which is not substantiated. What the Hon. Senator is saying has no proof. I thought we could research more on that because there is nothing like that which happened. It never came in the public domain, those are simply allegations.
HON. SEN. TSHABANGU: Thank you Mr. President, we build cases on allegations. The nature of criminal code is that you build a case from an allegation. This is on the public domain and we are a Senate, we are talking about Chapter 12 of the Constitution. If it is an allegation, it is an allegation, they should come in this House and respond to these allegations that we pose to them because they are there in the public domain. We are talking about taxpayers money which is about US$9 million. If it is an allegation, ZEC has to respond. The Ministry of Finance has to respond beyond any reasonable doubt that this is an allegation because it is there in the public domain.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Senator, you have a choice of two things, you can wait for the Minister of Finance to come into the Chamber since he is the substantive Minister or you can put your question in writing. If you put it in writing, he will answer it or you can wait for the Minister. Alternativly, the Deputy Minister of Justice is here, Hon. Minister, do you want to answer that question?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. MAZUNGUNYE): Thank you Mr. President. As far as I am concerned, I feel that question is a specific question which might require time to go back and research more on it and may be if we do our findings, then we can properly respond to that matter. At the moment, there are still allegations which are not substantiated as has been said already but we may need to go and verify again. I submit.
HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: Thank you Mr. President of Senate. My question is directed to the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry. It is on the SADC Summit which we are going to hold in August whereby our President Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa is going to take over as the Chairperman of SADC. As Government, I want to know your preparations. What have you done to market our tourist attraction sites so that the country will benefit from this Summit? Do we have enough accommodation for visitors, at the same time accommodating our locals without any disturbances? Thank you Mr. President.
THE MINISTER OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY (HON. RWODZI): Thank you Mr. President and I would like to thank the Hon. Senator for the question. To start with, we are very grateful as a nation, as people as well as a tourist destination that we are taking a turn to host SADC Summit this year in August, as our President is becoming the Chairperson of SADC this year. Let me say we have more than enough accommodation for the delegates for the Summit. We have enough accommodation for the Heads of State, we have enough accommodation for senior official members and general delegates that will be staying in the country. Most of them will be staying at our own hotel, the RainbowTourism Group, and 11 Presidents will be there. Some will be staying at Meikles Hotel and other delegates will be in both the RTG and Meikles Hotel. We also have four other hotels to accommodate delegates.
On top of this, through the leadership of our President, we have great investors who are doing a great job. Mr. President, right now as we speak, we have villas that are under construction, that are being constructed targeting to accommodate Heads of State and we are sure by now that they will be finished. So, some of the Heads of State will be staying there. Our Ministry of Local Government is also refurbishing some of the accommodation for other Heads of State that we already have and have always been in place.
Mr. President, accommodation is guaranteed. On the marketing side, this is a great opportunity to market our destination, Zimbabwe. With number one, MICE business during the SADC Summit, starting with the Industrialisation Summit whereby a lot of people will be meeting and right now as we speak, the HICC Conference is being refurbished in preparation of this MICE business. MICE tourism is growing big as you have seen with other countries like South Africa, Rwanda and Kenya. It has grown big and we are to market our HICC
as it is one of the conference centres bigger than a lot in SADC Summit. After its refurbishment, it could be number two in the SADC region to be hosting MICE business. It is our time to market that. We have a number of activities that will be done even by Heads of State and senior officials during this SADC. We have an opportunity to host dinners, to host evening events, lunches at our places of attraction in the country and some of it is in the museum - the Africa Museum that has been honoured to be given to Zimbabwe. It is our time to show Africa that we are responsible for the museum for all Africans, African heroes and we will be showcasing that and to say we have our very great National Heroes Acre in Harare. We also have Lion and Cheetah Park close by. We have activities that we are lining up for delegates to be choosing in their free time to be visiting but above everything, we will be showcasing in all these events and giving people different information about where they can visit.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF NGEZI: My question is directed to the Leader of Government Business. What is Government policy on Police Assistant Commissioner Ranks who accompany criminals who sell charcoal that comes from burning trees? Is it legal for the Assistant Commissioners to escort trucks of criminals who will be going to burn trees and making charcoal to sell?
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PRESIDENTIAL AFFAIRS IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET (HON. SEN. MATUKE): Thank you Senator Chief for that important question. Firstly, it is not legal for such a thing to be happening in our society. Secondly, I would like to ask the Chief to put his question in writing as it looks like a specific question, so that we can investigate the case to enable us to come up with a written response. If that is happening, it is not legal. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. KATUMBA: My question is directed to the Minister of Education. I am aware that there are teachers who were trained like any other teachers working in Government schools, but because our schools are few and vacancies are limited, what is Government policy on private schools that underpay these trained teachers? They are getting way below the minimum wage and as far as I know, no-one is supposed to earn a salary below the minimum wage. What are you doing to ensure that the teachers are paid the stipulated salaries in accordance with their qualifications? I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. T. MOYO): I would like to thank the Hon. Senator for that question. Salaries or wages are dealt with by the Public Service Commission. As the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, we encourage all the teachers in the independent and public sector to get salaries that are better or salaries that match Government standards.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Can I ask the Hon. Senator to put the question in writing so that the responsible authority can take up the issue?
HON. SEN. CHAKABUDA: My question is directed to the Leader of Government Business. What is the Ministry of Home Affairs doing to tighten security at the entry points so as to stop the illegal trafficking of dangerous drugs? It is known that most of the dangerous drugs being used by young people are being imported from neighbouring countries.
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PRESIDENTIAL AFFAIRS IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET (HON. SEN. MATUKE): Let me start by thanking the Hon. Senator for a very important question which relates to drug abuse due to smuggling of drugs through ports of entry. Government is doing everything to stop the importation of illegal drugs. Currently, more security has been deployed to the border posts and there has been an introduction of sophisticated equipment such as drones which Government is now deploying to all border posts in the country. Recently, even yesterday, I think you heard that the President was at an event which he launched to ensure that the country gives priority to anti-drug use in the country. In the same document, they will also have more staff deployed, specialised to look into the issues to do with drug abuse. It means Government will also try to find out the source of drugs including the manufacturers and suppliers. So, it is now a Government policy to ensure that we put more attention on drug abuse. If we do not do that, we could end up with a nation of drunkards. So, Government is prioritising deploying more people to reduce or cut off the supply side and make sure that no production of drugs will be done in the country. I thank you.
+HON. SEN. L SIBANDA: My question is directed to the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare. We are looking at the decrease in the number of health personnel, particularly community health workers. In view of the many problems in the community especially when it comes to outreach programmes where people have to go out and attend to children, community health workers are now responsible as they move around checking on defaulters. They also follow up on those who are sick at home. How can this class of health workers be helped because they have been given a huge responsibility which was not there before? These workers are not getting any payment because they are regarded as volunteers. How can they be helped? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PRESIDENTIAL AFFAIRS IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET (HON. SEN. MATUKE): The question was not very clear from the side of the person who was trying to interpret. It was not very clear but I will make an attempt to address the question. The first issue which was raised is about community health workers who work without any remuneration. The question is trying to suggest whether the Ministry can make sure that those people are paid so that they do their job without any complaints. In the same question, it was said they volunteer to work.
If somebody volunteers to work, they may do it without any payment but previously I am sure the Ministry of Health was paying something to our community workers. The issue is something which we can also try to find out from the Ministry of Health and not the Ministry of Public Service because these people volunteer to provide a service - whether they are paid or not is something which we can look into. Volunteers normally just offer their services without any payment. I thank you.
HON. SEN. RICHARD NDLOVU: My question is directed to the Minister of Local Government and Public Works. Zimbabwe attained Independence in 1980 and today it is 44 years after Independence. We had the commercial farming areas where the chiefs were deposed because the whites did not want them in those areas. After independence, there was an attempt to resuscitate the chieftainship of Chief Makwachu in the Figtree area in Bulilima District. The Provincial Chiefs’ Council came to investigate and met the families but up to now, no appointment has been made. I want to find out what is the reason of not appointing a chief in that area. There is no control and people do as they please because there is no chief.
THE HON. DEPUTY OF PRESIDENT OF SENATE: That is a very specific question which obviously requires some research for the Minister to answer. I would suggest that you put it in writing so that the relevant Minister can attend to it.
+HON. SEN. NDEBELE: My question is directed to the Minister of Lands and Agriculture. Firstly, I would like to commend him for his programme which is being offered to vulnerable people. This time last year, we did not get enough rains. It is not everyone who managed to access the inputs that were offered by Government. It is only a few who managed to access these. The districts were requested to phone so that they could be helped. My question is: with this drought, when are these inputs going to be distributed so that they can be used at the beginning of the rain season? Is everyone going to be given or not? What is the position on that? Is Government going to maintain the status quo as last year? Are people going to pay or not?
THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): I thank the Senator for a very important question relating to Government support for food security. We call it social productive investment because it is no longer a subsidy. The Government policy is that it will promote production and productivity at household level to ensure household food security is maintained. There are 1.8 million rural households and three million beneficiaries in those households. In some households there will be the father, mother and perhaps the son is married. We count them separately.
We budget to give three million beneficiaries across the eight rural provinces, 1. 8 million households as per ZIMSTAT census support to enable them to produce enough to feed themselves and also to generate a surplus to deliver to the GMB. In this manner, they become not just mere economic spectators but economic participants for the President’s Vision 2030.
We give all rural households, irrespective of status because this is a Vision 2030 enabler. The distribution committee at ward level comprises the councillor as the chair, the DEO as the chief and the vice chair, Agritex as the secretary, headmaster of the nearest school as the vice secretary, women’s representative of Women’s Affairs as a member, representative of the Ministry of Youth as a member, the security operators and the GMB manager, who is now the supply chain manager, ensures that based on the list generated by the village heads who are also part of this committee in the ward, they supply enough inputs and send to that ward.
The beneficiaries do not pay and are not suppose to pay for any transport, for transport has already been paid from the manufacturer of the fertilizer, the seed supplier, chemical supplier to the GMB depots and from the GMB depots to the wards. There have been cases of unscrupulous councillors and others that have requested that villagers and households to contribute some money. We have discouraged those. We were put in special WhatsApp groups to say, where such cases occur, we must be notified, so we can send Government transport and GMB transport to be able to move.
If there are specific cases where this assistance in terms of fertilizers, seed, chemicals has not reached a particular ward or village, please I would appreciate getting additional information so that we can address this. In terms of the timing of the distribution of these inputs, we always endevour to distribute the inputs ahead of a season but Government with reduced resources and competing national needs may have reduced resources when we want to distribute and consequently, we might delay in certain areas.
Going forward, we would want to be able to build on the successes of pfumvudza/intwasa across the country to ensure that the six thousand extension workers that we have across the country, each one now has a motorbike and each one now has a satellite enabled laptop. We want them as they go to the households to enroll – we now have developed a special electronic form where the household completes a form that they have gone through the training for pfumvudza/intwasa which are the prerequisite to receive the inputs, that you have rolled out the three plots, that you have done mulch of one plot and that you are ready to receive, you are going through the training for enhancing production and productivity.
Then we ask now that two adult members at a household submit their phone numbers. That is then included in that electronic form. Once the Agritex officer presses that button, the form goes direct to our head office and is put in that database which would enable us to do a tracking, not just to eliminate theft of inputs, but also to ensure that the household indeed has received the inputs. If there are any issues that arise in future, please we would appreciate getting to know these in the season for us to intervene immediately so that these household are not prejudiced. This support, because vulnerability is beginning to creep into urban areas, if you look at the Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment reports, starting from 2022-2023 season, we now give support to urban households and the initial budget was for 500 thousand urban households where we look at the open spaces in urban areas. These open spaces are not meant for agriculture. The pipes development will come there in the future. So, we call it transient urban cultivation rather than urban agriculture. Agriculture takes place on agricultural land. This is cultivation, transient before some structure or some other land use comes in. We give one plot worth of support to urban households and our budget is 500 thousand.
We are just finalising Mr. President Sir, the 2024 – 2025 summer plan and tomorrow, it is going to the working party of the Cabinet Committee on Food Security and Nutrition so that by the 15th July, we have an agreed summer plan as a nation. Our expectation is that we will be able to support every rural household with three plots each of grain and seed crop. We hope that they will be able to generate sufficient to feed themselves for 365 days and also to generate sufficient grain from that plot to be able to sell and get some income for Vision 2030. Thank you Mr. President.
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in terms of Standing Order Number 67.
HON. SEN. ZINDI: Thank you Mr. President. Can I propose extension of the time for Oral Answers to Question Without Notice.
HON. SEN. NGWENA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Time for Questions Without Notice is extended for another twenty minutes – [AN HON. MEMBER: Inaudible interjection.] – Who said 30 minutes? Your wish is granted, 30 minutes.
HON. SEN. NGWENA: Thank you Mr. President. My question is directed to the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare. What measures have been put in place to ensure that food sought by Government is accessed by all Zimbabweans, regardless of political affiliations as has been the norm in the past?
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank you for making a direct and specific question Hon. Senator Ngwena.
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PRESIDENTIAL AFFAIRS IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET (HON. SEN. MATUKE): Thank you Mr. President. I would like to thank the Hon. Senator for a very important question. It is Government policy to make sure that it feeds the nation. Everybody has the right to have access to food which we are distributing as a Ministry, regardless of political affiliation, religion or gender. If there is any case which may come up in the distribution process, you can bring that to the attention of the Ministry. It is not Government policy to deny somebody access to food, when he or she is registered with our Ministry to make sure that he or she deserves to get a pack of the food aid.
For your information, maybe just to recap on the amount of food which is distributed to our beneficiaries, it is about 7.5kgs per person per month. This food is distributed in advance. So, one would be receiving about 7.5kgs times three months. It is assumed that a reasonable family will feed on 7.5 kg per month and it is now Government policy to make sure that everybody gets food in advance. Nobody should be denied food, everybody should receive food.
HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: Thank you Mr. President. Is it possible for the Minister to give us some tollfree or hot lines and publicise them widely so that should cases arise, where people are denied food on account of certain ‘isms’, we can reach out to those numbers and people can get relief expeditiously?
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank you. It is a suggestion which I am sure the Minister will take on board.
HON. SEN. MATUKE: I think it is a good suggestion, I will take it on board, but we have got some social welfare officers in all the districts. The first port of call is to inform them and also one could even inform the police officers to try and handle those issues. However, we are taking what you have suggested on board. I think it is a good contribution to try and improve the system.
Electricity having switched off.
HON. SEN. ZINDI: Should I proceed?
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: No, you have to wait.
Electricity having returned.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: You can proceed.
HON. SEN. ZINDI: My question is directed to the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development. What is happening to the goats’ programme that was announced that there is going to be distribution of goats to people in rural areas? Focusing on the empowerment of the rural folk, how far had it gone since its announcement? From 2021 or 2022, how many goats have been distributed to people in the rural areas? How many provinces benefited from this programme?
THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): Thank you Mr. President. I would like to thank Hon. Senator Zindi for her question. I thought her question was going to be what is Government policy? However, she has asked even more. Unfortunately, I do not have that information, but I will try to give what I have. Firstly, on development of farming and on the issue of the President’s Goat Scheme, especially in the remote areas, there should be development of farming; development of Pfumvudza and the rearing of animals. Also looking at the climate change in Zimbabwe and other countries, we are looking forward that in 2050, there will be less water but animal husbandry will survive.
When this development was agreed on, it was said that the chiefs will benefit first cascading downwards. In the community, each of them will be given female goat. We have 35 000 villages in Zimbabwe. Local Government indicated that we have 293 chiefs. We have 138 000 households. As of now, we have distributed slightly over 6 000 goats because there were challenges that we faced. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. ZINDI: Thank you Mr. President. There are people who are supposed to buy the goats but it is not working as it is supposed to. They have stopped because there are other plans. What is happening, because the money had already been paid but the goats are not there? People are already looking forward to receiving the goats. What must be going on?
THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): This issue is in the courts, it is sub judice, we will talk about that after it has been concluded.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Ndebele, do you still want to pursue your supplementary in light of the response which the Minister has given stating that the issue is before the courts, therefore it is sub judice to comment on it?
HON. SEN. NDEBELE: Thank you President of Senate. I had something to ask in connection with the goats. Thank you very much Hon. Minister for the programme of goats which is going on in the rural areas. My question is according to - I know the plans are already there, they are doing the job, farmers are prepared for the goats. Now, those who are on the ground from the Ministry of Agriculture are demanding US$50 joining fee, for the farmers who want to join the project. Is that instruction coming from your office or what?
HON. DR. MASUKA: Mr. President Sir, I want to thank the Hon. Senator for the question. This is the first time I am hearing about it so I will be most grateful to get additional details. Certainly, it is not the policy of Government to ask anyone to pay joining fee. This is free, so I would appreciate receiving additional information so that the culprit can be dealt with in terms of the law.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: My question is directed to the Minister of Agriculture. Mr. President we understand that there was an agreement between Zimbabwe and South Africa for taking water from the Zhovhe River by the South Africans. I do not know whether this is true or not but if it is so, taking into consideration that we are facing a serious drought, shall we have enough water for the communities as well as their livestock?
THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): Mr. President Sir, I thank Hon. Senator Mohadi for the question, it is relevant especially in the context of climate change and also the just ended devastating El Nino, the worst El Nino season in 43 years that Zimbabwe has experienced. Zimbabwe has always supplied water for the past 15 years or so to South Africa but the notification that I gave today, I indicated that we signed in Musina on the 4th April, a water supplier agreement and that on the 4th July I will be available for debate to discuss that more extensively. However, ahead of that debate, I want to indicate that the original supplier agreement that has been superseded by this agreement was more rigid. It compels Zimbabwe to supply a certain quantity. There is already a pipeline across the Limpopo to supply water, it is nothing new. What we are putting in now is to build in this flexibility to take into account climate change so that Zimbabwe may only supply what it can supply so that the concerns of Hon. Senator Mohadi are actually taken on board. This move is more progressive than the original agreement that was in place. Thank you, Mr. President.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHIKWAKA: Thank you Mr. President, my question is directed to the Minister of Transport. Mr. President, there is anarchy on our roads, especially in the urban areas being caused by kombis, they are using on-coming lanes. What is Government policy so that our drivers would move freely on the roads? We want to thank the Minister for a job well done, when it comes to revamping our roads. We want to find out when he is coming to do the same on the rural roads?
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): I want to thank Hon. Senator Chief Chikwaka for the question which is very pertinent. He asked two questions the first one is in line with the accidents that we are facing in our roads. People no longer value life but we work together as all Government organs. We are going to work with Home Affairs, we got into an agreement which was tabled before the Cabinet with a company from United Emirates so that we install cameras to see those who are not using the roads properly. Those will be erected in all the streets. We are not only ending there but we also work with Local Government, they are in charge of urban transportation. Together, we will sit with that Committee so that we bring sanity on our roads. It is very true you will very soon find policemen prosecuting people together with the Department of VID but at the moment those are the plans.
Hon. President, he also mentioned rural roads, we are not only focusing on urban roads, on Monday we are going to open Mhandamabwe-Shurugwi Road. We are not only ending there, on looking at urban areas only but we are going to work with Rural District Councils, we are going to work with Rider as well so that we also concentrate on the rural roads as well. The only challenge is that we only have one Fund so we cannot do all the roads at the same time.
*HON. SEN. MALULEKE: Thank you Mr. President. My question is directed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. What is the international foreign trade rules when people are coming to do business here?
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE (HON. CHIKOMO): I want to start by thanking the Hon. Senator for that pertinent question concerning our foreign policy in Zimbabwe. As you know, we are moving on with the mantra “Zimbabwe is open for business”, which means our aim is to be in good books with other countries through inviting investors to come and invest in Zimbabwe. We have to be transparent and also uplift our trade with other countries. Our exports and imports should uplift our economy so that we are on the right trajectory.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
PAYMENT OF ARREARS TO ZIMBABWEAN DIPLOMATS ABROAD
- HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade on the progress made regarding the payment of arrears to Zimbabwean diplomats abroad as well as the provision of tools such as motor vehicles, office furniture and other services.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE (HON. CHIKOMO): Thank you Mr. President. I am going to give an update on the status of Zimbabwe’s Diplomatic Missions regarding salaries for mission staff, contributions and subscriptions to international organisations, state of renovation of State residences and chanceries, among other finance and administrative issues of the Ministry.
General Funding of Salaries and Operations
The Ministry has been paying salaries and operations to missions on a monthly basis since January 2021 to date. However, the operational budget has not been adequate due to the general shortage of foreign currency in the country.
The operational budget was also affected by the opening of five (5) new missions in (Belarus, Pakistan, Malabo, Dubai and Riyadh) while the budget remained the same. To that end, there are arrears in terms of monthly rentals and other utilities and salaries. It is important to highlight that from 1st April 2024, a new salary structure and conditions of service was introduced. We welcome the new conditions of service. There are improvements in some areas. There are however challenges with regards to salaries.
Payment of Legacy Salary Arrears
Since the advent of the Second Republic, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade owed salaries to Foreign Service staff amounting to about US$48.5 million by December 2020.
The Ministry managed to pay off this debt by December 2022, and only US$6.8 million remained outstanding through a deliberate programme by the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion. This debt is still outstanding.
Acquisitions of Vehicles for use at Missions
The Ministry started an ambitious vehicle replacement programme in 2021. To date, the Ministry has managed to replace all representational vehicles and purchased new operational vehicles for the 52 missions. This is inclusive of the recently established missions. The Ministry is now buying additional utility vehicles for missions in line with the new Republic directive of a one mission concept.
Real Estate
His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa directed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade look into the real estate of the Diplomatic Missions. The Ministry then started renovations, purchasing and construction of diplomatic properties across the world. The Government of Zimbabwe has 65 properties across the world.
In summary, the Ministry, through the Real Estate Programme, has managed to improve the image of Zimbabwe abroad with modern infrastructure that has left our peers envious. The completion of the Pretoria residence, acquisition of the Johannesburg chancery and Gaborone residence are the major highlights. Hon. Minister, Dr. Shava has been preaching the culture of maintenance on all the diplomatic missions across the world. To that end, our missions are now maintaining a key budget issue to do small repairs and maintenance works at their properties. I thank you.
INTERVENTIONS TO BOOST POULTRY, PORK AND BEEF INDUSTRIES
- HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI asked the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development to explain to the Senate what interventions are being put in place to boost the poultry, pork and beef industries so that these products are affordable to the people of Zimbabwe.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL DEVELOPEMNET (HON. HARITATOS): The House will note that beef producer prices in US dollars in 2024 showed considerable variability and there was a significant difference between prices in January 2023 and January 2024. All beef meat grades showed a significant decrease in prices except the super meat grade which remained unchanged at US$4.50 per kg.
The producer price of super, economy and manufacturing meat declined by 8%, 23% and 31% respectively. The prices of both choice and commercial meat declined by the biggest percentage which was 35%. The decrease in beef meat grades can be attributed to increase in slaughters and a reduction in demand on the market. The VAT policy on live animal sales has resulted in an increase in toll manufacturing and informal market trading. Broiler meat production was adversely affected by VAT on meat and day old chicks which caused depressed demand from formal supermarkets. The cost of production of broiler has also increased by at least 15% whilst the price of selling has declined from US$5-6 to US$4.5-5.
There has also been an increase in sales at the informal markets for dressed birds. For pork, the prices might be affected by the increase in feed costs caused by the El Nino induced drought. Consultations are underway with Stock Feed Manufacturers Association through LMAC to see how best the prices of feed can be kept low.
It is also worth noting that my Ministry has developed Drought Mitigation Strategies which are targeting all livestock so that we avoid mortalities, keep the livestock reasonably priced and avoid the panic selling of livestock.
Some of those mitigation strategies include:
- Drilling of boreholes and rehabilitation of existing boreholes to improve labour availability.
- To improve food and fodder availability through hay bailing, survival rations and mineral supplements to high risk areas on farm food formulation and trainings, urea treatment and veld management.
- Dipping pest control and vaccination of animals to control posts, soil-borne diseases, internal and external parasite control.
ESTABLISHMENT OF A PAROLE BOARD
- HON. SEN. PHULU asked the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to inform the Senate the measures that the Ministry has put in place for establishment of the Parole Board as provided in terms of Section 137 of the Prisons and Correctional Services Act.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. MAZUNGUNYE): I wish to thank the Hon. Member for asking this pertinent question. The State Parole Board is established in terms of Section 137 of the Prisons and Correctional Service Act, 9 of 2023 which state as follows.
- There is hereby established a release board to be known as the State Parole Board to perform the powers, duties and functions conferred or imposed upon such board by or under this Act.
- The State Parole Board shall consist of the Chairperson and Vice Chairpersons. Such number of members, not more than five persons, who may include persons who are not officers of the Service, as the Minister after consultation with the Commissioner General may appoint.
- The State Parole Board shall consist of citizens chosen for their varied background, orientation, experiences in health, legal, education, social services, corrections, rehabilitation issues and any such background as the Minister may determine.
The parole provisions that are broadly provided for in the Prisons and Correctional Service Act are thus pending operationalisation by enacting the parole regulations to provide more detailed guidance on the appointment of the Parole Board and implementation of the parole system.
In this regard, the Ministry through the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service is engaged in stakeholder consultations to come up with draft regulations that would be forwarded to the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for approval and further transmission to the Attorney General and thereafter, the board will be set up. I thank you.
HON. SEN. PHULU: Why has it taken so long to begin these procedures because we have prisoners who remain incarcerated for long periods of time and they do have a right which is created by the Act to be considered? In the meantime, what measures have been put in place to ensure that these rights do not continue to be breached?
HON. MAZUNGUNYE: Thank you Mr. President and I would want to thank Hon. Phulu for the supplementary question. Indeed, there has been a delay in that regard. The challenge that we are facing as the Ministry, as I have alluded to in my response, that the regulations are to be formulated and then forwarded to the Attorney-General. The AG was overwhelmed in respect of the Bills which are supposed to be forwarded to Parliament. That has caused the delay in the setting up of regulations in that regard.
However, efforts have been done by the Ministry to engage certain individuals to also support the Attorney-General in drafting Bills and also forwarding all those issues which may be required for us to process the regulations and the Acts or Bills which are to be forwarded to Parliament. In that regard, that is the reason which is affecting the Ministry at the moment, but efforts are being done to ensure that Bills are expedited to the Parliament and all those regulations which I have mentioned will be set up after all has been said and done. I thank you.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PRESIDENTIAL AFFAIRS IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET (HON. SEN. MATUKE) the Senate adjourned at Eighteen Minutes past Four o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 9th July, 2024.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 26th June, 2024
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. SPEAKER in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. SPEAKER
APOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM MINISTERS
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have received apologies from the following Hon. Ministers; Hon. Prof M. Ncube, Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion; Hon. K. Coventry, Minister of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture; Hon. M. Mutsvangwa, Minister of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development; Hon. Z. Ziyambi, Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs; Hon. T. Mavetera, Minister of Information, Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services; Hon. Prof. A. Murwira, Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development; Hon. E. Moyo, Minister of Energy and Power Development; Hon. Dr. Mombeshora, Minister of Health and Child Care; Hon. K. Kazembe, Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Hon. C. Sanyatwe, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage; Hon. M. Ndlovu, Minister of Industry and Commerce; Hon. W. Chitando, Minister of Mines and Mining Development; Hon. P. Kambamura, Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development; Hon. S. Chikomo, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade; Hon. B. Kabikira, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Public Works and Hon. D. Marapira, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement.
HON. HWENDE: On a point of privilege Mr. Speaker Sir!
THE HON. SPEAKER: There is no point of privilege today.
HON. HWENDE: It is on Minister Kirsty Coventry, you ruled three weeks ago.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I beg your pardon?
HON. HWENDE: I said it is on Minister Kirsty Coventry. You made a ruling three weeks ago and asked the Leader of Government Business to look into her situation because we have not seen her.
THE HON. SPEAKER: She did come on that particular day. She came late but she was there.
HON. HWENDE: She only came once.
THE HON. SPEAKER: She was there last week.
HON. HWENDE: And today?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Anyway, you cannot discuss an individual Minister, right?
HON. HWENDE: Are you allowing me to proceed on the point of privilege?
THE HON. SPEAKER: No.
HON. HWENDE: Okay, it is fine if you are not allowing me. Thank you Hon. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you.
HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: Hon. Speaker, I know on Wednesday we are not supposed to stand up on points of national interest. I am standing up today because this day is a very important day…
THE HON. SPEAKER: No, please, let us not break the rules.
HON. KARIMATSENGA- NYAMUPINGA: Mr. Speaker, it is the International Day of Drug Abuse and we must make a statement.
THE HON. SPEAKER: No, His Excellency the President has already made a national statement.
HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: And we can buttress his statement.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you. You do not buttress His Excellency the President. Thank you.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
HON. JERE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion. I wanted to check with the Minister on the Government’s plan with the renovation of the National Sports Stadium. The country is under serious embarrassment that we are playing our matches outside the country.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. D. K. MNANGANGWA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would also like to thank the Hon. Member for raising such a contentious issue on the National Sports Stadium. Hon. Speaker, in addition to the budgetary allocation that was set aside for the National Sports Stadium, we have realised that there is need to think outside the box when it comes to capitalising or recapitalising for the construction and refurbishment of our National Sports Stadium.
What we have done and what I am given as premature information, it is important for this House to realise that the Ministry and the Government is doing something for the National Sports Stadium. We are currently in talks with some private sector players to see how best we can create a vehicle that can be listed as a right on the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange. What that will enable is to allow pension funds, private players and Zimbabweans in general, to crowdfund for the refurbishment of the National Sports Stadium.
These instruments Hon. Speaker, have been very successful, our rights have seen the construction of your Highlands Park, a few shopping malls and we have seen this to be an expedient way to raise the capital needed to holistically sort the issue that we are facing with the National Sports Stadium. It is indeed a priority but we have realised that if we join hands with the private sector, we can get closer to running the stadium commercially but also getting private sectors involved in what could be a lucrative investment. These are some of the measures that we are making in addition to the budgetary allocations. I thank you.
HON. JERE: Our concern is, we went through the amount of money that is required to refurbish the National Sports Stadium, 12 million USD is what is required to complete the job but 5 million USD can make it usable. Are we saying as a Government, we really appreciate what the Government is doing, the roads and other infrastructure which is cropping up?
However, are we saying we cannot sacrifice 5 million USD as a Government to save the embarrassment which the President, Dr. E.D Mnangagwa is going through if you go on social media that your Government is failing to refurbish the National Sports Stadium…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Member, ask your question.
HON. JERE: Yeah
THE HON. SPEAKER: Do not say yeah, withdraw.
HON. JERE: The question is, are we saying as a country, we cannot raise 5 million USD whilst we are waiting for other investors to join hands to make sure that at least we play our next match here at home?
HON. D. K. MNANGAGWA: I can assure the Hon. Member that the 5 million USD would not be a sacrifice. There is indeed money that had already been budgeted for the National Sports Stadium and these disbursements are happening according to the schedule of contracts that are in place.
What I was speaking to Hon. Speaker, is a holistic solution to get the National Sports Stadium to a world class facility and not just usable. Plans for the interim are actually underway and their process is currently in play. I stand guided by the Minister of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture. I thank you.
HON. BAJILA: Two weeks back, I asked a similar question and the Acting Leader of Government Business on that day, Hon. Mhona, suggested that I should ask it to the Minister and it comes in fit. My question is that we have seen news about procurement of bucket seats for the National Sports Stadium outside the country when local companies such as Tregers Plastics in Bulawayo have got capacity that they have demonstrated to manufacture these bucket seats. However, the Government has decided to partner with private sector companies that actually import from China as has been reported. Is it Government policy to neglect local manufacturers and they prioritise importation instead of import substitution in the reconstruction of the National Sports Stadium?
HON. D. K. MNANGAGWA: Our Government policy in terms of procurement is guided by the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Act which would call for bids and from those bids to go through the process, that is overseen by the procurement regulator, PRAZ. I would think that all processes are within their domain, whether the one who ends up winning is purchasing locally or internationally, but it is through the guidance of the Act.
Hon. Speaker, I am not sure if the discussion is around empowerment of our local business which we would fully support but in terms of procurement, I think we are guided by law. I thank you.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Can we not take advantage of the Public-Private-Partnership arrangements that we have seen in many countries adopting as a way of financing the construction of our stadia so that the companies which construct those stadiums will benefit from entry ticket charges for a period of 10 years and so forth but we will be having our infrastructure as a country?
Could the Minister take advantage of the PPP arrangement project to help revitalise our stadiums? I thank you.
HON. D. K. MNANGAGWA: I think what the Hon. Member is referring to is what I alluded to in my initial submission where we are engaging private sector players. The PPP stands for Public-Private-Partnerships in pursuing a right, instead of having one private sector player. We are opening it up to the general public of private sector players to subscribe to the stadia. So indeed this would be a PPP but with more innovation around it taking advantage of capital markets.
*HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. We appreciate the responses but I need guidance on timelines on when the monies will be availed for the National Sports Stadium’s bucket seats, toilets and the other developments. So we want timelines from the Hon. Ministers so that there is clarity in that area because our young people are indulging in drugs because they do not have any leisure activities. We need a response today so that we know when the money will be given to the Minister of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture.
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. D. K. MNANGAGWA): Thank you and I appreciate that question Mr. Speaker Sir. I need assistance in that regard by the Ministry of Spots, Recreation, Arts and Culture but as a Ministry, for the things that we requested for, we have the funding. The contracts are being paid. As to when the project will be completed, the responsible Ministry can respond to that but as the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, we make sure that we avail funding for different projects but if it is not enough, we then look for more. I thank you.
HON. P. ZHOU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Health and Child Care. Statistics show that an estimated one third of HIV infections in Zimbabwe are within young people in the 15 to 24 years age group. What policies and intervention have been put in place to address these concerning statistics I thank you?
THE HON. DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON. KWIDINI): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. It is very true but as we all know that whenever we talk about numbers or statistics, it means there should be evidence which is properly given.
As she said, a third of the youth which is from 15 to 24 are being infected. We all know that in Zimbabwe, the reproductive age group is from 15 to 49 then there is a gap in that where we say the recommended age group for child bearing in Zimbabwe is from 18 and above but as we can see now, there is also that gap which is included in the age group which she has mentioned. With your indulgence maybe if she can put the question in writing so that we come with specific interventions and statics which will cover and give proper evidence on what is being done by the Ministry to curb that challenge. I thank you Mr. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Zhou, if you can put your question in writing for next week so that the statistics can be given.
HON. P. ZHOU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Can I add what I wanted to ask as a supplementary so that he can include it there?
THE HON. SPEAKER: No, that is a contradiction.
HON. P. ZHOU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
+HON. O. SIBANDA: Thank you for affording me this opportunity, Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. What is Government doing to those pupils who are taking their lessons outside classrooms because of a shortage of classrooms?
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. T. MOYO): Government policy, Hon. Speaker, is that no learner should attend classes under trees or outside of their classrooms. The Government is seized with that matter in as far as the provision of adequate classrooms and schools is concerned. The Government has deliberately allocated funds towards the construction of new schools and also the increase of classroom blocks.
The Government cannot do it alone, Hon. Speaker. As a Ministry, we have invited players in the form of development partners to assist in the construction and provision of classrooms. I am aware that we have a shortage of schools, but we are making efforts to ensure that we provide a conducive atmosphere in as far as the provision of quality inclusive and equitable education is concerned. Thank you Hon. Speaker.
HON. MANGONDO: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. My question goes to the Hon. Minister of Local Government and Public Works. In view of the critical importance of local authorities in terms of service delivery. Being the second tier of Government which has direct impact on people and in view of the fact that we have experienced a lot of deterioration in terms of service delivery as well as management systems in local authorities, my question to the Hon. Minister is; what policy initiatives as well as the strategies does the Ministry have to try and retool these local authorities so that they can be dynamised as well as make sure that they are operating in the 21st century in order to enhance the competitiveness of the country as they are the ones who interact directly and affect any would be investors in the country. I thank you Hon. Speaker?
THE MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. GARWE): Mr. Speaker Sir, the question asked refers to several work stations. The first station was in November 2023. His Excellency launched a policy on call to action, no compromise to service delivery and then directed that the Ministry must champion the production of a master plan by all local authorities, the evaluation reports as well as enterprising resource plan. We are meeting on Thursday with all the local authorities to assess the progress made to date by the local authorities in terms of producing particularly the masterplans. The deadline for submission to Government is 30th of June. The second tier of the question is, service delivery had deteriorated and according to Hon. Mangondo, this is because the local authorities seem not to have the adequate resources.
We are well aware of the two elephants in the House. The first elephant is the impact of sanctions. Zimbabwe has been under sanctions for a period of more than two years. Yes, it is a fact, we are under sanctions. What sanctions mean to a simple mind is that we cannot access affordable finance from international financiers and incompetence being demonstrated by urban local authorities. [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
There is no substitute for incompetence. We cannot continue to plough resources to local authorities that are being run by incompetent, inefficient and ineffective councillors.
HON. HAMAUSWA: Mr. Speaker Sir, I appreciate the response by the Minister. I have checked that whenever the Minister is asked on a question relating to local authorities, he raises the issue of sanctions. Can we then close the nation until we have the issues of sanctions resolved? This is because he is always saying sanctions and no solutions from the Government.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Hamauswa. I thought it would be part of the solutions to keep out these sanctions.
HON. GARWE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for your intervention. We cannot come here and sit and try to wash away the sanctions that are on us, we cannot do that. As a way of dealing with these two elephants – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]-
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Members, if you have got a supplementary question, please rest your case until you can ask.
HON. GARWE: As a stop gap measure Mr. Speaker Sir, Government has put in place devolution funds to assist local authorities in ensuring that they can buy equipment to service roads and for refuse collection. As we speak, every local authority has been provided with fire tenders by Government. We have bought ambulances and tractors for our local authorities. Harare has been given 24 tractors to assist them with the carrying of solid waste but be that as it may, the Ministry of Local Government, three weeks ago, started Operation Chenesa Harare Phase 2 to assist Harare which has collapsed entirely with the collection of waste in the city. We are doing the same programme next week with Chitungwiza which is also in a sorry state in terms of service delivery. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: In terms of our Standing Orders, you allow the original questioner to ask a supplementary question. If the original questioner has no supplementary question, then you can rise to take the floor.
HON. MANGONDO: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. I would like to thank the Hon. Minister for the comprehensive reply. My supplementary question to the Hon. Minister has to do with what we have seen in terms of the management and competencies of most of these local authorities, especially as it relates to the management of resources as well as the handling of urban renewal programmes. My question is; what carrot and stick measures is the Ministry putting in place to ensure that those local authorities that perform are rewarded and those that do not perform are treated accordingly?
HON. GARWE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would like to thank Hon. Mangondo for the supplementary question. Let me start with the capital city Harare. Last month, His Excellency appointed a Commission of Inquiry which now as we speak, is conducting interviews with residents in Harare and their work is overwhelming to want to understand what is happening with Harare from 2017 to date, because Harare as a capital city has collapsed. We will go to other cities which are in a similar situation ensuring that we root out all those people that are corrupt, incompetent, causing inefficiency and are stealing land from council. So, we are doing that.
In terms of wanting to reward, you are employed to deliver for the nation and the reward that you must get is the satisfaction that you have done what you have been employed to do. Thank you.
HON. MATEWU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. The Hon. Member for Murehwa South asked a very pertinent question as to urban renewal and my supplementary question to the Hon. Minister is that urban renewal in the regeneration of our towns is absolutely important as we go into this technological era. What is your Ministry doing to ensure that you assist all these councils which are basically out of money?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Address yourself to the Chair!
HON. MATEWU: Yes Mr. Speaker. My question to the Hon. Minister is; what is his Ministry doing to capacitate our urban and rural authorities to enable them to regenerate and develop as we go into a new era? If someone who died in 1975 were to wake up today, they would find some of these towns the same. What is the Government doing to ensure, like what other countries do, to capacitate our councils to enable them to grow into cities? Thank you.
HON. GARWE: Let me thank Hon. Matewu for his supplementary question. Urban regeneration and urban renewal are a reality. There are several steps that Government is taking to ensure that we start retrofitting our infrastructure in the urban areas. The first one is to invite investors both local, domestic and international to join hands with us in urban renewal. As we speak, we are seized with discussions with various investors from outside Zimbabwe and within Zimbabwe on urban renewal in Harare and other cities. Harare more importantly, because we want Harare as a city. You may not be aware that Mbare is the biggest income generator for Harare and it needs urban renewal.
These areas in Harare include Mbare Market, Siyaso as well as Matapi Hostels. They have seen their better days. We are now working on that. So, within a month or so from today, we will have investors on the ground working on urban renewal. We are working on the Mukuvisi dungeon from the dam to Manyame River. We need to relook into our urban cities. Rural areas are not so much of urban renewal. Rural RDCs never had any infrastructure to talk about. We are now looking in terms of the masterplans that are being developed. Once the plans are approved, we will look at how best we can develop all our eight rural provinces. We look at the RDCs that are there to ensure that the infrastructure in those areas speak to Vision 2030. That is what we are doing. We are working together with Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Ministry of Lands and the Rural Industrialisation on programmes that we are working on, so it is work in progress.
HON. ENG. MHANGWA: The Hon. Minister has generalised that there is incompetence in the Local Government and local authorities. I want the Minister to help us decipher where the incompetence is. The local authorities, both urban and rural areas are independent of each other and in all these, there are three common players. The CEO of the local authority is the Town Clerk and his directors. We are independent in each of the local authorities. There are councillors that are independent in each of the local authorities, be it urban or rural but there is one common factor. If it is general, then the problem is within the common factor which is the Minister of Local Government because he superintends all independent organisations. If there is incompetence, we need to differentiate and realise…
THE HON. SPEAKER: What is your question?
HON. ENG. MHANGWA: The question is, is it a problem with the local authorities or with the Minister and the Ministry?
HON. GARWE: We have a serious problem with the performance of the local authorities, Harare in particular - that is why we have got a Commission of Inquiry to deal with the issues of Harare. If a local authority as huge as Harare fails to collect garbage or decides to throw rubbish everywhere else, that is part of the incompetence. If a council like Harare fails to produce a budget and up to now, they have not produced the budget. If a local authority like Harare fails to produce a masterplan, I can go on and on. I am not generalising Mr. Speaker Sir. If the local authorities are incompetent, they need regeneration…
HON. HWENDE: The Minister is misleading the House. It is not correct that Harare City Council has not produced a budget. They produced a budget, presented it to the Minister and he has refused to approve it. So, he must not come and mislead the House. Thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: You have not asked a supplementary question. Please understand the processes. If the budget of the local authorities is not approved, then it does not measure up to the principles of budgetary requirements – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order, please order! Can I explain? I have been in Local Government and I know what I am talking about. If you hand over a budget to the Minister and he does not approve, that means something has to be done to improve it.
HON. HWENDE: The reason we are….
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Hwende, please do not argue with the Chair. Do not argue with the Chair, I repeat. Can you take your seat please?
HON. KARENYI: I was listening to the Hon. Minister. I was trying to cast my mind back to when I was a Councillor in 2003. We had the Executive Mayors – my question to the Minister is: is it not better for the Ministry to revisit so that they can give the Mayors executive authority so that there will not be an issue between the Ministry, mayors and councillors and council officials? Can he please help us, is it not fair or prudent to revisit that because it is more like today the councillors are wrong, tomorrow the managers – why do we not give the local authorities, especially councillors and the Mayor, the executive power so that when we blame the local authorities, we will face the councillors rather than blaming them without the executive authority?
HON. GARWE: The issue is not to do with where authority is resident; it is incompetence – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - We have councils, you cannot employ a hyena to look after your goats. That is the situation that we have – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – It is not about people but it is about people who are not competent to deliver for the people – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
*HON. NHARI: My question is directed to the Minister of Local Government. It is now common knowledge that drug abusers are visiting dumpsites to pick pampers to use them to make drugs. What is Government’s plan to end this plight?
*THE MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. GARWE): During the past three weeks, we embarked on a project called ‘Chenesa Harare Phase 2’. This programme aims to collect all garbage that has been improperly dumped and dumping it at the appropriate dumping sites. We are looking forward to having no council that will dump garbage and undesignated sites. We will assist these councils accordingly. The City of Harare wrote to us seeking assistance with regards to the same issue and we have been doing so for three months and so forth. This will enable us to have a clean city as per the resident’s expectations, hence we will not have drug and substance abuse from these dumpsites.
HON. BONDA: My supplementary point revolves around the point that we are only talking about the urban dumpsites. What does the Ministry have in place to do or to establish some kind of dumping areas in the RDCs? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. GARWE); Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Let me thank the Hon. Member for a very good question. Vision 2030 speaks to an upper middle-income economy status by that year 2030. Vision 2030 compels all of us to ensure that all our eight rural provinces are developed to the standards that we expect in the urban areas. As we speak, all the RDCs are working on master plans and majority of them have actually finished. Those master plans will speak to urbanisation. The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture Fisheries, Climate and Rural Development is working on programmes on small business units in the rural areas as part of the industrialisation programme. Ministry of Housing and Social Amenities is working on a waste management programme for rural areas where pit latrines and blair toilets will not see the light of the day going towards Vision 2030. We have the eight rural provinces on our desk in terms of development. Thank you.
HON. NYEVERA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question goes to the Minister of Home Affairs. The discussion by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage to open a Zimbabwean passport office in the Republic of South Africa is both plausible and commendable as it resonates with the Second Republic’s digital economy and desire to take service to the people. However, what measures are in place to ensure only bonafide Zimbabwean citizens access and benefit from a facility based on foreign land?
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir and let me thank my brother Hon. Nyevera for that very important question alluding to the issues in terms of transparency, accountability and also issues to do with bonafide beneficiaries of this noble development. I want to assure the august House that yes, in a foreign land, we have got our embassy under the Ambassador of that respective country, where they do due diligence before issuance. So whatever they will be doing in the foreign land, they will be actually corresponding with the parent country and in this particular case, our Head Quarters here in Harare. I want to assure the Hon. Member that in terms of transparency and accountability, yes, they need to uphold that and in terms of due diligence they also need to uphold that. Thank you.
HON. NYEVERA: How do you ensure the enabling passport infrastructure is reliable and accessible?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Do you mean at our Embassies or here in Zimbabwe?
HON. NYEVERA: There in South Africa Sir.
HON. MHONA: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir and let me also thank Hon. Nyevera. If there is a particular case maybe which is worrying the Hon. Member, I am sure you will be at liberty to table. In terms of our systems, the authentication of those systems, like I indicated that the Embassy will actually not be operating in isolation, they will be operating with the parent country. If there are any incidences of malpractices that the Hon. Member has heard of, I think we will be delighted to have such. Thank you.
HON. MAVHUDZI: Good afternoon Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Finance. In 2022, the Government of Zimbabwe made commitments to the IMF as part of its debt clearance and debt restricting agenda. These commitments included governance reforms, the commitment to restructure the B parts, the Global compensation agreement and land tenure reforms. My question is, how far has the Government gone as far as addressing these commitments?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. K. D. MNANGAGWA): Thank you Hon. Speaker. The Hon. Member is referring to what constitutes our structure debt platform where we are dialoguing with the partners, the IMF, World Bank and indeed, we have been making significant strides towards achieving some of these goals. I will talk about the beepers, for example, there was a statement that was issued calling for the validation of those. We had claims within the national budget. There was $55 million that was set aside with 20 million of that being for the affected farms as a sign that indeed we respect international agreements in as far as the land tenure is concerned. I understand the Ministry of Justice is going through the technical legal process to make sure that we have land tenure that is suitable for us as Zimbabweans and not necessary for the populace, but what is fit for purpose for us a country in as far as the economic reforms are concerned. All that we have been going through fit for purpose for the Zimbabwean people as part of the programme. If there are any particular instances where the Hon. Member might feel that we are lagging behind, we need to speed up, you can feel free to point them out but as far as the Zimbabwean side is concerned, I would like to say Hon. Speaker, we are moving at the pace that is good for Zimbabwe that is fit for our context and that suits our national budget. I thank you.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker, my supplementary question to the Minister relates to a sad situation in that in the process of various clearance debt relief and re-engagement , one of the key partners which is the United States of America has withdrawn from the dialogue process. Is it not because of the fact the Government is not negotiating in good faith, particularly in areas of governance looking at the governance pillar where the issue of human rights and respect for rule of law is concerned? Why I am saying this Mr. Speaker, recently about 80 CCC members were arrested and detained without trial. So my question is, does this not worsen the situation because the Minister of Finance is the one who is in charge of this guiding process.
HON. KARIKOGA: On a point of order. Thank you Mr. Speaker, I wanted to mention that the Hon. Member’s question is not related to the initial question.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. D. K. MNANGAGWA): Thank you Hon. Speaker. In as far as the United States of America withdrawal from the structured dialogue programme, I cannot answer for them Mr. Speaker. I think the Hon. Member will have to ask the Americans why they withdrew – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
In terms of progress on the governance pillar, Mr. Speaker Sir, the dialogue platform is structured with three pillars, the economic pillar, land tenure pillar and governance pillar. The governance pillar Mr. Speaker Sir, encompasses not just governance but political issues. As a country and as a sovereign one, when negotiating in such circumstances Hon. Speaker, it is important that all stakeholders are included and that the end game for both Zimbabwe and the people sitting on the other side is clearly defined. One cannot go into issues on the periphery and have Zimbabwe continuously have predetermined and defined requirements that they need to subscribe to without necessarily knowing what is at the end of the journey or what is on the finish line. This is a technical process that we need to go through Hon. Speaker.
In all these processes we go through, patriotism and sovereignty is key to us, so we make sure that we do not abscond to these principles for the sake of expediency. I thank you Hon. Speaker. – [AN HON. MEMBER: On a point of Order Hon. Speaker.]-
THE HON. SPEAKER: There is nothing that has happened.
HON. JAMES: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Can I ask the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, he mentioned the Government Compensation Deed (GCD), what does the policy provide regarding this agreement as Government reneged on their commitment in 2021, it was extended for a year and Government reneged a second time and there has been negotiations with various other people not fully representing the majority of title deeds holders which I do not think have an understanding within the farming community? Can the Hon. Minister give us a policy on what the GCD situation is? I thank you.
HON. D. K. MNANGAGWA: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. Thank you to the Member who rightly explained what is going on. The Government of Zimbabwe has not reneged, but rather as the Hon. Member of Parliament subscribed, we have extended and we are to raise as part of issues arising from budgetary constraints and some renegotiations but there has been no reneging of any contracts or agreements that we signed as Government. No process will be completely flawless Hon. Speaker, but the intention is to clear this issue as was promised. So, as we stand, as Government and as the Ministry, we are still committed to clearing these claims but rightly making sure that all peripheral issues are sorted and cleared. I thank you Hon. Speaker.
HON. G. K. HLATYWAYO: Supplementary! Thank you Hon. Speaker. Hon. Speaker, under the structured dialogue platform, there are five indicators in the governance cluster. These are enhancing justice delivery, corruption, electoral reforms, national peace and reconciliation as well as human rights. Can the Hon. Minister give us progress in terms of these five indicators? Thank you. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]–
HON. D. K. MNANGAGWA: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir, maybe let me highlight a few issues around the structured dialogue platform to help Hon. Members understand what this platform is. There is a misconception that the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion is leading, but we are merely a partner.
There are three pillars to this platform. There is the command pillar which is being championed by the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion. There is the one on land tenure that is jointly being championed by the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement and the governance pillar that has multiple stakeholders Hon. Speaker. With that said Hon. Speaker, the Hon. Member’s question is misdirected and maybe if she can put it in writing, the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, I am sure will be able to address some of these concerns. Thank you Hon. Speaker.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker!
THE HON. SPEAKER: What is the point of order?
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I think the Hon. Minister is misleading the House in the sense that the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion…
THE HON. SPEAKER: The Minister is what?
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Is misleading the House on the basis that it is the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion that has superior authority on all these things. It is the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion that goes to IMF and other bilateral institutions to request for these SMPs…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! The Hon. Minister has indicated the Government, the collegiate approach and defined the respective responsibilities of those ministries that are working in the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion. There is no contradiction there.
*HON. S. TSHUMA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Good afternoon.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Good afternoon.
*HON. S. TSHUMA: My question is directed to the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement. What measures does the Ministry have in place to ensure that cotton farmers are paid on time bearing in mind that COTTCO still owes farmers for the cotton they delivered a few seasons ago?
THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): Thank you Hon. Speaker. I would like to thank Hon. Tshuma for such a pertinent question. Before I answer the question, let me clarify that Government is not in the business of paying for cotton. We now have eight independent players or companies that are now dealing with the cotton sector. One of the major players is COTTCO, Government has 37% ownership through shareholding.
The other seven players came on board in 2020, when we came up with a new policy on how we were going to have players operating within the cotton industry. We agreed that the private companies and the farmers will enter into agreements where they will be provided with seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, et cetera. After the cotton harvest, the contracting companies will have a chance to buy the farmer’s produce. We roped in the Agricultural Marketing Authority so that they could come up with regulations to govern the growing of cotton.
In coming up with policies that govern the growing of cotton, they ensured that the contracts between the growers and the farmers, there would be a minimum input package for the farmer. So, for you to have access to my cotton, you need to provide me with fertilisers, pesticides, seeds and knowledge and not just to come and provide the last part of the requirements, with a view to then harvest the cotton where one would not have put in any meaningful input. This is what we came up with.
Thereafter, we then saw the advent of a common buying point being created to alleviate that problem. This year, we have 647 common buying points and out of these, 164 are permanent buying points. So, what we do to ensure that farmers are paid in time is that all those that are giving inputs to the farmers should be present with their bankers so that when a farmer, for instance, this year we have the Agricultural Marketing Authority, it will now purchase for grade A and D. From grade D, everyone will be paid 32 cents and once it becomes better, it is now grade A, the difference is 40 cents per kg.
When these prices were agreed to, the representatives of the farmers' units in the form of farmers' union, the Government represented by the Agricultural Marketing Authority and our department called for the meeting so that they could agree. This is what is happening, all the cotton that amounts to 7, 9 million which has been purchased until yesterday has been paid for using 32 cents per grade. Later on they will have to regrade the cotton to see if it is grade A, B, or C. In terms of Government principles, they should be in a position to pay the difference for the cotton.
There is a company that I referred to as COTTCO where Government has a 37% shareholding in that company. They were behind last year in terms of making payments. They have a balance of 2, 6 million USD which they owe to the farmers. They had promised us that by May, they would have completed payments and we are now towards the end of June. As a Government Minister, I called them yesterday to explain that the deadline has lapsed and we are now getting to the end of the month of June. I called them together with the Agricultural Marketing Authority to come to my office tomorrow so that we get a proper appreciation of how they are going to pay the balance. For this year, I understand that they have been able to pay the farmers.
*HON. J. TSHUMA: Thank you, Mr. Speaker Sir. I am grateful for the detailed response that the Hon. Minister has given but when we look closely at what is happening on the ground and what the Hon. Minister is saying, it is different.
For the past two seasons, we have not paid farmers their RTGS amounts which is now ZiG and this is the money that we are talking about. We were concerned about the rates that those amounts have not yet been paid.
My question to the Minister is would it not be better since other companies are paying farmers there and then in USD; when Cottco is giving 24 cents USD per kg per grade D, then 8 cents they say they will pay in ZiG, this is why there is side marketing. Why not give the ZiG component at the same time as USD so that there will not be an issue of side marketing? I thank you.
*HON. DR. MASUKA: I am happy for such detailed information in terms of how they are paying. May you please submit to us such names so that tomorrow when we have a discussion we will be in a better position to get an appreciation of why they are paying contrary to the instructions that we gave. I thank you.
*HON. NYABANI: For some of us here, if there was no cotton we could not have gone to school. It was the first time to heard that farmers were paying for the cotton, he used to say that the Ministry of Finance money that you are going to be used to pay for the farmers. It has come as a surprise that you are now saying these companies are now paying, you are no longer paying using the Ministry of Finance’s funds.
*HON. DR. MASUKA: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Let us start with COTTCO. The production of cotton had gone down from 2015 to 2016, Government then realised that it was very important for our communal farmers so that the cotton would be used for developing farmers in areas where there are sufficient rains. It was observed that 500,000 farmers could be assisted if the Government were to intervene.
The government started giving implements such as fertilizers, seeds, herbicides, and containers. The Government bought the same cotton because COTTCO had fallen on hard times. In 2020 we then started coming up with independent players also going to cotton farming so that they could cause contract farming which they would be able to buy. COTTCO was handheld by the Government by giving them fertiliser, seeds, and chemicals or pesticides until 2021. As Government we started whining them off in 2022, we whined them off in 2023.
Let me reiterate that the Government is just to come up with a policy so that cotton can be grown, and independent players can come and ensure that cotton is grown. The Government is in the interim assisting the COTTCO by providing fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, and even equipment for spraying.
*HON. MATINENGA: Thank you, Mr. Speaker Sir. I would also want to thank the Hon. Minister for the responses that he has given, it is always good to have this knowledge. What measures has the Government put in place to ensure that - you have said a lot of things that require that they be given a lot of options as to whether they can grow cotton or not since there may be laws. What is the Government going to do to inform the people by conducting awareness programmes? I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON.DR. MASUKA) Thank you Hon. Speaker. We have 6012 agronomists that are in the communal lands where cotton is grown. What I learnt from the question is that this information has not been disseminated timely, so we are going to assist them to timeously disseminate this information. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
*HON. SAMAMBWA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I am Hon. Samambwa. We have heard the Minister saying that they are paying seeds and they pay for the cotton as a grade D and there will be regrading to classify whether it is C, B or D. When the regrading is done, how do we know that they have authentically regraded the cotton to be grade A when infact, they are failing to pay for the grade D? Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
* HON. DR. MASUKA It shows that the Hon. Member wants assistance on how cotton is bought. When we talk of a common buying point, it means that the eight I have talked about, the Agriculture Marketing Authority is a Government department so the bills are brought in COTTCO Shawasha Agri has nine and Southern Cotton has a 100. They then cause this to be recorded by Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA). The AMA then grades for D, then they are paid.
So these cotton farmers can go back home, so that they would not spend two or three days waiting for the cotton to be graded. The Government representative from AMA remains at the common buying point so he supervises the regrading. In seven days they would have done the regrading. If there are any additions that they would want to come up with so that the farmers could see how the regrading is done, we would be most grateful if they would write to us that they are unhappy with these processes and they would be happier if things were done in a particular manner so that we serve them all. I thank you Hon. Speaker Sir.
*HON. MUCHEMWA: Supplementary question Mr. Speaker Sir. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I believe we may treat this issue of cotton farming lightly in this august House, but we have a lot of children who are no longer going to school because of the delay in the payment of cotton. The issue of the payment of cotton farmers has been outstanding for a long time. Can the Minister please come up with a time line when farmers who have not been paid in the previous years are going to be paid? When are they going to be paid? I thank you.
HON. DR. MASUKA: I am concerned just like them and I feel hurt that farmers sold their cotton, but have not yet been paid. Those that we know who have not been paid are under the purview of COTTCO and they are owed 2.6 million because he is talking about several years. So I need his assistance so that other farmers that are involved are assisted by the Government as the Government will want people to be paid there and then. So if it is possible, he should give us more detail and more facts and figures so that we know how these were not paid. We would want them to be paid accordingly. I thank you.
*HON. MATANGIRA: On a point of order. My point of order is cotton being a crop that is drought resistant and what is being said here is, it possible that the farmers can go and plough and grow cotton. Why do you not do as in the past that we pay the little that we have timely? I thank you.
HON. KUKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Energy and Power Development. In recent times we have seen an increase in load shedding. What are the current ZESA energy requirements versus the current output production in light of the incessant and exacerbated load shedding being experienced in the country? I thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. SIMBANEGAVI): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Before I respond to that, I would like to give a brief background of our current electricity situation Mr. Speaker Sir.
Mr. Speaker Sir, as everyone might know, most of our electricity is generated through hydropower and currently, the water levels of the Kariba Dam are very low, which is affecting the capacity of generation that we can do as a country. We are also in the winter season where the use of electricity is very high, especially in domestic set ups. This is also during the season of winter cropping where the demand for electricity to our farmers is also high. In this regard Mr. Speaker Sir, this has seen us facing a challenge of trying to make sure that the distribution of electricity to all these sectors is maintained equally. This has resulted in a bit of dynamism in the way our electricity has been circulating.
In terms of generation in Hwange, sometimes we can have one unit up and then sometimes we have another unit down. This has also been affecting the amount of electricity that has been distributed around so far. Despite all these challenges, we have been trying to make sure that our nation is not affected very much that we still manage to make sure that our farmers manage to have electricity to ensure that they irrigate their winter crops, that our people still manage to cook and eat in their households and that our industry remains up and running.
So in terms of requirements, as the Hon. Member has asked, what we have done as Government is we have now supplemented the amount of generated electricity that we have. In that regard Mr. Speaker Sir, our generation capacity on a day is mostly between 1 600 or 1 800 megawatts against a demand of almost over 2 000 sometimes. That gives us a deficit on a daily basis of around 300 and sometimes 400 megawatts. This is the deficit that then sometimes leads to load shedding and we have tried to make sure that we cover this gap by the imports that we do as a nation, but we all know that as a nation, we are also facing a bit of financial constraints because we are facing a drought and the Government is trying to mitigate that.
We try to manage the amount of electricity imports that we do as a country, but that comes in to try and balance the 300 megawatts that is a shortfall and sometimes we can manage to import more, sometimes we import less and that results in a bit of load-shedding, but what we have done as Government is, we try to make sure that the whole country is not set on black-out. So, we have schedules that we do and those in the industries, farms and government departments understand these schedules and they know that on certain times, there is going to be load-shedding in this area and at certain times, they are switched on and it goes to other areas to ensure that we continue to function as an economy.
HON. SAGANDIRA: Thank you for that comprehensive report. We have a lot of dams in Zimbabwe where we can direct our power generation, the likes of Tugwi Mukorsi, Lake Rusape and Osborne. What is the Ministry doing to make sure they do not rely on Kariba Dam alone?
HON. SIMBANEGAVI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir and I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the supplementary question. As Government, we are not only relying on the Kariba Dam. We also have independent power producers that mainly deal with renewable energy. We have now realised that we cannot only rely on hydro-energy and that is why we are now looking into renewable sources of energy. These independent power producers are mostly into the production of portal tight energy, which is what we call solar energy.
We have encouraged these and are now coming up with incentives to try to encourage people to come up and also be producing and generating electricity which they can also put into the grid system or which they can also just use for themselves. In order to try and encourage independent power producers, the Government has said if they can produce energy in their own mini-grids, we can allow them to be selling this electricity to the consumers directly so that they are able to recoup their investment and not make any losses. This is aimed at making sure that we also supplement the electricity that we can generate currently as a nation.
On the issue of the other dams, I also hope that the Hon. Members understand the aspect of engineering and other aspects that come with electricity generation units. You cannot put a generating unit in shallow water. Currently, through the Ministry of Science and Technology, they are now looking into innovations that can use shallow water as long as it is perennial and as long as the water is constantly there. Even though it is shallow, we can be able to generate it.
These are things that our young people are still looking into in terms of research and the type of machines that can be used for that cannot be very big. These are things that can be used by our farmers using the small dams that they have, but in terms of national generation, we cannot use small dams for that.
HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My supplementary is, because of the climate change that everyone else is talking about, they may not be helpful in the following year. We are talking about hydro-power generation. My question to the Hon. Minister is, have we done any research as to the thermal power that they are generating our electricity could also be complemented by uranium that we have in the country to build some hectares that will give us power because there may not be any rainfall at all? I thank you.
HON. SIMBANEGAVI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir and thank you Hon. Matangira. Of course, research has been going on and it is still going to continue as we look into other ways of ensuring that our electricity supply continues to grow. If Hon. Matangira recalls, recently our President was in Russia. When he came back, he indicated that when he was there, he managed to find some investors who are willing to come into our country. As a nation, we have some MOUs that we have with other nations such as South Korea and China, where we are looking into how we can harness the uranium that we have to ensure that these can also be used in electricity generation.
However, as we all know, the use of nuclear energy is highly regulated and these are the things that we cannot just use without proper consideration. We are also taking into notice that our people are not very highly trained in the use of uranium products and nuclear reactors. From the discussions that were held in Russia by His Excellency, there was indication that research into nuclear reactors that are small is being considered.
We are looking forward to having people that are willing to invest in our nation in terms of initiating nuclear power plants at a small scale initially, and then we continue to progress after we have mastered those kinds of requirements, and have our people also being trained before we develop these plants into huge factory plants.
Moreover, Hon. Matangira, you may also realise that our uranium reserves are not very high. As a nation, our major resource is the sun that we have throughout the year except during the winter season. Our most important asset in terms of electricity generation as a nation is the sun which we are now saying we need to improve in terms of the use of green energy in our factories and when given in domestic use. About thermal energy, our coal reserves in Hwange have been facing some issues in terms of how much coal we can access.
There has also been research about availability of coal in Masvingo Province and some areas which we are also looking into to see if that coal is of the quality that we can use as a nation to improve our electricity generation. Thank you.
HON. MAPFUMO: My supplementary question to the Minister is with regards to the power supply that she mentioned for the farmers. In Manicaland, the previous week we had 30% of power for winter cropping. The Government through the Ministry of Energy had previously assured farmers of Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS). It was even in ‘The Herald’ yesterday. My question is, what plans do they have in place to meet the assurance that they gave the winter farmers, considering that we do have a drought and we need to avert hunger and agriculture is the backbone of our economy; with the little they have and the challenges that they are facing – what plans do they have to meet the assurance that they gave to the farmers?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. SIMBANEGAVI): Before I respond to the Hon. Member, I would like the House to recognise the huge efforts that the Second Republic has done through our President Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa in terms of agriculture through the Ministry of Agriculture. In previous seasons, the wheat farming demand was at 120 megawatts. This season, the winter crops, especially in terms of wheat, have increased by huge margins which has now seen the demand of electricity rise from 120 to 260 megawatts. I understand that there are also other winter crops that are grown in this season. Now, the distribution of energy that used to happen to our farmers previously has now been affected by the demand for electricity due to the high number of farmers that we now have in this current season.
In terms of assurance, I would like to appeal to our nation on the sustainable use of energy because as an economy, we are trying to make sure that everybody manages to have access to electricity for them to be adequate enough to produce whatever needs to be produced. We want our people to use electricity sparingly even our farmers. If they manage to get the electricity, they should be able to use it wisely to ensure that it is adequate. Even in domestic setups, as the Ministry of Energy, we are requesting our people to use electricity sparingly so that as a nation we are also not put into a situation where the use of electricity becomes so unsustainable for Government to be able to deal with it. I can assure the Hon. Members that all measures will be put in place. If it means that we need to increase our imports levels, we will do that.
Actually, Zimbabwe is also a member of the SADC block. As Ministry of Energy, we are now looking into the interconnectedness of our nation to other members states to see that whenever they have extra energy, we can be able to get it from them and be able to also distribute to our people. This is done to ensure that our nation never goes national blackout or drastically reduced amount of energy. I thank you.
HON. MANGONDO: I confirm that last Sunday, I went to the Kariba Dam Wall. I was informed that we had lost 800 megawatts of generating capacity due to the low water levels. This means that due to climate change, we may not make much progress in terms of reliance on hydro-electric as a country. My question to the Hon. Minister is, we had a mega project the Gokwe-Sengwa Project which had the capacity to generate 2000 megawatts. These megawatts would certainly ameliorate the current power shortages. What has happened to that mega project which has so much potential to address some of the problems that we have in terms of power supply?
HON. SIMBANEGAVI: Hon. Speaker Sir, with your indulgence, since the Hon. Member has asked a specific question with regards to the Gokwe project, may I be allowed to go and look into the specifics of that project and respond at a later date.
THE HON. SPEAKER: That is a fair comment and Hon. Minister if you can come back next week and give us a short Ministerial Statement to update the House.
HON. SIMBANEGAVI: Noted Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. MUTIMBANYOKA: My question is directed to the Minister responsible for ICT. Unfortunately, she is not in the House. I am not so sure if the deputy is around. I am mainly worried about the network connectivity around this magnificent building. We seem to have a serious problem and I am not so sure if the Minister is fully enlightened at the challenges that we have but something ought to be done urgently. What is the Minister doing about the situation?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY, POSTAL AND COURIER SERVICES (HON. PHUTI): The question is on the concern of access to network around this building. Let me hasten to say that whilst something is being done by one mobile network operator to try and raise antennas to the level of accessibility; generally, where the base stations are to the west and where we are is lower. Naturally, it would be very difficult for network to be accessible. It is not a very highly technical issue but something is being done and I think we will be done in the next few weeks.
HON. MALINGANISO: My supplementary question is, what is the Ministry’s position in trying to avail network in remote areas? We have seen areas that have not been with connectivity since the dawn of ICT and people are lagging behind?
HON. PHUTI: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir, indeed this is a new question and very pertinent, and so I would like to thank the Member for asking the question. The issue of network coverage in the country is of high concern in the priorities of Government. His Excellency the President Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa launched in 2022, a programme called National Mobile Broadband Phase 3 which seeks and aims at capacitating the country with more than 250 base stations. The mobile network operator charged with that responsibility has so far rolled out a lot of such base stations.
I rise with confidence to say that every Member who is here is aware and can attest to reality of the fact that some base stations have been built in their constituencies. I can even do it off cuff by way of mentioning where this programme has been rolled out. Also coupled with that, the Postal and Telecommunication Regulation Authority of Zimbabwe has got an arm that looks at the universal access issue which is a fund called Universal Service Fund. This fund is for purposes of accessing areas that otherwise will be summed mobile network operators who look at the issue of commerce as opposed to the issue of access and need.
As such, USF is used to fund the construction of base stations in areas that are like that. To date, we have also embraced a policy called infrastructure sharing. It sees us doing what we call de-rigging from call located areas that is to do away with a base station that is in a place where there is another base station by another operator deployed elsewhere and then invite mobile network players to come and join together to put their active equipment for purposes of consumer satisfaction. With this project, just last term alone, POTRAZ has managed through USF, to deploy 12 of them. The pace is encouraging and with the mandate that the Ministry is charged with, we are happy to say we envisage access and total coverage in the next few years. We have also debated in this House on the issue of satellite operators and answers have been provided to this august House about a satellite network operator who has applied eventually who has been licensed and who is willing to deploy services. That is another area of bridging the digital divide that the Hon. Member has raised the question on.
∞HON. GWANGAVA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. My question is, I want to find out what is the Ministry doing in areas where we have some network tours that have been constructed but not yet connected?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Minister, did you get that?
^DEPUTY MINISTER OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY, POSTAL AND COURIER SERVICES (HON. PHUTI): Hon. Speaker, I want to thank the Hon. Member for his question. I think I have got it. On the distance between the two tours, the tour is supposed to go to a certain distance to assist those people. What we are now looking forward is that we can have some repeater stations like those we had for the PTC so that they can have that connection between the two towers. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: The question was basically to do with the signal of strength between two towers. When the strength is that weak, then there is no communication between the two, hence the Hon. Minister was saying they are planning to install repeaters. A repeater is simply a station that boosts a signal when it has gone to a weak level and then it boasts it so that it can be transmitted to the next tower.
HON. NGULUVHE: My question is directed to the Minister of Skills, Audit and Development, in his absence to the Leader of the House. My question is on the quarter systems used on selection of Presidential Scholarship. What policy does the Government have on allocation of quarter systems on Presidential scholarships?
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir, let me thank Hon. Nguluvhe for that very important question. Hon. Speaker Sir, first and foremost in terms of equity as alluded to by the Hon. Member, where there is no one and no place to be left behind as His Excellency explains. In terms of scholarships, there is the element of regional balance, gender balance that is also factored in. So, if the Hon. Member has got a particular query regarding that allocation, I am sure he will be in a better position to put it in writing. In terms of the policy, it caters for gender, it caters for regional balance. I thank you.
HON. NGULUVHE: Thank you, while I agree with the Hon. Minister that there is a policy, do they have any measures put in place in the various provinces to ensure that not everyone is left behind. Why am I saying so? I have been in this House for the past five years. I cannot even count more than five children from my district who have benefited from this Presidential scholarship. So, what measures have they put in place to ensure that each district is covered in each province?
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Hon. Speaker, I thank Hon. Nguluvhe for that very important follow up question. Like I indicated earlier on, since he has got a particular case relating to his constituency. I was giving the Government policy in terms of affording the scholarship to say there is no discrimination in that regard but however, since he has raised a very important question pertaining to his constituency, I am sure he is at liberty again to put it in writing then the Hon. Minister will take it up. I thank you.
*HON. MARASHE: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Good afternoon. How are you?
*HON. MARASHE: My question is directed to the Ministry of Youth Empowerment and Vocational Training. What measures has the Ministry taken to ensure that the money that is given to the youths in the form of Youth Development Fund helps those that would have been allocated those funds in developing themselves and also to ensure that the Government can have taxes after the youths come up with these companies? I thank you.
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING (HON. MUPAMHANGA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. The measures that we have taken are that the youth are free to use our bank that deals with the youth, that is, the Empower Bank. The youths are allowed to get a loan of USD500.00 without collateral security.
As a Ministry, we are urging the youth to come up in groups so that they can come up with bigger projects with more members. In terms of beneficiation for the Government, we have put in place measures through the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, through the Government Venture Capital Agency. The youth are encouraged to approach them with their projects and they will not be asked for collateral but Government takes up a percentage of their business. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order No. 68.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
OPERATIONS OF THE TONGOGARA REFUGEE CAMP
- HON BAJILA asked the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to apprise the House on operations of the Tongogara Refugee Camp including its holding capacity, current population and the nationalities of its occupants.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. DINHA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. The Tongogara refugee settlement has 870 hectares designated for refugee settlement. The settlement has got capacity to accommodate about 500 refugees and asylum seekers.
However, currently the settlement has population of plus or minus 15 000. The majority of refugees in the country are from the great lakes region, mainly from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, Rwanda and some are from East Africa. We also have more than 1500 Mozambican asylum seekers who fled Mozambique as a result of RENAMO incidences in 2016.
The settlement offers all facilities that are assessed by the host community and these include education, health and other livelihood options. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. BAJILA: Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the Hon. Minister for the response. The Hon. Minister said the centre has capacity for 500 refugees and if I heard her well, it currently has 15 000 refugees. If that was not a misread of what has been said, my supplementary question is, does Government have plans to prevent this overpopulation and congestion at the centre? If there are such plans, what are they? I thank you.
HON. DINHA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. As I said, the settlement has the capacity to accommodate 500 000 refugees. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Minister for that clarification.
POLICY REGARDING PENSIONERS WHO DID NOT CLAIM
THEIR PENSIONS
- HON. BAJILA asked the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to inform the House the Ministry’s policy regarding pensioners who did not claim their pension prior to the multi-currency system and are only claiming it during the current multicurrency regime.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. DINHA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. The Hon. Member is informed that our pension scheme is a final salary scheme. This means the final salary is the one used to compute pension benefits payable to members. This situation is a replica of what happened in 2009 when the economy was dollarised and regression method was used to process and pay benefits for affected pensioners.
Regression method means that pensionable emoluments as at 1st March, 2024 are regressed by 3% backwards for the purpose of determining pensionable emoluments as at date of termination of a member.
Currently, with effect from 1st March, 2024, all salaries are paid in United States Dollars, part being paid in United States Dollar currency and the other part paid in United States Dollar convertible to ZiG using exchange rate on the month of payment. The Public Service Commission approved the use of regression method stated above to pay all benefits prior to 1st March, 2024. Treasury concurrence is being sought to pay all outstanding benefits prior to 1st April, 2024. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
DATABASE AND CATEGORISATION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
- HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA asked the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to inform the House whether the Ministry has any database for persons with disabilities that categorises them in terms of their forms of disability.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. DINHA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. The Ministry has District Social Welfare offices all over Zimbabwe. Each district has names of all persons who have disabilities in the area, types of disabilities and their contacts. It then literally means that the Ministry has a database for all persons with disabilities in Zimbabwe.
It is important to know that the Ministry is currently in the process of coming up with a consolidated database which will be more accurate and reliable. The Ministry has also reached out to ZIMSTAT for support to roll-out a nationwide comprehensive survey on persons with disabilities. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
DATABASE AND CATEGORISATION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.
- HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA asked the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to inform the House whether the Ministry has any database for persons with disabilities that categorise them in terms of their forms of disability.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. DINHA): The Ministry’s district Social Welfare offices are all over Zimbabwe and each district has names of all person with disabilities in the areas, types of disabilities and their contacts. It then literally means that the Ministry has a database for all persons with disabilities in Zimbabwe.
It is important to note that the Ministry is currently in the process of coming up with a consolidated database that will be more accurate and reliable. The Ministry has also reached out to ZIMSTATS for support to roll out a nationwide comprehensive survey on persons with disabilities. I thank you.
HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Thank you very much Hon. Minister for your response but you did not give us timelines as to when these things are going to happen. The question already was asking about the statistics of how many of these people are blind, deaf et cetera. However, in your response Hon. Minister, you did not give us those details. So, my question has not been answered fully, although I appreciate what the Minister has told this House. We still need those statistics because we need to have questions about those statistics. I do not know whether the Minister will be able to bring us the statistics of how many are blind, deaf, or autistic in this country. Sometimes these people are stigmatised in society. The statistics are very important for us as Members of Parliament so that we can ask for whatever social services we need from various ministries concerning those people. If the person is disabled and cannot walk, we want to find out where the borehole is and if there is someone who has been seconded by the Government to assist this person to access water every day or if they are just left to the family. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order! Hon. Nyamupinga what you are asking from the Minister is not in your original question. I urge you to put it in writing and request the numbers from the Hon. Minister. With your indulgence Hon. Bimha and the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, may we stand over your question until we dispose of questions 14 and 15 to enable Hon. Minister Rwodzi to go and attend to her mother who is not feeling well.
PROMOTION OF TOURISM IN THE HIGHFIELD CONSTITUENCY
- HON. MAVHUDZI asked the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality to inform the House of the measures being taken by the Government to promote tourism in the Highfield Constituency.
THE MINISTER OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY (HON. RWODZI): Hon. Speaker Sir, as a way of strategy we have clustered our tourism to give every sector of tourism the attention it deserves. Highfield falls under township tourism. We have different clusters like sports tourism, business tourism, culture, and heritage tourism that speak to our food, dressing, music, and other things. So Highfield falls under township tourism.
We benchmarked tourism about three years ago with Soweto in South Africa which speaks to our heritage and our history as Zimbabwe. We have houses of the liberation struggle in Highfield that we are focusing on developing together with the Ministry of Home Affairs under Museums and monuments.
We are somewhere Hon. Member where we think by the end of this year, houses of people like Enos Nkala, Leopold Takawira and even R. G. Mugabe are going to be our monuments in Highfield. This will promote township tourism as many tourists will be coming from various places domestically in the country and internationally. Come and learn about our history while visiting Highfield and get to know about Zimbabwe whilst in Highfield. We want to build infrastructure that supports these homes like restaurants or to promote what is existing already. If we get in partnership with existing businesses, those who are willing for restaurants even for nightclubs and other activities can support these homes as museums and monuments.
So we can have interaction Hon. Speaker because it is on our books and we can share the information further until we achieve the goal. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Rwodzi, you may leave. Let us revert to question number six.
OPERATIONS OF ENTEMBENI OLD PEOPLE’S HOME IN LUVEVE
- HON. BAJILA asked the Minister of Public Service, Labor, and Social Welfare to apprise the House on the operations of Entembeni Old People's Home in Luveve particularly, its corporate governance and audit system including qualifications of the staff.
THE HON. DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR, AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. DINHA): The Hon. Member is advised that…
HON. BAJILA: In the interest of time, I was not in the House last week on Wednesday but I saw the Minister’s response in the Hansard. The first words that she has already read, read exactly as appeared on the Hansard of last week. I am sure that she is going to repeat that response.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What exactly are you saying? You are saying you got an answer already.
HON. BAJILA: Yes.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you. Minister, it is said you gave a response last week on this one so it means it was an omission on the part of those reporting.
APPROVAL FOR RATIFICATION OF THE SADC PROTOCOL ON RIGHTS OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH DISABILTIES
- HON. MABVUDZI asked the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to inform the House the Government position regarding the ratification of the SADC Protocol on Rights of People Living with Disabilities.
THE DEPUTY MINISER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. DINHA): The Hon. Member is advised that there is no such protocol. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. MABVUDZI: Supplementary question Mr. Speaker Sir. Mr. Speaker Sir, there is actually a protocol that speaks to the rights of people living with disabilities. Probably I would advise the Minister to go and research on that and then come back to the House with the answer. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, can you use another word instead of research?
HON. MABVUDZI: Hon. Speaker, what is wrong with the word research? It is very parliamentary.
*HON. NYABANI: On a point of order. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. We are kindly asking for the Hon. Member not to continue asking questions to the Speaker of Parliament and abide by the laws. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Use another word.
HON. MABVUDZI: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I would urge the Minister to look into the protocol.
RELOCATION OF MATEBELELAND NORTH PROVINCIAL OFFICES TO THE WELSHMAN MABHENA COMPLEX IN LUPANE
- HON. NDEBELE asked the Minister of Local Government and Public Works to inform the House on;
(a) Why Matabeleland North Provincial Offices are still housed at Mhlahlandlela Government Complex in Bulawayo when there have been reports that there is the Welshman Mabhena Government Complex in Lupane, the provincial capital for Matabeleland North which was completed in 2018.
(b) To further inform when these offices will relocate to Lupane Matabeleland North.
THE MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLLIC WORKS (HON. GARWE): Mr. Speaker Sir, the completion of the Welshman Mabhena Government Complex in Lupane has been a moving target since August 2012 to date. The 2024 projected completion date and a subsequent commission was set for 30 June 2024. However due to competing financial commitments, all the planned completion targets have been missed including the 2018 one.
It is clear that with the three weeks to go before 30 June target, 2024 – Mr. Speaker Sir, these answers were prepared three weeks ago – will have to be shifted to a later date which if financial support is not received, it might spill into the year 2025. The remaining works are as follows however;
Perimeter fencing, landscaping and construction of the main gate. Outstanding payments as well as outstanding works require US$957510.
Mr. Speaker Sir, relocation can only be done when the building has only been 100% completed. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
MEASURES TO STOP DEMOLITIONS IN KINGSDALE, NORTON
- HON. TSVANGIRAI asked the Minister of Local Government and Public Works to appraise the House on why there are demolitions in Kingsdale in Norton and to elaborate on measures that have been put in place to stop them.
THE MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. GARWE): Mr. Speaker Sir, Kingsdale is a private development which is being overseen by the developer Mupane Properties. There are litigation properties between the developer and the beneficiaries, therefore the Ministry cannot intervene when there are cases before the courts. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
UPDATE ON THE HANDING OVER OF KNOWE PHASES 1 AND 2 TO NORTON TOWN COUNCIL AND MEASURES TO REHABILITATE OLIVER MTUKUDZI ROAD
- HON. TSVANGIRAI asked the Minister of Local Government and Public Works to inform the House on;
(a) Whether Knowe phase 1 and 2 were handed over to Norton Town Council.
(b) The measures that have been put in place to rehabilitate Oliver Mtukudzi Drive.
THE MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. GARWE): Mr. Speaker Sir, Norton Town Council assessed that Knowe Phase 1 and 2 were not given compliance certificates by council due to incomplete works still pending. Therefore, Knowe Phase 1 and 2 are still in the hands of the developers and Pfugari Properties until works have been completed and a compliance certificate has been issued. Than you Mr. Speaker.
Currently Oliver Mtukudzi road is still under the responsibility of the developer Pfugari Properties. Hence, neither Government nor Council can attend to the road. Thank you Mr. Speaker.
HON. TSVANGIRAI: Supplementary question Mr. Speaker Sir. Hon. Speaker, as we speak right now, we have residents in Knowe Phase 1 and Phase 2 who have title deeds. I do not know what comes first between title deeds and a certificate of compliance. Maybe the Minister may tell this House what comes first because as we speak right now, we have residents who have title deeds. Thank you.
HON. GARWE: Mr. Speaker Sir, put simply, a certificate of compliance is issued prior to processing of title deeds. However, if there are any residents who have got title deeds, it would be prudent that the Hon. Member writes to us again giving us details of those so that we can interrogate further. Thank you.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE KINGSDALE AND MASHLANDS NEIGHBOURHOODS IN NORTON
- HON. TSVANGIRAI asked the Minister of Local Government and Public Works to inform the House on the Ministry’s plans regarding the development of the Kingsdale and Mashlands neighbourhoods located in Norton.
THE MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. GARWE): Mr. Speaker, Mashlands is a private development and their development permit was approved by council in May 2024. Kingsdale has its own challenges which are coming before the courts, issues which council cannot comment on. However, the conditions in the development permit ensures protection of the beneficiaries through the provisions of the necessary services. The Ministry can only ensure that Norton Town Council enforces the conditions in the development permit with regards to infrastructure provision. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
STRATEGIES TO SOLVE WATER SHORTAGES IN BULAWAYO
- HON. MGUNI asked the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement to explain the mandate of the technical team delegated to oversee the water crisis in Bulawayo is, and to outline the strategies formulated to resolve water shortages in Bulawayo and the timelines when they will be implemented.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. HARITATOS): Thank you for the question from Hon. Mguni which is regarding the technical team to deal with the water crisis. The question is in two parts, and I will begin to answer the first part. The establishment of the Bulawayo Technical Committee on water supply and sanitation is premised on specific terms of reference circumscribing its operations.
The Committee’s terms of reference include rehabilitating Umzingwane Dam Booster Pump Station including transformer upgrade to increase delivery of water from the current 135 mega litres per day to 175 mega litres per day.
- Secondly, to upgrade the 2.8 km, 110 millimetre PVC pipeline, Cowdry Park water main line to 315 millimetre PVC pipeline so that all 25 000 households in Cowdry Park have water and at the right pressure.
- Thirdly, ensure the sustainable operation of the Nyamandlovu Aquifer Water supply system to consistently supply 16 mega litres per day.
- Ensure improved portable water supply coverage in the city from the current target 125 mega litres per day to a minimum 175 mega litres per day,
- Improve sanitation in the areas of sewer leakages, an increased treatment of waste water generated in the city to above 50 mega litres per day,
- Ensure consistent and adequate supply of water treatment chemicals,
- Recommend institutional strengthening required to improving water and sanitation services delivery, and
- Produce a short-medium and long-term plan for sustainable improvement of water and sanitation services in the City of Bulawayo.
The second part of that question is asking to outline strategies formulated to solve the water shortages in Bulawayo. The Bulawayo Technical Committee on water supply and sanitation has developed a number of strategies to solve the water crisis in the City of Bulawayo. The key strategies are tabulated below:
Name of Project |
Timeframe |
Mtshabezi In-line Boosters |
March 2024 to September 2024 |
Refurbishment of Insiza pipeline |
March 2024 to September, 2024 |
Ncema treatment works filters rehabilitation |
March 2024 to September, 2024 |
Criterion by-pass |
March 2024 to September, 2024 |
Water Quality Monitoring Equipment |
March 2024 to June 2024 |
Cowdry Park Water mainline upgrade |
September 2024 to February 2025 |
Sulzer clear water pumps rehabilitation at Ncema and Fernhill pump station |
March 2025 to September 2025 |
Gwayi Shangani Dam |
December 2026 |
Cowdry Park Water Workshop Depot Construction |
December 2024 |
Water mains renewal |
December 2024 |
Tuli Criterion link and Upgrade of Tuli reservoir |
December 2026 |
Furthermore, my Ministry has accelerated the borehole drilling programme in the City of Bulawayo to mitigate the water shortages that are being experienced. In addition to Nyamandlovu aquifer boreholes, other boreholes are being drilled to alleviate current water shortages within the city.
- 64 boreholes out of targeted 83 have been sited.
- 44 out of the sited 64 have been drilled (22 wet, 21 dry and 1 collapsed).
- 18 out of 22 wet boreholes equipped.
- 3 sites equipped with bush pumps.
- 15 sites to be equipped with solar systems (materials in place).
- Priority being given to medical institutions, Mpilo, Ingutsheni, UBH.
HON. L. NCUBE: Good afternoon Mr. Speaker Sir. Owing to the comprehensive report that we are getting from the Hon. Minister, I hereby submit that listening to his speech is all long term much up to September but water is life and it is a right to everyone. Why not exploit the aquifer in Matopo to save the crisis in Bulawayo?
HON. HARITATOS: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. Hon. Member, yes, I understand your concern but I can assure you that our Ministry is taking this probably number one if not number two importance. Water is indeed life and it is enshrined in the Constitution and we respect that. I do promise you and I give you my word that it is of utmost importance to us. With regards to the aquifer that you mentioned, I am not too sure of the capacity and capability of it but it is very possible that it could work but it needs us to also explore and do a proper diligence.
We would not want to also throw the tax payers’ money around and also have what you have said and you were saying ‘a bit long term.’ I understand that most of these issues are short term and this is why we actually put this technical committee together so that we can identify. I hope that you understand Mr. Speaker that because of the importance of this water issue, we do not want to come up with solutions that are very short term and do not yield anything.
We are looking at viability and sustainability because we are tired even ourselves of this and we are hearing of water shortages for Bulawayo. So, I know and understand Hon. Member that you are a little bit frustrated but from our side, we want everlasting solutions for the City of Bulawayo. Thank you.
HON. C. MOYO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is, have you been there Hon. Minister physically to ascertain if there is any progress from the technical team? If you have been there, when because there is a dull situation in Bulawayo? Thank you.
HON. HARITATOS: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. To the Hon. Member, thank you very much. Unfortunately, our offices do not allow us to sit in these offices, you can see that even now I am fidgeting because I am not used to wearing a suit. We are in the field daily and I cannot even tell you how many times I have been there, Gwayi, Shangani Dam even before it was within my portfolio. I was visiting yearly because I have a keen interest to ensure that the City of Bulawayo residents have an everlasting solution.
We are on the ground and this is part and parcel of why we use the technical team because as you know, our Ministry is quite big, so our time is only 24 hours in a day that we have. So, we need experts in different fields to advise us and from time to time we go. You will recall that there is three of us, the two Deputy Ministers and a Minister. Among the three of us, we do share time a lot and unfortunately sometimes on Wednesdays we are in the field and it looks like we do not want to come to Parliament.
The point is that there is so much to do and there is not enough time. Even at weekends, we travel around and you will see even on TV, you will see the Minister on Sunday somewhere and you will see us during the week somewhere but I just want you to be reassured that it is of utmost importance to us. Thank you.
*HON. NYABANI: I would like to thank the Minister for the good job that he is doing, considering the fact that we used to have water crisis and boreholes are being sunk. I would like to highlight to the Minister that you are sinking very nice boreholes in urban areas and making it tapped water. My question concerns those boreholes that are being sunk at the growth points. You are simply drilling boreholes without taps at growth points.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MACHINGURA): Hon. Nyabani, I do not accept that question. It is not in relation to the question that was asked to the Bulawayo one. I thank you.
HON. J. TSHUMA: My supplementary question is a follow up on the issue of water crisis in Bulawayo. I want to find out from the Hon. Deputy Minister - you have done a good thing by coming up with a technical team that is working on those issues. I am reliably informed that the City Council of Bulawayo wants to prioritise building a new dam instead of looking at a the Mtshabezi Dam pipeline being constructed which is going to be short term solution to bring water immediately. What is your Ministry doing in guiding your local authority from diverting money to building a new dam instead of bringing a pipeline from Mtshabezi to Bulawayo that will bring solutions of water immediately?
HON. HARITATOS: I will try and answer that in two parts. We unfortunately do not oversee City of Bulawayo. This is an issue of Local Government. I have no authority to tell the City, the Mayor or whoever that is decided to take hard earned tax payer’s money and rate payer’s money to a project that may not be visible or demean immediate use to the people of the City of Bulawayo. What I can tell you is that we have a lot of potential in terms of our water resources. Yes, we want to build more strategic dams but right now we have 10 000 dams. We really need to utilise those dams. Even when we preach of irrigation development, we are talking of utilising the water bodies that are there. What we have done as a Ministry is, we are implementing strategies that will alleviate water shortages in the medium to long term.
Yes, of course there are a few things that we are doing and we have done including the drilling of boreholes to supplement for example the Nyamandlovu Aquifer. These are short-term plans but have immediate returns. So I cannot answer on behalf of the city of Bulawayo why they believe that they need to spend this money on a new dam, but certainly with resources being limited, I would definitely have tried to supplement what we are doing as Ministry to put the resources to solving the immediate problem. A dam is a very long-term solution and like I said, I cannot answer on behalf of the City. Thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Minister, you said there is a crisis in Bulawayo. Is that so? Now, the information that Hon. Tshuma has given us in this House does it not permit you to co-ordinate your efforts and the efforts of the Council to solve the problem for the people of Bulawayo that do not have water.
HON. HARITATOS: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I can assure you that the City of Bulawayo are part of the technical team, that is why I am a little bit surprised to hear that in this august House because everyone is part of it. It is not only the Ministry of Lands. We have the Ministry of Local Government and that is part of it. We have the City, that is also part of it. Councillors are there and we also have the Technical Committee Structure. You know that the solution is for us all to work together regardless of gender, race, religious affiliation or even political affiliation. So this one we are trying to do. It is not a political thing. The people of City of Bulawayo deserve this Hon. Speaker Sir. We must do and co-ordinate and we feel that we are coordinating well. It is unfortunate to hear this but nonetheless, we do not mind engaging. There is no a secret. We can engage the City of Bulawayo to understand what exactly their ideas are and we can consult further. Thank you.
HON. MGUNI: I would like to thank the Minister for this comprehensive response to my question. What I would like to know from the Minister is, is this project well-funded considering the urgency of the matter?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Minister, although I have a feeling that you answered that question before but I can just indulge you.
HON. HARITATOS: It is a fundamental question because everything needs financing and I think I owe you Hon. Member. Yes, it is funded but as you know very well from being a Member of Parliament yourself, a lot of what we do might be planned and this week we want to do this but if the funding does not come that particular week and is delayed, it delays certain things. That is why we have gone a little bit; we have stretched few of the dates. Our expectation is that we will deliver before but we also do not want to get your hopes up and the people of Zimbabwe’s hopes up when we are not in control of the releases. The releases are from the different ministries. It comes from the Ministry of Finance but projects like Gwayi-Shangani for example the dam, it is 80% complete.
We are looking forward to the other 20% from our budgets. It is budgeted for. It is not a new project to say that it is not on our books. The pipeline is also budgeted for. When the money is released, then we go ahead. I just use it as an example. You know everything that we do relies on Finance. Yes, it is in our budgets and these are not new things. We have had good support Hon. Speaker Sir. We have had from Ministry of Finance in the past some releases that have helped us in the purification. Of course, our mandate is not to purify the water but because we are team effort, we are working closely with the Ministry of Local Government, Town Councils and sometimes City Councils. For example, the City of Bulawayo or Harare we have had releases of the tune over about USD$13 million. Part of that money was not for us it was supposed to actually just to go direct to go and buy the chemicals that are required for the purification.
This is a very holistic approach that we are taking and we are using all facets of society where all Government departments were coming together but it is a pertinent issue Hon. Speaker Sir. I cannot fault the Hon. Member but what I can guarantee is that whatever funding is coming specific for these programmes, it is going to those programmes because there are urgent and we want to solve these problems.
CONSTRUCTION OF A DAM ALONG SAVE RIVER IN
CHIPINGE SOUTH
- HON. C. HLATYWAYO asked the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development to inform the House what plans the Ministry is putting in place to construct a dam along Save River in Chipinge South given that the area is dry and considered region 4-5 with high temperatures but good soils.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. HARITATOS): Along Save River there are plans to construct a bigger dam twice the size of Tokwe-Mukosi Dam called Kondo-Chitohwe Dam which is set to benefit Zimbabwe and Mozambique in the short run and South Africa in the long run. It was not targeted for intervention this year but we are working towards finding a private partner to fund the project and once we do that, we will commence with the construction. The dam will impound close to 3.6 billion cubic meters of water and could irrigate approximately 60 000 hectares. I thank you.
HON. C. HLATYWAYO: Thank you. I just want to know if consultations were done with the residents of the areas where we have said you have got plans to build that big dam. Are they aware of this project and what are the plans obviously to relocate the affected residents?
HON. HARITATOS: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir, how we work in Ministry is that we come up with all sorts of interventions, but we do not go and do anything tangible until we can operate within what is required. We are engaging investors and if an investor might have different requirements, we also have certain requirements so this can only be done once two parties come together and we agree the height, length, uses of the dam and that will now impact obviously because the higher the dam stretches, the water will stretch back. So it is only once we kind of do, let us say, a draft master plan that we can actually identify what areas will be affected. So I can tell you that there is a lot of preliminary work, but we really need this to be solid and then we engage the community because the community must also be part of what we do. They are the biggest beneficiaries and sadly some people will also have to be moved, so this is that natural. We have to be sensitive to everyone. We also have to be sensitive to our traditional leadership on the ground. These are all the players even yourself Hon. Member, you will be part and parcel of that initiative. You have to be, you are leading the people who chose you to represent them. So you also have to be part of that as well as Local Government, the Ministry of Environment and many other ministries. This is all of Government approach, but I think it is still too early for us to say yes, we need to identify the right partner where we have maximum benefit for the area, and the country at large. Thank you.
*HON. ZIKI: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir, my question is on the dam’s construction. I would like to applaud on the programme of construction of dams but my question, is there any programme whereby we have to scoop the sand from the dams which were affected by siltation? Do we have any programme whereby we need those dams to be scooped of the sand?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Ziki, that is a new question, anyway let me ask the Minister to attend to it.
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. HARITATOS): Yes, we are building new dams like Semwa, Gwai Shangai, Bindura, Thuli, Manyange, Mbada, Dande, Ziminya and Vhungu. We have a lot of dams which are in the process of being built. With regards to siltation which was said by the Hon. Member, we are working together with other organisations whereby we are working in cooperation. On those dams, they are not only dams, others are called wears. If we say a water body is either eight meters below, it is not in our Ministry as such, but the oversight is to us as well. It is under the ZIDA, but those within the ZINWA are the people who are responsible for those dams which are eight meters and above. So, now I think Hon. Member, if you have specific dams that you have in your constituency, you can simply identify them so that we can work with RIDA and we do assessments and know what is it that need to be done, how they want us to do it. I cannot over-emphasise that us as Parliamentarians, our duty is to go and sensitise people on how to safekeep those dams. Some of the things are being done by people who have limited information or sometimes they do not know the importance of those dams; others are simply sending their cattle to damage that infrastructure. So, I think all those things, we need team effort so that we say yes, we have our Ministry. We a Members of Parliament may have to work together and work together with ZINWA and RIDA so that we can safe keep our dams, for example other people do leave trees growing within the infrastructure, thereby damaging the dam walls. So, I think going forward, we can work together in all the programmes and we initiate RIDA. We would love to say in future we have some budget that works hand in glove with the system needed. I thank you.
EXCLUSION OF SESAME SEEDS (UNINGA) FROM THE
PRODUCER PRICE LIST
- HON. C. HLATYWAYO asked the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development to explain to the House why Sesame seeds (Uninga) have been excluded from the producer price lists when it is among the biggest cash crops for Chipinge South and other Lowveld area.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. HARITATOS): Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir, Government often play a role in regulating an agricultural market, including setting minimum support prices or determining producer prices for national strategic crops, predominately cereals which have a direct bearing on food security. Currently, Cabinet standardised the approved producer prices covering food commodities which include the following, maize, wheat, soya beans, traditional grains, sunflower and outside of that cotton. In crafting the 2023, 2024 producer prices, least priority was given to strategic commodities given the importance to human and life consumption in ensuring food, feed fibre and oil security. Thank you.
HON. CHIDUWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I wanted to find out from the Hon. Minister, why we continue to set producer prices when we have got ZIMEX where we think the producer prices or any such prices are supposed to be determined in the market operation of market forces?
HON. HARITATOS: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. I smile before you because the colleague on my left who just asked the question, in his previous life in the previous Parliament, was in a position where we had this discussion and we used to fight. I am very happy that he has brought it up again, but this is how we build our country. We bring in different views and we come up with the best solution so that we can do what is best for our people.
What is important from our side is that when we announce prices, we announce like a guiding price. It is not a price that is dictated in any law that provides for some form of prices as ceiling in anyway or form. We are not about setting price controls or anything to that effect. What we do essentially, we announce a price for whatever is contracted to Government. So when we talk of Presidential Input Programme (PIP) or when we talk of National Agricultural Programme, these are programmes that are related to Government and of course there is ARDA, Joint ventures this is also contracted to Government.
These are the prices essentially that the Grain Marketing Board will buy from those kinds of programmes and for the private sector, it is up to them to determine whatever prices fits them in terms of supply and demand and equilibrium. For us we feel it is right to announce pre-planting prices as well as producer prices so that at least our farmers understand before they even go into that crop. Is that crop going to be viable for me according to what the Government has calculated? During that calculation, we call in all players of the sector, we bring in the farmers, input suppliers, and ourselves. Even the contractors themselves are involved. It is an inclusive kind of approach that we do at the beginning of the season, then we do it again towards the end of the season. That is why you hear often that the GMB will announce a price. Because we are buyers of grain, we need to announce our prices and the hopes are consumers and the public takes that as a guiding price so that our farmers can get a similar price. I am not saying the exact, but at least a similar so that our farmers can also be viable. What we do not want is to have a situation where our farmers are taken advantage of because farming as a business needs to be profitable for one to go back to the farm. So this is why we continue with this although in a little bit of different kind of format, we believe what we are doing is just complementing and not suppressing any form of market forces. Thank you.
WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
DISBURSEMENT OF BEAM FUNDS IN HIGHFIELD,
BUDIRIRO, GLEN NORAH AND GLEN VIEW
- HON. CHIDZIVA asked the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to inform the House on:-
a) When the Ministry plans to disburse money dedicated for the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) to schools in Highfield, Budiriro, Glen Norah and Glen View?
b) To explain the selection criteria applied for beneficiaries of BEAM; when the Ministry plans to review this selection criteria and what plans have been put in place to ensure that the intended beneficiaries benefit from the scheme.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. DINHA): I wish to inform the House that Government prioritises education assistance to children in difficult circumstances and is committed to settle all school fees arrears under BEAM. Further, the Ministry acknowledges school fees arrears owed to mainstream primary and secondary schools across the country. The arrears for primary schools amount to ZIG 380 480 247 (USD28 369 146) while secondary schools are owed ZIG 379 174 554 (USD28 350 101) giving a sum total of ZIG 760 605 102 (USD56 719 247).
In light of the foregoing, the Ministry engaged Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to clear the aforementioned arrears. ZWL50 000 000 000 was therefore allocated for the first quarter of 2024 while actual release was ZWL31 000 000 000. This disbursement was against a budget of ZWL 805 087 608 000 leaving a balance of ZWL774 087 608 000. The disbursed amount settled 2022 arrears for both primary and secondary schools in the country including schools in Highfield, Budiriro, Glen Norah and Glen View constituencies. The Ministry is continuously following up with the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion on outstanding school fees arrears as it awaits further release of funds by Treasury to settle the same. As funding improves, my Ministry will ensure that timely, religious and predictable payments are made to schools in accordance with the BEAM cycle.
- b) The Hon. Member is informed that selection of BEAM beneficiaries is done using a community-based targeting approach at community level through Community Selection Committees (CSCs). Each primary school community has a CSC which has a term of office of two years, that is preside over two BEAM cycles.
The CSC shall have 12 members made up as follows: six elected community representatives (three men and three women) with a good knowledge of all households, no record of abusing children and with a sound appreciation of children’s rights issues. The selected members shall be evenly distributed across the school catchment area; two children (one boy and one girl) from the child led Child Protection Committee and; four ex-officio members made up of two School Development Committee (SDC) members one each from the primary school and the local secondary school, the primary school head and the primary school guidance and counselling teacher.
The Committee receives nominations of children to benefit from BEAM from members of the community. Nomination of potential beneficiaries is done by anyone in the community, including children themselves to ensure all deserving children are not excluded during selection processes.
The BEAM programme targets vulnerable school going children from Early Childhood Learning (ECL) classes, primary, secondary and special needs schools identified by their CSCs as vulnerable and deserving assistance. BEAM selection and targeting criteria is as follows:
- Children in child headed households;
- Children in labour constrained households;
iii. Orphaned children;
- Children who are out of school due to financial constraints;
- Children living and working on the streets and
- Children left behind under the care of an incapacitated guardian.
Currently, the Ministry is in the process of reviewing the BEAM Operational Manual through stakeholder consultative processes to ensure the programme remains relevant and effective. The policy review will also include strategies to enhance the targeting modality, transparency and effectiveness among other key parameters.
To ensure adherence to policy guidelines, monitoring visits are conduced by Joint Monitoring Teams (JMTs) from the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and the Ministry of Local Governance and Public Works at national to community level. The monitoring process follows the BEAM cycle which comprises of the pre-selection, selection and post selection stages. JMTs can conduct focus group discussions, surveys site visits, perusal of records and other appropriate methods to ascertain proper constitution of CSCs, client satisfaction with beneficiary selection, including grievances regarding selection of children (inclusion/exclusion errors) that is the extent to which selected children are deserving by local participatory poverty or wealth ranking standards for beneficiary and non-beneficiary households within the selected communities.
Additionally, a grievance handling mechanism is in place to ensure that those aggrieved with the processes can air out their views and heard. This is done through Grievance Handling Committees (GHC) which are constituted in each community to handle complaints by parents/guardians and stakeholders aggrieved on any aspect of BEAM delivery. The GHC consists of the Ward Councilor (Chair), one Village Head, a Religious Leader of repute, two children’s representatives (other than the ones in the CSC) and a Community Child Care Worker providing secretariat services to the Committee. The Village Head and the Religious Leader shall be selected by the community and the tenure of the Committee shall be conterminous with that of the CSC (2 years). The GHC also sits as a help desk when the community meets to validate the priotised BEAM list and when the community reconvenes to validate the final BEAM beneficiary lists. Furthermore, grievances can be forwarded to the Social Development Offices at District, Provincial and National level.
ASSISTANCE TO CHILDREN OF VICTIMS OF DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN HIGHFIELD, BUDIRIRO, GLEN NORAH AND GLENVIEW
- HON CHIDZIVA asked the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to inform the House the plans being put in place to assist children of victims of drug and substance abuse living in Highfield, Budiriro, Glen Norah and Glen View.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. DINHA): Children of Victims of drug and substance abuse are negatively affected by parental incapacitation which compromises their care environment. As such, they are at risk of dropping out of school, subjected all forms of violence an deprivations including ill treatment and neglect in the face of parental incapacitation due to abuse of drugs. As such, my ministry is mandated to provide care and protection to all children including those whose parents are abusing drugs.
Additionally, in instances where the child’s family is incapacitated and failing to provide appropriate care to a child, alternative care options can be explored which include extended family, supported community care, foster care and institutional care, which is a measure of last resort. The ministry’s position is to promote family-based care for all children and support families through positive parenting sessions to inculcate responsive and nurturing caregiving.
I wish to inform this august House that we also have Community Cadres know as Community Child Care Workers (CCWs) who were trained on early identification and referral of children in need of care for specialist child protection services. Upon receiving cases of such children, my Ministry through the Drug and Substance Abuse Unit (Community Reintegration Pillar) and the Child Protection Section provide them with Psycho-Social Support services and counselling services to survivors.
Online counselling services are also provided using the Ministry’s toll-free number (0714 647 002). These psycho-social support services help build survivor’s coping skills and restore human worth and dignity. The services are available to the survivor, family members the community and service providers at large.
The ministry is also in the process of establishing Outpatient Psycho-Social Support Centers. Currently, our pilot projects are in Harare at Makombe Building and Bulawayo Fort Street Social Development Offices. The centers are free for everyone especially children who are at risk and exposed to Drug and Substance Abuse. To build resilience of survivors the ministry links them to Social Protection Services for example vocational training for youths and adults, educational assistance, food assistance, social cash transfers etc. In addition, the Ministry also provides health assistance to indigent survivors facing challenges in meeting medical costs.
There are interventions to prevent relapse by survivors pose rehabilitation which includes follow up visits and supervision, formation of support groups, creation and strengthening of income generating projects and Internal Savings And Lending (ISAL) schemes , strengthening parenting initiatives to encourage social networking through peer to peer support.
Other interventions include the following;
- Coordinating drug and substance abuse activities at district, province and national level. Child protection and safeguarding - statutory mandate.
- Conduct Spot Check visits to Public places of entertainment policing.
- Information Dissemination through awareness campaigns.
- Assisting the courts through the provision of Child Protection Officer’s reports in response to child protection issues.
- Providing Psycho-Social Support to the survivors and families.
- Provision of places of safety for child survivors in need of care.
- Provision of social protection services to improve individual and household resilience.
- My ministry is also secretariat to the Child Protection Committee from National to Sub-National levels. These committees oversee the protection of all children in the country. Children also actively participate in these committees.
INCORPORATION OF CONCESSION AREAS INTO THE HWANGE LOCAL BOARD
- HON. MOLOKELE asked the Minister of Local Government and Public Works to update the House on the progress made by the Special Committee appointed the enquire into the process of incorporation of Concession areas into the Hwange Local Board.
THE MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. GARWE): Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to thank the Hon. Member for asking the above question and I wish to advise that no such special Committee was appointed to specifically enquire into the process of incorporation of Concession areas into the Hwange Local Board.
PLANS TO COMPENSATE PEOPLE FROM LUBIMBI COMMUNITY AFTER RELOCATION
- HON. C. SIBANDA asked the Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Water, Fisheries and Rural Resettlement to inform the House the plans that the Ministry has put in place to compensate people from Lubimbi Community who will be relocated soon after the completion of the Gwayi/Shangani Dam Project.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, LANDS, WATER, FISHERIES AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. HARITATOS): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
- The Construction of Gwayi/Shangani Dam will result in the displacement of A2 farmers, A1 farmers and 387 homesteads in Lubimbi communal area under Binga district.
- These communities will be affected either by the dam construction or proposed irrigation blocks thereafter.
- A total of 3067 hectares will be required for relocation of the 387 Lubimbi farmers (Nakanono).
- The affected farmers from Lubimbi area choose Nakanono site as their area of preference asserting that the place was originally occupied by their ancestors who were forcibly evicted and relocated to Lubimbi area by the colonial Government in the 1950s.
- Subsequent to the evictions, was the creation of large-scale commercial farms comprising nine blocks, named Karna Block (Nakanono area).
- The affected Lubimbi farmers will be relocated to the Nakanono area which covers R/E of Karna Block.
- Immergroen Estate has also been identified as potential land for the relocation of the Lubimbi community.
The following models have been put in place for the relocation:
- OPTION 1 (A1 Villagised model)
- R/E of Karna block (Nakanono area) measuring 3067 hectares will accommodate 57 households under A1 model with each household obtaining 53.5 hectares broken down as follows; 3 hectares – arable land, 0.5 hectares for homestead and 50 hectares for common grazing.
- This will leave 330 households without land.
- OPTION 2 (V30 Accelerator Model)
- This model accommodates all the 387 affected households at R/E of Karna Block (Nakanono).
- The total areas to be considered for resettlement in this model is 3067 hectares.
- Each household will be allocated 1 hectare (Residential and Cropping).
- The remaining 268 hectares will be set aside for communal grazing.
- Villages will be incorporated into clusters on planned irrigation blocks offered.
- OPTION 3 (Peri-urban plots)
- The model will accommodate all the 387 Lubimbi households at R/E of Karna Block (Nakanono).
- Each household will be allocated an 8-hectare self-contained unit which is synonymous to a peri urban set up.
- Under the model, farmers can embark on small stock livestock production among other options that could be availed to them.
- There will be no communal grazing land.
- The source of livelihood of the Lubimbi community can be complimented from grouped irrigation schemes within the blocks.
- OPTION 4 (Self-contained plots)
- Adjacent to Nakanono area is Immergroen farm where a potato investor was offered 5 000 hectares but the project has not yet started.
- Provincial recommendations under this model are the issue of maximum farm size to be taken into consideration. This then implies that the investor will be allocated 1 500 hectares and unlock 3 500 hectares.
- The 3 500 hectares from Immergroen if added to the 3067 hectares from R/E of Karna block, will result in a total of 6 567 hectares that will be available for relocation of the Lubimbi community.
- Each household would then have access to 17 hectares self-contained unit plot.
- Each household would then have access to 17 hectares self -contained unit plot.
- This model will enable each household to embark on small stock livestock production with an option of intensive fodder production and cattle pen feeding projects.
Compensation of infrastructure
- Valuers from both the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works and Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement conducted valuation of improvements for the affected Lubimbi community.
- The valuation was to determine monetary value of immovable property.
- Affected households will be compensated both in cash and kind (construction of houses).
- Land will be cleared for the elderly and the needy.
- Social Welfare will assist with food provisions during the relocation period.
- There are two proposed housing models by National Housing:
Model 1 – Three bedrooms and kitchen.
Model 2 – Two bedrooms, dining and kitchen.
- Polygamous families requested that the cost of constructing either any of the above two housing models be used to construct a cluster of one roomed huts for each wife and a bedroom.
Summary
- All beneficiaries to be affected by the development of the dam irrigation schemes, irrespective of their models, need to be incorporated into some planned irrigation schemes and other various basket projects that will be availed to them, depending on the severity of their displacements.
- Above all, it should be ensured that the Lubimbi people are under homogenous chieftainship to preserve their common cultural norms and values as a group within their ancestral land.
DISTRIBUTION OF PESTICIDES AND PREVENTION
STRATEGIES OF THE ARMY WORM OUTBREAK IN
HURUNGWE
- HON. KANGAUSARU asked the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement to explain to the House the following in light of the reports of widespread armyworm outbreak in Hurungwe:
- What the Ministry’s plans are to distribute pesticides and
other control measures as well as financial assistance to farmers who have suffered crop losses in Hurungwe?
- What long term strategies are there to prevent and manage
any future outbreaks of armyworm and the other crop pests in Hurungwe?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. HARITATOS): Hon. Member, there are two types of army worms that my Ministry is dealing with, which are African armyworm and fall armyworm. Both pests attack maize, sorghum and millet with African armyworm extending damage to pastures. During the 2023/24 summer cropping season, African armyworm total outbreaks recorded were 25 from five provinces (Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central, Midlands and Masvingo) in a total of 11 districts.
On a yearly basis, my Ministry uses an early warning system for the purposes of predicting the likelihood of an occurrence of an outbreak. In the past season, Government provided chemicals (Carbaryl 85WP) to all affected farmers for the control of the African armyworm. It is worth noting that the African armyworm can also be killed by chemicals that control caterpillars/lepidopterans that can be accessed from distributors across the nation and farmers can make use of these chemicals as an alternative.
In respect of fall armyworm, since its first outbreak in 2016, the pest has been causing damage throughout the year. The Ministry has provided pests trainings and advisory services to both extension staff and farmers on pest identification, scouting and control. In cases of serious fall armyworm infestations, my Ministry has been providing chemicals to the most vulnerable farmers through the Pfumvudza input package. As a Ministry, we also have extension officers that do scouting and give updates for quick response and control.
Furthermore, the Ministry is utilising pest command centres and media platforms to alert the farmers of the pests. My Ministry in partnership with other stakeholders, have been promoting other fall armyworm management strategies that include but not limited to push-pull strategies, early planting use of plant extracts, for example, Nimee, use of ash and farmers are encouraged to scout and do early control among other strategies. Government will be distributing grain in all rural areas including households that incurred losses due to armyworms outbreak.
Hon. Member, there are numerous long-term strategies in place to prevent and manage any future outbreaks of armyworm and other pests that include:-
-Early warning, early action system;
-Capacity building, training and awareness campaigns through the existing extension delivery systems;
-Promoting effective strategies for armyworm control;
-Use of chemicals for control;
-Early planting; and
-Use of media platforms which include air, television and print.
OUTSTANDING PAYMENTS FOR COTTON FARMERS IN CHISUMBANJE, CHINYAMUKWAKWA, CHECHECHE
- HON C. HLATYAWYO asked the Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development to explain why cotton farmers in Chisumbanje, Chinyamukwakwa and Checheche areas were not paid for their deliveries in 2023, in light of assurance made in November, 2023 for their payments.
DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. HARITATOES): Hon. Member, a total of USD1.3 million representing 73% of the USD component has been paid to farmers under the business unit (Mutare Business Unit). In terms of progress payments since November 2023, USD 188 thousand was allocated to the area in March 2024 and a further USD85 000 in April 2024. More payments were made in May 2024, which further reduced the outstanding amount owed for the entire country. COTTCO received cotton worth ZiG 42 million and have so far paid USD209 million and ZiG1.4 million, leaving a balance of USD2.6 million plus ZiG 3.8 million yet to be paid. COTTCO is making frantic efforts to ensure that farmers are paid their outstanding amounts as soon as possible.
Questions With Notice were interrupted by the TEMPORARY SPEAKER, in terms of Standing Order Number 68.
Hon. Kambuzuma having wanted to move for the adjournment of the House.
HON. KARENYI: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir. I understand that we have got other Ministers still in the House. Some have got their written submissions and some of the questions have been on the Order Paper for quite some time. I do not know if you could help us, if they have written submissions so that you may allow them to submit rather than going back with them. May be next week they are not going to have enough time to respond.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: The Hon. Member is seeking to extend the time for Questions With Notice. Are there any objections.
HON. CHIKWINYA: I object.
On the motion of HON. KAMBUZUMA, seconded by HON. S. SITHOLE, the House adjourned at Twenty Minutes past Five o’clock p.m.