PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 18th August, 2022
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two O’clock p.m
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair)
*HON. NYABANI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity to say as Parliamentarians, who were chosen in our different constituencies, we need to work for the country. Since you know that the Government is represented by the Executive, Judiciary and Parliamentarians, - it is my wish that when you are in Parliament, as Members of Parliament, Parliament must not say you are now getting this amount of fuel, changing each and every time. Parliament needs to put a notice on issues like that.
Sometimes you get $2, sometimes you get $5. The next day you hear that fuel is being collected there at a certain place and sometimes you find that you will not be having coupons. If I am representing my constituency, what does it mean when I am failing to represent it because I will not be having enough resources? May Parliament take note that Members of Parliament are struggling to represent their constituencies due to various reasons. Thank you Madam Speaker.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Nyabani but you were not clear on your issue. You did not clearly say what the issue is. You indicated that you are not aware of how things are operating?
*HON. NYABANI: Madam Speaker, there is an issue of PetroTrade coupons that expired and nothing was done about that issue. We were supposed to get a guarantee on how they are going to operate. May you please let us know of the proceedings when there is still time so that we take action.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Nyabani, that issue will be resolved by the Administration of Parliament. They need to alert you and tell you what is going on through various channels so that you are aware of what is happening and not beating about the bush.
HON. MOKONE: Thank you very much Madam Speaker. I rise on an issue of national importance. Two weeks back, we lost an icon in the arts industry and in the media industry by the name Cont Mhlanga.
Madam Speaker, Mr. Cont Mhlanga was not just a mere Zimbabwean. He played a very key role towards the contribution of the arts industry in this country from 1982 when he founded the Amakhosi Theatre Production. He then became a copyright; a producer. He groomed a number of young artists that we are seeing in this present day. At his death, as I am speaking to you, he was also a shareholder at Skyz Metro and at Ke Yona TV, the station that is yet to come.
To the surprise of many people in Matableland, Mr. Cont Mhlanga was not accorded any hero status. Madam Speaker, if I can juxtapose with the likes of Simon Chimbetu, the likes of Oliver Mutukudzi and Soldier Love, surely the work that Cont Mhlanga played in this nation cannot be swept under the carpet.
Madam Speaker, the people of Matabaleland are very disappointed with this move because of the role that he played in this country. He was only given a provincial status. So the people of Matabeleland deserve answers to this. They feel that the State assisted funeral that he was given was not enough. My prayer now Madam Speaker, is that the Government reconsiders its decision as regards to the hero status of Cont Mhlanga and if possible, if we can get a Ministerial Statement with regards to this. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Mokone. With regard to the issue which you have raised, I think we will just convey the message to the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage since you have said that you require them to come with a Ministerial Statement regarding why Cont Mhlanga was not accorded a heroes status. As to my knowledge, I am sure the people of Matabeleland or the people whom he was living with are the ones who were supposed to ask for the heroes status – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Oliver Mutukudzi was given a hero status because of the province where he came from – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – What I am trying to highlight to you is the process, I will ask the Hon. Minister to come up with a Ministerial Statement. You must know that the Ministry is not the one that gives the hero status – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – [HON. PHULU: In terms of the Act of Parliament administered by the Minister of Home Affairs.] – We will ask the Minister of Home Affairs to make a Ministerial Statement as per your request.
*HON. CHIKWINYA: My point of national interest is about school fees for Government schools especially noting that schools are opening on the 5th of September. Ministry of Education has allowed schools to charge in US dollars. Many people who send their children to Government schools are civil servants who do not earn much. Apart from civil servants, there are also people who live below the poverty datum line, hence they cannot afford to pay fees in US dollars, people like vendors, all informally employed and the Members of Parliament who are in this august House. I am worried that as parliamentarians, we have not received a Ministerial Statement or a circular from the Ministry of Education stating the payment of US dollars in schools. We hear this through news and political rallies but the surprising thing is that this is now being implemented in schools.
If it was a post Cabinet briefing, does it mean that this is now policy because we are yet to see the circular? I was asking that the Minister of Education brings a Statutory Instrument to this House that guides people on how schools fees must be paid. Some schools are refusing to accept RTGS equivalent, they want the whole amount to be paid in US dollars. If there is no clear policy regarding the payment of fees, we will face problems on the day when schools open.
Let me give an example; a school might charge US$400, if there are no plans for RTGs equivalent payment, it means that someone who would have paid at official exchange rate using parallel market rate would pay US$200 but those that will pay hard currency will pay US$400. So we must correct this disparity using a Statutory Instrument or a circular that comes from the Ministry of Education. I am asking that the Minister brings a Statutory Instrument or circular before the 5th September, 2022 or else what was there during the second term is the same rule that must apply in the third term. I thank you Madam Speaker.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Chikwinya, I will ask the Government Chief Whip to pass on the message to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
HON. T. MLISWA: On a point of privilege Madam Speaker Ma’am.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of privilege?
HON. T. MLISWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. My point of privilege is; I do not question the ruling of the Chair but I do not think any Member of Parliament can leave their houses to come here so that they can be kicked out. I think we are adults and it is also difficult when you are not given a warning and suddenly you are told to leave. At times we ask questions which are very hard especially myself, I am very determined to bring national issues to the fore.
My being asked out of Parliament yesterday, I see it as a way to keep me quiet. If you look at it, I have records of being kicked out by Hon. Khumalo who was the Temporary Speaker yesterday. He did not give me a warning even the Hon. Speaker and yourself, to say Hon. Member please be quiet, all you say is get out. Now I think that he is protecting people who are supposed to be answering those questions. When I am out of here, the same question is answered yet I asked it. In terms of the Standing Rules and Orders, why would you continue talking about something when the person that asked the question is out? So it shows that the agenda was to remove me and then the Hon. Minister could respond in my absence. I am the one with the information and evidence. Who else is supposed to ask on my behalf? Does the Standing Rules and Orders give the power for somebody to be given the Power of Attorney by me to ask a question on my behalf? We must be careful because we are violating our own rules.
If I am taken out, I am taken out but the question still remains. What I would prefer is a Ministerial Statement from the Minister in terms of who Rusununguko is and what does Rusununguko have that benefits the country. The Commander of the Defence Forces himself, Lft. Gen. Sibanda, during the heroes’ holiday messages was very clear that we fought for this country for everyone to benefit. Ndosaka zvichinzi dzoserai zvinhu zvevanhu kune vanhu, ndiwo wanga uri iwomusimboti wehondo. Ndokumbirawo kuti haunganzvengwe nekuti maresources erusununguko ndeenyika. This is why it is said return things to the people because that was why the war was fought. Soldiers are becoming armed robbers because they are not getting enough money but if they get enough money there will not be any armed robbers. I am kindly asking for a ministerial statement to address all those issues.
There is an issue of Hon. Wadyajena that I brought to this House in terms of the allegations that he was facing. I am the Chairperson of APNAC Zimbabwe and in my individual capacity, I am the one who has also had the Privileges Committee set up over fictitious, frivolous and agenda setting on bribery which never the case, there is no way Parliament was supposed to come and report back on my request to say can you interrogate him. Now, he has been arrested yet we were slow, which shows that there are certain Hon. Members of this Parliament who are part of the syndicate because he was chairing a Committee which involves COTTCO. He was chairing FSG which has been giving money and has been doing transport.
So, how do people hold Parliament today, how do people hold the Government of the day and how do people hold the ruling party when they are protecting a chairperson? To me, it is this Parliament which is aiding corruption because I brought this issue up and it was not answered. As such, I move that he stands aside as Chairman of this Committee and the Chief Whip is here because he is pretty clear that he is implicated in many of the issues. If he is exonerated like I did, I did not go back because they knew that I would expose them more, he can go back.
So justice must take its course but for the credibility of this Parliament, we cannot allow to have him. He is the blue eyed boy of this Parliament and we know that, but at this time the blue eyed boy is a black boy. It is important that we follow the due process and respect this Parliament and if I were him, like I did, I stepped aside because of my upbringing and so forth. The credibility of this Parliament is critical and there are so many issues. I also have evidence on him with SFG giving him money and he never brought that SFG to that Parliamentary Committee yet they were an agriculture concern. So many issues arise and it is important that we are seeing Parliament to be acting on any corruption, just as swift as you did when I was accused of accepting a bribe, within 48 hours, a Committee was put in place.
At this point in time, with immediate effect, he must step down. It is the best practice even if the rule is not there. He has no respect amongst his colleagues anymore and unfortunately, the blue eyed boy for vakuru in this Parliament has fallen. I am sure he will fall with many others too because these transactions are quite serious. I have evidence and I will be providing the evidence to ZACC in terms of saying as Parliament, we cannot push for corruption and expose Ministers but we are in the forefront of it. People like Hon. Nduna were removed and so forth without evidence but here is the evidence and here are the allegations.
On another note Madam Speaker, the 200% which Government has reversed on reversing invoices is unacceptable. We need a ministerial statement on that. People in business borrowed money and when they borrowed money, suddenly it is 200%. That is unacceptable and we cannot go another phase again of making people poor. We need to respect business and we need to respect contracts signed and invoices given. You cannot reverse the invoice again. So we want a ministerial statement from the Minister of Finance, why they have decided to reverse the invoices and charge 200%. It is illegal.
I would like to stop by saying I thank you for your indulgence, pamwe pacho manditsiura mukati Hon. Mliswa, I will give you a chance to speak and so do not be angry. Asi kutsamwa kunobva kana musingatipe mukana wekutaura. Tinoboiler, vamwe tinokakamira, vamwe havakakame, saka hasha dzinobva dzawanda and hadzisi kungo tirigwa. Regerai nditaure nyange ndichikakamira, kana zvisina basa hazvina basa, ndizvo zvandinokumbira. Ndosaka ndakasarudzwa nevanhu kuti zvandataura zvine basa nezvisina basa vanongoteerera. When the term for voting comes, they will chuck me out. Ndinonzwa kana ndichivharwa nokuti kuzvipira hupenyu hwangu. To talk about soldiers, some of us cannot say it but my God protects me and there is nothing to fear but many of us cannot say it. So I also speak on behalf of the country. I am not pursuing Temba Mliswa’s agenda but I am pursuing the country’s problems. Thank you.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Mliswa, you mentioned about a ministerial statement from the Minister of Defence. We will let her know through the Government Chief Whip. You also mentioned about Hon. Wadyajena, unfortunately I cannot comment on that issue since the matter is before the courts. You also mentioned the issue of 200% for loans. You kindly asked about a ministerial statement but I think since we are in the process of the Finance Bill, you can raise issues like that since they work hand-in-hand. You can bring those issues when the Bill is being debated. - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
Disorder in the House.
MOTION
FINANCE BILL: BUDGET DEBATE
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion that leave be granted to bring in Finance Bill.
Question again proposed.
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): When we adjourned debate yesterday, 17th August 2022, I had gone through the first round of responses and then we ran out of time because we had to stop at 6:55 p.m. I will now continue with my responses.
Once again, I would like to thank Hon. Members for the robust debate on the Mid-Term Budget and Economic Review and Supplementary Budget Statement yesterday. Following from my responses yesterday, I wish to respond to other specific issues raised by Hon. Members during the debate. I want to start with some issues that were raised by Hon. Biti. The Hon. Member raised concern on the absence of a debt clearance strategy critical for resolution for the country’s debt burden. Madam Speaker Ma’am, Government has formulated the arrears clearance debt relief and restructuring strategy known as ACDRR that was approved in November 2021 by Cabinet and Parliament as part of the 2022 National Budget. The strategy outlines and explains possible debt resolution options including the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative and the non-HIPC scenario. To this end, the African Development Bank President has agreed to the Zimbabwe’s championing the arrears clearance and debt restructuring roadmap.
I now move on to some of the issues raised by Hon. Madzimure which I did not cover in yesterday’s response. Hon. Madzimure raised a pertinent issue on the alignment of the National Budget to the NDS1. Let me reiterate that our National Budget priority areas and programmes are derived from NDS1 in the first place and this was also the case also in 2021.
It is important to note that not all NDS projects and programmes can be implemented in a single fiscal year since the NDS1 is a medium term economic blueprint which will be implemented on a multi-ear approach. In that regard, Government is in consultation with all stakeholders including parliamentarians to identify priority areas to be implemented during each fiscal year for the five-year period. Hon. Madzimure went further to talk about inflation which he said was now about 580%. I would like to correct that assertion and indicate that according to ZIMSTAT, the official statistical agency, of our inflation stood at 256.9% as of July, 2022. I would also want to assure this august House that Government is making every effort to tame inflation and limit it to SADC benchmarks in the medium term. Already you have seen some good results from the recent principal measures on month on month inflation which is beginning to turn downwards.
I now turn to comments and issues raised by Hon. Mayihlome. Hon. Mayihlome raised concerns regarding banks that are generating the bulk of their income through bank charges or non-interest income. Let me say Government is also concerned and I am concerned with this development. We are engaging the banking sector in conjunction with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to correct this anomaly. To deal with this situation, we need to make sure that they move towards boosting their income through interest based opportunities as their core business and start lending more towards the private sector. In addition, consultations and engagements are underway to ensure interest rates on deposits are reviewed upwards to encourage deposits by the general public into our banking sector.
On the issue of Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP) again raised by Hon. Madzimure, I would like to assure him that the Government always tries to ensure there is an equitable distribution of resources across our provinces. Every province has an opportunity to see an important road or a national road being attended to. Of course as we share these resources, we also take into account areas of desperate need. The current inter-Governmental fiscal transfer allocation for devolution funds are based on the agreed formula, which takes into account poverty incidences, it takes into account population size and also the infrastructure deficit in each of the provinces. However, consultations are underway, with the key stakeholders to review this formula so that it incorporates the base mix to ensure optimal equity is achieved.
I now turn to issues raised by Hon. Matangira. Hon. Matangira’s assertion is that Government should consider recommendations by Hon. Members from this august House. I wish to confirm that we do listen to suggestions from Parliamentarians. For instance, the issue of payment of farmers for grain deliveries was raised in this august House a few weeks ago. We have since adopted that suggestion, which is that farmers ought to be paid in Zimbabwe Dollars and USD. We have since put that in place and we are paying farmers in Zimbabwe Dollars in part and partly in USD. In addition, the Hon. Member raised the issue of subsidising the agricultural sector. Of note, several schemes are now underway to help our rural communities in agriculture. For instance, through the Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme in irrigation development, dam construction, livestock research, afforestation, et cetera.
I think you also raised the issue of spreading the support to other crops, not just maize or cotton and we are beginning to do that, especially the issue of sunflower. In so doing, we can begin to have more cooking oil produced locally in the form of sunflower oil, including maize based cooking oil as well. So I agree with him on this one.
I also turn to questions raised by Hon. Sithole. Hon. Sithole highlighted the issue of late payment for school fees for teachers’ children. Treasury is engaging relevant institutions to address the late payment of fees going forward. I also want to assure Hon. Members that Government will continue to improve the welfare of this important constituency in order to improve the welfare of our teachers and our entire civil service in general.
I now turn to issues raised by Hon. Nduna. He raised few issues, I dwelt on some of them yesterday but there are few issues remaining. He raised concerns regarding aircrafts that were purchased from Malaysia which are not operating but continue to incur costs through maintenance because there are certain parts that need to be replaced even though an aircraft is not flying and is sitting on the ground. This is a very good point that he raises. I assure him that the Ministry of Transport is working on strategies to get those two aircrafts up in the air to make sure that they can begin to earn an income and cease to become a cost without any income receipt at all.
I now turn to issues raised by Hon. Togarepi. The Hon. Member raised the need for Government to introduce small instruments to mop liquidity in the market in the form of bonds but also to offer investors alternative investment instruments. Government is pursuing a number of instruments including bonds. Already we have issued bonds towards liquidation of legacy debt. Those bonds that are already being issued have what we call ‘over the counter bonds’. They are not tradable bonds but we have every desire to get them onto the market to be traded in the market. We are also going to be issuing a bond for US$100 million on Victoria Falls Stock Exchange transactions, which would be channeled towards infrastructure development in line with the 2022 National Budget priorities.
I now turn to Hon. Tekeshe. The Hon. Member raised the need to educate and avail gold coins to the majority of citizens, particularly those in rural areas. I am happy to report that Government is working on modalities for the issuance of smaller denomination gold coins to ensure the availability to wider population to all our citizens who may wish to hold such an asset.
Let me turn to issues raised by Hon. Mashakada yesterday. The Hon. Member raised a number of issues, some of which I have already responded to yesterday. He raised the need to protect purchasing power for civil servants salaries as well as to implement pro-poor policies. I wish to inform the House that 44% of the proposed supplementary budget is going towards civil servants salaries and pension payment specifically.
In addition, the proposed supplementary adjustment for the tax free threshold on local currency remuneration has been raised to ZW$600 000 up from ZW$200 000. Also, we have adjusted the tax bands to end at ZW$12 million from the current ZW$6 million above which then the 40% tax rate applies. The tax free threshold for bonus was also reviewed upwards from ZW$100 000 to ZW$500 000. This is going to increase disposable incomes, consumption spending and income for corporates as well. To protect the vulnerable, members of society - since he is arguing for that, the proposed total expenditure towards social benefits and subsidies account for 10% of the supplementary budget. So we have done something and added towards such social protection. Therefore, the supplementary budget is indeed pro-poor.
The Hon. Member, together with Hon. Sithole, Hon. Biti and others, expressed the need to address exchange rate volatility and inflation. Government has since implemented several measures to restore stability in the economy. Furthermore, Government is tightening public procurement processes to ensure value for money is realised through pricing and stable of payment for goods and services in order to manage liquidity in the economy. This even includes payment to contractors in part foreign currency and in part domestic currency.
The Hon. Members raised the issue of – this is again Hon. Mashakada. He raised the issue that the economy is now sluggish in its growth profile. I beg to differ. The projected growth like 6% in 2022 is good growth indeed in the face of exogenous shocks to the economy. The growth forecast of 4.6% is higher than the growth forecast for Zambia, which is at 3.8% and South Africa at 1.9%. These are some of the regional countries I had to mention.
On the issue of low capacity utilisation which the Hon. Member presented as below 35, again let me correct him. Capacity utilisation is not below 35%. This was well before we started instituting our reform programmes. Currently, capacity utilization, this is from the CZI estimate. It is 56.5% and we project this to reach 60.8% by year end. It is a major change in capacity utilisation. This speaks to increase in production and productivity within the manufacturing sector. With regard to dollarisation, I wish to advise Hon. Members that the general consensus among stakeholders is to maintain the dual currency regime. We have said that this will be so right through the NDS 1 period. So, we will not US dollarise in terms of adopting the US dollar as the sole currency. We will not do that.
Also Hon. Mashakada raised an issue regarding pensioners. It should be noted that Government reviews civil servants’ salaries together with that of pensioners. For instance, in March 2022, Government introduced civil servants cushioning allowances of USD100 with pensioners also receiving an allowance of USD50 monthly. Whenever we review civil servants’ salaries, we will also review the pensioners’ allowances.
Hon. Mashakada submitted that the Russia – Ukraine conflict is having no immediate significance to our economy. Madam Speaker Ma’am, the impact of the conflict is a reality. It has direct impact on our economy and this can be felt through something as direct as fuel prices. Naturally, these tensions have found their way into the impact on our fuel price through the FOB price. We had to take action to make sure that we mitigate against that. Government has responded by adjusting the fuel levy and also by increasing the blend ratio, especially for petrol and we see that in the last day or so, actually petrol prices have fallen further due to the impact of the fall in the FOB price plus the blending formula.
With regard to the loss of value of fixed income earners like pensioners, Government set up a commission of enquiry which resulted into IPEC developing a comprehensive framework for the compensation of these losses which were suffered prior to 2009. Government has since started compensating pensioners for the loss they incurred following the country’s 2019 monetary reforms. These compensation payments have already begun. Madam Speaker Ma’am, I must hasten to say if you know any pensioner who has not come forward to be compensated at least for the 2019 losses, they should do so. We have extended this compensation to depositors as well. I must say that for the depositors, we are seeing a very slow uptake in this compensation payment. I am urging everyone out there who lost money that was deposited to come forward to the DPC to receive their compensation.
Hon. Mashakada also raised an issue regarding economic transformation. That is exactly what we have been doing for the last few years under the NDS 1. We have seen transformation in the infrastructure space, road construction and dam construction. We are seeing slow burn transformation in the energy supply infrastructure sub-sector. We have seen even transformation in the management of public finances and it shows that we have now been upgraded in terms of budget transparency. We are now number three in Africa, after South Africa, Berlin and Zimbabwe. We have seen transformation all the way and we will see more going forward.
I now turn to an issue that Hon. Mashakada raised regarding support for investment in value chains, especially in the agro-sector and mining sector. I agree with him and we are supporting the sectors in that regard and we will accelerate.
I now turn to Hon. Sibanda. She raised the issue of financing of small scale miners. I think there is someone else who raised it but she certainly did. Let me inform this House that in the 2022 National Budget, they have set aside USD10 million of the SDR resources for the establishment of ten gold centres, one at least in each province to support small scale miners. The gold centre will offer transportation, technical services, milling services and a ready market for the gold that is produced. I must hasten to say that we expect the $10 million drawn down from SDRs to arrive in the next couple of weeks.
Hon. Sibanda also raised concern with regard to capacitation of our hospitals. The 2022 National Budget has allocated resources that ensure our health institutions are provided for with minimum standard equipment package for each level of care with contracts worth USD8.7 million having been signed and logistical arrangements towards delivery of the equipment is already underway. In addition, Government is constructing and upgrading various hospitals and clinics. We have got Lupane Provincial Hospital, Mpilo Hospital, Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital. Also, we are building additional mini hospitals. We have the first one built in Harare South. Please go there and view it. I urge Hon. Members to go there and see it. It is in Harare South in the Hopley area. It is a fantastic mini-hospital with state of the art equipment. It is amazing.
The next one is being built in Cowdry Park. It is now at roof level. I went to view it last week and it is well underway. The next will be built in Zvishavane. That is also going to start soon. After Zvishavane, we go to Runyararo in Chimanimani. After Chimanimani, we move to Hwedza and we then move to Umzingwane. We have a plan. We have 30 of these mini hospitals built systematically in the next few months.
I turn to Hon. Hamauswa. The Hon. Member proposes the adoption of GMO seed for cotton and sunflower in order to increase yields. Whilst it is not in the proposal, this has been brought before by others and it is also in the public media. However, we need real expertise on GMO material in the country. Let me say we are aware of non-GMO seed varieties out of India which can double if not treble our cotton yield and we are after procurement of that variety of cotton which is non-GMO. So, we like to hold fire on the acquisition of GMO cotton seed, not just yet. We have got an option.
He also raised an important point that we should support sunflower growing to support our cooking oil market and I agree with him. We will be doing so and also for wheat; we should do the same. We have already done so. In fact, for the first time in 20 years, this year we will be self-sufficient in wheat. We are going to produce at least 380.000 metric tonnes of wheat from the 78.000 hectares that have been planted. This is way above national consumption which is at 360.000 metric tonnes. We will not import a grain of wheat.
The Hon. Member rightly mentioned the need to give more support to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission for voter education, voter mobilisation and voter registration. I am happy to say we have done exactly that. We have allocated them a budget of $32.7 billion which will go a long way in increasing the resource envelope and in this supplementary budget we have added an additional $5 billion to the Registrar General’s Office for mobile registration.
Madam Speaker, I now submit that leave be granted to bring in the second reading of the Finance (No. 2) Bill [H. B. 9, 2022]. I thank you.
Motion put and agreed to.
HON. BITI: On a point of clarity. Can I have assurance that he is now going to have his Second Reading on the Finance Bill, that his response has nothing to do with the Finance Bill.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes.
HON. GONESE: On a point of order Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, this is purely a procedural issue. I have no problem with the presentation of the Bill but just a matter of the process and the procedure. The Hon. Minister has been granted by this august House leave to bring in the Finance Bill. My understanding is that any Bill starts with the First Reading and after the First Reading, if there is a non-adverse report with the leave of the House, we can proceed to the Second Reading. It is just a matter of procedure. That is why I am just raising Madam Speaker, so that we follow the correct procedures and the correct processes so that we start with the First rReading.
FIRST READING
FINANCE (NO. 2) BILL [H. B. 9, 2022]
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE) presented the Finance(No. 2) Bill [H. B. 9, 2022]
Bill read the first time.
Bill referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee.
COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY
SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES OF EXPENDIDTURE
Second Order read: Committee of Supply: Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure.
House in Committee.
On Vote 1 - Office of the President and Cabinet - ZWL7 970 000:
HON. BITI: Mr. Speaker, my comment is on the structure of this supplementary budget; so the proper way to do it which has not been done in this Bill but which has been done; if you go to other supplementary budgets because you are asking for Parliament to approve for additional resources, the Bill itself must indicate the original allocation, the proposed allocation and the grand total so that when Hon. Members are debating they know the proportions of the figures that they are given. So I have a problem with the structural adjectival manner in which this Bill was crafted by the draftsmen.
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): Mr. Chairman, all the Member is asking is that we should show the original allocation, the additional allocation and the total allocation in the Bill. Through you Chairman, I would like to seek condonation from this august House so that we can proceed. I am also happy to refer Hon. Members to Table 20 in my Statement on page 68 which has got the original budget column and then the supplementary request and the grand total which will then be the revised budget. If Members of Parliament could please look at this table but for the Bill, I am seeking condonation, I thank you.
HON. BITI: I have no problem going through the Bill as it stands, on the condition that when the Appropriation Bill is then published as an Act of Parliament, it complies with the law; it now has the three columns - if the Minister undertakes to do that and his draftsmen who are sitting there, then we have no problem. We do not want to create unprocedural and illegal precedence in this august House. I thank you.
HON. PROF. M. NCUBE: Mr. Chairman, I am being advised by some technical experts who have asserted that the Bill is okay as it is, as long as in the Blue Book we show the original budget, the additional supplementary, that is the situation in the Blue Book and that is what I am being advised. So in this regard, since the Hon. Member has already agreed that we should proceed, I would like us to proceed, Mr. Chairman – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON (HON. MAVETERA): If you have got the supplementary Blue Book, all the information is actually contained there – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]
HON. PROF. M. NCUBE: There is no difficulty in agreeing with the Hon. Member that when the Bill finally is published, it should reflect the three columns. I thank you.
Vote 1 put and agreed to.
On Vote 2 – Parliament of Zimbabwe – ZWL3 319 000.
*HON. MADZIMURE: Mr. Chairman, the Hon. Minister was here listening to the contributions of the Hon. Members. The task that Parliament has is a huge one. I want Parliament Vote – [ HON. MEMBERS: It is Vote 2.] – that is what I am speaking about. The amount allocated is too little, the worst thing is that the money is not being disbursed. Members of Parliament are now like destitute, you leave home with your bag and you are denied accommodation in hotels. Some Hon. Members do not even have any solution when they are denied accommodation from the hotels they are used to stay; when turned down they will have nowhere to sleep.
Mr. Chairman, our Parliament is the worst Parliament comparing it with all our neighbouring Parliaments. You yourself have travelled extensively, where have you seen Members of Parliament who are treated the way our Members are treated here in Zimbabwe? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – It is different from what used to happen during the colonial era because there were very few Members of Parliament, the blacks were not represented. . Members of Parliament have a lot of responsibilities and sometimes they leave their homes at midnight to come to Parliament only to be told that there is no accommodation. Shortage of accommodation does not apply to the Executive; if the Executive travel or go to Victoria Falls, they will be booked at the best hotels. We do not want to compete with them but it must be fair.
When Parliament employees leave Parliament on retirement, they will have nothing to live for. On our allowances, that US dollar that we earn, nothing is deducted as pension. Pension is deducted from the RTGS which is nothing. When a Member of Parliament leaves Parliament, we will be carried by scotch-carts going to hospitals. On CDF, if people in constituencies hear that there is CDF money, they will be after you. You have added just nine million when the money has been eroded by inflation by more than 300%. When we were supposed to get 11 million that time, it was equivalent to US$35 to US$40 thousand and now it is US$3000. Our projects are not going anywhere. Now you are saying we must go to our constituencies to show people what we have done for them, is there anything to show them? The Hon. Minister must be serious because these community projects have a lot of impact in our constituencies. DDF is not drilling boreholes, Members of Parliament are doing that in communities, and they are building clinics. Some Members of Parliament will end up stealing so that they do some projects in communities because they will be under a lot of pressure from the community. The CDF amount must be raised from 9 to 11 so that the figure becomes 20; it is better that way. Looking at the salaries of Parliament staff, I cannot name them but they are suffering. We cannot move around to where they reside but we really need to take care of them so that they stop stealing. It is not good for Members of Parliament. You find that some of them stay in Gletwyn because they use side hustles. Therefore, we need to do our things fairly so that we earn a good living. The Minister has a lot of sources like gold. Thank you.
*HON. NYABANI: Thank you Mr. Speaker for giving me this opportunity. I would like to talk about the issue of jobs. If a person is sent to work, he needs a good working environment. May the Minister kindly take note of our working environment? We have people buying coupons outside Parliament. A lot of us parked our cars because we cannot afford to service them. Therefore, the funds you are allocating to us are not enough to fund our needs.
Funds are not enough but if you send us away empty handed, we go back empty handed. We travel various trips with Parliament staff and we come back midnight. Parliament staff travel late going back to their homes. What if you allocate them funds so that they buy cars so that they can move from point A to point B easily? We have a lot of constituency responsibilities. We cannot travel to constituencies because we are incapacitated. May you please help us because we are struggling with fuel and accommodation? Is it not easy for the Minister to allocate funds to the Members of Parliament so that they cater for themselves on accommodation? Why are you paying so much funds to hotels when we are suffering with accommodation? Give us the funds so that we look for accommodation for ourselves.
On the issue of CDF, I have 25 wards and Parliament is saying to me you must do one project in those 25 wards. I am a politician Hon. Minister - how am I going to allocate those funds in 25 wards? If I develop one ward, will I come back in the next Parliament? It is obviously no and this is the last time that I will be in this Parliament. So we need to do practical things so that we move forward.
We are on the ground and funds are not enough. How many Members of Parliament are dead; they are dying because of stress. They are not able to pay their medical bills. It is not because they will be sick but stress due to lack of funds. I am speaking on behalf of all the Hon. Members of Parliament. May you please increase our funds so that we can have a decent life? Thank you Mr. Speaker.
*HON. HWENDE: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I want to speak about the issue of constituency offices. There is no support to allow MPs to have constituency offices so that they are able to meet people. Information centres used to be there back in the day. It will be prudent and essential if these are availed to Members of Parliament. We are moving around with constituency information in our vehicles. We have nowhere to store them, we have nowhere to sit down, establish and disseminate information from established offices.
The money that you have increased to Parliament, most of the Committees are failing to do their work because the money that would have been disbursed to Committees for them to execute parliamentary oversight roles is not enough. Our humble request is; may you increase resources so that we are able to execute our oversight role easily without hindrances? Thank you.
HON. PHULU: Thank you for this opportunity. I would like to add my voice to the question of the Vote granted to Parliament. I agree with all Members of Parliament who have just made their contributions that it is a matter which needs to be urgently looked into because it impedes the manner in which we can do our work and many a time we are unable to move and do some of the work including the Committee work that has been referred to.
I would like to point one important area and that is the area of the offices that MPs should be able to access in their communities and the personnel to look after affairs while MPs are in the House. The business of an MP is in this House to hang around the House reading materials whilst in the House for the entire week. An MP should not take phone calls every five minutes to deal with issues in the constituency. It is important for us to have people who work there and are adequately remunerated to do so. One day if we work on volunteers and people who sit in our offices without being paid, we are going to have a scandal of MPs being taken to the Labour Court for using people without paying them. I think it is an important area that we need to look into.
Furthermore, it is imperative that there is no organisation and I worked with CSO or any other organisation even in Government who would give you money like CDF without you having a bookkeeper or an accountant who is paid by the institution to look after this money. So, MPs have to work as accountants, carrying papers, going to banks and that kind of thing and that takes away from the MPs, the ability to contribute to the business of the House. So, these are issues that need to be looked into. Whilst we are in Parliament, there is no capacity to read your Bluebook – are you going to read it in the dining room or drive back to your hotel. We are asking that the Vote for Parliament be increased quite significantly. Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to add my voice in that regard and emphasise that as Members of Parliament, we are not doing our jobs properly.
+HON. PETER MOYO: I want to speak in isiNdebele so that the Minister will understand what I want to say. The money that is being allocated to Hon. Members at Parliament is like they are not given anything at all. Parliament is part of Government but if you look at the Executive, they are able to carry out their duties without facing any challenges. If you look again at the Judiciary, they are able to carry out their duties without any hindrances. If you look at Hon. Members, they are incapable of doing their duties. Right now, we are going around the country as Committees to carry out our duties but it is unfortunate that the hotels are not being paid for. Again there is no fuel for Members of Parliament.
I should start by looking at the welfare of Hon. Members. Members of Parliament are earning US$100 per month. We are now a laughing stock. I suggest that for the remaining six months, you should allocate Z$1 million to each Member of Parliament so that we carry out our duties well because if you do not give us this money, some Hon Members are going to fail to come back to Parliament. Some Hon. Members from ZANU PF have mines and now they are using that money from the mines to carry out their duties in their constituencies. Some are campaigning using their own monies so that they come back to Parliament.
The issue of CDF has been buttressed by some Hon. Members. I am not going to repeat that. On duty free vehicles that you proposed, it isgoing to teach us to be crooks. Do not arrest us if we do things illegally because it is like you are offering us a free passport to pilot a plane yet I do not know how to fly a plane. I will look for someone to do that job for me. Hon. Minister, you have already lost out by offeringus that US$60000 duty free. That is money from Government. I am suggesting that if you had negotiated car dealers to give Members of Parliament cars in good condition, that will be much better because if you drive a car from Victoria Falls to Harare, it will breakdown along the road as we are already witnessing some of the Hon Members’ cars breaking down along the road. We are requesting from you Hon. Minister, that we should go to these companies and get vehicles which are in good condition and also you should pay these companies for we do not want them to get broke. This is the Second Republic we are looking up to. Do not teach us to be crooks.
For Members of Parliament who are living in Harare, we are suffering the worst for we are staying at our homes yetour colleagues are staying in hotels but you are not giving us anything at all. There is no allowance that you are giving us by using our homes where we pay electricity and water charges. We also want an allowance for that.
On the issue of diesel, we do not want these coupons from PetroTrade. Let us use Redan because they have service stations everywhere yet PetroTrade has only two service stations in Harare. In Mutare there is no PetroTrade and in Bulawayo there is only one. In Mberengwa and Gwanda there is none. We should increase the budget on everything that I have raised. I thank you.
*HON. TEKESHE: The issue of budget for Parliament is very shocking. When we go for break, this is the time which we are supposed to go for outreach programmes but we are being denied access to these outreach programmes because of insufficient funds. Hon. Members are failing to initiate these outreach programmes because of lack of funds. Parliament is the only arm of Government that operates differently from other arms. The manner in which it is dealt with financially is actually different from others. I do not have a Parliament vehicle because garages are refusing to entertain us. I went to Premier Garage, they said Parliament does not pay. Allow Parliament dear Minister to be funded. Members of Parliament are travelling in numbers of four or five. It is actually embarrassing. They are giving each other transportation from their constituencies. Even if you get in the car park, right here at Parliament building, you will hear that some of the cars are no longer in good condition but they were bought this year. Service for our vehicles is eating into our budget and we are left with nothing. It was better if you could get service for our cars.
How is it possible to say US$65 000 duty free, how can I buy a car worth US$60 000 when I am paid US$200? You are now encouraging corruption. Where are people getting that kind of an amount? People are now selling their certificates for US$10 000 so that they get something. If we look at Judges or the Executive – you are now creating an animal farm where other animals are more important than others. They are driving top of the range cars and we are being left to drive twin cabs, of which we are not getting the twin cabs. Dear Minister, this salary we are getting is too little. In fact there is nothing we are getting. It is our humble plea – we are the ones who pass these budgets but we are the lowest paid. The Ministers who do not do anything with regards to passing the budget are well paid and have good cars. I thank you.
HON. DR. MURIRE: Thank you Chairman. I rise to add my voice to what fellow Hon. have been debating on the supplementary budget by the Hon. Minister. I want to request the Hon. Minister to consider facts that are presented by Hon. Members when they are commenting or debating on the budget and not to use his own opinion. What Members are actually presenting are facts and not just rhetoric but facts. These are facts that guide the operations of Parliament.
Right now, I want the Minister to be aware that Parliament is incapacitated. Of the three arms of the State, it is only Parliament that is limping. So, I rise on a strong fact to say I have served Government in the Army, Public Service and I am a war veteran. If I compare my pension, the two pay slips, the pay slip that I am getting for pension is more than what I am earning here. I ask myself what I am doing in Parliament. I am raising this issue so that the Minister is aware that these Members who are here, yes politics is a voluntary activity. All these Hon. Members have joined some of us who are actually on voluntary work. However, voluntary occupation as it be, the Minister should also consider that there are some obligations that we carry which should not be regarded as voluntary.
The vehicles that we were allocated, mine for example, is now at 210 000 km because of the stretch of the constituency that I have to traverse. I have got my own vehicle so that I service the constituency because the one that I got from Parliament is almost now unserviceable. I can actually highlight that last week I went to Botswana, I got spare parts for 13 000 Pula in order to service the vehicle that I got from Parliament - that is repairing. Now, how do we expect Parliamentarians to service the nation on that background? Without an office, people come to my home travelling from about 80 km afar so that they can come and present issues that I should bring to Parliament; coming with questions that I should ask Ministers. When they come to my place they have to sleep there because I cannot travel to consult with them.
We have become disrespected in our constituencies because when the budget is announced, there is constituency allowance which appears in the Blue Book, but is never released. There are the hefty salaries that are announced but when it comes on the ground, that salary is meaningless. When we put all those things, the constituents expect that there is some money that MPs are given from Parliament. We are forced to become funeral undertakers. You cannot refuse because they expect that you have the money, so you have to attend to those activities.
In addition to the CDF that you have talked about, we were advised it was pegged at US$55 000 when it was budgeted. I got mine when it was US$8 000. Like others have said, when you now go to the ground, you have told your constituents that you want to construct a clinic and then you only do a foundation, you are labeled a criminal.
That is simply why I rose to say my main point, Minister, consider facts that we are presenting. Let us commit ourselves Minister to say when we discuss we are there to support you, we are not there to criticise for the sake of criticising but to support the Ministry and yourself so that the economy can go forward. We discuss here, we agree, you accept but when you go out there you do a different a thing altogether. That is not good Minister.
I come to the aspect of tax exemption on vehicles. How do you expect me with US$190 to import a vehicle? Is that not instigating corruption? Minister, most of these Hon. Members, some I believe do not buy vehicles. They go and find somebody out there who wants to buy a vehicle and they sell the tax rebate. Then he gets $10.000 – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – This is a fact. The person who is actually enjoying the tax benefit is not the Hon. Member. It is somebody out there who has got money. It is my humble request Hon. Minister that when we agree on issues here that we debate, let us be serious about it. Let us implement it. If it is not possible, we tell each other that this aspect is not possible. We were promised $80.000 vehicles and we went out there hoping to get $80.000 and you came back and say I can only give you $55.000. That is being dishonest. I rest my case Hon. Chair.
*HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you very much Hon. Chair. Allow me to make my contribution on this issue that is very true. I will speak of that which others have not spoken about. I would like to focus on “ubuntu.” What does it mean when we say Member of Parliament? What kind of person is that individual supposed to be? Wherever they go, they are supposed to represent the Government. We talk of the three arms of the State which are the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. We are under the Legislature but when we are paid ZWL65.000 and if we divide it using the official rate, it means we are getting equivalent of USD300. When we get hold of the money, we go into shops. Shops are saying USD1 is equivalent to ZWL1.000. If it is ZWL68.000, it means that I have been paid USD68. Where is the “ubuntu” from such element? If I give my spouse my bank card to transact, they are told there is no money in the account and they know she is the MP’s wife. How do I move around in the constituency? People’s dignity is based on the foundation in which we are glued on. There is nothing that moves forward without money. I will not say much because others have mentioned it.
In our constituencies, it is not easy for Members of Parliament. I feel sorry for those who want to come to our constituencies. Those who are there should continue doing their work because they are used to such situations. MPs in this Parliament were focused on development. Because of competition, they wanted the best for their constituencies. They are looking forward to get adequate funding for all that they anticipate to do in their constituencies. Indeed, people should be able to see those who are there for them to lift them up in terms of development. People should be able to assess. The CDF money that we got this time around is not enough to build a classroom block. How about you Hon. Minister of Finance? What is the state of your own constituency? Where you said you built a clinic, are you seeing the prices of building material? The constitution governing CDF says, do not start something new. I have built clinics that are at roof level using my personal funds. I want CDF funds to assist me in finishing these projects; ZWL 11 million is not enough. It is actually $9.000. It is my humble plea that the Minister assists us and say go and get cement from Portland at a cheaper price. He can even order the timber for us at interbank rate and the country will develop. In this country, Parliament is essential. This is where laws are made. Decisions concerning the concerns of all the citizens in our constituencies are made in this House. It does not matter where you come from but we are representing people. Representation is the paramount reason why we are here. Those who have studied finance and economics are the ones who should be going to the Minister to have discussions to say this American dollar that has been stopped by ZIDERA should be put aside so that money comes through. If we look closely at what we have, we cannot talk about MPs only. Even Parliament staff, they are crying every day. In the SADC region, we have UNDP as our close allies. Why can you not kindly negotiate with them so that we get financial assistance? With these few words, I thank you.
+HON. MATHE: Thank you Chairperson for the opportunity you have afforded me. I also want to add my contribution on the budget that has been put forward by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development. The Minister said he has allocated funds to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development for road rehabilitation but the money allocated to roads is insufficient – [HON. MEMBERS: We are debating Vote 2.]-
If I am supposed to talk about Vote 2 only, let me do so. My colleague said we are now undertakers. The truth is that our vehicles are now down because of carrying corpses from one place to another and also people will be expecting you to contribute in terms of groceries. The money that the Members of Parliament get is not enough. There is a secret that I have to tell you Hon. Minister, I do not have any clothes or shoes that I bought using Parliament funds. Why, because since I got into Parliament, there are a lot of challenges coming from the people I represent. I have to donate to them so every time I have to make some contributions to funerals that happen in the constituency. Learners who have not paid school fees, their parents bring them to my home for payment of fees. There is no Member of Parliament who survives with money from Parliament. Mainly I have clothes that I get from people in my constituency as donations.
Hon. Minister, Members of Parliament get their groceries from the coupons. They sell coupons. What kind of a Member of Parliament is that who goes around negotiating the price of coupons instead of fueling his car? Chairperson, we travel at low speeds with our Prados because we are trying to save fuel. We travel at 60km an hour because we will be trying to save fuel because we are trying to live on money from coupons.
I wanted to come after 2023 but I asked myself what will be the benefit of coming here because I will be always spending my own money. It is also painful Chairperson because male Members of Parliament have nothing to give their girlfriends except the coupon. That is the only thing they have. They give these coupons because they are not accounted for at home. The salary is so insignificant that the Member of Parliament will go around saying I have a coupon. This is very bad for Members of Parliament given that we have a Minister who is a professor. I would not want to share with you how much other Members of Parliament are getting around the world because I know Hon. Chairperson that you know. It is so disgraceful that we cannot divulge our salaries to Members of Parliament from other countries. Some countries are getting from US$ 5000 to US$15 000.
Now coming to the issue of accommodation for Members of Parliament, this is so sad because we have to negotiate in order to get accommodation especially us as female Members of Parliament will end up being proposed love by receptionists at hotels because we always negotiate with them. Chairperson, we need our dignity as Members of Parliament. Parliament is paying around US$200 to hotels, why does it not give that money to Members of Parliament and we can decide where we want to go and stay?
Hon. Chair, one day I wanted to sleep at Holiday Inn but there was no accommodation, I went to Crown Plaza and I was told there was no accommodation. I nearly came to Ambassador Hotel but that was something that I did not want to do and so I thought of coming to Parliament car park to sleep in the car but then I thought let me not do that because of other reasons.
Honestly speaking, the Members of Parliament in Zimbabwe…
*HON. MATANGIRA: On a point of order. My point of order is that the Hon. Mathe should not leave out that today we were given our fuel in RTGS.
+HON. MATHE: We thank the Minister for removing us from buying fuel using RTGS coupons to USD. We are grateful for that and what I am thinking is that he cannot take us back to RTGS fuel because through interbank, the rate is being calculated at 500 RTGS but in reality it is at 1000 RTGS. We are so tired of being disgraced. At least on the issue of fuel, we are grateful that he has put us on USD and we are not moving back on that one. We cannot go back to being beggars. We cannot now go back and retake a programme we had discarded of going back to every garage and negotiating for fuel in RTGS. We do not want to go back to that and we are not going back to RTGS fuel, Mr. Chairperson. I thank you.
HON. PROF. MASHAKADA: Thank you Mr. Chairman. To be quite frank, I have been a Member of this Parliament since 2000. I have never seen the level of poverty visiting MPs as is in the current situation. Mr. Chairman, you can see that MPs are debating with passion and you can see the cross party nature of the debate; we are all singing one chorus, united that the Budget allocated to Parliament, to MPs and its staff is inadequate. Mr. Chairman, I sit in the Pan African Parliament (PAP) which is a continental body where we are about 250 MPs. We discuss our salaries and we are shy to disclose what we earn in Zimbabwe because the least paid parliamentarian at the PAP from countries like Zambia, Malawi and so on, least paid MP gets USD1000. Countries like Kenya, the MP gets about USD13 thousand, Tanzania USD8 thousand, South Africa USD10 thousand, Ghana USD12 thousand. I can go on and on doing this benchmarking but when you talk of Zimbabwe, you get USD100 or USD200. It reduces the honourability of the MP to nothing. The dignity of the MP is at stake. We are supposed to carry the flag of the country but the MP’s salary is pathetic.
Hon. Minister, we have got health insurance PSMAS which can only enable an MP to be admitted at Parirenyatwa Hospital or West End Hospital. You cannot afford to go to Avenues. You cannot afford to see a physician because you have to pay cash.
To this date, we have got MPs who have not received their vehicles and yet we are almost reaching the end of the year. Talk of the residential stands that have been talked about. MPs cannot have these stands because the Ministry of Finance is dilly- dallying. He is procrastinating and we are almost reaching to the end of our terms but there is a version of meetings and there is no progress. If you look at the type of transport MPs use when they go for outreach, they use kombis like transport from here to Victoria Falls. Musana unorwadza because of the kind of transport that the MPs use when they go for outreach. During outreach, they are not given allowances. They are working for nothing. They have no lunch, they have nothing. These are some of the issues that Minister you should take seriously. Yes, you gave 100% or RTGS but it is nothing. I have given you the benchmark and comparatives of what other African countries are giving their MPs. Together with our staff of Parliament, they also need to be accommodated. Thank you very much.
*HON. CHIKWINYA: Thank you Mr. Chairperson. In my view, in a democratic developmental State like Zimbabwe, this debate does not arise. If only we could acknowledge that we have 42 years of independence. We have got three arms of the State which are Executive, Judiciary and Parliament and that is where my democratic State comes from. We have got a live Constitution and the issue that MPs spend 1 hour 33 minutes debating about their salaries does not arise. It must not even be an issue to debate about. We had the privilege as MPs as well as you Mr. Chairman, of visiting other nations talking to other MPs and they do not have agendas involving their salaries. We have dispatched the Committee on Budget to Kenya. We have dispatched the Committee on Mines to Rwanda and we have gone everywhere in Africa and there is nowhere you will hear their MPs talking about how much they earn. They discuss about development. When we talk to them about how much we earn, it is very embarrassing, they even buy items for you because this is what we have been reduced to.
In 2017 Mr. Chairman, we closed this Parliament, that is the 8th Parliament. Parliamentarians were earning USD2100 for an ordinary backbencher and chairpersons were earning USD2300 but Minister Mthuli came and reduced the salaries. The final nail on the stroke was in October of 2018 when things started going haywire. Instead, parliamentarians were being social care officers in their constituencies. We were now paying for coffins. The headlines tomorrow are going to be bad. We have put our dignity at stake. They have said they are going to be blind to tomorrow’s headlines which are going to say MPs were demanding their welfare but we want to settle this matter once and for all so that we focus on developing our nation.
The first challenge I want to give Hon. Prof Mthuli is that before we pass the budget, we want a schedule that shows the conditions of the Executive, Judiciary and also Legislature because we are the same. If we are three equal arms of the State, therefore our conditions of service must be the same. So we want to see our conditions of MPs, Executive and the Judiciary. The Minister gave Ministers housing loans to the tune of US$500 000, Deputy Ministers got US$350 000 and because he knew MPs were going to raise the issue, he gave them an insignificant duty free certificates for US$60 000 because he knows no MP can afford to buy a vehicle worth that much. So Ministers, because they are MPs enjoy the US$500 000 and also the duty free. They are the only ones who have benefitted in terms of the housing scheme and duty free certificate.
Hon. Prof. Ncube, we are political animals all of us and if we do not tell each other the truth, we are going to have a revolution from the inside. This will not affect him but His Excellency because he is the one who appointed him. I heard from ZANU PF Member of Parliament that the President asks why Parliament is not making any demands and that he bought Parliament two buses while he was still Speaker of Parliament? We are not benefitting much because we are afraid to approach him when he has been an MP and Minister, and so understands our issues very well but someone is blocking us from accessing all that. The problem is not the Presidium or the President but it is with the Minister who does not take our concerns to the President. For people to be happy and praise his leadership, they are supposed to be given adequate CDF. When people show appreciation for getting a clinic through the CDF, they are not only praising the MP but also the President. On the other hand, when people do not get enough in their constituencies, they insult the MP and the President because people do not have adequate funds. So, the Minister is being a catalyst for all the insults that are being given to the President.
The other issue that I want to dwell on is the Speaker of Parliament. This week he is not here because he is travelling and I am following up on all his meetings. I notice that most of the Speakers of Parliaments are not attending these meetings but they send their subordinates to attend and here it should have been Hon. Mavetera or yourself but our Speaker is there because he is looking for money. His salary cannot be increased if our salaries are not increased. If we are to get a reasonable increase, then the Speaker will also get something meaningful and he can stay home. If you see Hon. Mliswa misbehaving, it is because he knows the Speaker of Parliament is away looking for money. Help us so that our Speaker can minimise his travels and stay home.
I came here late because I was researching in the library. I am my own office assistant. There is a requirement by the CDF office that we must put progress reports, minutes and everything. There is no area that develops without bureaucracy and that is why the Government has Permanent Secretaries, Directors up to the lowest level of office orderlies. There should be secretariat to support our Government. As policy makers, I should be told that in Mbizo there is no tar and this is why we have streetwise debates without any facts because we have no support staff to prepare structured debates, quoting Standing Orders properly.
With support staff, a Member is enlightened as an example that Order Number 96 was misquoted by the Speaker yesterday during debate and is applicable in such a scenario. We need office assistants and you promised us in our first induction at Pandari but up to now, there is nothing. I do not blame Hon. Mthuli Ncube on that. It is because he does not have a constituency, so he is not rooted in the problems that bedevil us as Members of Parliament.
We might take the whole day, so let me give proposals. My first proposal to the Minister is that because of the realities of our economy, the CDF that you are giving us in the accounts is not getting to us as it is because of inflation. The money comes after three or five months towards next year’s budget and it will be equivalent to US$1 000. It is my humble request that we lock the USD value of that amount so that when we withdraw it, nothing will have changed to be able to recover the US$8 000. When we started issuing CDF, it was equivalent to US$8 000 but most of us withdrew when it was now at US$3 000 or US$4 000. If we had locked value, we would have been paid at the prevailing rate that day. We understand the challenge of late payments but let us have the modality and mechanism of locking the value. So, even if we delay paying, on the day of payment, it will be paid at the prevailing exchange rate.
Secondly, if we can have office assistants in our constituencies, we will be able to manage somehow. We can talk to our local authorities in the meantime to get temporary shelters.
Lastly, if it was possible to have both Chief Whips in agreement that we adjourn for today, to enable the Minister to go and rethink this budget. We should not be forced to pass this budget today without agreeing on the issue of Vote Number 2 and we can come back Monday or Tuesday and be able to pass a realistic budget. We do not want to pass a budget on the basis that it is a process which was supposed to be done. That is my proposal and I submit.
HON. MUSAKWA: On the issue of the second vehicle, can the Minister consider giving loans to MPs on the basis that the second car is used by all government departments in the constituency because they do not have transport. It can be used as an ambulance, used by school inspectors, lands Agritex officers when they want to do anything and even the police to look for criminals. Please consider that, as that car is more of a government vehicle than the MPs personal vehicle.
*HON. MLAMBO: Thank you Hon. Chair for giving me the opportunity to contribute. I drive more than 500kms to Parliament. I became an MP in 2000 and came back in 2008. We were earning US$2000 and our allowances were paid every two weeks. We would get our monies directly from the RBZ and that money would allow us to do certain things and things were going on quite well. I just got a call from my child who is doing medicine saying he needs US$400 for fees. I sweated because I do not know where that money is going to come from. Hon. Chairman, I do not know how you expect us to live. I tried the coupons but I got the PetroTrade coupons and when I asked how much I will get for a coupon, I was told US$22. We are living a hard life not befitting of Hon. Members of Parliament. Hon. Minister Mthuli, I think that whenever you shall become a Member of Parliament, you will then understand that our concerns were not misplaced. We have serious problems in our constituencies because they have already been stated. Our Minister is a Professor who carries out researches, he should know how a person survives. If one is to survive on a US$100 to US$180 per month, how do you expect that person to live. There arises my question. It is my plea that this issue must be quickly looked into and attended to so that people can earn a proper living and people should not steal. You give me papers to import a motor vehicle when I have less than a thousand dollars in my account. How do you expect me to go round it? I still have 10 months to go so please ensure that you have rectified our concerns so that MPs who are your responsibility are in a better position. I thank you.
HON. NDUNA: Thank You Chair, I just want to add my voice on Vote No 2 because it speaks to the core of Parliament, both operations and Members of Parliament. I will not belabor the point that has been touched on ad-infinitum from across the divide by Members of Parliament in terms of their welfare. I seek just to say also look at the welfare of the staff of Parliament by adhering to the ethos and values of our initial request that you give Parliament its budget sum either quarterly, monthly or annually then we dictate how we are going to use the money. It is going to see Parliament look at their welfare independently as they are acknowledging your gold-fingerness. It is important that the staff of Parliament, according to the conditions of their contracts and service, be observed. I know for a fact that some of them have 10 to 15 years’ service but their terms of contracts say every five years they should get a Parliament vehicle. However, they do not have three vehicles for the three five year contracts that they have had with Parliament. I ask that you look at that closely by giving Parliament their voted amount.
Secondly, there is the issue of the gold coin that the Minister has introduced. That panacea or antidote has made sure value can be stored in that Vote No 2. So the Minister should not have any challenges in disbursing the whole budget for Parliament. We will store value in the gold coins that you have given to us. So, the issue of hyper inflation and loss of credibility on the RTGs does not arise. So the issue of the gold coin, I ask you to complement it this way. Produce a platinum dollar including also a diamond dollar so that those with paper money can come and complement your budgetary support by buying the platinum dollars that we are using here in sync with the gold coin.
Thirdly, I want to also just talk about the things that are supposed to accrue to Members of Parliament. I am lucky that I was there in the 8th Parliament, together with the Members from the 7th Parliament who did not receive their stands and those stands are still outstanding to date. I ask that the issue of stands, it speaks to the issue of the heart of our welfare as Members of Parliament. We now have to get monies from our own pockets in order to subsidies our Parliamentary business because our welfare has not been taken care of, the stands in particular. How do I propose that you expeditiously and effectively get enough to finance the stands?
There is what is called the Community Share Ownership Trust; they should have an Act of Parliament that directs some of that money, may be 15% to the coffers of CDF of Members of Parliament in those constituencies that have Community Share Ownership Trust – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Order Hon. Members, order please.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Hon. Chair for your protection. I would go further to say a proposal I have made for the coffers to come from the Community Share Ownership Trust, according to Section 13(IV) of the Constitution, everything should be supported at law and there is law that supports you Hon. Minister. May you direct part of that money so that 15% goes to the constituencies that reside in those Community Share Ownership Trusts.
Here is my last contribution for Vote No. 2, the issue of salaries has been spoken about, and it is the issue of vehicles. Hon. Minister, I ask you to forego the duty on vehicles that are being purchased by Members of Parliament as a third vehicle. I ask that you actually prevail in your institution in order that the second vehicles get to the Members of Parliament. It happened during the tenure of Hon. Biti, and it can happen again. Hamungakundwe nava Hon. Biti, he was just a pseudo Minister of Finance but you are a proper Minister of Finance and it is my thinking that with that school of thought, you can prevail over this issue. It is not humongous; it is just but a pittance, see it in your here Hon. Minister, to favour the Hon. Members of Parliament who have not said everything that is bedevilling their operations. I thank you, the people of Chegutu West Constituency; I thank you including the Chairman Lameck , Patricia Nyamadzawo and Sarah Chikukwa.
+HON. S. SITHOLE: Thank you Hon. Chairman for giving me this opportunity to add my voice in supporting the other Members of Parliament. In Ndebele they say the truth is painful but does not destroy good relations, the same with Shona; they say the truth is painful but does not destroy good relations. What we are talking about today is about our families’ lives and also the lives of the entire nation. We cannot execute our duties effectively if we do not have enough resources. This means that even the Government cannot perform its task effectively. A director in any Government Ministry has a vehicle that is serviced by the Government but a Member of Parliament’s vehicle is his responsibility to service the vehicle. However, Members of Parliament are given a salary of US$90. We travel long distances ranging from 600 to 1000km. This means that our vehicles are supposed to be serviced twice in a month. This is very challenging, and all of us are seeing the challenges that the economy is facing. We are here not to fight but to deliberate on how we can develop our country. Hon. Chikwinya has spoken the truth which I thought everyone would understand and we give you Hon. Minister the opportunity to go and redraft your budget. If you look at both the political sides today, they are not happy, they are complaining.
We are asking that the Chief Whips must unite and give you another day where you can come after redrafting your budget and present it again. We cannot be repeating the same thing over and over again becausewe will end up using a language that appears as if we are insulting you or we are undermining the way you are performing your duties. Hon. Murire and Hon. Chikwinya have already said that the Hon. Minister should be given time to go and redraft his budget since it does not meet the needs of the Members. I suggest that the Hon. Minister be given time to go and redraft the budget because as it is, people will keep on pin-pointing you and end up stressing you. We are Hon. Members but there is nothing that shows us that we are Hon. Members. How can you call yourself an Hon. Member who does not have a salary? If you look at the salary that I give my farm worker, it is even impossible for me to say the amount that I pay to the farm workers. I pay my personal assistant USD500 per month but I know it is impossible for you to believe. We are kindly asking the Chief Whips to have the caucus and also to meet the Minister to go and redraft his budget. We end up using unkind words as if the Hon. Minister is not a Member of Parliament, hence he is treating the Members of Parliament in this manner. It will appear as if we are undermining the dignity of the Minister and his appointment by the President. However, this is very wrong, yet he is a respectable Member of Parliament appointed by His Excellency. Finally, I suggest that the Chief Whips have a caucus and allow the Hon. Minister to go and redraft the budget and bring it back to this House again. I thank you.
(v) HON. P. D. SIBANDA: Thank you Hon. Chair for giving me this opportunity to debate...
HON. NYABANI: On a point of order Hon. Chair. The Hon. Member is not putting on a jacket.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Thank you for your point of order. Hon. Sibanda, you can proceed.
(v) HON. P. D. SIBANDA: Today we are debating a supplementary budget which is not all the budget that was set up in the beginning of the year. What is most embarrassing is that we have domestic matters, the ones that are charged in terms of our law with the intent to allocate resources to every department and every citizen of this country. It is embarrassing...
(v)HON. GANDAWA: On a point of order Madam Chair. Please can you allow the ICT personnel to mute other Hon. Members who are not debating so that we hear the Hon. Member who is speaking? So many people are open on platform and we cannot hear correctly Hon. Sibanda’s submission. Thank you.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Thank you, that is in order. I am sure the ICT personnel will be able to do that.
(v)HON. P. D. SIBANDA: Thank you Hon. Chair. I was saying it is highly embarrassing that the legislature, the allocator of resources in terms of our law, is today debating this supplementary budget and in the presence of the Hon. Minister. When you hear the legislators concentrating only on one Vote, in my view, that would be a dereliction of duty by the legislators that we have to discuss about the budget of Parliament only and the welfare of us as leaders of this country.
The fact that Hon. Members have to concentrate only on the budget of Parliament is a sign that there is something wrong in our economy. In fact, it is so wrong; it is like you have got someone that is a shame, one who is cooking, one who is serving and they think only about themselves and they do not think about everybody else. What has created that situation? It is the nature of our economy as it seems.
Madam Chair, three days ago I met a civil servant who is in his late 50s who has diligently served the Government of Zimbabwe for over 30 years and he said to me, CCC you are my hope because I am about to retire and as I am about to retire, I do not own a house, I do not have a decent home, I have no savings and I am insecure about my own future. This is the nature of the country that we are currently representing.
Members of Parliament are privileged because they have got the opportunity to interact, and debate with the Hon. Minister in his presence. The civil servant that has been doing work for this country does not have the same privilege. The youth of our country who have completed college and are unemployed are suffering but they do not have the opportunity like I do to come and debate these things that we are currently debating.
The vendor in the market who is everyday suffering from lack of business – the business people, when you hear Members of Parliament talking about their welfare, know that the economy of the country has sunk to the lowest level than can be expected. While my brother Hon. Chikwinya requested that the Hon. Minister should go back, sit down and think before he comes back to address Parliament, in an ordinary normal country, that Hon. Minister should have resigned right away now. He should have resigned before he brought that budget because he has failed.
There is no way that he can talk about surpluses, there is no way that he can talk about economic growth, and the welfare of people is not reflecting that...-[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Order Hon. Sibanda. I am the one Chairing, Hon. Nyabani. Can Hon. Sibanda debate on Vote No2? If you are not going to debate on that, I am going to unmute you. So can you debate on Vote No. 2?
(v) HON. P. D. SIBANDA: Hon. Speaker, that is what I am debating about.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: I said if you are going to digress, we will be able to remove you and you will not be able to debate. So can you please go ahead and debate on that.
(v) HON. P. D. SIBANDA: But where have I digressed and may you give me guidance Hon. Chair?
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: It is a point of order which has been noted. I could have missed because I did not hear what you said. There was the point of order which was raised by Hon. Nyabani and I have to guide you that way. [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Can you please debate on Vote 2.
(v)HON P. D.SIBANDA: Hon Chair, if I may ask you. What are you ruling on when you did not hear the point of order?
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Can you please debate on Vote 2 because we are not going to talk about our party affiliations. I understand that is what you spoke about. I think it is good for you to just speak as a parliamentarian.
(v)HON P. D. SIBANDA: Is it a secret that I am CCC? Is it a secret that you are ZANU PF.?
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Hon. Sibanda, is that what we are talking about? Can you please debate on Vote 2? If you do not have anything else to say, then you just have to keep quiet.
(v)HON P. D. SIBANDA: If you do not want me to debate then that is fine. You cannot tell me that I am out of order.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Do you still want to debate or not? Your time has finished. Thank you.
*HON. MASENDA: My contribution to the Minister of Finance is that when we passed the Budget in November last year, there were projects that were allocated to Ministries to undertake in various constituencies but what we are getting from them is that there is no funding of these projects.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Is that Vote 2.
HON. PROF. M. NCUBE: I want to thank the Members of Parliament for their robust contributions. I want to make a few points then I will make a suggestion at the end. Parliament was allocated about Z$15 billion in the Budget for 2022 in November last year. So far, the budget utilisation is about 33% which is about Z$5 billion. The issue is not so much the resource envelope but the rate of utilisation and the rate of disbursement. The average rate of utilisation across Government is 52%. Parliament is below the run rate for the rest of the institutions of the State. The issue is not the resource envelope but the utilisation rate and the cash releases.
On the issue of CDF, CDF works best if it is utilised along devolution funding. CDF can never be enough but when you combine with devolution funding, then you get somewhere. I am aware of districts and local authorities where that combination has worked very well. I can single them out. When Hon. Matangira was speaking on TV on Thursday last week, I was very impressed with his constituency. It has turned out he was using his own money. I thought he was using devolution funding but that is okay. The point is that there are star performers among these Members of Parliament in terms of both CDF and devolution funding. The expectation is that Members of Parliament should be involved in the selection of projects under devolution funding. They should be involved in the structures on the ground and some of them are not. Those are the facts.
Someone made a comment that I am not a Member of Parliament. I am a Member of Parliament. My constituency exists. It is the whole country. On the issue of salaries for Members of Parliament, we made sure that Members of Parliament got a higher salary adjustment than the rest of the State –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] I am not mentioning the figure – [HON. HWENDE: He is insulting us]-
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: You cannot create your own answers – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]. The Minister can only give you his answers and not your answers.
HON. MASANGO-CHINHAMO: On a point of order. I think we agreed here as a House that the Minister goes back. If he wants to respond to us he should respond about the fuel coupons and not anything else. I thank you. – [HON MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections].
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Order Hon Members! We need to be very clear here. The procedure is that the Hon. Minister is supposed to be given an opportunity to respond. So, we need to follow procedure – [HON MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Order Hon. Members! Hon. Members, may we please follow procedures respectfully. We are supposed to follow procedures and protocol. Hon. Members, can we kindly allow the Hon. Minister to respond. Yes, you have got concerns; you can never have concerns when you have your own answers. May we allow the Hon. Minister to respond to the issues that you raised. Hon. Minister, you have got the floor.
HON. PROF. M. NCUBE: Thank you Hon. Chair. The Hon. Members of Parliament, through the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders (CSRO) and the Chief Whips, requested that they be put on a contributory pension scheme. Government has acceded to that and I have written to the Speaker of Parliament saying that Members of Parliament should be on a contributory pension scheme – [AN HON. MEMBER: The Hon. Minister is not connected.] - I will repeat. A month ago, Hon. Members of Parliament requested to be put on a contributory pension scheme which is similar to that of civil servants. We have agreed to that and extended that benefit to Members of Parliament. Government will contribute 80% and Members of Parliament contribute 20%. That is a request that we have agreed to and we think that is a very important contribution indeed.
On the constituency visit allowance, we admit there were delays in releasing resources for that. In the CSRO, we have since discussed this matter and agreed that releases be done and have been done. Releases are in accordance with the size of the constituency. Those with large constituencies should get a higher visit allowance. I am very happy to give you the actual breakdown. There are three categories on that.
I want to end on the issue of the second vehicle allowance, then I will make a suggestion. Madam Chair, I was approached by Members of the CSRO requesting the issue of the second vehicle duty free allowance. Initially we have proposed as Treasury a duty free allowance of USD40.000. Two Members of this House were sent to me to say Minister “ishoma.” We mulled over it within Treasury and we agreed to raise it to USD60.000 and that is where we are. What Members are asking for is something new but we responded as requested.
Finally Madam Chair, there is an issue that has been raised which I think is very important and I agree with the Members where they say look, maybe for accommodation we ought to be given allowances and we find our own accommodation. This is basically a kind of structural issue in terms of the welfare of Members. It is not about the resource envelope. What we are discussing in this vote is the resource envelope, not the structure of the emoluments and the welfare aspect for the Members. I think let us be clear. Usually that structure is worked out in the CSRO. Minister of Finance does not come to Parliament to talk about that specific detail, “aihwa, inobva kuCSRO.” That is how it works.
Finally Madam Chair, I propose that we defer this discussion on this vote and we can move on to other votes – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – I will come back to deal with this vote once we have made the proposal. We intend to increase the envelop, so we will see where to virement from, maybe the unallocated reserves, maybe from other areas but I will come back to the House on that. I thank you.
HON. CHIKWINYA: On a point of order Hon. Chair. My point of order emanates from the response by the Hon. Minister, with particular reference to coupons for constituency visit allowance. We will be doing a disfavour to ourselves if we allow the Minister to misrepresent facts in Parliament. Only three constituencies were paid 200 litres; Chiredzi East, Chiredzi West and Hwange. The rest were paid 120 litres yet we are supposed to be categorised into large, medium and small. Everyone else was put under the same category except for the three constituencies.
Number two, the Minister implies that we have been given our constituency visit fuel up to the time as agreed to in the CSRO. No, we were only given for one month, which is this previous month yet the agreement was supposed to have been backdated to January and has not been given. So, we will be doing ourselves a disfavour and I feel as if the Hon. Minister is showing disrespect to us if he does not give us facts as they are. If he is incapacitated to pay for the remainder of the months, then he must say so that we have only paid for a month, and we are going to pay others at an agreed time with Administration – that is number one.
Secondly, in his response, the Hon. Minister said that CDF is best used in conjunction with the Devolution Fund. I have an official letter from Kwekwe City Council, because of the accounting principles, they need to account for devolution funds on their own and CDF is supposed to be accounted for on its own. So you cannot mix a particular project to say we bought this sanitiser for $2.00 – a dollar coming from CDF and the other dollar coming from devolution funds. The CDF constitution does not allow; it has to be a stand-alone project that is accounted for to Parliament. So I think we must be able to tell each other the truth.
On the issue of tax rebate for the vehicles, - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Hon. Minister, precedence set by the Hon. Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Mudenda, is that if a particular matter has been discussed in Parliament and requires research, the House adjourns. We did that when you presented this budget, we wanted to debate but the Hon. Speaker said no, go and research first and come up with factual debates to the Hon. Minister. You must also be able to do the same, go back and consult your staff.
The issue of $60 000.00 could have come from Chief Whips. Their assumption was, we were going to get vehicles but it has proven that it is impossible. What we need are proper vehicles that can be given on a turnkey. We cannot be given $60 000.00 being tax rebate that we cannot use and you have seen that, we failed to use them. How many have been remitted to your office – none, I want to believe there is nothing. So, please be practical.
We understand that the $60 000.00 was paper money; it was going to be floating. You are not producing money as it is but an NP3 vehicle from Faramatsi Motors is USD27 000.00 without duty. So we would have cut from $60 000.00, that is my proposal. So I believe Hon. Chair, can you allow the Hon. Minister to go and reflect on what the Members of Parliament said, come back on Tuesday, all of us on a fresh note and we debate going further.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Hon. Members, the Hon. Minister has given a suggestion here … - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order, Order Hon. Members, can we please have a conversation here? The Hon. Minister is saying we leave Vote 2, we proceed to Vote 3 and others. - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – No, but that is what he is saying ayehwaka, Hon. Members ayehwa! Order Hon. Members.
HON. S. SITHOLE: Hon. Chair, I disagree with the Hon. Minister. When the Hon. Minister is saying there is a big, medium and small constituency, to me, the Hon. Minister must give the same category for all constituencies and not to say big, medium and small how?. Thank you.
HON. MUSHORIWA: On a point of order Madam Chair! Madam Chair, if we are going to adjourn, we have to adjourn the entire business of the House. We have two options; it is either we adjourn now and allow the Hon. Minister to go back. We cannot do Vote 2, suspend it and proceed to Vote 3 because there are certain reasons depending on the position the Hon. Minister will come with though there are some things that will be used to do the other votes that are ahead. So it is not possible for us to leave Vote 2 and proceed to Vote 3.
We are not selfish Members of Parliament. We want to make sure that we vote every vote, vote by vote. Our position is simple, let the Hon. Minister take a break, consult and come back on Tuesday and we debate.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: The response that we have there is - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
*HON. MADHUKU: Do you want me to sit down? Hon. Chair, I heard as if the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders discussed these issues as well as fuel. I am a member of the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders and I am unaware of that. Maybe they sat during my absence. It is my plea that such issues be looked into, we are suffering, no such issues were discussed; maybe this was done during my absence. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Order, order! – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): The Members of Parliament have raised many issues regarding their welfare and they have said that they want these issues to be looked into. We will look into them.
What I had proposed is that we adjourn debate on this Vote now I am suggesting that we adjourn debate and adjourn the House. I thank you.
House resumed.
Progress reported.
Committee of Supply to resume: Tuesday, 23rd August 2022.
HON. MOKONE: On a point of order! Thank you Mr. Speaker, my point of order arises from the fact that it seems like PetroTrade coupons have already been issued but my worry now is that there is no fuel at PetroTrade. For me to leave Harare and go to Gwanda where I stay which is almost 700 km, there is no PetroTrade in Gwanda, so I do not how I am going to move out of this place.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order! Order Hon. Members.
MOTION
ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): Hon. Speaker, I mover that the House do now adjourn. - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER [HON. MUTOMBA]: Order Hon. Members - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order Hon. Members. I do understand and appreciate that there was a point of order that was raised in connection with the fuel but the position must be very clear to you. This is Parliament Administration department - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order Hon. Chikwinya. I think you must have seen the conferment that was going on, to and fro. They were trying to find out how they could respond to her point of order which is a genuine one. It is not the Hon. Minister’s responsibility to respond to that. That will be interfering in other people’s duties. This is the job of the Chief Whips - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
HON. CHIKWINYA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir. With all due respect, administration comes from policy. So implementation comes from a certain pot. The Minister of Finance is responsible for disbursing funds to Parliament which they then administer. So there has been a major policy shift. We need to interrogate why we had moved from Petro Trade to Redan. It was on the realisation that Petro Trade is valued in RTGS. You have now taken us back from a USD fuel component to an RTGS fuel component. That was an agreement that was done at SROC level to move away from the RTGS fuel component to a USD component. Therefore, the fundamental can only be coming from the Minister of Finance who has given Parliament, not the USD to implement and administer but the RTGS. This is why it bounces back to the Minister of Finance. Did you give Parliament the US dollars to pay for Redan fuel coupons which are US dollars. If he says yes, then we let him go and we aim our arrows at the Parliament Administration and say you were given US dollars, why did you pay for RTGs fuel. That is my point. So, he has to respond to the effect that did he give Parliament US dollars for them to buy Redan coupons? That is what we want to know.
HON. PROF. M. NCUBE: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. The issue being raised is very important. The policy is that Members of Parliament should get their fuel. That is policy and it is still in place. The issue of where they will get their fuel is an administrative issue. If Parliament wishes to procure their fuel from a US dollar source, we will gladly give them US dollars. There is no problem at all and we have always done that. There is no impediment at all. It is an administrative issue not a policy issue. I thank you.
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you. With all due respect Minister and the Administration of Parliament, I heard about the PetroTrade fuel last night circulating on the groups and I thought they were just rumours. Then today it got very intense and I phoned the Clerk, he could not answer then I phoned Zvamada who is a director here and I even quoted some of the discussions by Members and sent them so he could get the Members’ feelings. The director then said it was not the Administration’s issue but they were called and advised that from now onwards, they buy fuel from PetroTrade and Genesis. So, I think the issue, like the Minister is saying, is maybe we invite Parliament Administration tomorrow. I think the issue of me talking to them and getting unqualified feedback would give us more problems. I think we deal with Parliament Administration and if they have a challenge, they will invite whoever gave them that directive.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] - Order, order Hon. Members. I think the Chief Whip has been so clear, succinctly clear and there is no other answer that can satisfy us.
HON. PROF. M. NCUBE: Mr. Speaker Sir, I propose to this august House that we adjourn the House to tomorrow then we have a debate or try to have an understanding from the Parliament Administration as to what is really going on and then staff from Treasury can also be called in to ensure that we all understand what is really going on. Government policy is to give Members of Parliament fuel. Let us have the meeting at 10 o’clock a.m. tomorrow morning.
HON. TOGAREPI: Hon. Members, the advice that we are getting from Administration is that if we adjourn to tomorrow, Administration cannot address Parliament but if we adjourn to whatever date, we can then agree here, maybe prior to the adjournment, that all Members will meet at 10 a.m. in the Government Caucus. Administration of Parliament and officers from the Ministry of Finance where the instruction came from will be present, then we address the issue.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE), the House adjourned at Sixteen Minutes past Six o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 23rd August, 2022.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 18th August 2022
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’ clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
APOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM MINISTERS
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have a list of Hon. Ministers who have sent their apologies. These are:
The Vice President C. D. G. N Chiwenga – Minister of Health and Child Care;
Hon. Prof. Murwira – Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education,
Innovation, Science and Technology Development;
Hon. Machingura – Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development;
Hon. Kambamura - Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development;
Hon. Dr. Ndlovu - Minister of Primary and Secondary Education
Hon. E. Moyo – Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary
Education and
Hon. Marapira – Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement.
Here in the House we have the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Hon. Mhona; the Deputy Minister of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development - Hon. J. Mhlanga; Hon. Prof. M. Ncube – Minister of Finance and Economic Development; Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Hon. Chiduwa; Deputy Minister of Local Government and Public Works – Hon. Chombo has just walked in. I think we can work with those who are in.
Welcome Hon. Ministers. This is why we always complain. We have quite a long list of apologies as though sending apologies is a requirement. We need ministers to come here and respect this House.
We also have Hon. Minister Gumbo who has just arrived; he will be responsible for any questions relating to projects.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
HON. SEN. CHIEF MTSHANE-KHUMALO: My question is directed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development. I believe that Government has suspended quite a number of projects that it was undertaking in the country and among them is Nkayi-Bulawayo Road. I wonder what the policy is in order to revive these projects.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I think that is a particular project but let us take the advantage of the presence of the Hon. Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development who may be in a position to answer that.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): I would like to thank Hon. Sen. Chief Mtshane for asking such an important question which gives me the opportunity to explain to the people of Zimbabwe that it is not like we have suspended projects. I am sure he has cited Nkayi-Bulawayo Road. This is one of the projects that stalled. This question was also raised yesterday in the National Assembly where I explained - I would like to applaud both Houses for also sanctioning the supplementary budget which then gives us impetus as Government to pursue vigorously those projects that were outstanding. The one that he cited is one of the roads that you will see us back to work on. The contractor will be moving back on site among other roads; also Bulawayo, Tsholotsho, Gwanda, Mapisa, I am just mentioning a few and to say that we are going full throttle. You know September is good for us especially in the road works so you will see us accelerating the pace that we are rehabilitating our roads.
I want to assure the august House that there is nothing that we say we have stopped as Government, we are continuing. I thank you.
HON. SEN. B. MPOFU: Thank you Madam President and thank you Hon. Minister for that response. My supplementary question is that Nkayi to Bulawayo Road that was mentioned…
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order, order, please get connected Hon. Mpofu.
HON. SEN. B. MPOFU: Thank you, am I connected now?
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank you, yes.
HON. SEN. B. MPOFU: Thank you Madam President for allowing me to ask this question, and thank you Hon. Minister for the response to Hon. Sen. Chief Mtshane’s question. My supplementary question is that Nkayi to Bulawayo Road is 151kms and every year, only 20kms is covered. Now, that would take seven years; if that road has got eight to 10 years maintenance period, it means that by the time they finish after seven years – the parts that were done initially will have to be redone. So it then becomes a cycle of redoing the same road every year in perpetuity. Is it not possible for the Ministry to just do that road once and for all? I thank you.
HON. MHONA: Thank you Hon. Madam President and let me also thank Hon. Dr. Sen. Bekithemba Mpofu for the very important follow-up question. Hon. Madam President, let me say that in other jurisdictions, the issues to do with rehabilitation of roads are actually funded through concessional loans.
However, in this great country, we have taken it upon ourselves to fund the rehabilitation of our roads using the fiscus which in any given circumstance would then impact negatively on the fiscus given that the road infrastructure requires substantial amounts to do the roads. I am happy that given the circumstances, and also that the country is under sanctions, we are managing as a nation. I am happy that it might not be at the pace that Hon. Members in this august House would want but I can assure you that if we had started doing this each year for the number of years that we have been in the First Republic, you would realise that we would have completed a number of roads.
I want to thank the Second Republic, in particular to say the initiative of starting must be commended. We see that the road that has been cited, we are currently doing 15kms and honestly if we then do another 15kms but that is not the ideal situation Hon. Sen. Mpofu. The ideal situation would be then to do the entire stretch. I am also happy to say that we also have such arrangements where we are going into build-operate-transfer arrangements to do entire stretches. I can cite a good example of Harare-Kanyemba and even Harare-Beitbridge – that is what we are doing so that we cover the entire stretch.
I want to reassure Hon. Members in this House that similarly, we will take that approach to see whether we can partner. His Excellency the President said that Zimbabwe is open for business. We can welcome investors to partake in this exercise of rebuilding our roads where we then cover the entire stretch. So what we are currently doing is to manage the roads whilst we are looking for a bigger picture to do the entire stretch. I want to assure the Hon. Senator that you cited the issue of maintenance seven to 10 years but I assure you when we reconstruct our roads, we are looking at about 20 years without us going back to that road in terms of major works. However, we need to continuously maintain our roads. So this is precisely what we are doing. I thank you.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: The Minister for Information and Broadcasting Services is now in the House and fortunately, she is the Leader of the House. So, you can ask questions and she will be able to respond.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHUNDU: Thank you Madam President. My question is directed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development. Hon. Minister, what plans do you have regarding the issue of untarred roads, particularly focusing on tourism where you find 200 km stretches of untarred roads? You will find tourists using such roads and their cars are affected. This paints a bad picture of our country.
*THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Madam President and thank you Hon. Sen. Chief Chundu for raising such a pertinent question. Indeed, we work hand-in-hand with the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality Industry. Indeed, the roads that were mentioned are critical, and it is critical that our tourists have good roads.
Let me talk about the Binga Road which was attended to. We started the Road Rehabilitation Programme from Karoi to Binga. This is one of the roads that I mentioned before that we are looking for partners. As I am speaking, we have a partner who is eager to work with our Ministry. If this succeeds, then you will find that we are going to rehabilitate that road – not in small portions but the whole road. Indeed, this road is critical and I believe that we are going to work on it. I thank you.
HON. SEN. CHIEF MAKUMBE: Thank you Madam President. I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services who is also the Leader of the House. I am glad that this august House together with the Lower House passed a law that seeks to cater for the welfare of the War Veterans, the War Veterams Bill which is quite an achievement in Zimbabwe. So I appreciate that.
However, my question is that there are some who died before the vetting process, that is before 1995. They left families behind, and these are people who participated in the liberation struggle but their families are not doing well. What is Government planning regarding such people? I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION, PUBLICITY AND BROADCASTING SERVICES (HON. SEN. MUTSVANGWA): Thank you Madam President. I would also like to thank Hon. Sen. Chief Makumbe for his pertinent question that pertains to war veterans who passed on before being vetted and how their families can be assisted by the State.
I believe this question was asked by Hon. Sen. Chief Makumbe who comes from an area where a lot of families participated in the liberation struggle. Some of the survivors were chimbwidos and mujibhas, and others were detainees and as a chief of that particular area, I believe that he comes across a lot of challenges. Government, through the Ministry of Defence and War Veterans, looks at all beneficiaries of war veterans. It is important to submit letters of the late war veterans, even if they were not vetted but their colleagues who served with them during the war know such people. If all the paperwork is there, I believe that is why through the Ministry of Defence and War Veterans, the issue is going to be attended to. We cannot ignore the descendants of our war veterans. Their children will be sent to school and their families will be supported. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHINAKE: Thank you Hon. President. My question is directed to the Leader of the House. We have been facing power outages for a number of years because of the refurbishment of the Hwange Thermal Power Station. My question is, is there any headway regarding that issue? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION, PUBLICITY AND BROADCASTING SERVICES (HON. SEN. MUTSVANGWA): Thank you Madam President. I would like to thank Hon. Sen. Chinake who asked a question which pertains to load shedding. He also mentioned that he appreciates and sees the work that is being done at Hwange, Kariba and other power stations.
The Second Republic started a good job of industrializing so that we receive foreign direct investment. For that to happen, we need to have enough power through the wisdom of President E.D Mnangagwa as the Head of the Second Republic through engagement and re-engaging with companies.
There are a lot of projects at Hwange Power Station which are being done by private companies, so we appreciate President E.D Mnangagwa’s wisdom. We have a lot of electricity; we believe that as time goes on we will end up exporting electricity. At the moment, we are importing electricity from Mozambique and South Africa. His Excellency was also talking to the President of Zambia regarding electricity. We have a lot of ongoing projects and if we have the time to visit the Hwange Thermal Power Station, even the Kariba Hydro Electric Station; they are working on that project so that all the eight units would start generating electricity.
What I would want you to know is that at one point Zimbabwe was consuming only 1000 megawatts, but with the growth of industries the building and construction of factories, now we need 1800 megawatts - which means that gap will be found whilst we are working at developing what is there.
We have never produced the wheat like we have produced this year. This was only seen in 2004, we do not want to import wheat but this means that the demand for electricity will be high, that is why we are facing challenges.
We also have such a challenge through ZESA and ZERA, which is because of distribution challenges. As a farmer, I know that sometimes it is not because of load shedding but because of vandalism and pilfering of copper cables and other equipment. So we need to create employment through these projects so that the industries also operate. I thank you.
HON. SEN. KOMICHI: I would like to direct my question to the Leader of Government Business. There is an issue which is really affecting me, the welfare of civil servants particularly teachers who are earning ZWL45 000, which according to the black market rate is around USD45 per month, multiply that by 1,2 which means in a year they earn only USD450. This means that their livelihoods are in a bad state; this is where they are supposed to pay for their rentals, food, medication, clothing and other things. This is quite difficult to assume that someone can survive on that. So my question is - does Government consider looking at the welfare of civil servants, especially the teachers so that they have decent livelihoods? I thank you.
HON. SEN. MUTSVANGWA: I would like to thank Hon. Sen. Komichi who expressed concern pertaining to the salaries which are inadequate. It is an issue that the Government is seized with and this is because Government is the people and the people are the Government.
The Good welfare of our people speaks to Government. That is why you find projects like the Pfumvudza initiative which aims at securing food. This is also the reason why you find BEAM projects which assist school going children in paying schools fees.
The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, having noted the difficulties during examination time, decided to extend the period of payment of examination fees - that is quite an issue which is reversal. It is not limited to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education but it is a result of the volatility of the Zimbabwean currency. However, I would like to promise this august House that Government is seized with the issue and is doing a lot of things to solve that.
I am happy that in this august House we have the Minister of Finance and Economic Development because this is the Ministry which is working on stabilising the Zimbabwean currency which is being affected by saboteurs. The President spoke about different measures that are going to be done so that we stabilise our local currency.
There are a lot of programmes and initiatives that the Government is also doing. Sometimes we do not look at what is happening in our country but we just want to look at the negatives only. In Harare alone, there is always congestion, whether it is in the morning, afternoon or evening; an environment for the growth of our economy for entrepreneurs to expedite their businesses.
Our teachers are very important because we are who we are because of the the teachers’ input. Everyone has gone through the education system, these are very important people. When we were growing up in the rural areas, everything that we needed, we went to the teachers who were there for us. We respect them because they are important to us.
There are a lot of intervention measures that are being done, so let me say the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education would come to explain what is happening in schools but I believe the Minister of Finance and Economic Development should present a Ministerial Statement regarding different processes that are happening, like the gold coins and other stabilization mechanisms. I thank you.
HON. SEN. PHUGENI: Thank you Madam President for the opportunity. Thank you Minister. I think I speak for everyone. Minister, something is happening in our country. I am saying this in solidarity with women. The violence we are seeing is unprecedented. My supplementary question is...
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I was confused by what you are saying. I was trying to listen. Can you please come up with the supplementary question?
HON. SEN. PHUGENI: My supplementary question is, the Minister says the wellbeing of our citizens is paramount as far as Government is concerned. She says there is a big concern that our people have food and their basic needs are met but my concern is everything is now priced in USD...
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I think that one is not a supplementary question to the original question which was asked. If you have another question, you can sit down and I will give you a chance to bring your own question, not as supplementary question.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: Thank you Madam President. My question is directed to the Deputy Minister of Local Government. Madam President, we are fast getting closer to the commencement of the rain season and we are all aware of the dangers that are associated with the rain season. In view of that, may the Hon. Minister honour this august House by explaining the state of Government preparedness to fight the dangers that are associated with the rain season? May the Minister also explain the programmes and strategies that the Government is going to put in place to make sure that it improves disaster risk management as opposed to fire fighting? I thank you Madam President?
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. CHOMBO): Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity. I would want to thank the Hon. Senator who asked a pertinent question. We know the status of the nation as a result of the global warming or climate change, Zimbabwe has also been a victim of climate change especially through Cyclone Idai in Manicaland. This came whilst we were not prepared. At the moment, Government is constructing a centre at Makombe Building which will be used by the whole SADC region which is responsible for detecting early warning signs regarding climate issues. This will be done by different specialised units which are responsible for looking at what happens in the atmosphere particularly on climate related issues. Structures normally work with traditional leadership. When we were affected by Cyclone Idai, we did not have enough information but now having noted that we have traditional leadership who know what happens on the ground, we decided that they need to be empowered with cellphones and communication tools so that they inform district development coordinators and other Government officials who will be there to intervene as soon as possible. Let me promise this august House that we also work with the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education which uses drones and other gadgets. So I would like to inform the House that Government is prepared for disasters. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIRONGOMA: Thank you Madam President. I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Transport. Looking at the development that is taking place, what is Government’s plans regarding refurbishment of long existing airports because this speaks to investment in different businesses?
*THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Madam President of Senate. I would like to thank Sen. Chirongoma who raised a pertinent issue. I would like to thank him for appreciating the good work that is being done during the Second Republic. We also thank His Excellency, President E. D. Mnangagwa for the good job that he is doing which is being seen by the public. The question is rich regarding how we can relate with other countries through domestic and international tourism so that domestic tourists can have access to resort areas through the different airports. For instance, the Senator comes from Mashonaland West and we have Kariba Airport which used to be very busy. Let me inform this House that Government is looking at all our airports. There are a lot of visits that are taking place. Those who know the Robert Gabriel International Airport, Government is busy refurbishing these airports so that international airlines would be found coming, even for smaller ports like Kariba, Hwange, Mutare and others. We are working on making sure that those who alight from the bigger international Airports like the Joshua Nqabuko can even travel from such to smaller airports. Thank you for raising such an important issue. When we speak of our airspace and road network, these are important networks and I believe that your question speaks to the development of our nation. This is where we get our wealth and growth of the economy. I believe that this question is important to Government so that we bring development to Zimbabwe. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: My question is directed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development. There are a lot of road accidents in our roads which lead to road carnage and loss of life for both local people and travellers from outside the country. What plans are there to cleanse these black-spots in terms of traditional rituals?
*THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): I would like to thank Hon. Senator Tongogara who spoke passionately about the intervention of spiritual mediums. I believe that when we rehabilitate our roads, we come to some point where we honour our traditional and indigenous knowledge systems. At times you construct some infrastructure and you find this not thriving for different reasons. When we identify such places, we sit down with our traditional leadership from that particular area. Some traditional leaders say that before construction of any project start; let us first look into it.
We believe that we have chiefs in this august House; if they want to do anything so that we develop our nation. I believe that we know of such places and we have noted that year in, year out, you find accidents happening in the same spots. In our culture, we give the opportunity to traditional leadership so that they deal with such spiritual issues. As the Ministry of Transport, we know these places and we work with our traditional leadership so that they guide us. I thank you.
*THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I believe that they want to say if you have not started working on the cleansing, maybe we will continue to have accidents happening, what would you do?
*HON. MHONA: I have colleagues in this august House. I do not know whether this should be directed to the Ministry of Local Government or Home Affairs but our Ministry is responsible for road rehabilitation and road construction but when it speaks to spiritual issues, I believe this should fall under other ministries.
*THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE (HON. KAZEMBE): I believe that I cannot respond to the satisfaction of the House beyond what the Minister of Transport has already said. I believe he addressed the question properly. There are such areas which were mentioned and we go through our local leadership because we value such customs. As people who look after shrines and heritage sites, when we come through challenges, we go through traditional leadership which guides us and we follow behind them. I thank you.
HON. SEN. PHUGENI: At least the Minister of Finance is here, so accordingly the question goes to him. The Senate has been correctly asking about the runaway inflation and what the Government is doing to cushion our people against it. Madam President of the Senate wrote a letter to the Ministry to come and address the Senate on the matter. The Minister responded by saying he requests an opportunity to address the National Assembly first, thereafter the Minister would come here and address the Senate on the matter. Suffice to say all that has not happened but the runaway inflation continues.
What makes matters worse is that there are now shops that do not take the local currency. If reports are to be believed, they say Government has given a go ahead for school fees to be paid in USD. My question Minister is; where are our people supposed to get the USD to transact with? Seeing that the shops now refuse local currency and only trade in USD and also seeing that school fees have to be paid in USD, where do our people access this USD from?
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: (HON. CHIDUWA): Thank you Madam President, I would also like to thank the Hon. Sen. for asking a pertinent question regarding prices. I would like to say that for our nation, pricing and inflation are issues which can be controlled if our industry is running and there is production and exporting instead of importing products. The obtaining situation is that as a nation, the greatest challenge we have is the escalation of prices. Why are prices rising every day? The first thing is, because we have a volatile exchange rate. If we look at the two exchange rates, the official exchange rate which comes from the auction system and the parallel market rate which happens in the black market, the parallel market rate happens when we look at the basic fundamentals being flouted. If we look at the situation from November to December 2018, as government, we resolved not to borrow from the RBZ. There was no recourse from the RBZ, which is a situation in the past that was contributing to the escalation of prices. We know that our nation is under sanctions and we decided to live within our means. We are running a balanced budget and when you look at our income and expenditure, there is not much difference from 2018. We have not exceeded 3% deficit but we have a budget deficit of 1.3% in line with the agreed targets. Looking at what we are getting as foreign currency, we have a current account surplus. These are basic fundamentals which determine the exchange rate but why is the exchange rate rising? This shows that there is economic speculation which is the major problem because there are people who believe that trading in foreign currency is the business that we should be seized with but as a nation we are supposed to produce goods and services and not parallel market activities. So, the biggest challenge is the parallel market.
So what have we done as government to control price escalation? I did mention that they rise because of imported inflation like what is happening in Russia and Ukraine. As Government, I am sure you heard a Presidential Policy Statement which says let us look at pricing for those who are developing roads, dams, airports and other projects. We noted that the challenge that we faced was the forward pricing where people charged an anticipated price surmised on when they would complete their projects factoring in the exchange rate for forward pricing and government has moved to manage money supply growth which is at zero percent. Currently, people may be saying they do not want the Zim-dollar but everyone is looking for it but it is not readily available because as Treasury and monetary authorities, we went and focused on money creation. Everyone has the US dollar and wants to convert it to the Zim-dollar which is scarce. The rate on the parallel market has drastically gone down. Some are using 600 as the exchange rate. On Tuesday, the auction rate was 550 and on the parallel market it was 600. There is a small discrepancy between the rates but you find some using extreme rates. We will continue holding the money supply. We have created demand for the Zim-dollar, so I do not know where this is coming from that there are some people who are not having access to money. There are some shops who are not taking the US dollar because of its strength. It affects the growth of business and we believe that in the medium term we will unite on the stability which is prevailing.
You also mentioned that school fees should be paid in US dollars only but that is against government policy. It was pronounced that we are now using both the US dollar and the Zimbabwean dollar. Where we are charging in US dollars, all parties should allow payment in Zim- dollars using the existing auction rate. Where people are charging exclusively in US dollars, that becomes a crime which needs civil penalties. Hon. Senator, this is the current position.
The other issue which you might have wanted addressed is the stability in the rationalization of invoices which I mentioned. As government, we are paying all contractors. We know our contractual obligation and our accounting officers are going to ensure that rationalization is done where invoices were given using forward pricing. We will continue to honour our obligations and that is the position we have as government. Thank you Hon. Senator.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: The Hon Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Hon. D Musabayana has joined us.
*HON. SEN. ENG. MUDZURI: Hon. Minister, you responded to the question but you did not address the key issue in the question that in some shops you are told that you cannot buy goods if you do not have the US dollar. The question is; what happens and how are you going to address that because that person is paid in Zim-dollars? I saw that happening in rural areas and wondered how the elderly are surviving and how they get the US dollars to buy commodities in shops. How are you going to address that?
THE HON DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I thought the Minister said it is illegal and government can institute civil penalties.
*HON. SEN. ENG. MUDZURI: The Minister said that but we want an answer from Government on how they are going to do it because it is happening now. It is happening in schools and this is a question which was raised and needs to be responded to.
*HON. CHIDUWA: I would like to thank Hon. Sen. Mudzuri for the question that there are people being denied commodities because they do not have USD. I believe this is a problem of coverage and we are not represented in all areas. The Financial Intelligence Unit under the RBZ works with the law enforcement agents. We have a Ministry hotline which is published in newspapers where cases similar to this are reported. When we receive such information or reports, we update our records. As of now, we have penalised some companies for amounts ranging from US$50 000-60 000.00 – these were charging in USD exclusively. We are fining perpetrators and it is a matter of time, we are going to allow the hand of the law to stretch far and wide so that we correct this anomaly so that there is market discipline. I thank you.
HON. SEN. ENG. MUDZURI: I move that the time for questions without notice be extended by 15 minutes.
HON. SEN. KOMICHI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
HON. SEN. ENG. MUDZURI: On a point of order, may you Hon. President assist us by ensuring that the Minister of Finance comes here to give a statement on gold coins; he did not respond to that question. We would like to know when he is going to come and tell us about gold coins and the utility stabilisation that it is going to give us.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Let me put things in perspective. I think we had two consecutive weeks when questions were raised which required the Minister of Finance to respond. In one of the sessions, Hon. Minister Mutsvangwa did her best but the relevant Minister was not there. The President of Senate wrote to the Minister of Finance requesting that he comes to address the Senate on the issues raised by the Hon. Senators. The Minister responded and said that he is just about to make a Mid-Term Fiscal Statement in the National Assembly and he would gladly address the Senate if his Mid-Term Fiscal Statement does not cover the issues which we raised. I presume the Minister of Finance is coming here next week and he will be able to address the issues that we raised.
*HON. SEN. SIPANI-HUNGWE: My question is directed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development. I would like to know whether the Ministry follow up on contractors who are given road construction contracts. There are some contractors who are not meeting their goal and some have a steady progress. I will give the example of the Kadoma-Sanyati Road – we call it Jompani. It has been a number of years and there is no progress. This road is in a very bad state.
*THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Hon. Sen. Hungwe has raised a very pertinent question on whether we do some monitoring and evaluation. In our Ministry, we have resident engineers or specialists who are always on site during road maintenance or rehabilitation. Our Government put in a measure that before the contractor is paid, we need to ascertain whether Government is getting value for our money. I am happy that today the Minister for Policy Implementation (Hon. Dr. Gumbo) is present in this august House. He is responsible for monitoring and evaluating on all Government projects where Government has invested. His Ministry is seized with making follow ups on such projects to ascertain whether contractors are doing what is expected of them. This means that those who are underperforming and not doing their duties, they pack their bags and go and they are not paid.
This road is called the Golden Valley Sanyati Road and I am aware of it. We have been through that road and it is indeed a challenge that we have faced and seen. What His Excellency President E. D. Mnangagwa normally says about development, you will find Hon. President that there are a few people who perform? Some say that they are able to bring development but you find others failing along the way. As Zimbabweans, I would like to urge our contractors to work hard. We do not have to waste each other’s time. The laws that we enacted in this august House which state that the lowest bidder is given the responsibility, some come Nicodemously charging low prices claiming that they are able to do the job but you find them failing along the way. So I would like to urge legislators that we need to enact tougher laws that will be prohibitive to people who take advantage of the system. I am going to take up that task of the Golden Valley-Sanyati Road. Our team will come to address the situation on that road. I thank you. – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] –
HON. SEN. B. MPOFU: Thank you Mr. President for allowing me to ask this question. My question is directed to the Minister of Finance and Economic Development. The real estate community in Zimbabwe was happy to find out that Government launched the Real Estate Investment Trust this year which are called REITS and because of that, I think what has been happening is that there has been a lot of interest around REITS. I want to find out what programme the Ministry has to ensure that there is a good uptake of REITS and that a lot of people get to understand the new asset that has been launched by Government. I thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHIDUWA): Thank you so much Mr. President and thank you Hon. Sen. Mpofu for the question. I think the question is in line with what has been presented already. The thrust of Government is in ensuring that we develop our country. I am happy especially with the presentation that was made by His Excellency last week when we were in Victoria Falls, when he stated that the Government constitutes 76% of effective demand that is in the country, meaning to say that in terms of business consumption, 76% is coming from Government.
Then looking at real estate, looking at one of the priority areas in the National Development Strategy 1, which is that on housing and amenities, it is very clear that in terms of the development thrust of the country, we want to develop real estates and specifically looking at what you just said to say, what are we doing to ensure that we promote uptake, interest in real estate? This is where we are saying, what should we do to ensure that our people are going to participate? I am saying this in line with what has just been presented by Hon. Minister Mhona to say we want our people to participate but in order for them to be able to participate, they need to be in a position to provide quality service. So our position is, our people should take advantage of what we are coming up with in the market in terms of policy pronouncements and opportunities.
So in terms of the other strategies that we are going to come up with, this is work in progress and I am hoping that the sector is going to take advantage of the growth that we are seeing as a country. I submit Mr. President.
*HON. SEN. G. MOYO: Thank you Mr. President Sir, my question is directed to the Minister of Finance and Economic Development. When you move around the shops, you will find that there are no prices displayed. May you explain why there are no price tags on goods that are displayed in shops?
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: The question is on displaying of prices or lack of it.
*THE HON. DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHIDUWA): Thank you Mr. President and thank you for the pertinent question Hon. Sen. Moyo. The question is in line with the Consumer Protection Act and the provisions of Statutory Instrument S.I. 127 that were then incorporated in the Finance Bill where the Government is very clear that we should display prices. What is critical for all our retailers, wholesalers and all those who are into the provisions of goods and services is Government policy that prices that are being charged should be displayed and any violation to that, there is again civil penalties that are associated with it. So, we are saying to those who do not display prices, and this is in line with what I said that we have financial intelligence unit teams and other law enforcement agencies who are on the ground, to ascertain the compliance but if you ask a shop owner who tells you that the price of an item is this much in USD and this much in ZWL, you may find an implied rate but in a case when you see that this is beyond the permissible rate, then you need to inform our Ministry and penalise such shops. This is what we are doing. What I said is that without displaying price tags then they will be committing an offence. I thank you.
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE in terms of Standing Order Number 67.
WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
PLANS TO RESUSCITATE DDF TILLAGE UNIT PROGRAMME
- HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI asked the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs in charge of Implementation and Monitoring to give an update on plans that have been put in place by Government to resuscitate the District Development Fund Tillage Unit Programme in the country.
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PRESIDENTIAL AFFAIRS IN CHARGE OF IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING (HON. DR. J. GUMBO): Mr. President, I would like to thank Hon. Chimbudzi for asking this important question. Madam President, the DDF plays a critical role in the provision of tillage services to resettled farmers including ploughing, disking, planting and fertilizer spreading.
However, there has been a gradual decrease in the number of tillage tractors and related equipment due to extensive use and the limited maintenance budget. From a peak of up to 800 tractor units, the number of serviceable units has declined to around 100. In addition to the rehabilitation of existing equipment, DDF would require the following categories of new equipment in order to meet the tillage requirements countrywide:
- 100 tractors (90 horse power);
- 90 ploughs;
- 90 planters (4 row);
- 180 Rhome discs (24 discs); and
- 30 vicon spreaders.
With the current limited fleet, the fund has managed to plough 2 000 hectares throughout the country under the food and security cluster.
Mr. President, recapitalization process, the institution will be a beneficiary of tractors and other appropriate implements being sources from Belarus and Brazil. The DDF has so far benefited 18 tractors and 9 seed drills from Belarus Scheme.
Mr. President, I am grateful that Hon. Members are sufficiently seized with the plight of DDF in respect of its recapitalization. I am hopeful that the situation will improve as a result of the positive interventions by Treasury. I thank you.
SPARE PARTS FOR BOREHOLES IN NEED OF SERVICING
- HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI asked the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs in Charge of Implementation and Monitoring to inform the House the measures put in place to provide spare parts for boreholes that require servicing.
THE MINISTER FOR STATE FOR PRESIDENTIAL AFFAIRS IN CHARGE OF IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING (HON. DR. J. GUMBO): Mr. President, the District Development Fund is also responsible for this provision of primary water services to the disadvantaged rural populace through the following activities:
- Drilling, maintenance and rehabilitation of existing water points;
- Repair and rehabilitation of existing water points;
- Development and rehabilitation of piped water schemes;
- Construction and rehabilitation of small earth dams; and
- Development and rehabilitation of small scale irrigation schemes.
The Water Division within DDF has been relying on 10 drilling rigs for use countrywide. At independence, the Water Division had 32 rigs (4 per province) and commanding 50 000 water points. It is important to note that during this period, the division was getting assistance from international donors. Currently, the institution relies on 10 drilling rigs only.
It is our vision that each of the eight provinces has at least four drilling rigs in order to meet the demand for boreholes. In addition, there is also the problem of geo-physical equipment which is used for boreholes siting. While the idea is to have four of these per province, the unit currently has three units of such equipment donated by UNICEF. The availability of this equipment will reduce the risks of failed jobs since information about geological formations and hydrogeology probability is provided in advance.
Mr. President, Treasury avails a budget to DDF every year to cater for the repair and rehabilitation of boreholes countrywide. The budget covers the procurement of tools and spares for borehole repairs. For the 2022 financial year, Treasury allocated ZWL100 million for the repair and rehabilitation of hand pumps.
Mr. President, the DDF has through public-private partnerships such as the WASH Programme, been involved in spearheading initiatives that empower rural communities to manage their water resources. As a result, the communities are able to sources spares to repair minor breakdowns, and only alert the DDF for major breakdowns.
Mr. President, development partners have also played an important role to complement Government efforts in providing clean water to communities through the provision of spares and tools for borehole rehabilitation. I am also happy to report that DDF has adopted user friendly water provision technology through scaling up the establishment of solarised piped water schemes. Such schemes are not only user friendly but serve a higher number of households. A programme is therefore in progress to replace hand pumps with solar pumping systems. Madam President, I wish to inform the House that as at May 2022, a total of 120 boreholes have been drilled while 1 480 boreholes have been repaired and 73 having been totally rehabilitated.
PLANS IN PLACE BY COUNCILS TO ENSURE ROAD PAVEMENTS ARE ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
- HON. SEN. MANYAU asked the Minister of Local Government and Public Works to explain to the house the plans put in place by councils to ensure that road pavements are accessible to people with disabilities given the current poor road terrain.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. CHOMBO): Mr. President, I would like to inform this august House that in most councils, current by- laws and policies have provisions that cater for people living with disabilities (such as wheel chair ramps on road intersections). I am pleased to advise that the Ministry, in collaboration with the office of the Attorney-General, is currently in the process of coming up with model by-laws that address emerging and contemporary issues and in order to ensure that the process is all-encompassing, key local authority personnel like Gender Foal persons have been incorporated so that the by –laws have a strong component of gender responsiveness as a cross-cutting issue.
Further to that, the Ministry, in collaboration with Gender Link, is also coming up with a Gender responsive budgeting template which local authorities should use in their budget process to cater for the needs of the disabled including the issue of accessibility not only to pavements but to buildings as well. The template has since been piloted to some local authorities and is presently being fine-tuned before rollout to all the 92 local authorities.
Among other indicators, the budget template seeks to draw out information on all people living with disabilities so that as councils come up with their 2023 estimate of expenditure, they do so with such people in mind. So, the issues raised by the Hon. Senator are being addressed by the Ministry.
I also want to urge Hon. Senators and indeed the House that it is the duty of us as civic leaders to continue to engage with our local authorities as we seek to explore ways to ameliorate the welfare of the disadvantaged members of our society. The solution may not be a one-size fits all; hence the need to continue to engage and share ideas.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MATHUTHU: 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 on today’s Order Paper have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. MPOFU: I second.
Motion put and agreed.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that Order of the Day, Number 2 on today’s Order Paper be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. MATHUTHU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE THEMATIC COMMITTEE ON GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT ON THE BENCHMARK VISIT TO RWANDA
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Thematic Committee on Gender and Development on the benchmarking visit to Rwanda on women participation in leadership, politics, decision-making positions and women empowerment in the socio-economic sector.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. CHINAKE: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MATHUTHU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 23rd August, 2022.
MOTION
PROVISION OF FUNDS FOR COMPLETION OF DAM CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the need for Government to provide adequate funds for the completion of dam projects.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. KHUMALO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 23rd August 2022.
MOTION
PARENTING AND EMBRACING A RECEPTIVE CULTURE FOR CHILDREN LIVING IN THE STREETS
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on vulnerable children living in the streets.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MATHUTHU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 23rd August 2022.
MOTION
POLICIES THAT ADDRESS AND PLUG LOOPHOLES RELATED TO TAX EVASION
Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on policies that address and plug loopholes on tax evasions, illicit financial flows and corruption.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. CHINAKE: Thank you Mr. President. I need to thank all the senators who debated on this motion. Again, I say this motion was crucial and very important to this country and to this House. Mr. President, most countries are doing very well on their minerals in their countries and supporting their people by these minerals. Why not in this country, where we are suffering but we have got so many minerals which are in Zimbabwe which are being mined and sold in other countries. Mr. President, we cannot let our people suffer while we are having the best minerals in the word. I hope that this House have done their job and debated enough. We are hoping to see a change and getting attention from the Government on this item. I thank you and I move that the motion be adopted.
Motion that:
NOTING that Zimbabwe is endowed with various mineral wealth such as gold, diamond, granite, lithium, which are critical for attainment of an upper middle class economy in line with the 2030 vision;
FURTHER NOTING that the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development has a target to achieve a US12 billion mining sector by 2023;
CONCERNED that the mining sector is experiencing serious challenges on issues like tax evasion, illicit financial flows and corruption, which are detrimental to economic development:
NOW, THEREFORE, this House calls upon Government to craft policies that address and plug loopholes related to tax evasion, illicit financial flows and corruption in the sector thereby promoting transparency and accountability of revenue generated, put and agreed to.
On the motion of HON. SEN. MUZENDA, seconded by HON. SEN. MATHUTHU, the Senate adjourned at Two Minutes past Four o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 23rd August, 2022.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 17th August, 2022
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
PETITIONS RECEIVED FROM MR. EDWIN MOYO AND SHUPIKAI CHIKAMBA
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that on 14 August, 2022, Parliament received a petition from Mr. Edwin Moyo of Constan Farm, Plot 1 Karoi, against the Hurungwe District Lands Committee. The petitioners have not met the requirements stipulated in the Standing Orders and the petition was deemed inadmissible. The petitioners have since been informed accordingly.
I also have to inform the House that on 14th August, 2022 Parliament received a petition from Shupikai Chikamba of Rushinga Primary School Mt. Darwin requesting Parliament to assist him in getting the dues he worked for whilst he was a Zimbabwe National Army employee. The petitioners have not met the requirements stipulated in the Standing Orders and the petition was deemed inadmissible. The petitioners have since been informed accordingly.
VISITORS IN THE SPEAKER’S GALLERY
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have to acknowledge the presence in the Speaker’s Gallery of students and teachers from Hippo Valley Estates Primary School in Masvingo Province who are on a study tour. You are most welcome thank you.
APOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM MINISTERS
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have a list of apologies from Hon. Ministers and Deputy Ministers who have sought leave of absence from the House. Hon. J. G. Moyo, Minister of Local Government and Public Works; Hon. A. Murwira, Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development; Hon. Dr. S. Kanhutu-Nzenza, Minister of Industry and Commerce; Hon. Kambamura, Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development; Hon. Maboyi, Deputy Minister for Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage; Hon. Machingura, Deputy Minister for Higher and Tertiary Education; Hon. Dr. Ndlovu, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education; Hon. E. Moyo, Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education.
HON. GONESE: Thank you Madam Speaker for recognising me. I intended to move a notice of motion and I actually sent the notice to the Clerk. I have got a copy. I followed up with the Assistant Clerk yesterday and today and I was informed that the motion was with administration. This morning I was advised that the motion was deemed inadmissible but I was not furnished with the reasons on why the motion would be deemed inadmissible.
The notice of motion which I forwarded to the administration through the Clerk of Parliament relates to the recommital of a Bill in terms of Standing Order 160 (3). As a result, Madam Speaker, I just needed clarity as to why the motion was deemed inadmissible. In addition to that, I have also noted that after the reading of the non-adverse report on the Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Bill yesterday, the matter has been placed as Order Number 32 on the Order Paper.
I am also rising on a matter of privilege because on Wednesday 27th July, Hon. Mushoriwa rose on a matter of privilege pointing out that he had been unable to participate in the debate at the Committee Stage as he was on virtual and he actually made efforts and he was eventually booted out of the platform and we have not heard a report or rather, a ruling from the office of the Chair as to what the outcome of that particular matter is. We need clarity as to whether that consideration of the Bill which is under Order No. 32 is going to proceed today. I believe that it will be inappropriate to do so because a ruling is still pending on the motion raised by Hon. Mushoriwa that Members who were on the virtual platform were unable to contribute and he sought the recommittal of the Bill back to the Committee Stage, which is the same motion on which I had given notice. I would need that clarification and guidance to enable us to know where we are going.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Gonese, you raised two issues: the first issue about your motion which you said was deemed inadmissible, I am being advised by the administration that you will be furnished with the reasons why it was deemed inadmissible.
HON. GONESE: If I can have that clarification, the reason being that it is actually related to the second issue that I raised because we must have clarity as Members and the nation needs that clarity as to whether the Bill is going to be proceeded with in light of the second issue which I also raised.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You mean the Bill or the motion? Your first issue was a motion.
HON. GONESE: That is correct Hon. Speaker. The matters are interrelated and interconnected.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You will be advised of the reasons why it was deemed inadmissible.
HON. GONESE: My point of clarification was when these reasons will be furnished to me. I do not know whether I can have that indication for my guidance.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Next week on Thursday.
HON. GONESE: I think it was important for the administration of Parliament to engage me instead of just writing ‘inadmissible’ because this motion is in fact interrelated and interconnected with a Bill which is currently before the House and it is important because that Bill has already been placed on the Order Paper when there is a pending ruling, and it is important for us to know whether the consideration of that Bill is going to proceed before the ruling which relates to it. I think it is also important for clarification if the Chair can inform me as a Member of Parliament in terms of my privileges and in terms of the provisions of Standing Order No. 72, I am entitled to know.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I think you know Hon. Gonese that the Bill was put on the Order Paper because it is the process that the Bill be put on the Order Paper in terms of the Standing Rules and Orders.
HON. GONESE: There is a pending ruling which affects the proceeding. I think that the Chair should be in a position to indicate to the Hon. Members. Hon. Mushoriwa raised a motion and the Hon. Speaker indicated that he was going to consider the matter and was going to go through the Hansard, through the recordings of the proceedings of the 26th July but up to now we are in the dark as to where we are going because it is important for us to prepare.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You will be advised in due course Hon. Gonese, of the reasons why it was deemed inadmissible.
HON. GONESE: Madam Speaker, I have now gone to the second round of my submission, I am no longer on the motion; I am now on the process which will now follow because there is a pending ruling whereby the Hon. Speaker indicated to Hon. Mushoriwa that he was going to go through the proceedings, he was going to listen to the recordings as well as the submissions made by Hon. Mushoriwa that he was unable to participate in the debate due to reasons beyond his control because he was trying to log in on the virtual platform and eventually he was booted out; he was not physical in the House. There is a hybrid system whereby Members can participate either virtually or physical - that is where I am.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You are saying the Member was not able...
HON. GONESE: He actually submitted that, it is in the public domain, it was raised in this august House and his submissions are on record.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: And the Hon. Speaker made a ruling on that?
HON. GONESE: He did not make a ruling; he said he was going to make a ruling.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: And the Hon. Speaker promised to make a ruling on that?
HON. GONESE: Yes, that is what we are still waiting for. We want to know in the absence of the ruling what is going to happen and what is the effect of the consideration on the Order Paper.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: And he is yet to make a ruling.
HON. GONESE: Yes.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: So you must wait for the ruling.
HON. GONESE: Madam Speaker, we are not on the same page.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: The Bill is on the Order Paper because it is the process that the Bill must be on the Order Paper.
HON. GONESE: It is the fate of the consideration which is slotted for today. We do not want to be caught by surprise, we need clarity and a clear picture of what is taking place.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Gonese, I am telling you that the Bill is on the Order Paper because it is the process that it must be on the Order Paper.
HON. GONESE: We will cross the bridge when we get there.
HON. MUSHORIWA: On a point of order Madam Speaker?
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order? We do not allow points of order on Wednesdays.
HON. MUSHORIWA: No, point of clarity from what you are saying. Madam Speaker, the net effect of the ruling by the Hon. Speaker was that pending the ruling of the Hon. Speaker, it meant that the process was supposed to be actually suspended until the Hon. Speaker has actually made a ruling.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Who told you that the process was going to be suspended?
HON. MUSHORIWA: That is what the Hon. Speaker said. If you read the Hansard, the Hon. Speaker said he was going to listen to the audio and I am just hoping that you also have had the chance to listen to the audio where the Leader of the House denied Members of Parliament to contribute to a debate in Committee Stage of a vital Bill, which is a PVO Bill which Members had debated extensively in the Second Reading. When the Speaker made a ruling, his ruling was to suspend any progress of that Bill pending his ruling unless you are saying the Speaker made a ruling, which ruling has not been made public to us.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I hear you Hon. Mushoriwa, on that issue, we will talk about it tomorrow. I promise you that we will talk about it tomorrow so that today we will not waste time for questions.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
HON. MARKHAM: On a point of order Madam Speaker. Hon. Speaker, you have mentioned that eight Ministers are absent and have given their apologies, so people on Zoom are under the illusion that we have the Ministers here when they are not. Can we have the names of the Ministers who are here for the benefit of the people on Zoom?
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Markham, I do not think we have to waste time doing that.
HON. T. MLISWA: On a point of order Madam Speaker. Since Hon. Ziyambi who is the Leader of Government Business is not present, may we know who the Leader of Government Business is so that we know where to direct our questions. It is important for us to know.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Minister Mutsvangwa will be the Acting Leader of Government Business.
HON. MASENDA: My question is directed to the Leader of the House. Is the Minister aware that due to high cost of agricultural inputs, many farmers will not be able to make it back to the field for the coming season? What policy measures are you putting in place in order to ensure that production of agriculture produce is not going to be negatively affected? Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION, PUBLICITY AND BROADCASTING SERVICES (HON. SEN. MUTSVANGWA): Thank you very much Madam Speaker. I would like to thank Hon. Masenda for that very important question which is directed to the Minister of Agriculture. The issue he is raising is very fundamental to food security in our country. He is concerned about high prices of inputs which may actually impede farmers from producing in the coming season. The policy of Government is to make sure that we produce our own food, not just for Zimbabwe but we want to go back to where Zimbabwe used to be, to the breadbasket of the region. There is a lot of effort being put into agriculture because agriculture is business and it is being tackled as such. There is the Command Agriculture which is continuing but it is now under banks. There is also the Presidential Inputs through the Pfumvudza Programme which will make a lot of our households be able to plant crops for us to have food security.
Madam Speaker, on the issue to do with current stability, Government is very much seized with it to make sure that it is not just about inputs when we talk about inflation, but it is about price hikes and this is affecting our people in many ways. Obviously, we are aware as Government and a lot of measures have been put in place to make sure that we stabilise our currency so that at least inflation will be controlled. I thank you – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order.
HON. MASENDA: Thank you Madam Speaker. My supplementary question is, continuing to increase prices of agriculture produce will bring about high inflation. Would the Minister consider subsidising seed and fertilizers in order to encourage farmers to continue producing at a higher level? Thank you.
HON. SEN. MUTSVANGWA: Thank you very much Madam Speaker. I want to thank Hon. Masenda who I really think is very much concerned about an issue which every Zimbabwean and Government is seized with - the issue of making sure that we have food security in our country. No Government would sit back when there is no food in the country and there is a lot of work and measures that have been put in place. His question is directed to the Minister of Agriculture about subsidies and on that I would kindly ask him to put the in writing because he is talking about the measures which the Minister is going to take and the Minister can come to this august House and give a statement. The policy is to make sure that our people go back to farming. Thank you.
HON. T. MLISWA: My point of order is that it is a very critical matter. First of all, the Minister must come with the current maize delivery to GMB and you will realise that not a lot of maize has been delivered to GMB and the next question is why? It is because the price is terrible and the point that Hon. Masenda is bringing up is the fact that we are not taking maize to GMB because the price is low. How then can we buy fertilizer to be back onto the field? So it is a serious matter that needs to be looked into because all the farmers who are serious are hanging onto their maize, which means Government will be forced to import yet people are sitting with maize instead of Government paying the farmers USD280.00 per tonne and then you have dealt with the aspect of food security and you have dealt with the aspect of the farmers going back to the field. Anybody who is a farmer here will agree that we have got a Government that wants to make foreign farmers richer than the local farmers and how can the land reform be successful if the price of the commodities and the products is not up to world standard. The farmers deserve to be given what belongs to them because of the sweat they put in. So, if the ministerial statement can also talk about the current maize delivered, you will see that it is less. People are just holding onto their maize and we need a fair deal for the farmers. Thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Masenda, I advise you to put your question in writing so that the Hon. Minister will bring a comprehensive answer to your question.
HON. MADIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. My question is directed to the Minister of National Housing. What is the policy on the issuance of title deeds? In this regard, I might also want to know the progress made regarding the issuance of title deeds?
THE MINISTER OF NATIONAL HOUSING AND SOCIAL AMENITIES (HON. GARWE): Thank you Madam Speaker. Let me thank the Hon. Member for the pertinent question. The issue of title deeds is an issue that is work in progress. The issue of title deeds consists of several ministries. We have got the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities, the Ministry of Local Government and the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education. What we are doing now is that we have started with identifying areas that require the issuance of title deeds.
We have got three categories and the first category is the houses where people had houses before independence like Mabvuku, Highfield and Mbare and the second category are people that were settled after independence like Glen View, Budiriro and so forth. The third categories are the informal settlements like Caledonia, Harare South and so on. We are starting with the first and second category because they are easier to deal with and as we speak, the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education has finished doing mapping using the geospatial planning and space urgency approach. We have done mapping and we have identified people that are legitimately on the ground and people that are illegitimate. Those that are illegitimate or those that built in the way of schools and other services will be relocated to other areas but it is work in progress. Thank you.
+HON. L. SIBANDA: My question is directed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development. We are thankful for the endeavours you have taken to rehabilitate the roads. My question is what measures have you put in place since you are now going into the rainy season? The roads have been graded and with the rainy season, it becomes muddy. The roads from Bulawayo to Nkayi and Tsholotsho, if those roads are not rehabilitated, it means that there cannot be any link between Bulawayo, Tsholotsho and Nkayi. I thank you Hon. Minister.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Madam Speaker. I would like to thank Hon. Sibanda for that pertinent question. She was making reference to some roads that we are reconstructing. Some of the roads have detours and at the moment they say they are not finding people that are constructing these roads. I am grateful that I have been given this opportunity to say that we now have funding to add on to what the Ministry of Transport was allocated. It means we are going to act with speed to ensure that we reconstruct all the roads that we were attending to.
Last week I met Provincial Road Engineers and they gave me a list of such roads in all our provinces; the roads that we started, the roads that we intend to construct and those that this august House said should be constructed. From this week onwards, you will see my officials running to ensure our contractors are back on the ground as they ensure that they look into these roads and maintain especially the roads that the Hon. Member has referred to such as Gwanda-Maphisa, Nkayi-Bulawayo and Mkoba. Kadoma, we are also going there. There is one which is Hon Biti’s favourite - Marondera-Musami, we are also going there. Murambinda-Birchnough is one of the roads that we are going to move back on site. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: All Hon. Members who are not wearing face masks, may you please go and pick up your face masks – [AN HON MEMBER: Chief Whip havana mask.] -
HON. BITI: My question is directed to the esteemed Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Hon. Winston Chitando. Since when it is Government policy that mining concessions are now being given in communal lands, irrespective of the rights of traditional and community leaders and some of the concessions and mining rights are actually being given over graveyards, cemeteries and people’s fields in communal lands? When did it become Government policy that the Mines and Minerals Acts will override the Communal Lands Act and the power of traditional chiefs and communities in rural areas? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF MINES AND MINING DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHITANDO): I would like to thank Hon. Biti for the question which relates to the issuance of mining title and would like to assure the Hon. Member that all mining titles are issued in accordance with the provisions of the Mines and Minerals Act and if there are any particular cases which the Hon. Member is aware of where title has been issued in contravention of the Mines and Minerals Act, I urge him to approach my office and the cases will be reviewed accordingly.
HON. BITI: There are cases that are common cause and I give him the examples of mining concessions for black granite that have been given to Chinese companies in Mutoko area. I give examples of mining concessions that have been given to Chinese companies in the Hwange National Park, Dinde area over cemeteries. I give examples again of the Hlengwe-Hlangani land in Chiredzi where again mining concessions have been given to some white interest. The examples are many. My question has not been answered – why is he allowing the Mines and Minerals Act to override the Communal Lands Act?
HON. CHITANDO: Once again, I would like to thank Hon. Biti for the supplementary question where he cited cases in Hwange, Chiredzi and Mutoko. Firstly, starting with Chiredzi, I am not aware of any cases in Chiredzi where mining title has been issued not following the procedures of the Mines and Minerals Act. The other cases in the Hwange area, definitely being cases of mining title issued not in accordance with the Mines and Minerals Act, there are no cases which I am aware of.
We have one or two cases in Mutoko which are being reviewed by the Ministry which pertains to some issuance of mining title closer to schools and that is being reviewed. Certainly, I am not aware of any other cases in Hwange and Chiredzi. If there are any other specific cases, he is free to bring the cases to the office and that will be reviewed accordingly.
HON. NDUNA: I want to preface my supplementary question based on the power that the Mines and Minerals Act has over other subsidiary Acts. In my view, it is ultra vires the Construction Section 72 (2) (c) which says the people of Zimbabwe should be enabled to assert their right to land but the Mines and Minerals Act in its current form is too moribund, rudimentary and antiquated. It is my view however, as I go to the question, that the Mines and Minerals Act comes to the House so that we actually shred it and incorporate issues that are in sync with the Constitution.
My question is; the Mines and Minerals Act, in its current form can actually repudiate the Agrarian Reform Act (2000), which was made to give back the land to formerly marginalised black majority. When is the Mines and Minerals Act (1951) coming to Parliament so that we can actually shred it and align it to other Acts of Parliament and to the current Constitution, in particular to Section 72 (7) (c)? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF MINES AND MINING DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHITANDO): Thank you Madam Speaker. I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the question. I am sure the Hon. Member may be aware that about two weeks ago, there was an announcement that Cabinet had approved the amendments to the Mines and Minerals Act. Again, the process is drawn out and hence the amendments come to Parliament under way. Also suffice to say that in 2018, the amendments had actually been approved by Parliament but they did not get signed by His Excellency, having observed certain issues mostly concerning the administrative justice compliance in the Constitution. So these have now all been addressed and the Bill will be coming to Parliament in due course. I thank you.
HON. CHIKWINYA: Thank you Madam Speaker. My supplementary question emanates from the original question by Hon. Biti. It is with regards to the strength and conditions that come with Exclusive Prospecting Orders, wherein upon application of Exclusive Prospecting Order (EPO), the applicant now has the right over all that area that he has been applied for. The whole country has pending applications of EPOs and this is limiting land development by villagers and communal farmers. What is it that the Minister has in plan so that at least they expedite the processing of EPOs or to give back the powers to the villagers or communal farmers so that at least they can develop their land and not to be disturbed by the applications of EPOs? I thank you.
HON. CHITANDO: Thank you Madam Speaker. I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the question. I think the concerns which the Hon. Member has raised are addressed in the amendments in terms of the process in which the exclusive prospecting licences will now be issued, also in terms of once issued, the percentage which the holders have to give back to the Ministry during the tenure of the EPOs. So, those concerns are addressed in the amendments which will be coming to Parliament. I thank you.
HON. MARKHAM: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question is - what is the Ministry or the Government’s policy on replacing either the infrastructure or the liability in moving people out of land that have been mined legally or illegally? I thank you.
HON. CHITANDO: Thank you Madam Speaker. In terms of the provisions of the law, once someone is issued with a mining concession, before commencement of mining, one has to get an EIA. The EIA amongst other things interrogates how the mining process will affect the community and the remedial action plans to be taken. That is incorporated in the EIA.
To answer the Hon. Member’s question, when mining activities start, the relocation is done in accordance to the provisions of the EIA which would have been submitted to EMA. I thank you.
HON. MATHE: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare. I want to know the policy regarding street kids that are all over towns, mainly Harare and Bulawayo. These street kids affect the traffic, especially during peak hours. People have got a problem of moving because they will be all over and in front of the cars. May I know the policy regarding those street kids? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Madam Speaker. Let me thank Hon. Mathe for that important question concerning children who will be living and working on the streets, especially in Harare and Bulawayo. We have a general policy where we go out, round up the children and try to do two things; place them in children’s homes or safe places where they can be looked after or reintegrate them with their families and relatives or guardians of decent kind. Our biggest problem is that upon reintegration into the family, most of these children find their way back on the streets. We need may be to collaborate with law enforcement to make sure that as we remove the children, we also remove the adult population that is living on the streets. The responsibility for the adult population is contained in the Vagrants Act and that Act is administered differently but the Government has a policy to try and place these children in safe places where they can be taken care of and also provided with education. Thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. MATHE: Madam Speaker, while I am supposed to give my supplementary question, it is not possible to give it now because I did not hear what the Hon. Minister was saying in his response. May he say it in a louder voice? I thank you.
HON. PROF. MAVIMA: Thank you Madam Speaker. Hon. Mathe’s question was on Government’s policy on dealing with children that are found on the streets. I indicated Madam Speaker that we have a policy to find these children and do two alternatives. The first alternative is to remove them from the streets and re-unite them with their families. The second aspect is, if we do not find the relatives of these children, we take them into children’s homes. There is the famous Chambuta, which we have established in Chiredzi where we have taken quite a number of children who were found on the streets of the major cities. I was also saying Madam Speaker that in many situations, when we take these children to their families, in no time they find their way back on the streets again. I was actually saying, we may have to deal collaboratively with the Ministry of Home Affairs in order to make sure that we are removing not just the children but we are also removing the adults who are living on the streets who may be the parents or guardians of these children that find their way back on the streets. I thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. MATHE: Thank you Madam Speaker. My supplementary question is, what if the child is hit by a vehicle during peak hours. These children run across cars, selling wares or asking for money. When the child is hit by a vehicle, who is responsible? Which Ministry would not have done its job? Thank you.
HON. PROF. MAVIMA: Thank you Madam Speaker. Let me thank Hon. Mathe for the supplementary question. By saying my Ministry has responsibility to round up these children, I have actually said we have that responsibility of making sure that those children who are destitute, vulnerable and may be living on the streets are taken care of. Even when such an unfortunate thing happens, we do not abrogate our responsibility. It is our responsibility to make sure that we have found safe places for children who are living on the streets. I thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. My question goes to the Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities, Hon. Garwe. In terms of housing infrastructure development, there is a backlog of more than five million households. What is Government policy in so far as it relates to bringing down the housing backlog in terms of infrastructure development, in particular, due to the urban expansion that is currently taking place. Would it please the Minister to espouse on the housing infrastructure development as a policy to bring down the housing backlog? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF NATIONAL HOUSING AND SOCIAL AMENITIES (HON. GARWE): Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. Allow me to thank the Hon. Member for that question. Let me start by correcting the Hon. Member. The housing backlog is not five million but two million. I needed to correct that. Madam Speaker Ma’am, Government has come up with the National Human Settlements Policy, which is dealing with the issues that the Hon. Member has raised. Firstly, no houses or super structures will be constructed before the provision of services. That policy is now in action. Secondly, we have got a delivery programme which sees delivering about 220.000 housing units by year 2025 in terms of the National Development Strategy 1. To deliver those, we have now migrated from the traditional use of brick and mortar to the use of new technologies, which allows us to deliver a minimum of 100 blocks of flats per month per site. We have already employed some contractors. It has already gone through tenders. We are now starting that programme in September and October. The first phase has got five provinces and we will be delivering 500 blocks of flats every month going forward. We are on target and we will be able to deliver the 470.000 housing units that were promised by His Excellency before 2030. I thank you.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. My supplementary question is, what is Government doing with local authorities that are transgressing on building or awarding of stands without the requisite offsite infrastructure being established as the Hon. Minister has stated. Would he care to apply the sanctions in retrospect to those local authorities that are in transgression of the law that he has espoused?
THE MINISTER OF NATIONAL HOUSING AND SOCIAL AMENITIES (HON. GARWE): Thank you very much Hon. Member of Parliament. Local authorities fall under the purview of the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works. However, working together with that Ministry, we are bringing into book all those local authorities that are wayward. We know Chegutu is a case in point, we are dealing with that. I thank you.
HON. CHINYANGANYA: Thank you Madam Speaker, I want to thank the Hon. Minister for his response. My question is - what is the Government doing to convert Government rented houses to being privately owned houses? I will give an example; we have houses in Kadoma in Munhumutapa, Rimuka and in Mashmavale which are Government houses but they have been rented for a long time, for nearly two decades by people. So my question is: when is the Government going to make those houses privately owned? I believe we have so many houses in other cities which are under the same scheme. I thank you.
HON. GARWE: Hon. Speaker, I may want to take you back to 1985 when Government offloaded in excess of 85% of its housing to sitting tenants. Government now has a serious backlog of housing and it is not in a position to be able to continue offloading those houses to sitting tenants. We are actually in the process of building our stock. Thank you.
(v)HON. G. DUBE: How does the Ministry intend to achieve that when they are allowing the municipalities to sell the available land to the elite only, those that have got money? For example in Victoria Falls, a 2000m2 piece of land was sold for a deposit of US$25 000 depriving those who have been on the waiting list for years. How do they intend to achieve and close that gap when they will only allow those who have got the monies to have the land? Thank you.
HON. GARWE: Madam Speaker, I did not quite clearly understand what the Hon. Member was asking. The little bit which I heard is about local authorities selling land to the elite. We are not aware of that. However, I would request the Hon. Member to give us that question in writing so that we interrogate it and give justice to the question.
HON. MARKHAM: Madam Speaker, my point of clarity to the Minister is - what is the Government policy? He has told us Government policy but it does not match the figures because his Ministry only got 23% of the budget. How is he going to pay for all this policy building? Thank you – [HON. MLISWA: Inaudible interjection.]-
HON. GARWE: Madam Speaker, can Hon. Mliswa give me an opportunity to respond. Thank you very much. Our role Madam Speaker is to facilitate the delivery of housing. We deliver houses through several stakeholders. The first stakeholder is Treasury which has provided 23% to us and we have already started using that money. The other stakeholders that are involved in the housing delivery are our base pension funds and insurance companies. Housing delivery is a collective responsibility. People should not look at Treasury as the only source of financing for the housing delivery. I am saying this because this is how I have understood his question Madam Speaker.
(v)HON. J. CHIDAKWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question is directed to the Leader of Government Business. I would like to understand from the Minister – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – [HON. T. MLISWA: Inaudible interjections.]
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Members order, please, go ahead Hon. Chidakwa. Hon. T. Mliswa, why are you doing that?
(v)HON. CHIDAKWA: Madam Speaker, I would like to know from the Minister regarding policy. What is he doing to digitalise Government institutions as well as its enterprises? This will help to curb illicit financial flows. We have seen from the Auditor-General’s report year in, year out that there has been misuse of funds and other anomalies. What is the Minister doing in as far as digitalising Government and its institutions are concerned?
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Which Minister Hon. Chidakwa? – [AN HON. MEMBER: Finance] – Hon Minister, did you hear the question?
(v)HON. CHIDAKWA: I have directed my question to the Leader of Government Business Madam Speaker.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHIDUWA): Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. The question by the Hon. Member is on what the Government is doing to curb illicit financial flows. Is that correct Hon. Chidakwa?
(v)HON. CHIDAKWA: That is not the question Madam Speaker. My question Hon. Minister is; what you are doing in as far as digitalising Government ministries and its institutions? All the Government ministries are doing manual work, where are we in terms of digitalising so that accountability and transparency is easy? – [HON. MEMBERS: ICT] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Minister of ICT.
THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY, POSTAL AND COURIER SERVICES (HON. DR. MUSWERE): Thank you Madam Speaker. I did not quite get the question. What I heard is, what is Government policy in terms of ensuring that we digitalise public finance systems and Government institutions? Madam Speaker, the Ministry of ICT has come up with a framework to establish public finance management kiosks across the country. So far we have done about 70 and we are going to establish a public finance management system kiosk at each and every district office in Government. I thank you – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Sorry Hon. Minister, you were not connected.
HON. DR. MUSWERE: Thank you Madam Speaker, I did not really get the question but I am sure what he was trying to say is, what is Government’s position in terms of policy and establishing a public finance management system across Government institutions in order to curb illicit transactions. Perhaps the Hon. Member can ask the question again.
(v)HON. CHIDAKWA: My question is on digitalisation Madam Speaker. So many Government departments are still using pen and paper. We now live in a paperless world; we are not going digital... - [HON. T. MLISWA: You must come to the House.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members, Hon. Chidakwa, can you please ask your question again.
(v)HON. CHIDAKWA: My question is on digitalisation; what is Government policy on digitalisation? Most offices are using paper and pen when we are now living in a paperless and electronic world. How far has the Ministry gone in terms of digitalisation?
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Minister, did you hear the question?
HON. DR. MUSWERE: Thank you Madam Speaker, I got the question now very clear. Madam Speaker, we have taken a number of steps to ensure that there is digitalisation across Government ministries. The first step that we have done is to review the ICT policy to take into consideration E-Government platforms. E-Government platforms that we are dealing with in terms of focus, we have got what we call the G2P, which is Government interacting with the private section; G2C, Government interacting with its citizens; G2E which is Government interacting with its employees and G2G which is Government to Government digital interaction. So far what we have done is to establish the smart Government communication system which is currently fully functional. In terms of financial management, we are in the process of establishing public finance management systems kiosks across the country so that we ensure that we leave no place and no one behind in terms of E-Government.
The PFMS kiosks are being established to ensure that there is transparency, effectiveness and efficiency in terms of Government communication. We have also finalised the national data centre which was commissioned by His Excellency the President and this becomes the brain in terms of E-Government. We have established the infrastructure, we have reviewed the ICT policies and we are rolling out E-Government programmes across different Government ministries. I thank you.
HON. MATEWU: Thank you Madam Speaker. First of all, I think it speaks volumes that the Minister for ICT does not actually have a gadget and is not connected. However, my supplementary question is that Hon. Chidakwa asked a very specific question. In terms of the Public Finance Management Act, there have been a lot of illicit financial flows within Government departments. So, the question is; how are you going to ensure that the accounting systems within the Government departments are digitalized so that we reduce earning money through corruption because everything these days is about paper work, registers and receipts? How are we going to make sure that we have a digitalised system of accounting that ensures that every Ministry is very transparent in terms of its financials. Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY, POSTAL AND COURIER SERVICES (HON. DR. MUSWERE): Thank you Madam Speaker, I am sure I have responded to that question but perhaps he wants more details. We are in the process of establishing the integrated engine which will ensure that there is a digitalisation of taxable and non-taxable income. The establishment of Public Finance Management System (PFMs) is a huge step in terms of ensuring that we consolidate all Government finances so that we remove the manual systems across Government Ministries. So far, like I have indicated, we have done 70 of the PFMs kiosks across the country and we intend to continue accelerating in terms of digitalising all Government institutions so that the PFMs are all digital.
In addition to that Madam Speaker, we have done the National Enterprise Architecture which seeks to consolidate all Government systems so that they talk to each other in terms of inter operability – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]
HON. MADZIMURE: Madam Speaker, year in, year out, the Auditor-General’s Reports have reflected that there is no communication whatsoever between the Ministry of Finance and the Ministries. As far as payments are concerned, we have had several payments that cannot be confirmed which either the Ministry of Finance will have paid on behalf of other Ministries and what other Ministries will also have paid. The reconciliation has been a mammoth task for the Auditor-General. Can the Minister explain what he has done so far to ensure that the problem is solved? This is the current information that we have from the Auditor-General, there are a lot of payments that are done by the Ministry of Finance on behalf of the line Ministries that cannot be reconciled.
HON. DR. MUSWERE: Thank you Madam Speaker. As Minister of ICT, of course I cannot speak on behalf of the Ministry of Finance in terms of variances but I can assure the Hon. Member that when the President launched the National Development Strategy 1, he identified a digital economy as one of the key priorities that is going to turn around the macro economic landscape of this country. Madam Speaker, the establishment of the systems that I have spoken about, including the Public Finance Management System which is fully functional, very effective and it has been complemented by the establishment of the National Data Centre which now becomes the central Government repository in terms of information. Like I have indicated Madam Speaker that we have also developed the National Enterprise Architecture which seeks to consolidate and to ensure that there is an inter-operable digital environment so that Ministries, departments and agencies are in a position to talk to each other in terms of systems. These are part of the steps that we have taken as the Ministry of ICT.
I have also indicated that we have got the smart Government communications system which is up and running. The journey towards a digital economy is a journey that we have committed ourselves. It is a journey that we have set and also include the Ministry of Finance in terms of disbursements of finances. It is a journey which we have taken to ensure that there is transparency, efficiency and inter-operability in terms of financial transaction. Thank you.
HON. MATAMBO: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question is directed to the Leader of the House. What is the policy regarding the rights of patients who are non-ambulant and bedridden? We have seen patients being dragged to the courts to answer criminal charges against them?
THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION, PUBLICITY AND BROADCASTING SERVICES (HON. SEN. MUTSVANGWA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to thank Hon. Matambo for the question, I hope I got the question right. The policy of Government when it comes to patents’ rights whether they are bedridden or not is to make sure that all patients are taken good care of, thank you.
HON. MATAMBO: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir, my question is regarding the rights to patients. We still see patients who are still being dragged to answer criminal charges against them when they are in a bad state. Legally, a person whose is critical, certified sick is not allowed to consent and the same are being brought to the courts. What is Government policy regarding the rights of patients, for example the case of Mary Mubayiwa-Chiwenga?
HON. SEN. MUTSVANGWA: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir and I want to thank Hon. Matambo for the question. As I said earlier, the policy of Government is to make sure that the rights of patients are respected at all costs. If he has got a specific question, that can be directed to the Ministry of Health.
*HON. CHIKWINYA: Thank you Mr. Speaker, I think the question that we want to understand as Members of Parliament is that when a person is critically ill, is it the court that comes to the person who is bedridden or it is the bedridden person who is supposed to be wheeled into court? Thank you.
The Hon. Minister having approached the Chair
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. M. KHUMALO): Can the Hon. Member repeat the question.
*HON. CHIKWINYA: I think the Minister was not listening. I was giving a supplementary question. We would like to know the rights of the sick people. We know that a person might have committed a crime but if the person is seriously sick, what will happen? Does the court come to the sick or the sick goes to the court? For instance, the case of Marry Mubaiwa - was the court not supposed to come to Mary Mubaiwa and do the case instead of Marry Mubaiwa going to the court? * HON. SEN. MUTSVANGWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the supplementary question from Hon. Chikwinya. I would like to say the rights of the sick are of importance to us. We do not care wherever you are in hospital or at home but he is asking a specific question which he already knows the answer and that is why I would kindly ask him to put it in writing so that you will be answered well. Thank you.
HON. T. MLISWA: My question is directed to the Minister of Defence and War Veterans and the National Chairman of the ruling party and member of the presidium. My question is Hon. Minister, are you aware that the Minister of Defence has not submitted accounts since 2020? I do not know from the Public Accounts interactions, they have not submitted the accounts and as such, the Auditor General is not happy. We would like to hear from you whether that is the position that the Minister of Defence since it is the last line of defence being the army cannot be questioned for purposes of accountability and transparency? Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE AND WAR VETERANS (HON. MUCHINGURI-KASHIRI): Thank you Mr. Speaker. Allow me to thank Hon. Mliswa for the question in which he wants us to assure the House why we have not been presenting our accounts reports. Hon. Speaker, Defence as he has indicated is key in terms of ensuring that good governance is observed and also respected, which means that we are very clear of our obligations. Every year starting with Parliament, every month we present our statements. I am not aware of the reports that we have not submitted. If there is the case that we missed one year and the Hon. Member is aware, the Hon. Member can assist us with that information so that we can follow up and make sure that as a Ministry our commitments are met and we will definitely take a move to correct that anomaly. I want to thank you.
HON. T. MLISWA: My supplementary question to the Minister is that it will be a good culture for the Minister to approach the Auditor General’s office through the personnel which she has so that they can furnish her with more information. There is a company called Rusununguko which was a brainchild of the late S. B. Moyo which would tackle the economic problems of the military. Rusununguko has been given resources in this country so that the Ministry of Defence is not seen to be suffering but is complemented by resources coming from Rusununguko. Rusununguko is yet to tell us that the resources given to them by Government have achieved how much. We do not know whether those resources are for certain individuals using the name Rusununguko in the army, or Rusununguko is truly an army concern. We have not seen any financial reports so that when we debate on the budget of the Ministry of Defence, the income that Rusununguko makes comes in, the Minister of Finance then takes it on and does not give the Ministry of Defence all the money. We would like to know from accountability point of view how much money is Rusununguko making and where is the money going to because in every area, they are plundering resources in the name of Rusununguko, an army company. The Chinese are partnering with Rusununguko and we would like to know the partnership with the Chinese and how much they are benefiting the army because the soldiers are complaining that there is no money yet there are resources which the army has been given to pay to the soldiers.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: That question is too specific. It requires figures, so I think you need to write it down.
HON. T. MLISWA: Rusununguko is a vehicle which you ZANU PF Politburo Members are using, Hon. Sen. Mutsvangwa to get things. That is the truth. You are abusing it. It is a vehicle which Generals and you senior members are using to steal the resources of the country yet the war veterans and soldiers are suffering. We want accountability. Where is the money Rusununguko is generating going to or else give the resources of the country to the people? Give them to the ordinary soldiers so that they benefit.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Please sit down. -[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
Disorder in the House.
HON. MATHE: No, no, no, that is not a question. That is a story. You are story telling. We need a question. [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-. Do not attack the Minister but ask a question. We are not going to accept that.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Mliswa, please get out of the House.
Hon. T. Mliswa was escorted out of the Chamber by the Sergeant-at-Arms
HON. T. MLISWA: Rusununguko icompany yevakuru irikubira masoja mari.
Hon. Muchinguri-Kashiri having stood up to respond.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: There is no question that arises please. That question Hon. Minister does not arise. You may proceed Hon Minister.
HON. MUCHINGURI-KASHIRI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. In the absence - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
HON. CHIKWINYA: On a point of order. The question does not arise because the Hon. Member has been chucked out of the House - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I consulted with the Hon. Minister and there are allegations that were raised – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
HON. CHIKWINYA: Mr. Speaker Sir, once you have dismissed a particular Hon. Member who was on the floor for being unparliamentary, you have annulled the question. You have annulled the motion on the floor and therefore it is non-existent. You cannot give an opportunity for a rally to the Hon. Minister to address because she is not addressing anyone. By virtue of dismissing Hon. Mliswa from the House, you have annulled the debate and therefore we must move on. Whatever allegations were given, you have annulled them and you have ruled them out of order. So they are not necessary.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: The Minister has the right to address the House. Order Hon Member. I sent Hon Mliswa out of the House because of his behaviour but he had asked a question – [HON MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
HON. CHIKWINYA: Are you saying if an Hon. Member has been dismissed out of the House and then they go on virtual, do they remain part of the proceedings? We want guidance from you.
HON. TOGAREPI: Debate is for public consumption.
HON. CHIKWINYA: Are you saying if an Hon Member misbehaves in Parliament and you rule that they must be escorted out of the House, they are allowed back into the debate through Zoom? Is that your ruling? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order please! Hon. Members, order please! I want to make a ruling on this matter. I want to confirm that when I asked Hon. Mliswa to go out, he was making a lot of noise. Even if he did not go out and sat down there, the Minister was not going to respond. So I am saying the Minister or any other Minister has a right to respond to a question that is asked – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – It is not for you to tell me what to do. Order, order Hon. Members.
I would want to read Standing Order Number 96 that allows the Minister to respond when a question is raised accordingly – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - Hon. Members, the Minister has a right to respond, whether it is Question Time or not. Hon. Minister, can you respond? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Hon. Members, I will chase you out. Can you leave the Minister – [HON. ZWIZWAI: Inaudible interjection.] – Hon. Member, I will chase you out! Go out of the House please.
Hon. Zwizwai was escorted out of the House by the Sergeant-At-Arms.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Standing Order Number 96 says, “With the prior approval of the Speaker, a Member may make a personal explanation, although there is no question before the House, but in this case no contentious matter may be brought forward, and no debate must arise.” So, I will ask the Hon. Minister to give that personal explanation. She has a right to do that even when there is no debate. The Hon. Minister can proceed.
THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE AND WAR VETERANS (HON. MUCHINGURI-KASHIRI): Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to thank you for allowing me to respond to the serious accusations that have been leveled against the Minister of Defence and War Veterans in my personal capacity and also the Ministry as a whole. The accusations, I will list just a few, the first one being that we are not looking after our soldiers, the second one is that it is only senior officials in the Defence Forces who are abusing the funds which are meant to benefit the soldiers as a whole.
I want to start by saying these accusations are baseless and unfounded. These are very serious accusations which we are not taking lightly. These accusations are coming at a time when we have recently celebrated the great work that our soldiers are doing in order to defend our independence and territorial integrity. I want also to emphasise that these soldiers are a people’s force who respect the interest of our nation and also protect the people of Zimbabwe.
Last week when we had our Zimbabwe Defence Forces Day, His Excellency shared with the nation programmes which are lined up in order to address the interest of our soldiers. I will start Mr. Speaker, with the military salary concept which had been abandoned during the First Republic, only to be resuscitated during this Second Republic. Hon. Speaker, I want to emphasise also that our Excellency– [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]-
HON. PHULU: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. PHULU: In terms of Standing Rule 96 Mr. Speaker Sir, a personal explanation may be given and I believe a personal explanation is being given but however in giving the personal explanation, no contentious matter may be brought forward and the issues of the First Republic are contentious matters. So that is my point of order Mr. Speaker Sir – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]-
HON. MUCHINGURI-KASHIRI: Mr. Speaker Sir – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]-
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, I disqualified your point of order. It is contentious to you but not to the House. Can you sit down please!
HON. PHULU: Rule 96 says a contentious matter may not be raised. Mr. Speaker, if you are ruling to say the matter is not contentious, so be it but you dismissed me rudely. Just rule that it is not contentious.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: It is not contentious to the House please.
HON. MUCHINGURI-KASHIRI: Mr. Speaker, let me add also that over and above the military salary concept which was suspended, as I indicated, it has also been resuscitated. So we are very happy that it was not just the salaries but the allowances were also increased and this is across the board. In fact, we made sure that there were differentiations between the salaries. We gave much more to the lowest junior soldiers – [AN HON. MEMBER: How much?]- I cannot divulge the information– [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]- I also have a right. Yes, I want to go further and indicate officers’ accommodation which we inherited from the colonial era which we had not rehabilitated, the Second Republic was able to set aside resources to repair most of our accommodation.
Hon. Speaker, as I speak, we have started constructing houses for our soldiers, we have started constructing 100 flats at Dzivaresekwa where we are expecting 5000 apartments by December. I want to report that we have completed the rehabilitation of William Ndangana Barracks. We have also rehabilitated accommodation of our soldiers in Mutare at Gimboki. We have started constructing apartments at Mbizo Barracks and also maintaining the barracks in Plumtree. We are addressing the health needs of our soldiers and I want to report that for the first time in the history of our Republic, we have managed to complete a 149 bed hospital at Manyame Base – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – which we have every reason to celebrate and that facility will be state of the art. It will also accommodate all Members of Parliament.
Mr. Speaker Sir, let me state that Rusununguko is a private company which is in partnership with the Chinese and does not benefit from any budget from Parliament. It operates like any other private company. We have so many companies where ARDA has gone into partnership with the private sector and to single out Defence where every effort is being made by His Excellency to address the social welfare issues of our soldiers is to say the least very, very unfair. We need to celebrate the efforts that come from this Parliament. If anything, what we would expect would be an increase in terms of our budget when it is finally presented.
This is the only way, if we care about our soldiers; this is the only way that we can improve to where we are today. I cannot say that we have addressed the challenges 100% but we need to congratulate ourselves for the effort that we are making as Government. Mostly, I want to say that it is speculation, misleading the nation where people do not have facts is an offence, a serious offence. We should not abuse Parliament by raising issues where Rusununguko cannot come and defend themselves – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
It was very important that we set this record straight to make sure that where people come into Parliament, it is very unparliamentary where people speak without proper facts. So I dismiss the accusations, I say that the Second Republic is doing all things possible to address the challenge facing our defence staff – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
HON. CHIKWINYA: On a point of privilege Hon. Speaker.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. CHIKWINYA: My point of order is that the Minister has said what Hon. T. Mliswa said is tantamount to an offence and that removes the right of a Member of Parliament to be protected by the Privileges and Immunities of Parliament Act to the point that members no longer feel free to engage with the Minister of Defence simply because whatever we point out to her, she takes this as an offence. I beg that she withdraws that statement. We need to be protected as Members of Parliament – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
She cannot say that what Members of Parliament speak in Parliament is tantamount to an offence; she has to withdraw that – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Chikwinya, the Minister was not responding to the issue by Hon. T. Mliswa, she was giving a personal explanation. So there is no point of privilege – [HON. MEMBERS: Hon. T. Mliswa is a Member of Parliament.] – Order Hon. Members she was not talking about Hon. T. Mliswa, please sit down Hon. Members.
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. M. KHUMALO) in term of Standing Order No.68.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
MEASURES TO ADDRESS PLIGHT OF PENSIONERS
- HON. CHINYANGANYA asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to inform the House the measures being taken by Government to address the plight of pensioners who are spending more than five days queuing at banks in an effort to withdraw their meager pension pay-outs.
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I request that questions 2, 3 and 4 be deferred because they overlap with my written response to the Mid-Term Budget Debate which took place yesterday. I thank you.
HON. CHINYANGANYA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question does not really need research, it is a simple and straightforward question which does not need research which he can respond to. In addition, this question has been on the Order Paper for more than three months. We deserve some respect from these Ministers. We cannot keep on having our questions being deferred week in, week out when they are there. What are they doing in their offices?
HON. PROF. M. NCUBE: As I stated earlier, I request that the questions be deferred and I am happy to respond to them later. I was asked what we are doing in our offices - we are doing a lot as you will see today. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: That is a specific question, he needs to bring the correct answer.
HON. MARKHAM: Questions 3 and 4 are mine. Can I have a point of clarity please? Can the Minister confirm he will answer my question before we close this Parliament?
HON. PROF M. NCUBE: Again, a request that questions 3 and 4 be deferred and I will deal with them in due course. Thank you.
HON. MARKHAM: On a point of order Mr. Speaker, he has not answered my question. My question was - will he handle it in this Parliamentary session? Thank you.
HON. PROF. M. NCUBE: No, Mr. Speaker Sir – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: You cannot force the Minister to reply, he does not have the information, he must bring written answers for these questions.
HON. MARKHAM: Mr. Speaker, I agree with the Minister - I want clarity, he wants to answer or he cannot. There is a difference. Thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Members, whether he answers or he does not answer, bring the questions to the Order Paper.
HON. MARKHAM: Mr. Speaker, sorry there is an issue here. I am not being contentious and I hope the Minister does not take this personally. There seems to be a dereliction of reading the rules because the Hon. Minister here has been given all the time to answer the question, which I agree with. When I ask as a third generation white Zimbabwean, as a citizen of Zimbabwe if I could own land, the Deputy Speaker closed the House before the Minister answered and said time yakwana. On the second occasion, at the end of Question Time when I asked a similar question about my wife’s citizenship, she was born in this country but would not be given a passport, she is a citizen and she could vote but you could not give her a passport, they did the same thing, they closed at a quarter past four o’clock p.m. without the Minister answering. Why are you not reading the same green book for this side like you do for that side?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Minister, may you confirm the timeframe for Hon. Markham’s questions?
HON. PROF. M. NCUBE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, I will respond next week on Wednesday. Thank you.
REPAIR OF MALFUNCITONING TRAFFIC LIGHTS IN CITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY
- HON. TSUURA asked the Minister of Local Government and Public Works to inform the House the measures that have been put in place to repair malfunctioning traffic lights which are causing road carnage and traffic jams in cities throughout the country.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. CHOMBO): Thank you Mr. Speaker.
- Repair of traffic lights in cities is under the purview of urban councils;
- Cities have been affected by power outages which render most traffic lights non-functional at critical times;
- Rampant vandalism is another challenge being faced by cities, hence malfunctioning traffic lights ;
- On maintenance of traffic lights, most cities have been affected by skills flight on the part of electricians;
- Furthermore, no significant capital injections have been made by cities due to limited revenue inflows;
- However, councils are being urged to adopt solar technologies as back up in cases of power outages;
- Councils have been utilizing part of their devolution funds to install new traffic lights and
- Local authorities are being encouraged to consult their rate payers to come up with levies for installation of traffic lights.
The Ministry acknowledges with gratitude the support from Ministry of Home Affairs whose police officers are controlling traffic at major intersections whenever there are power outages. Cities have been affected by power outages which render most traffic lights non-functional at critical times. Rampant vandalism is another challenge being faced by citizens malfunctioning traffic lights.
On maintenance of traffic lights, most cities have been affected by skills flight on the part of electricians. Furthermore, no significant capital injections have been made by cities due to limited revenue inflows.
However, councils are being urged to adopt solar technologies as back up in cases of power outages. Councils have been utilising part of the devolution funds to install new traffic lights and local authorities are being encouraged to consult their rate payers to come up with levies for installation of traffic lights. The Ministry acknowledges with gratitude the support from Ministry of Home Affairs whose police officers are controlling traffic at major intersections whenever there are power outages. I thank you.
*HON. TSUURA: I want to thank the Hon. Minister for her response. I heard her saying that some of the tower lights are failing to operate well because of the thieves which are vandalising and stealing. He also encourages the local authorities to use solar panels at traffic lights. Which are the ways which are being implemented to protect the traffic lights since she mentioned that the traffic lights are being affected by thieves? Thank you.
*HON. CHOMBO: Thank you Hon. Tsuura for the follow-up question. If you look at many traffic lights which are being installed these days, there are many things which have been installed to prevent the thieves and the Ministry of Energy is protecting these traffic lights. Most of the thieves are in need of copper and some of the modern day traffic lights are being manufactured not using copper because copper is the most raw material which was used for the production of the traffic lights, hence many thieves were prying on these traffic lights. Thank you.
*HON. MADZIMURE: May the Minister give detailed explanation because traffic lights are there to help motorists?
Motorists pay money to ZINARA and can she explain why ZINARA
is failing to give local authorities money to maintain the lights and not to
think that Harare residents or town residents must maintain the traffic
lights whilst the traffic lights are beneficial to motorists. Why is
ZINARA not disbursing money to local authorities so that they can
service the traffic lights?
*HON. CHOMBO: I also want to thank Hon. Madzimure for giving that detailed question. What you have said is very pertinent and we are going to sit down and look into the issue and see how the councils are going to benefit from your contribution. Thank you.
FORMALISATIN OF VILLAGES
- HON. CHIDZIVA asked the Minister of Local Government and Public Works to inform the House when Government will formalise villages to put in place kraal heads as is the traditional practice and to do away with party afflicted chairpersons in resettled areas that were once farms.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. CHOMBO): I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the question raised. I wish to bring to the attention of the House that Section 29 of the Traditional Leaders Act (Chapter 29:17) provides for the emplacement of resettlement land under the authority of traditional leaders. My Ministry has been seized with the process of emplacement exercise for the past ten years, which is the legal basis for the appointing of the village heads. In some districts, the process has stalled due to boundary disputes and disagreements between and among traditional leaders.
I want to appraise the Hon. Member that the term kraal heads is a colonial term which was repealed and replaced by the term village heads.
I also want to bring to the attention of this House that the emplacement exercise is intricately linked to the resuscitation of the abolished chieftainships. Consideration of the claims for the resuscitation contributes to the delay in the conclusion of the emplacement exercise; I wish to bring to the attention of the House that my officials responsible for traditional leaders are under instruction to conduct extensive research on the traditional leaders who were removed from the resettlement areas to pave way for the establishment of the farms by the colonial regime so as to quicken the process. I thank you.
*HON. CHIDZIVA: My supplementary question is; there are areas which have resettled people in the yester-years. There are still issues of chairpersons and there are no village heads - may you start with those areas and resolve the issues of the village heads first?
HON. CHOMBO: Thank you Hon. Chidziva for raising a pertinent question. Right now we are looking for funds from the Ministry of Finance so that we can be able to have boundaries. We cannot have placement of resuscitations without the boundaries of places. First of all, we must have boundaries when we receive the funds. When we receive the funds, we will be able to do that so that we can prioritise those areas. Thank you.
*HON. CHIKWINYA: My supplementary question is to ask the Minister whether she is not lying and that is my supplementary.
HON. TOGAREPI: On a point of order. The Hon. Member should withdraw that statement. It is unparliamentary to say to a Minister she is lying.
HON. CHIKWINYA: I am trying to locate the truth in the Hon. Minister’s response with what is happening on the ground. My supplementary question is: what can the Hon. Minister present to the House to support her response so that we take it as factual?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Then you have to retract the first one.
HON. CHIKWINYA: I withdraw the first one and then present the following. Can the Minister present to Parliament the truth?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: You have not asked anything. There is no supplementary question, otherwise you sit down.
HON. CHIKWINYA: What the Hon. Minister said and what is obtaining on the ground is different because we come from the communities. I am asking her to give us factual presentations which can relate to what is on the ground and therefore I am saying in simple - can she tell the truth.
HON. CHOMBO: I thank you Hon. Chikwinya for that follow up question. I can present to Parliament the list of resuscitation chieftainships that we are planning and also the areas that need to be demarcated as far as boundaries are concerned and the request that we have made to the Ministry of Finance for funding for such exercises. I thank you.
WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
REPAIR OF SCHOOLS’ ROOFS IN MBERENGWA EAST CONSTITUENCY
- HON. RAIDZA asked the Minister of Local Government and Public Works to inform the House when the following schools’ roofs which were blown away will be repaired;
- Mapunya Primary School in Ward 8, Mberengwa East Constituency
- Ruuraugwi Primary School in Ward 8, Mberengwa East Constituency
- Mbirashava Primary School in Ward 3, Mberengwa East Constituency.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. CHOMBO): Mr. Speaker Sir, let me start by thanking the Hon. Member for asking the question. However, he may need to redirect the question to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education who are responsible for primary and secondary schools.
VETTING AND REGISTRATION FOR WAR COLLABORATORS
- HON TSUURA asked the Minister of Defence and War Veterans to inform the House the measures in place to ensure that the vetting and registration exercise is done for War Collaborators who had their ages reduced in a bid to enable them to be eligible to attend schooling after the liberation struggle.
THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE AND WAR VETERANS AFFAIRS (HON. MUCHINGURI-KASHIRI): Allow me to define a War Collaborator as stipulated in Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Act [Chapter 17:12]. A War Collaborator is defined as any person who had at least attained the age of 16 years by 31 December 1979 and who in the period between 1975 until 29th February 1980 was consistently and persistently closely linked with the operations of the War Veterans through any one or more of the following actions
- Carrying out reconnaissance activities and providing information for the benefit of the war veterans;
- Delivering food, medication and clothing to the War Veterans;
- Carrying war veterans’ equipment from one point to another;
- Fighting as, though not having been trained as a War Veteran;
- Tending or giving sanctuary to wounded War Veterans.
From the foregoing, a War Collaborator is a person who should have been at least 16 years old by 31 December 1979 and was consistently and persistently linked with the operations of the War Veterans.
The issue of those who were 16 years or older but reduced their ages in order to attend school has been raised in several fora including in this august House. Circumstances leading to this situation are that during the peak of the liberation war, the Rhodesian Government insisted on adults obtaining registration certificates as a way of identifying them from liberation war fighters. Strict requirements were relaxed and individuals could get registration certificates without producing supporting documentation. The dates of birth indicated on the registration certificates were declared by the individuals. In some cases, assumed dates of birth were entered by the issuing officers on the basis of the approximate ages of the applicants.
After Independence, individuals were given the opportunity to rectify their documents through self registration if the dates of birth were not correct. Those without registration documents were also encouraged to obtain them and would be required to indicate their dates of birth. It is at this point that some individuals entered incorrect dates of birth in order to go to school. This was not Government policy at the time since most citizens including old people were actually encouraged to go to school.
Accordingly, our vetting teams during the recent exercise were guided by the official dates of birth as indicated on national identification documents. In terms of Section 9 of the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Act [Chapter 17:12], any person aggrieved at the outcome of the vetting process must appeal to the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Board. Given the large number of those that were not successful and their geographical dispersion, the board would be overwhelmed with applications for appeals if they were to be sent directly to its offices. Some applicants particularly those in remote parts of the country could also find it difficult to access the board’s offices. In order to simply the process, the board resolved that all applicants who were not successful for various reasons and wish to appeal, should approach the nearest district and provincial offices of the department of War Veterans Affairs where they will complete an appeal form. The form can be downloaded from the department’s website www.dvls.gov.zw and thereafter submitted to the nearest district or provincial offices they have until 31 August 2022 to do so.
PROVISION OF FOOD ASSISTANCE TO RESIDENCE OF CHINGWIZI
25 HON. MAKOPE asked the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to inform the House when the Ministry will provide food assistance to residence of Chingwizi, Mwenezi East Constituency who have been affected by drought.
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF MAVIMA): All the 3 460 households in Chingwizi are on drought relief. The Ministry has advanced 1200 metric tonnes of grain to Mwenezi District and this will benefit the households resettled in Chingwizi starting this month. Distribution has already stared in the district. In addition, the World Food Programme will also assist the food insecure households with grain and pulses starting October 2022.
ADHERANCE TO SAFETY STANDARDS IN MINES
26 HON. CHINYANGANYA asked the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to inform the House on measures being taken by the Ministry to ensure that safety standards are adhered to in mines as a strategy to minimise accidents and deaths.
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): The mandate for enforcement standards in mines falls under the purview of the Ministry of Mines. The Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare plays a complimentary role to the Ministry of Mines through inspectorate services of Labour Officers and Occupational Safety and Health inspectors. The Ministry has revamped its inspectorate services following disruptions occasioned by COVID-19. The Ministry has increased the presence of its inspectors at workplaces through joint inspections which seek to optimise resource usage by the Ministry and NSSA.
The joint inspections are geared mainly towards promotional and technical guidance as well as building capacity of mines and workforce towards increased compliance. Our focus has also been centred on informal mining activities where there are huge compliance deficits on occupational safety and health standards. We have piloted an exercise to train informal miners in Midlands on occupational health and safety issues and lessons leant will be used in cascading the initiative to other provinces where informal mining is prevalent.
In this regard, NSSA is working with the private sector to provide training to informal sector and small scale miners. This has happened in Mvuma, Filabusi, Mberengwa to mention but a few. NSSA has also used its training and promotions team to help small scale miners understand the hazards and risks of their activities. NSSA is also working closely with the Ministry of Mines who currently have the enforcement powers in mines under the current legislation. We however help them with accident and fatality investigations as NSSA is responsible for compensation issues.
The Government is promulgating the OSH Bill which should become law soon and this will ensure all workers including those in the informal sector are fully protected this will mean NSSA can enforce safety measures in all mines including small scale ones.
Questions with Notice were interrupted by THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order No. 68.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that Order of the Day, Numbers 1 to 19 be stood over until Order Number 20 on today’s Order Paper has been disposed of
HON. MUTAMBISI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
FINANCE BILL: BUDGET DEBATE
Twentieth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion that leave be granted to bring in a Finance Bill.
Question again proposed.
HON. PROF. MASHAKADA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. If you can indulge me to remove my mask just for purposes of this debate, I would be very grateful so that I am audible.
When the Minister of Finance presented his supplementary budget and macroeconomic review statement, we were all looking for solutions to the economic ills that are bedeviling this economy. We were looking for solutions on how to protect the purchasing power parity of civil servants’ salaries, we were looking for solutions on the state of joblessness, we were looking for solutions at the low capacity utilisation of industry, as you know industry is operating at below 35%. We were also looking for solutions on the volatility of the exchange rate and above all we were looking for solutions on the inflationary spiral that is engulfing this country. We were looking for solutions on how to end poverty in the society. Alas, after the presentation of his statement, there was a clear policy paralysis to these issues that I have alluded to.
I went through the Budget and I did not see any stimulus measures to resuscitate the economy which is in a serious state of depression. That is my first observation. My second observation is that no matter who is in charge of the Ministry of Finance, the perennial problem that this economy is struggling with is the issue of lack of fiscal space. That is the elephant in the living room. All budgets and supplementary budgets are being caused by lack of fiscal space and we have not tackled this elephant in the room in a manner which enables us to grow the economy and increase domestic resource utilisation. So year in; year out, we will find ourselves imbedded in supplementary budgets because we are not dealing with the issue of the fiscal space. What is wrong with the fiscal space? The fiscal space is being caused because we are chasing what economists call an enclave economy. The enclave economy is a small economy which is growing vertically and not horizontally. Therefore, it is leaving a lot of people trapped in poverty. The enclave economy is only able to collect 20% of revenue from the GDP, yet the taxable GDP in this country is about $25 billion but what is the size of our budget? That is the nature of the enclave economy and this enclave economy is affected by mismanagement, macro-economic instability, corruption and illicit financial outflows.
So, we are looking at a small cake. We cannot grow this economy. We are just concentrating on a small piece of the cake which cannot accommodate the whole country; the whole economy. The economy that is being run as of today is exclusive. It is not inclusive. We have got a huge chunk of the economy in the informal sector and a huge chunk of the economy in the communal areas. They are part of the economy but in terms of enclavity, they are not being taxed or at least taxed adequately.
The presumption tax is not effective. As a result, the taxable revenues and other sources of revenues which the Minister is collecting is not enough to cater for all ministries. If I ask the Minister on the rate of disbursement, you will realise that may be he has just disbursed a quarter to each Ministry of what we budget them to have. That is a perennial problem but we pass these budgets and supplementary budgets but the rate of disbursement is very poor. Never mind the talk of a surplus budget. There is no such thing as surplus budget. It is an accounting concept; it is a book concept. On the ground, the hospitals have no medicines; the nurses are not being paid, we have got arrears in debt and so on. The elephant in the living room is the fiscal deficit; the fiscal conundrum that the Minister is failing to tackle year in, year out.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I now go to inflation which now stands at 191%. Inflation is a dragon which the Minister must slay because it has wiped the income of those who are pensioners. It has wiped the income of those at the lower end of the labour market. Inflation is a tax so to speak and we are not able to rein this inflation. If you look at the cost of food, fuel and medicines, they are being driven by inflation, which in turn is being driven by the parallel market. That is a problem that needs to be tackled. Just suppose that with the exchange rate volatility; right now we have got four types of exchange rates. We have got the auction system, the inter-market, retail exchange rate and so on. We need one unified exchange rate which responds to market fundamentals.
If you look at the auction system, the forex that is put on the forex market is drip-fed. Therefore, there is a huge backlog by importers because they are drip-feeding the forex, yet we are earning close to above US$6 in export. We are earning about US$1.5 billion in remittances and we are earning about US$600 million from embassies and NGOs. So the capital account is very healthy. Ordinarily we would have enough foreign currency, of course not of imports. We would have enough foreign currency to populate the Nostro account so as to deal with the deficiencies on the auction system but we are not. Therefore, the auction system has collapsed.
Therefore, we need to rethink our exchange rate regime. We need to rethink our monetary policy and develop an exchange rate which is competitive, which can bridge the gap between the official rate and the parallel market rate. As you know, this gap has been very elusive to tackle and as a result, the black or parallel market is driving prices in the economy.
The other thing that the Minister needs to tackle is the question of confidence. This economy is being influenced by speculative tendencies. That is why when you pay road contractors in local currency, instead of using that money to invest they go on the black market because they do not have confidence. They are speculating but that is the currency of the day. So the issue of confidence has to be tackled so that market watchers and players believe what Government says and they trust Government policies and you avoid policy inconsistencies. That is very key to establishing stability and no speculation.
Now, coming to the issue of gold coins, Hon. Minister, first of all it is a misnomer to call them gold coins because they are not pure gold. They are bi-metalic coins because gold on its own, you cannot use it as a coin. So they have to mint it with silver and other stuff to make it strong. However, there is no law. I am not a lawyer but lawyers will tell you that you needed a law or legal framework before introducing gold coins. You cannot just introduce them without a legal framework. How about if the Government wakes up - typical of its inconsistencies and say no one can own gold after people have invested in those gold coins? What will happen? So we need a legal framework to secure the introduction of the bi-metalic coins. I hope the Minister can work on that so that you do not short-circuit the system.
I come to the issue of the Ukraine and Russian war. It is easy to blame this war but if you look at the vast tracks of land that we are farming and the inputs that we have given to farmers, do we have an excuse to blame Ukraine and Russian war for any deficiency? Surely, there are variables that we can control without always scapegoating. I believe that the Ukraine and Russian war, yes it is a factor on global markets. It disrupts supply value chains but at least its impact cannot be instantaneous. Its impact cannot be that automatic. As an economist, you know that there is a lead time that is required for policies or macro-economic shocks to take effect. So we cannot talk of the Ukraine and Russian war impact as instantaneous as it were.
Mr. Speaker Sir, with due respect, this economy requires financial engineering because of the enclavity that I have talked about. The macro-economic framework is not healthy. GDP growth has been estimated to decline to 4.6% from an original estimate of 5.5%. Inflation has hit the 191% mark as opposed to 58% by end of the year. The foreign debt or the public debt as a whole now stands at US$13 billion. Money supply growth is now standing at 245% and we know that inflation is a monetary phenomenon in this economy. It has become a monetary phenomenon that responds to the growth in M3. It is a vicious cycle. Even if we stabilise the macro-economic framework, there is no transmission mechanism to benefit the vulnerable, the poor people. You can even have growth, which is jobless. You can have growth when poor people are still suffering. There is no automatic transmission mechanism to make sure that everyone benefits from the economy.
As MPs, we are all poor. We are not poor because of our own volition. We have been impoverished by the economy. The civil servants are poor, not out of their volition but because they have been impoverished by the economy. If the economic system cannot provide for the welfare of its citizens, the needs of the private sector, the needs of investors, farmers, women and youths, who is the economy catering for? If you go in the streets, everyone is complaining. Business, workers and pensioners are complaining. Maybe Ministers only are not complaining. Something has to be done to make sure that the economy delivers. We do not just talk matrix which do not translate to the welfare of the citizens. Matrix can mean nothing if they do not translate to the welfare of the citizens.
Most importantly Hon. Speaker, it is clear that our local currency has been debauched by inflationary pressures and it is now valueless. It has been debased. The market has chosen to dollarise. Once you charge fuel in US dollars, it has got boomerang effect on the goods market, on the services market and all other markets. You pay a civil servant in RTGS and expect that civil servant to go to the fuel station to buy fuel in forex. How does that happen? How do civil servants afford to transact in foreign currency? The market has dollarised.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, you are left with five minutes.
HON. PROF. MASHAKADA: Thank you. This market has dollarised. Hon. Biti, Hon. Mliswa has been on record and everybody has been giving free advice that the market has dollarised and therefore it is important to follow the market. Nobody uses the bond note. If we search our pockets here, including yours Hon. Minister, we will hardly find you with bond notes in your pockets. It is the greenback because it is a store of value and is being sought by everybody. Let us not pretend. That is what is killing this economy. We are grandstanding and not responding to what the market is dictating. What the product market is responding to and what the factor markets are responding to is the question of dollarisation.
I come to the question of the IMF money that was given to this country. I think for the umpteenth time; this House has demanded to see how the SDRs have been utilised. The Minister needs to acquit himself on how the SDRs have been utilised. For example, he told us that part of the SDRs are going to reinforce reserves at the Reserve Bank. My question is, have we achieved the required three months import cover at the Reserve Bank given those SDRs? Probably not. He said part of the money went to COVID. Which areas of COVID and how much went to COVID? How much went to agriculture? These are issues of transparency that he has to deal with in terms of the Public Finance Management Act. We are the representatives of the people and we need to know where the SDRs are and how they were utilised. In terms of the Constitution, no amount should be expended without the approval of this House. Every cent must be accounted for by this House.
Most importantly Hon. Minister, we need pro-poor policies. Over the years, we are seeing a shift towards right wing policies, which benefit the rich who are a propertied class and those who have access to US dollars. It is a right wing economy and a neo-liberal economy. We need pro-poor policies that are sensitive to the plight of the ordinary person in the street. My heart grieves for those on fixed income like pensioners. They lost during the Gono period, they lost value during the 1:1 exchange rate period and they continue to lose value over our watch. It is important that as Minister, you leave a legacy, a legacy of pro-poor policies, shared growth, macro-economic stability and a legacy to deal with the structural issues that are affecting the economy.
The most important structural issue is in the mining sector. We are shipping out platinum in its raw form. When it is processed in South Africa, it produced ten or more minerals. So, we are exporting the jobs. Why are we not dealing with such a structural issue? If you look at the chrome industry, why are we not value adding or beneficiating? I can name all other minerals that we are shipping out. That is a structural issue and that is why we emphasise on economic transformation and not economic stabilisation. Stabilisation does not lead you anywhere. As we have seen now, we have been trying to stabilise the economy but the fundamentals are still weak. Let us focus on structural transformation so that this economy benefits from its own resources. We are a rich economy which needs to leverage on what we produce.
HON. PHULU: Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that the Hon. Member’s time be extended by five minutes.
HON. TEKESHE: I second.
HON. PROF. MASHAKADA: Thank you. Because my time is now limited, perhaps I should go to what I think are the recommendations and the way forward. Mr. Speaker Sir, with the exchange rate which has been volatile, we have tried everything. We have tried a managed exchange rate regime, a fixed exchange rate regime of 1:1, we have tried the auction system, the interbank and it has not worked. Perhaps this is time to try and float the exchange rate so that it is freely floating so that the market can distribute that resource in an efficient manner. You know as an economist, there is X inefficiency, there is allocative inefficiency when you do it manually. I think we have tried the fixed exchange rate regime; we have tried the managed exchange rate regime. Let us try now the free float so that these resources can flow where they have got economic value, where the opportunity cost is zero. So, let us try that.
On inflation, we can think around with superfluous issues but production is key. If the economy is not producing, if we do not have productivity, if we do not ratchet up production, it is very difficult to tame inflation because we will continue to be a supermarket of South Africa and will be hit by imported inflation. So let us try to ratchet up domestic production and capacity utilisation so that it can edge to 45, 55, 65% and that will kill two birds with one stone. It will deal with inflation and our currency in terms of anchoring it. So without production, it will just be chasing the parallel market, going to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe but let us produce.
The Afrexim funds, this economy has benefited from Afrexim funds but have we done an evaluation of the impact from the Afrexim credit facilities on the private sector? These are the things that we need empirical evidence on. I have already spoken about dollarisation for your consideration but most importantly, what this economy lacks is a robust debate on what the problem is. We are a rich country, and we are educated people. What is the problem? Why are we not performing well despite all these resources that we have, something is wrong. I think what is wrong is that we are not galvanising the human resources of this country and developing important policy matrices that are equitable, productive and efficient.
In this regard, I am proposing the establishment of a National Economic Council Mr. Speaker. The National Economic Council will be a broad based council of economic experts, that is, industrialists, labour, business, and academia that will be like a think tank to advise Government or the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development on suitable macro-economic policies and macro-economic policy mixes to implement. So if we have this National Economic Council, we will be able to harvest a wider range of economic thought and economic ideas. They did it in the United States of America, you know that and in Kenya. They had a very successful National Economic Council, it will be a robust forum or body, a think tank to develop and come up even with good econometric models on various sectors of the economy – general equilibrium equations and models to make sure that the economy is balanced. Malaysia did that, all the sub-eastern Asian countries…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. KHUMALO): Hon. Member, can you wind up your contribution?
HON. PROF. MASHAKADA: All the sub-eastern Asian countries had a National Economic Council to drive and advise Government on suitable macro-economic policies, not theoretical neo-classical policies that had been discredited all over the world.
We must not waste this opportunity to right the wrongs and put the economy back on a growth and sustainable path and make sure that we achieve all the 17 SDGs we are obliged to meet under the United Nations. Thank you so much for your time Hon. Speaker.
HON. MATEWU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to thank the previous Hon. Member who has just explained a lot. I am going to be very brief and only have two points.
I hasten to say Mr. Speaker Sir, when the Hon. Minister of Finance and Economic Development first came to this House in 2018 wearing his pin stripped suit, I remember, he was looking like those bankers coming out of canary wharf. He came with the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP), and his main thrust was that this would be a cocktail of policies that would end or drastically reduce our foreign debt. I remember at that time it was $7.3 billion. We are now in 2022, four years later, the TSP had so many austerity measures which meant that a lot of things were cut. However, we are now in 2022, it has gone and the public debt stands at $13.2 billion. So mathematically, quantitatively, the TSP was a dramatic failure, a catastrophy, a calamity by the Hon. Minister of Finance and Economic Development.
Turning to 2022 now, I want to turn now to expenditure. Why is it so difficult for the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to accurately foresee or project financial projections? Why do we have to come here now and again for this Supplementary Budget which would be almost similar to the actual budget? It is preposterous because one expects that there would be a few expenditures? Why is it so difficult for the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to foresee, given the last four years, how inflation has been going up? Why is it so difficult for the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to project inflation correctly?
We realise that there was a financing gap; this is my last point, of USD76.5 billion in the budget. The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development said that some of this came through domestic borrowing and Special Drawing Rights (SDRs). We were awarded Special Drawing Rights of around nine hundred million, if I am not mistaken, by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). According to figures from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, we have spent around USD228 million. Why is it so difficult to utilise the other USD600 million still with the IMF? I want the Hon. Minister to be very specific on this one. Are we still able to withdraw from those SDRs? Are there particular problems in terms of us accounting for the USD228 million that we supposedly spent? I thank you.
+HON. JOSIAH SITHOLE: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. I would like to add my voice to this Mid-Term Budget that has been presented by our Ministry of Finance and Economic Development. I have a few issues that I would like to highlight. I feel it is important to have this Mid-Term Budget because most of the programmes were on halt because of lack of funding. Therefore, it was important to have Mid-Term Budget. We thank the Minister of Finance and Economic Development for coming up with this budget which is so essential, if we look at the infrastructure development that has been on a standstill, I feel the budget came at the right time. I would also want to find out if the Minister took into cognisance as he came up with this budget that we have pensioners and war veterans who are also pensioners who need cushioning because their money has been devalued. I am saying this because I met with pensioners and most of them cannot afford to buy anything using what they are getting.
The other issue that I was looking at in our budget is that it needs to assist us in areas where there was less funding so that we can start progress but there is a great concern that we should look into which is attributing to the loss of value of our currency. This is the black market or parallel market which is propelled by buying fuel in USD. I do not know if the Minister considered this that as long people are going to exchange money on the black market in order to buy fuel, this will assist those who are in the black market to continue inflating figures on our currency, leading to inflation.
I also realised that we have a lot of money disbursed for programmes that we have. Our Minister is for infrastructure and development, I therefore encourage the Minister to scrutinise the companies that are doing these projects on behalf of the Government because they hike their prices in order to devalue our currency resulting to keeping our programmes at halt. It is my wish that during monitoring and evaluation, such tendencies by companies are scrutinized.
In conclusion, if we have projects that are underway nationwide, we should take into consideration that the funds for construction of these projects is disbursed on time because the moment we delay to disburse these funds it means these projects will be incomplete. If we are to do this, we will develop our areas. I thank you.
+HON. L. SIBANDA: Thank you Hon. Speaker for affording me this opportunity so that I can contribute to the Minister’s Mid-Term budget. I will contribute on two issues which the Minister will take into consideration.
Firstly, for our economy to grow, the Minister should consider the small scale miners who are currently not given financial support for them to do proper mining and take the gold to Fidelity. Is the Minister aware that if you take gold to Fidelity then Fidelity comes up with a single price of which most miners take their gold outside Fidelity because with outside market they will be given higher prices pegged in USD? Fidelity pays half USD and half ZWL. Those who buy gold outside Fidelity do not take their gold to the Government but instead they smuggle it outside, which is the reason why our economy is not growing.
Still on mining, has the Minister realised that the small scale miners are now in short of mining places because of the foreigners, for example the Chinese nationals. The Chinese have taken a lot of mining area but they are not declaring their dividends to the Government.
I implore the Minister to increase funding to the Ministry of Transport so that it can finalise the road infrastructure underway to reduce road accidents. Failure to allocate enough funds to the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development will be a disaster as we are now approaching the rainy season. Someone will get ill in Tsholotsho but will fail to reach United Bulawayo Hospitals because of poor road infrastructure.
I also request the Hon. Minister to increase fund allocation in education, especially for schools in the rural areas like Matabeleland so that they can get ICT equipment. Our children will at least learn ICT and sciences.
Lastly, I request the Hon. Minister to also prioritise hospitals because right now we are contributing to PSMS but there is no medicine in hospitals. You should take this seriously because as an Hon. Member, I am contributing through PSMS but when I fall sick I fail to access medication. The Minister is advantaged in the sense that if he is unwell he can fly out of the country to seek medication instead of going to Mpilo Hospital. The Minister should put more funds to the Ministry of Health and Child Care. I thank you.
HON. BUSHU: Mr. Speaker, the first thing is that I would like to thank the Minister for coming up with a Supplementary Budget instead of coming up with a Condonation Bill after having spent the money. However, it is critical that we look at what he has presented and say to ourselves - does this make sense and is it okay for all of us? What we have noted is that out of $506 billion collected, expenditure at the time of coming with this presentation was at $539 billion. Obviously what that means is that the monies collected were exceeded by the monies expended.
What we have also noticed is that there is no area of expenditure that was funded 100%. Now, having said that, we are also looking at a situation where we are going to collect about $1,7 trillion against an expenditure of $1,9 trillion projected. This is an indication of a very serious inflationary environment and this is driven mainly I think by the exchange rate. There has been a lot of debate around how we can arrest the decline of the Z$ value and I do not want to go into that because it will belabour the point.
What I am imploring this House through you Mr. Speaker is to appreciate the fact that we need to arrest inflation. We need to arrest the value of the Z$. If anything, we need to allow some kind of stability or exchange rate to a level that can be predicted over a decent period of time. What I am imploring is that this will then allow planning for anyone and particularly business. No business can plan with an exchange rate that moves any time, is unpredictable and with value that cannot be held over a decent period of time. I must say that the Minister has had a very difficult time and we were all clamouring for funds to be disbursed from the Ministry of Finance but what we are finding out is that the Minister has not been able to collect enough to give MDAs adequate funds to fund their activities.
In that regard, I looked at the Minister’s revenue growth strategy. There are many strategies there but what I would like to say is the most important activity for the Minister is getting budgetary support from other agencies outside our own economy. Let us support the Minister in the following areas;
- I think royalty on platinum and lithium products. That is important outside us calling for refinery to be done here. As an immediate revenue source, we need to look at that and support the Minister in that regard.
- Management of Special Economic Zones, I found that interesting and I think it is a very good source of revenue for the Minister to look at. Why, because businesses invariably if they find an opportunity like this, they will go for it and if you do not manage it, they will take advantage of it. Businesses are in what they are doing to make money, so if they can avoid or take advantage of certain provisions in Statutory Instruments or the law, they will do it. So, Special Economic Zones have to be managed.
- Also the management of illicit cigarette trade; this is also an important area and an area where excise duty can actually be collected in a very big manner. I would like to implore the Minister to look at this and also manage this area and ensure that the State does not lose revenue because of illicit cigarette trade.
- The management of the IMTT; I think that the provisions suggested by the Minister are good and they will assist in increasing revenue collections in a big way.
Now, the issue of a budget is basically about revenue and expenditure. On the expenditure side, I would not like to go into detail but the critical issue has been generally people’s incomes have been eroded and the Minister provided 53% of what he has requested for towards salaries. If this could be given attention so that we do not have sulking civil service. Even in his statement, the Minister said we would like to look after our civil servants and I am saying please, now that we have provided 53% of the $900 owed billion that you are requesting for, if the civil servants could be looked after. It is the teachers, nurses, soldiers, police force and at the moment, that class of people have got their salaries and wages adjusted, you will find a lot of responses from many macro-economic elements that will be positive for economic growth.
The other thing is that I would like to implore communication that is close, sincere and serious with business because business produces what we eat and what we put on. Invariably, we cannot walk away from business. So I am saying if the revenue growth suggestions by the Minister are also supported by business and business does not run away and is supportive of this programme, I think the Minister will be successful in coming up with a big purse that is full of money and then the Minister can spend as much as he likes. I would also call upon the Minister to implement what he has suggested. I think implementation is key. There are a lot of good ideas that are in here. I know a lot has also been criticized but the key thing is that we all agree that maybe 60% of what has been presented by the Minister is good for us. What we would like to see is implementation of the same and let us see what comes out by the end of the year. I think that this combined with the Minister’s suggestion in terms of the road map towards the 2023 budget will make a difference to this economy and to our happiness. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for allowing me to talk.
HON. HAMAUSWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for allowing me to add my voice to the debate following the presentation of the supplementary budget. Firstly, I would want to encourage the Minister of Finance after he highlighted that in agriculture, key crops such as cotton are going to drive the growth of agriculture. My plea to the Minister and Cabinet is to consider GMO cotton which is now being grown world over. I know there have been fears in the past of GMOs but we have the Bio-Technology Authority, a Government department which is tasked with research and development of GMO products. I do not think cotton would be a danger to the safety of the health of Zimbabweans but it is something that is going to help our cotton farmers as Government has been failing to cushion cotton farmers in Zimbabwe. The adoption of GMO cotton is going to boost productivity of cotton and also will go a long way in providing opportunities for cotton farmers, and it is something that is going to relieve Government of pressure from cotton farmers. I say so because cotton farmers have been complaining and Government has been taking too long to adopt the GMO cotton unless there are reasons why it cannot be adopted.
Our cotton farmers will find it difficult to compete with those who are using GMO cotton. I will give you an example - the hybrid cotton which is now being grown in Gokwe can have a yield of 160 balls which is something that is less than what they can actually achieve through the GMO cotton. So, it is something that is really important and I urge the Minister to continue and also consider putting more resources to biotechnology authority. The Minister can also highlight maybe five key products in the agricultural sector which will be the flagship of the economic turnaround in Zimbabwe and provide adequate inputs calling also for private players. I will give another example of sunflower seed. We are importing cooking oil and there is an opportunity to say even in those areas where we have cotton farmers, sunflowers can be grown without difficulties. If the Minister of Finance supports those key agricultural crops, we are going to cut the importation bill and this is something that is going to deal with the unemployment rate than to continue importing cooking oil yet it is something that we can actually grow here in Zimbabwe. The same also goes for fruits. We used to grow apples and bananas in Nyanga but those farmers are not being supported. So, there is need to consider more support to the agricultural sector. It has to be serious support and this is where we can also see a big turnaround.
We are proud of saying China is our all weather friend, why then are they not engaging China through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to see what kind of food products we can export to China taking advantage of their more than one billion people. I will give an example, if you are going to export road runners to China, we need technology and that partnership should be clear on the strategy that we would want to have and we show them the support that is tangible and can be understood by any layman in Buhera, Mt. Darwin or Chivi. They can adopt practical solutions which I think the Minister of Finance can consider.
The other thing that I also urge the Minister of Finance to consider putting more resources towards is voter education, voter mobilisation and voter registration. As you know for the past 12 or so months, about 150000 new voters registered and we think this number is way below expectations. We thought maybe around two million people should have been registered. There are however challenges being faced. I want to say that the blitz on voter registration came before the issuance of I.Ds and this calls for the reconsideration of the allocation given to ZEC by the Minister of Finance. When they implemented the first and second blitz, it was done before the blitz on issuance of I.Ds. It was an abnormality because they should have started with the issuance of birth certificates because those are the prerequisites for voter registration. So, we disadvantaged millions of Zimbabweans and we know that last year there were issues with the registry department so it is important to really consider the amount allocated to ZEC. We are also calling upon the Minister of Finance and ZEC to bring another blitz before December such that Zimbabweans who want to take I.Ds will be able to do so and register to vote. It will not be easy for those without I.Ds to register as voters and I do not think as we are going for 2023 elections, it would be a good thing to go with over one million people being disadvantaged. They are not registering, not because they do not want to register but they do not have IDs. We were told in this House Mr. Speaker Sir that conditions for registration were relaxed but it did not happen as it was proclaimed in this House. So it is my call that maybe more resources should be given to ZEC.
If you go to Makombe today, you will see long queues and probably they do not have machines. I heard they are just using one machine and we cannot continue like this. They need to be given more resources to buy more machines so that those who are registering are able to register and they will be able to exercise their right and their duty as citizens of Zimbabwe to choose the leaders they want in 2023 elections.
The other issue that I also want to mention is that as we are also moving towards the examination of the primary and secondary students in Zimbabwe, we also have secondary schools whose laboratories need support. I will give an example of the only public secondary school in my constituency. Year in year out they always cry that they do not have the important tools for their science laboratories and with the focus on Education 5.0, it remains a pipe dream if the Government is not really supporting those schools with adequate resources so that our students will not be disadvantaged. So it is more important Mr. Speaker Sir, for the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to really consider offering more resources to primary and secondary schools.
Lastly Mr. Speaker Sir, I would want to thank the Hon. Minister for increasing the CDF by $9 million. Unfortunately, we also think it is inadequate. If there was room to increase it a bit, it was going to lessen the burden on the MPs because the issues we need to cover in our constituencies are too many. They are too many Mr. Speaker Sir because when you look at the sporting facilities, when you look at roads, street lighting, in fact almost everything that is supposed to be done by the Government and local authorities, there is nothing that is moving in our constituencies. So if we are going to have more allocation on CDF funds we would be able to go beyond drilling boreholes and also putting street lights using smart methods like solar lights or providing more support to sporting facilities.
Sporting facilities, I reiterate Mr. Speaker Sir that they are really important because they help us to deal with the issues of drug abuse and sports are actually a form of employment. We have sportsmen who are outside the country who are making a living and also who are giving back to their communities because of sports. It is a form of employment, it is not leisure, but the challenge is that we do not have enough sporting facilities. The sporting facilities that we have, I will give you an example of my constituency. We used to host division two games in Warren Park but now the sporting facilities are dilapidated and it is even beyond the adequacy of CDF funds. They are not enough. We used to have those nice facilities but they are no longer there. So if the Minister of Finance and Economic Development can really consider giving more allocation to our sporting facilities, it will actually go a long way. We are losing precious lives when our children are going to some rivers which are polluted and they are swimming there. Some are drowning. We found that maybe the Government is still following that separate development that was being applied during the colonial period where those coming from high density areas are not considered as at the same level with those coming from low density areas, which is a tragedy.
So there is need to see how sporting facilities can also help in a long way to reduce drug abuse, to create employment opportunities for our youth and if that is done I think our country will be somewhere in terms of also producing sportsmen who will compete at the world stage. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): Mr. Speaker Sir, I thank the Hon. Members for a very robust debate and contributions that are most welcome. Mr. Speaker Sir, allow me to express my appreciation to the Portfolio Committee on Budget Finance and Economic Development for constructive comments and suggestions on the Mid-Term Budget and Economic Review and Supplementary Budget Statement. I also want to commend Hon. Members who made their contributions on the same during the Parliamentary session yesterday and today. The Mid-Term Budget and Economic Review and Supplementary Budget seem to realign public finances in order to ensure that the objectives of the 2022 National Budget are met. However, some of the issues raised by Hon. Members and recommendations thereof will be considered going forward, particularly during the 2023 budget formulation process. As you know Hon. Speaker Sir, in another three months we will have the debate around the 2023 budget, so some of these we need further consultations.
Mr. Speaker Sir, allow me then to deal with some broader issues raised by Hon. Members. Zimbabwe, like any other country in the world faces high uncertainty in terms of the micro-economic environment chatacterised by the COVID pandemic, climate change impacts and global tensions which have resulted in global supply shocks, rising inflation and tightening financial conditions. As a result, the ever changing global and domestic environment, assumptions and projections underlying the budget have had to be revised in line with the new global and local developments. As Hon. Members would recall, global financial institutions such as the IMF, the World Bank and the African Development Bank have had to revise downwards there assumptions and projections more than three times in six months this year alone to take into account the elevated global economic uncertainties and local uncertainties.
Economic assumptions therefore are dynamic reflecting changes in the environment. We still believe that the way we undertake our macro-economic projections are still robust and are based on international best practice. Furthermore, in an effort to improve our projects to 2022 Budget, I presented in this august House on the 25th November, 2021, a section of fiscal risks where we identify risks to the projections and we quantify their impact and we proffered mitigation measures to those risks. There is a whole section on fiscal risks and projections.
Some of the risks which we noted have materialised, unfortunately others such as global tensions, spill-over domestic inflation and domestic economy could not be predicted. With regards to the growths or projection, the major drives of the 2021 growth rate were agriculture which grew by about 33% and the sectors projected declined by minus 5% in 2022 contributing to the downward revision of growth from 5.5% to 4.6%. The projection is consistent particularly as viewed from the contribution and the impact of productive sectors including agriculture and GDP. The share of agriculture to overall GDP averages 10.3% with the other sectors such as distribution and retail services at 17.4%, mining at 9.2% and manufacturing at 14%. The performances of these sectors including other small sectors when combined outweigh that of agriculture. So the minus 5% dropping agriculture is outweighed by the positive growth in all the other remaining sectors resulting in a positive growth of 4.6% down from 5.5% and 4.6% is very good growth indeed given where the rest of the global economy and the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa is in terms of projections for 2022.
Mr. Speaker, I have got all the repeat of what is in the Supplementary Budget Statement by sector but I am happy to share these numbers should anyone want them. I have the whole table; I should have flashed it on to the screen once again to show where the 4.6% comes from. I noted observations from Members that some ministries had over performed compared to others in respect to the utilisation. In general, disbursements to respective Votes reflect revenue inflows, readiness to undertake programmes and national priorities. By its very nature, there will be different vote utilisation, run rates, they cannot be the same, they will be different for those reasons. It should be noted that the level of utilisation during the first half of the year also reflects procurement levels and activities being undertaken by the line ministries and perhaps failure by even some suppliers to deliver on time. All those things have an impact on utilisation.
Let me turn to the issue of public debt which was raised by a number of Hon. Members. The validated debt and reconciled public external debt stock stood at US$15.2 billion as at June, 2022. There were insinuations that the debt could be as high as US$30 billion, that is incorrect. The correct figure is US$13.2 billion US dollars for external debt. This is as a result of a regular validation and reconciliation of the public guaranteed debt undertaken by our Public Debt Management Office and its creditors. Twice a year, I am mandated by this Parliament to come before it and present a report on the state of indebtedness and I have done so diligently. This debt stock includes called up guarantees while other outstanding guarantees are normally reported in the statement of public debt report to Parliament on Public Debt as memorandum items as these are not called up guarantees but contingent liabilities.
Let me turn to some of the issues raised by the Committee on Budget, Finance and Economic Development. Allow me to respond to specific issues raised by the Portfolio Committee Report. The Committee made several recommendations and suggestions meant to improve budget performance. The first one is on mining royalties, I would like to thank and acknowledge the commendation from the Committee on the move to increase royalty from platinum and lithium, from two and half percent to five percent in line with the regional average. This will increase the contribution of the sector to the fiscus. This comment was not just made by Hon. Dr. Nyashanu but other Members of Parliament made a similar comment and basically commending Government.
On the ZIMRA retention, the Committee recommended that the ZIMRA Act as an interim port authority with responsible Ministry required to set a permanent port authority by September 2023, this is what I recommended. The Committee further recommended that ZIMRA be allowed to retain 3% of the net revenue collected in order to meet their modernisation drive. This is a proposal that we will mule over. There are other proposals including from ZIMRA itself regarding certain foreign currency retentions in order for them to do their job well in addition to this port authority portfolio that we are seeking that it be extended to them. So we will see how best to support ZIMRA for the hard work that it does.
On the intermediated money transfer, the proposal to review upwards minimum tradable amount of the IMPP is noted. It has already been highlighted in my Mid-Term Review Statement. Treasury will take advantage rather of the Finance Bill to be presented before this august House to explain the revisions that have been made to the IMPP tax-free threshold which takes into account economic developments. Already we have noted such proposals which I spoke about and we will debate this as we go forward when I present the Finance Bill.
On the inter-Governmental fiscal transfers, on the concerns raised by Hon. Members with regards to allocations and disbursements under the inter-governmental fiscal allocation or devolution funds in short – as I alluded to in my Mid-Term Budget Economic Review Statement, it is critical that respective institutions expedite developments of regular transformation work and clearly defined structures as well as capitalization of personnel responsible for management of the funds and implementation of projects in order to ensure effective and efficient utilisation of these resources.
Treasury will prioritise disbursements during the second half of the year, the impact of the projects is having on local communities. So, far these projects have made enormous impact on the local communities including the disbursements of CDF. There are some star performers in terms of districts, local authorities in utilisation of both devolution and CDF funds.
I now turn to the issue of withholding tax on cross border traders. I note the Committee’s concern on the proposal to hike withholding tax from 10% to 30% of the value of imported commercial route. Mr. Speaker Sir, why are we proposing this 30% withholding tax - all we are trying to do is to make sure that there is tax compliance; this is not revenue raising nature. It is to do with compliance, enforcement measure, that is all. Anyone who complies with it does not have to pay a 30% withholding tax. It is as simple as that. This is targeting commercial consignments into the country.
I wish to advise the Hon. Members that the 30% withholding tax is only payable by importers of commercial consignments above USD1 000, which are deemed business persons. That is the threshold for those that do not possess valid tax clearance certificates which confirm their status as a tax compliant business operator. The measure was instituted to improve tax compliance which has declined significantly over the years due, in part, to high levels of informalisation. Furthermore, the measure to improve tax compliance is necessary to support mobilisation of domestic revenues which have become a key source of revenue to fund our domestic aspirations in the absence of sustainable external sources of funding.
On the matter of SDR usage, I note that I only have about seven minutes or so. So far we have spent USD311.00 equivalent of these SDRs. I must quickly direct Hon. Members of this august House to table 71 of the original 2022 National Budget Statement. It has a full report on how we have used SDRs so far and how we intend to use SDRs in future and this is table 23 on page 71. I am very happy to come back to this august House to explain exactly how we have used these SDRs. We have only withdrawn on these funds in 2021 and so far in 2022, we have not made a draw down because we felt that it was not yet necessary.
However, in the second half of this year which is about now, we will make a draw down. Other issues raised by Hon. Members regarding civil servants’ salaries – 53% of the budget is going to be spent on civil servants’ salaries. So we have responded to that and there is a misnomer or rather a misleading contribution from some of the Hon. Members who ignore the USD175.00 that we are paying to civil servants and only focus on the ZW$ question.
If you include the USD175.00 per month, the average earnings for civil servants come to USD297.00 at the current exchange rate which is in line with the Poverty Datum Line of July which is at USD285.00. So it is perfectly in line with the Poverty Datum Line for July, 2022. Hon. Members have raised concerns on Government living within its means and payments being made to contractors’ fuel exchange rate instability and inflation. Government is living within its means.
As I speak, we have raised more revenue than predicted and part of coming to this august House is to seek permission to be able to use that revenue to meet the demands of Government and to fund projects. So we are living within our means and I can assure you that the budget deficit once again will be within the target of 1.5% of GDP. Under my watch, I have no intention of going above a deficit on average of above one and half percent GDP during my tenure and I have maintained that since I came into office.
On the issue of the 200% interest rates, this is designed to deal with inflation and so far so good. Speculators are finding it very expensive to borrow at 200% to speculate and we are closing the arbitrage gap and these interest rates will remain at an elevated level. Of course, we will do adjustments as we go forward. Every nation in the world is doing the same. They are raising interest rates and they are dealing with inflation. Inflation is not a 40-year high all over the world literally but of course not the US. I note the UK. UK figures have just come out at 10.1% which is the highest inflation level in 40 years. Our situation is not unique. We have to take action, we are taking action, we have raised interest rate and it should be like that until inflation is dealt with.
There was the issue about whether we needed the supplementary budget or not. That was raised by some of the Hon. Members. We need it and by June, we had spent 55% of our budget. In terms of our prognosis we knew that we needed to have the supplementary budget and permission and is it not proper for us to come before this august House so that we will be most welcome and I think that is a good thing and of course we have variegated run whites in terms of budget expenditure. Not everybody is at the same level but the average is 55%.
On the issue of IMTT for pensioners – already when a pension payer is paying into the recipient’s account, there is no IMTT tax nor is there IMTT tax when Government pays into the accounts of pensioners. That has already been removed. May be the question around pensioners’ support, I think this came from Hon. Nduna, it had to do with IMTT payments by pensioners as they spend their money. That one will be very messy for us to try to manage but we are already extending support to pensioners in terms of payments into their accounts and removing that IMTT tax.
The issue of sports facilities has been raised by many Hon. Members and we welcome it and we support companies that are contributing towards building sports facilities so that we can get our youth off drugs and give them another alternative means of living and income to earn a different income from sporting activities. So we welcome this and welcome the positive feedback from Hon. Members.
We are dealing with the issue of trans-for-pricing which is never easy by the way. It needs many agencies that we need to collaborate with but we are dealing with it. Mr. Speaker Sir, this concludes what was generally discussed yesterday. I have additional responses of the contributions today and I am happy to continue at your pleasure and respond blow by blow to each Member of Parliament but I am also comfortable to continue tomorrow. I now propose that the debate be adjourned. Thank you.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday 18th August, 2022
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE), the House adjourned at Seven Minutes to Seven o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 17th August 2022
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’ clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE
LAUNCH OF THE TB CAUCUS
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have to inform the Senate that in preparation of the re-launch of the TB Caucus, the Zimbabwe TB Caucus is inviting all interested members to join the Caucus by registering their names with the secretariat. Registration will take place from 1430-1600 hours in the Members’ Dining Hall during sitting days in the next two weeks.
Just because I said in the next two weeks, some will wait until the last two days. I know that – [Laughter.] -
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: 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. MOHADI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE THEMATIC COMMITTEE ON GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT ON THE BENCHMARK VISIT TO RWANDA
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on Motion on the Report of the Thematic Committee on Gender and Development on the benchmark visit to Rwanda.
Question again proposed.
+HON. SEN. MKHWEBU: Thank you Madam President for giving me the time to debate about such an important report which was brought into this House by the Portfolio Committee on Gender after visiting Rwanda. This report has come with a great lesson in this House. It talks about women’s rights
Cellphone rings.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order, order! May I remind Hon. Senators to switch off their cellphones or put them on silent?
Hon. Sen. Mkhwebu having remained standing
When I call for order, you should take your seat.
HON. SEN. MKHWEBU: Alright, thank you. Thank you Madam President. This is a very important and vital report especially looking into women’s rights in the Rwandan Parliament, there is equal gender representation. This is what makes women’s rights to be looked into equally with the rights of children and the disabled. This becomes easy to tackle because women are a critical element in our society because they are the ones looking after children and the disabled. Therefore, their being included in Parliament in the 50-50 proportion, allows them to air their views in a better manner.
This delegation learnt a lot from the visit to Rwanda mainly looking at the aspect of the participation of women in getting access to loans. In our country, it is very difficult for women to access loans especially those from rural areas. For example, those from rural Gwanda have to travel to either Bulawayo or Harare to do paperwork in order for them to access loans. So it is very difficult for women, which is what we need to critically look into by focusing on women. We need to see to it that such facilities are easily accessible to women, which is what we need to learn as Zimbabweans, learning from what we gathered on what is happening in Rwanda.
In Zimbabwe, the less privileged who are starting businesses are encountering a number of challenges, which is why we always encourage them to make sure that they get assistance from banks in terms of funding. We also look at the interest that is being charged. It is charged according to what the individual is into, that is, if they are in the business of selling vegetables or tomatoes. We need to see that we charge interest basing on what the individual is venturing into. Also as a country, we need to look into the issue of making sure that when loans are availed to women, there is need to look into the interests that are being charged for every penny that they are borrowing from the banks. I saw this as a very important lesson that we need to emulate as a country.
Looking into the issue of the youth, we realised that if they are to venture into any projects, they are mainly starting those projects without much funding. Looking into Zimbabwean youths, we also need to ensure that less interest is charged on their projects because they will be starting and need support since this is indeed critical.
Looking at the genocide that transpired in Rwanda and was perpetrated by the issue of tribal enmity, we need to ensure that as Zimbabweans, we do not disregard each other regarding tribes. In Zimbabwe, we always do not look at each other as to which tribe one is coming from. Yes, we used to do that but it is not featuring anymore in the way we operate in our country. I realise that it is indeed a good practice to disregard the issue of tribal differences. We need to work as Zimbabweans. In this Senate, of which I will dwell more on because that is where I am in this august House, no-one focuses more on which tribe one comes from. Every time we leave this House, we always speak to each other using a language that one is competent in. Whoever speaks to me in Shona, I respond to them in Shona and the one whom I speak to in SiNdebele tries to respond to me in SiNdebele – this is one good thing that happens in our country. We always treat each other as peace loving Zimbabweans even though there is hatred between one or two people but we have shown love to each other in this august House. I have not seen anyone insulting one another. This is a great lesson that will continue to make us great Zimbabweans.
Madam President, looking into the issue of rural areas, we have less privileged people, some whom have failed to get education or critical information that includes issues like campaigns. They delay getting to the people living in rural areas. It is only those people living in urban areas who have access to such kind of information. If ever there is a Bill that is under consideration, it is only in a few cases where committees reach rural dwellers, and it is only those in urban areas who get information as to maybe a particular law being reviewed. Therefore Madam President, it is my plea that for everything that happens in Parliament, let us reach out to the rural dwellers. There is a law that looks into the 14 year olds who when they get into an affair, that is a boy and a girl, very few are aware of the law which prohibits that when these children get into a relationship they are not allowed to get married until a certain age. In rural areas, most children are going to be incarcerated because of that.
We have realised that the youngsters need to know that children below the age of 18 are allowed to get into a relationship but they are not allowed to engage in sexual intercourse or get married. These issues are also part of this report that was submitted by Hon. Sen. Ndlovu and supported by Hon. Sen. Mpofu. With these few words, I would like to thank you.
^HON. SEN. R. NYATHI: Thank you for giving me this opportunity to debate on this motion. Most of the issues have been addressed. We learnt a lot from the delegation that went to Rwanda and we will take some of the good things and adopt because not everything that is done there is good.
I am very grateful for the respect that the Rwandans give to their women-folk and it is very important to a nation for such respect. Without women there will not be a people. So I would like to congratulate even the Rwandans for giving honour to women because they are important to nation building. You cannot call it a home where there is no mother.
I also understood that Rwandan people are very united, which is a very small thing but very important thing that we can also easily adopt. Tribalism is not a good thing at all. If you go to certain places in Zimbabwe, you will hear someone saying I cannot understand that language yet we are all Zimbabweans. I take it that it is just because of lack of love, you do not need to go to school to learn a certain language. Tribalism is not good at all for nation building and economic development.
The problem also emanated from Mashonaland and Matabeleland names – that was the mistake. We should not be called Matongaland or Manicaland that on its own divides people. We should have an alternative name that unites people in all spheres of life. It clearly shows us that these names, Mashonaland and Manicaland have no dignity at all; even little children and the youths have adopted those divisions. If you go to Bulawayo you will hear them saying I do not speak Shona - it gives me a foul breath. So where are we going with this thing?
I am talking about something that happened two weeks ago in Hwange in my constituency. There was a boy and a girl who went to school together. They impregnated each other, so they decided to call for a discussion and failed to understand each other. At the end of the day, the girl committed suicide. When we sat down with the boy, he said Tonga people are not good enough for marriage.
Therefore, we need to adopt ways that rectify these divisions. Our country is very beautiful, let us not adopt everything especially foreign cultures. We should have our own traditional wear that I can be easily identified in when I am outside the country. If a Ghanaian comes, you can easily identify them because of dressing, the same with a Malawian. We do not have a national identity in terms of dress. All we do is imitating and copying other people. Let us do good things to uplift the image of this country.
We have come a long way with this country. I was young and used to run around but today I am old enough and I can no longer do many things yet I have not yet seen any good thing about this country.
Fellow Hon. Sen. alluded to the fact that this is a House where we see maturity. Why not come up with an adoption to lead the way forward so that we can adopt only good things and unite so that those good things can contribute to the development of this nation? I thank you.
^^HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Madam President for this opportunity that I could add my voice to the report that has been brought before the House by Hon. Sen. Ndlovu supported by Hon. Sen. Mpofu, which speaks to the journey that they partook to Rwanda. Allow me Madam President to explain that their report spoke about the issue that there is no segregation and undermining of women or the disabled in Rwanda. Everyone is considered as a person and his or her rights are respected.
The report also highlighted about the important issue that the delegation had visited Rwanda for. It was to see how they could promote the representation of women in Parliament. The population of women in Rwanda is 61% and Zimbabwean Parliament, we are still lagging behind. I was asking that if you could find that in the coming elections, we could see with the elevation of women representation in the House, especially when it comes to decision making where we make decisions that are important to the country. If there is only one woman involved in the process of decision making and 20 men, even though the woman has got a sharp mind and is intelligent, she cannot compete with all these 20 men on her own. In this regard, I wish we could increase the number of women representation. We do not only look into the issue of the quota system; we go beyond that. I do not know which way we could implement this but I wish we could find a way that we could increase representation of women until we reach 50:50 representation. This is my plea before the House.
Madam President, in Rwanda, every month there is distribution of sanitary wear for vulnerable women. We wish that this could also be done here in Zimbabwe because it will promote the representation of women. I also wish that the budget for sanitary wear could be increased even in schools because some of our daughters fail even to attend school during their menstrual days as they do not have proper sanitary wear. Some of them even take leaves to try and use as sanitary wear.
Madam President, the people in Rwanda were also able to achieve this through working with their traditional leaders. We have our traditional leaders here and we wish that they could also be involved in the representation of women and promote the uplifting of women. Traditional leaders do not represent for example, Hon. Sen. Mohadi or Sen. Hungwe. They represent everyone in the country. We wish that they could be involved in every decision and task that we partake so that we continue to develop our country. They went on and educated us that in Rwanda – today I thought that I could use my vernacular language such that some people can pick a few words in Venda so that people could learn the language. I also learnt that we are not supposed to discriminate each other depending on our language or by tribe. I am pained when we speak of our tribes. For example, if I speak in Venda, people will start to laugh and mock me showing that they do not even understand what I am talking about. Other people would ask me to speak in a language that they can hear and I am shocked which cultural language you are referring to that I am supposed to use. Which culture am I supposed to pick? Everyone is born to a particular culture. Some speakers say everyone is supposed to be proud of his or her language. You are not supposed to be ashamed when you are speaking in your language. I present myself better when I am using my mother language. I encourage us to unite as Zimbabweans. Let us not segregate each other by issues of tribe, small issues of minor languages or other issues. Our Constitution in Zimbabwe recognises 16 official languages which we are not supposed to segregate each other upon. We are supposed to use them freely and represent ourselves without fear or prejudice.
Lastly Madam President, I would like to extent my gratitude to the Committee which brought us such a good report from Rwanda. I urge that this should not be the only Committee that tables the reports. Every Committee that goes out should table a report so that those of us who would have not travelled should also understand. The information should not end in this House but should be cascaded down so that every citizen in Zimbabwe and every community knows what is going on in other places. Our communities are saying they are not able to access the information and I pray that the information cascade until it reaches the grassroots and learn on how other women are being involved in development and decision making process in different countries.
I remember they also mentioned that there were also women who were given sewing machines and they are doing wonderful projects. The Government of Zimbabwe also gave people machines and the machines are stuck in the houses like displayed property. We need to revive such projects and give women such machines to continue sewing, even trying to make sanitary wear. This could be done by their mothers, sisters and their aunties. With these few words, I thank you Madam President. Have a good day.
+HON. SEN. D. M. NDLOVU: Thank you Madam President for giving me this opportunity to air my voice on the report presented by Hon. Sen. C. Ndlovu, seconded by Hon. Sen. S. Mpofu on the benchmark trip to Rwanda. I learnt a lot from this report which I would like our country to learn from. I realised that the Rwandese got into genocide because of tribal issues but what I liked the most is that in their Parliament you do not even realise that one is from the opposition party and the other from the ruling party. If I still remember quite well, they said there are eleven members in one party but no one mentions that my party is this or the other. Even their sitting arrangement is regardless of their party positions. We realise that this is what was prescribed to them by God. God does not want people that treat each other differently on party lines.
One other issue that I figured out from the report is that Rwanda is clean. Everyone takes part in cleaning campaigns and each time there is a cleaning campaign, cars are parked to enable everyone to participate in the exercise. As they do their cleaning, it means that even evil spirits are cleared and taken to bins. Even in our country, if we practice the same, treating each other the same and not treating each other badly on tribal differences or lines, we can go far.
As Zimbabweans, we need to avoid issues of tribalism. We are guided by bad spirits as Zimbabweans that were mentioned in the Bible from the pigs. We hate each other and always wish each other bad to the extent that we wish each other death. You may not see it when we talk but you see it when one picks a weapon that they are after killing someone. In our culture, we call this witchcraft. This in most cases makes God turn His back on us. If possible, those who took part in this benchmark visit should encourage that the good that they learnt from Rwanda should be applied in our country.
Although it is difficult, we need to work hard to ensure that we achieve this as a country. We need to see to it that the rural dwellers are also informed about what is happening especially in our Parliament. However, we figured out that it is common that in urban areas this is where information is taken to. In other instances, you realise that if a Ndebele speaker is spoken to by a Shona speaker, one may say I cannot understand what you are saying and the same from the other tribe. If only we can be able to treat each other well as a people and not show hate. All we are asking for is that what is coming out from Rwanda should come as a lesson, especially from the genocide that took place there.
After that genocide, there was peace, togetherness and right now everyone envies to go to this country to learn. It is a lesson that started on a difficult note but more good fruits have come out of it. We went through the liberation struggle as a country where we lost some heroes who are buried in places we do not even know. Right now since we fought the colonisers, when I grew up, no one would walk in the pavements because if you were to encounter a white person, they would even spit at you. One was not allowed to use the same plates with them or pick up or eat from the plate they ate from, even when you were working as a maid or gardener. You would be beaten if you did so.
As a country, we all fought because even those who remained behind were cooking for those that were fighting. They would kill goats for the liberation war fighters and therefore, everyone fought during the war. The women and men who went to carry firearms, those who came back and were supposed to have given birth to babies but were not able to do so because they were fighting, if those babies were then born thereafter, it means they also fought because at that time, they were in the stomachs of their parents during the liberation struggle.
In this august House, I would like to thank the Hon. Members who have always shown love to each other. In the Lower House where I used to be last time, it is difficult as people cannot even listen to each other. Right now as I speak, if I were to be in that House some would be clapping or dancing and this will not help us iron out issues which require us to listen to each other. We should value each others’ views but if we do what is called ‘joy’, in Ndebele it means the one who survives is the one that is powerful. The one who is not powerful always suffers, which is not what we look up to in our lives especially in the black culture. This will also make the children that we give birth to follow the same bad ways of doing things.
We need to work together and not show differences the greater part of the time. My plea is that if as Zimbabweans we work together peacefully or require prayer, we need to always appreciate each other despite the different tribes that we come from. We need to disregard this element of treating each other differently based on the political parties that we belong to. If one comes up with an idea which is good, it is critical that it is taken up despite the fact that it comes from someone who is from a different political party which is not the ruling party.
Right here in Zimbabwe, it appears we always want to put forward the element of tribalism and the different political lines that we are from. Above all this, we are all Zimbabweans and we are all children of God. We wish if God could only bring in peace to us Zimbabweans. I would like to thank all the Members that took part in this trip to Rwanda. We need to copy the good that we learnt from this country. With these few words, I thank you.
+HON. SEN. NKOMO: Thank you Mr. President for the opportunity that you have given to me. I also want to support the report brought to the House by Hon. Sen. Ndlovu and seconded by Hon. Sen. Mpofu. This is a report by the Committee that made a benchmarking visit to Rwanda where they examined and learnt a lot about how the Rwandans live. This report contains a lot which can be taken as lessons here in Zimbabwe. These are lessons which can be imparted at different levels in organisations which speak to the unity in the country, respect of the traditional leadership, importance of women and many others.
There are a lot of things Mr. President which us as Zimbabweans can take and use where necessary. The issue of unity within a nation is a very salient issue. This issue of unity hails from long way back when Mzilikazi ruled Zimbabwe with Mambo. This shows that unity within a State is very important. It leads to the development of a nation. In uniting, we speak as Zimbabweans. We have our traditional leaders who led us when we went to fight the war of liberation and they told us that we are one people and sons of the soil. We called each other mwana wevhu or umntwana wemhlabati. We never knew whether it was a Nkomo or Gumbo. The elders wanted us to unite and in this way they brought unity within us. During the war of liberation - fighting for our party, you could not tell whether a person was Shona, ZANLA or ZIPRA. We were only referred to as comrade, which showed unity and fighting with one accord. However, it slipped us to understand the importance of unity. This Committee brought up things which seem to be new but these are very old things which we did not abide to from the lessons that we were given by the elders when they were leading us. Now we are learning the importance of unity from other countries. We have elders who are seated in this House and if you look at these elders you can see their interest in building and developing our nation. Since I came here, it is hard for me even to identify any Hon Member by virtue of their party or tribe because they are all united. I wish every sector was related like the people in this House. I am sure our country was going to develop.
There are a lot of issues in this report and if we follow the report we can reap good rewards. Issues of tribalism are dangerous and as we speak here, we are discussing so that we can develop this country. This issue of calling each other minority tribes and minority languages tend to make others feel like they are being undermined. There is no big tribe. It makes people perceive each other as if they are not equal. We need a way which can be used to address each other in a way that no one feels inferior or uncomfortable in presenting their ideas. We need to address these issues so that we can have harmony and unity in a country.
Mr. President, the elders led us in a good way. Our listening President, Cde E. D Mnangagwa set out a day for cleaning. We noted that Kigali is a very clean city and you will feel ashamed to even litter around the place. He also brought about this initiative that we could also have clean and safe cities. But people do not want to change but rather prefer to stay in filthy environments. This shows that in our life we do not respect or listen to each other. When someone comes to separate us and say we should not listen to the President, this causes us to appear as if we are not united. I wish we could follow the orders and the vision of the President. For example, we are encouraged to put on our masks but some feel it is useless to follow someone’s orders. This is one of the indicators that we may not be understanding each other, but it shows that there is someone who is responsible for dividing us.
Mr. President, as we speak of women, most of the men wish that women could be recognised and promoted in every aspect. We have got examples of Ghandhi who led a country like India to become a very developed country. We need to respect women and promote them because they can cause great development to our country. The way the Committee from Rwanda presented their issue on the upliftment of women shows that if we could also do that in Zimbabwe and continue promoting our women we could go far. I see that we are on the right track of promoting our women.
The report also spelt that there were challenges in 1994 when there was genocide. They even called international lawyers to come and try people that led that genocide but this did not go any further until they recognised their traditional leaders who have the mandate to try them. Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira spoke about this issue yesterday. Traditional leaders/Chiefs are very important. We are supposed to do it in the same manner the Rwandese did. We need to empower chiefs so that they have more authority in running affairs in their respective areas. Maybe they were not given time or authority to lead the people. I wish that they be given this opportunity and authority to manage their various areas. There are a lot of issues that we can copy from Rwanda that are good. I wish, if it is possible, that we take the good examples that we learnt from Rwanda and implement them as early as possible.
People really hate each other depending on their tribes. I wish that we learn and implement what was presented in this report so that it assists us in the future. All this goodness which has been brought by this report was made possible through peace that is within the country. Without peace, there is nothing good that can be done. With these few words, I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIFAMBA: Thank you Mr. President for giving me the opportunity to debate. I would like to applaud the delegation that went to Rwanda because they told us what they experienced. We have never been to Rwanda but because of what we got from the report, we understand the background behind the genocide between the Hutus and Tutsis which claimed lives of both the young and old which culminated in the Rwandese establishing a museum which signifies what happened – the loss of lives and spilling of blood.
However, we appreciate the fact that now they know that there is unit and diversity whether it is Hutus or Tutsis. Everyone is a Rwandese national. This is what we should emulate as Zimbabweans. You find that of late, some people would not attend funerals because of different political affiliations but when the GNU and JOMIC came about, people united in funerals and community gatherings. This taught us that whichever political affiliation you have, you are Zimbabwean. When people could not visit each other because of political affiliation, this was really sad but now people visit each other. Even in this august House, when there was a death from the other party, it was difficult to attend the funeral but now people go to funerals freely regardless of which political party they belong to. This should continue so that we continue respecting humanity as Zimbabweans.
In the past, it was also difficult to greet people from a different political party but now people are interacting and greeting. This is good and we need to understand that we are Zimbabweans. We need to understand that being Zimbabwean transcends political orientation. We need to continue united as Zimbabweans. We do not have to discriminate against the other but it is important that we greet and talk to each other regardless of our political parties. The spirit of division should not be found in Zimbabwe.
We need to look at the legal age of majority in Rwanda which is 21. In Zimbabwe it is 18 years and this gives us headaches. Our children are very naughty. Maybe it is because we consider them to be adults whilst they are still under our guidance as parents. Whilst they are going to school, they are not working but they rely on their parents. If you do not support these young people, they cannot stand on their own. We need to relook into this legal age of majority because right now these children have been led astray by this 18-year cap. They cannot be held accountable for their actions, whether it is at school or at home. This is a problem which was brought by the laws that we enacted in this august House. Because of this cap, even our grandchildren are telling us off. If you discipline that child, he or she will report you to the police and you will be arrested. We have to review this law in this august House so that we determine where we went wrong and we correct the past wrongs. When we were growing up, the mere look by your parent would know that you will be disciplined. This issue must be looked into.
Then there is this issue of the women’s bank. We were informed by the delegation that there is a Women’s Bank in Rwanda that has a small percentage of interest. This should also be found happening in Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe, we hear that there is a Women’s Bank and we do not know how this is happening. Our request is that this bank should be found in different localities so that women can access it. We have tried but do not really understand what is happening. We know that there are some women who have access to the Women’s Bank. So as women, we want to assist each other in income generating projects but some of these projects fail because we do not have capital and support. The Women’s Bank should be found in all districts or different branches throughout the country. It becomes very expensive for a woman to travel from Mutare to Harare but if the Women’s Bank is decentralised then women from different provinces can have access.
Some women are even discouraged because they do not have collateral, and those who do not have collateral end up giving up on their dreams and projects. It is really difficult for them to use their livestock as collateral. This affects women who do not have resources, even young people who want to start projects like brick molding, they fail to engage in these income generating projects because they do not have collateral. This also affects our young people who end up abusing drugs, and being loafers because they do not have income generating projects to spend time on. So you will find that at the end of the day, if they are engaged in different income generating projects, they will be tired and cannot indulge in drugs. Those with idle minds and are not working will be found abusing drugs.
I would also like to look at the clean-up campaign that is also found in Rwanda, this is another critical issue. I do not know what should be done so that people are made aware of the importance of clean cities. When you go to the Central Business District, downtown at Copacabana, you will find rubbish being dumped at the Copacabana bus terminus. Some of this rubbish is found being spread in front of surrounding shops. I do not know what should be done but maybe there should be punitive laws that will stop people from littering. You find some people littering through their car windows. Instead of keeping their litter, they would rather throw litter all over the place. This is very a very crucial issue that should be addressed. Imagine what is happening in Rwanda, you will not see litter flying all over the city. If the people of Rwanda visit, they will be really surprised with the litter that is all over places. We do not understand basic hygiene. We end up blaming the City Council for not disposing litter yet everyone is contributing to littering in the cities. This can be eradicated when there are punitive measures that prohibit people from littering. If we find you littering on the streets, maybe coming to your home will prove that you do the same thing in your home. This is not good for hygiene as this can result in people getting contaminated and affected by different diseases.
We need to keep our cities clean because when we see clean cities and clean countries, we should emulate that and bring it home. We need to keep our country and cities clean. We cannot talk about Harare only but need to talk about all the cities of Zimbabwe, even growth points and small towns should be kept clean, not because you reside in the rural areas then you can just dump litter anywhere.
I would also want to implore Zimbabweans to honour traditional leaders because we learnt from the people of Rwanda who learnt from traditional leaders. In the past, we dealt with the Monthlante Commission that came and was done away with, and other commissions that were commissioned with no meaningful results. As Zimbabweans, we need internal traditional solutions and not solutions proffered by foreigners as they may take a long time holding commissions whilst spend time in hotels without solving anything.
We have a lot of wise people in Zimbabwe, be they church or traditional leaders and other Zimbabweans. These people are consulted by other foreign countries. We have a lot of educated people in Zimbabwe who can deal with local issues. Even our traditional leaders are educated like Hon. Sen. Chief Siansali, Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira and others. They are very eloquent and educated; these are leaders who can solve local problems. Let us pass our problems to our young people who know what they are doing and are educated with distinctions and other qualifications. Let us bring our children back to Zimbabwe to solve our problems. We have educated senators in this august House, some are perceived to be educated and sometimes you find people looking at these qualities.
Let us work together as Zimbabweans and solve our issues as Zimbabweans. We need an internal solution to everything that is happening in Zimbabwe. Let us discuss as Zimbabweans; we have the brains and expertise to do it instead of bringing in foreigners who will take away foreign currency. We have a scarcity of foreign currency; let us use the forex within Zimbabwe by finding local solutions and paying local expertise. Should we then extract gold and use it to pay foreigners? It is like someone who seeks the services of a counsellor from professionals whilst they have an aunt who can counsel free of charge. You find people paying a professional counsellor yet they have aunts who can do so on their behalf. I thank you.
+HON. SEN. N. KHUMALO: Thank you Madam President for this opportunity to debate but before I do so, I have a plea. I think I am repeating this for the second time today. May we have interpreters in this august House because we are losing a lot that is being debated by other Hon. Senators speaking in other languages that we are not conversant with?
Secondly, since it has been indicated earlier on, may we have Ministers coming through to listen to debates submitted by Members because they debate on critical issues that require responses from our Ministers. Each time we are debating we are like sticking these issues to these walls and no response is expected from that.
I would then want to thank Hon. Sen. C. Ndlovu who tabled this important report to this House which was seconded by Hon. Sen. S. Mpofu. It is a very critical report which will make us learn a lot as Zimbabweans. Rwanda knows how critical women are, they know that women play a very important role in the economy of the nation. This is a lesson to us as Zimbabweans. We are still standing at 30% women representation in Parliament, Rwanda has gone past that figure.
Looking at Rwanda, there are no street kids on the streets; this is because there is a woman at the top who looks into this issue. There are no orphans that are seen to be going through difficult situations because orphans are put in appropriate places. Women feel for each other. Therefore, Rwandan women do not have a pull her down syndrome, hence it is a good country that have more women on top positions. We also look forward in Zimbabwe that women’s participation in Parliament is increased from 30% to a better percentage.
Looking at the issue of the Rwandan cleanliness, I have been to Rwanda, one may even be afraid to spit saliva because of their smart streets. All this is because there are women in leadership positions who have always put the issues of cleanliness upfront.
Rwanda is different from our country; you realise in Zimbabwe that you will have to continuously fight flies and there is a lot of litre all over our streets. However, it is a different scenario in Rwanda because there are no women who can just throw a child’s pampers in the streets. I am not saying we should stop using pampers, maybe it is because some of us used napkins but most of our women in Zimbabwe are very lazy because they just throw pampers all over instead of wrapping them and putting them together in a bin.
The Rwandan people are smart. Right now as we are debating, we need to adapt to the good things being done in other countries. How can we fail to be clean people? In the yester-years we never used to be like this, we used to have a smart country. Why are we failing to go back to that? It is my plea that we go back to what we used to be as a country.
I would like to thank our President for putting in place a day for clean up campaigns, which is a day that encourages everyone to come out and clean their environment. After cleaning you realise that there is litter everywhere, what kind of people are we? There is a proverb that says cleanliness is next to godliness, which means if we are not clean we are very far away from our Maker. I will continue to request our countrymen to go back to our status of cleanliness.
The report indicated that there is a museum. If you go there you will realise that there are human skulls in there. There was once genocide in Rwanda which was caused by enmity amongst citizens but the truth is that there is no tribe which can disappear from a country because of enmity from the other tribes. Even if we are very few God created us to exist. We once saw this in our country and we have learnt from the Rwandans that there is no tribe that can disappear because it has been ill-treated by another. We need to love each other and be proud in us being Zimbabweans and Africans – this is critical in nation building. I am not saying we need to continue hurting each other but we need to agree to the fact that we all belong to this country because we were all created by God.
I will also touch on the issue of children from Rwanda where they put the age of majority to 21 years. The people of Rwanda are blessed. In our country we have set the age of majority at 18 but what bothers me is that an 18 year old is not yet mature and fully grown. Their mind is yet to develop fully but we are saying they are grown up, can consent to marriage or marry. Such marriages do not last. They normally divorce quickly. In our culture we say: they were quick to get into adulthood before they were fully grown. We applaud what is happening in Rwanda because at 21, one is fully grown and can reason. In our country we have children below the age of 18 who are engaging in sexual activities and they know that in Zimbabwe, even if they are 16, issues to do with consenting to marriage and engaging in intercourse is the same.
As a country we need to engage in laws and take the age of majority from 18 to 21 and we would have done a great job. We do not need to look at the issue that once a child has reached 18, because they are now eligible to vote, therefore they can consent to marriage. Thank you Madam President.
HON. SEN. C. NDLOVU: Madam President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 18th August, 2022.
MOTION
PROVISION OF FUNDS FOR COMPLETION OF DAM CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the need for government to provide adequate funds for the completion of dam projects.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Madam President for according me this opportunity to add my voice on this motion which was raised by Hon. Sen. Mabika concerning our national dams. Madam President, right now we have challenge with climate change which is affecting a lot of things. If we have a lot of rainfall, all that water flows to the seas or we can experience a drought where there is no water resulting in people and animals dying because there will be no water for both domestic and wildlife. People will not be able to work because there will not be water for farming for them to earn a living. Because of climate change which is affecting the climate, dams are another way of harvesting water as a nation so that the challenges we face which are caused by climate change will be controlled as our dams will be full. We can use that water as human beings.
Madam President, I want to thank our Government, the New Dispensation for the work they are doing in constructing dams to harvest water. It is very helpful but my plea is that there are dams which have been constructed way back and they do not have water because of siltation. The new dams are still good compared to the old dams which are silted, for example, Mazowe Dam. It was a tourist attraction but now it is history because there is no water because of siltation. It is not the only dam but I have just cited it as an example because that is where I come from. Madam President, can the Government put aside some funds for rehabilitation of the dams and removal of the sand so that they return to their former glory and people would plough their fields where there is water.
Madam President, His Excellency always says a nation is built by its own people. Our Government is doing their best and everyone as Zimbabweans, like what others have talked about, we should put our heads together as Zimbabweans to support Government’s efforts of constructing new dams and removing sand from the old dams and also the coming in of the private sector means that the citizens of the country are willing to build their own country. That would go a long way and help us as we know that water is life. Gone are the days that we used to farm per season but when we are ready and have water in our dams, it helps us to plough all year round and live on that as people and our livestock. It would be a plus on our livelihood. With these words, I want to thank Hon. Sen. Mabika for raising this motion which is very important on the issue regarding water and how we can harvest this water so that we live as a country. I want to thank you for according me this opportunity.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. MATUKE): I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 18th August, 2022.
MOTION
PARENTING AND EMBRACING A RECEPTIVE CULTURE FOR CHILDREN LIVING IN THE STREETS
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on vulnerable children living on the streets.
Question again proposed.
*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Madam President for affording me this opportunity to support this motion as parents and nation regarding our children. The challenge of children on the streets is bad news to parents. The reasons for children to stay in streets are that long back we had the extended family with uncles and aunts. If a parent passed away, the siblings of those parents would know that they have the responsibility to look after those children as their own. Nowadays, that is no longer in place due to colonisation which says family only refers to the nucleus family of father, mother and their children. We embraced it but now it has become a challenge because if you only look after your children and those other children from your siblings are not your concern, the children end up being orphaned with no one to look after them and become runaway children who end up in the streets.
The other thing that causes them to live on the streets is that when one of the parents passes away, like I alluded to before, no one looks after that family. If one parent dies, the other spouse will find someone else to marry especially if it is the wife who dies first. The man will not be capable of cooking and doing the house chores and will look for someone to help them look after the children. You find that the stepmothers normally do not look after those children well but instead abuse the children so that they end up running away. We should be aware that children want to be loved. Most of the abuses happen when the father is away and this is one of the reasons why children are all over the streets and do not know where to go. They think that it will be better if they run away and end up in the streets looking for food in the bins.
The other thing that is causing that is poverty. You find that some parents migrated from the rural areas into the cities and do not have anywhere to stay. The parents end up sending the children to beg in the streets for food and money. Those parents will be looking at their children to provide and so will take the money that the children will have collected the whole day to buy food. These are some of the challenges that are causing children to end up in the streets.
We know that we have the department of Social Welfare which is supposed to help these children but because of the numbers, the department is now overwhelmed and some of the children are placed in homes where they are looked after. If the children are used to staying in the streets, they run away and go back to the streets again. Some grow up there but when they reach the age of eighteen, the Social Welfare will refer to them as adults and chase them away from the orphanages.
However, some of those children are not given any life skills and do not know where to start because in the homes, everything is done for them. They cannot even make their beds or wash the plates and for them just to go out there after reaching the age of majority is very difficult for them to face the challenges of real life. Some of them do not have anywhere to go because their parents do not want to see them because of reasons best known to them. When they get into the streets, they face a lot of challenges and these days they end up being drug addicts. They start abusing drugs thinking that they will forget their challenges but that is in vain.
If Social Welfare was able, they should capacitate these children so that when they leave the homes, they will be able to look after themselves. I think as a nation which has departed from its culture, we should revisit our cultural values. Someone said in Rwanda they use their chiefs and they did very well. I think we should adopt that and give the traditional leaders room to rule over their people which they used to do before colonialisation. They were stripped of their powers because they knew power was with the chiefs and they put DAs. They knew that the chiefs had power to rule and influence their people to live well, so if we can go back to that, it would help us a lot. We know that it started way back and if we strive we can get there as this is a challenge in the whole nation.
I also want to say our society today, if we see children on the streets, we do not care about them but blame their parents for letting them live on the streets. I think the onus is on us as a nation that a child belongs to everyone. If we come across a child on the streets we should treat them as our own and we should put our heads together to remove those children from the streets. I want to thank the First Lady for the programme of removing children from the streets and placing them in better places that she implemented. Those who listened are way off as we speak though some ran away back to the streets. These children need to be educated so that they know they need skills for them to survive. The First Lady cannot do it on her own but we should put our heads together and help each other as the people of Zimbabwe, to curb this challenge of children living on the streets. I thank you Madam President.
HON. SEN. S. MPOFU: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 18th August, 2022.
MOTION
POLICIES THAT ADDRESS AND PLUG LOOPHOLES RELATED TO TAX EVASION
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on policies that address and plug loopholes on tax evasions, illicit financial flows and corruption.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. CHIRONGOMA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday 18th August, 2022.
On the motion of HON. SEN. MUZENDA, seconded by HON. SEN. CHIRONGOMA, the Senate adjourned at Half past Four o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 16th August, 2022
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
TABLING OF REPORTS
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Section 12 (2) of the Audit Office Act, Chapter 22:18 provides that where the Minister or appropriate Minister fails to lay any report before the National Assembly in terms of subsection (1) within the period specified therein, the Auditor-General shall transmit a copy of such report to the Speaker of the National Assembly for the Speaker to lay it before the National Assembly.
I therefore lay before the Table the following reports by the Auditor-General for the Financial year ended December 31, 2021 on State Owned Enterprises and Parastatals and Finance year ended 31 December, 2021 on Appropriation Accounts Finance and Revenue Statements and Fund Accounts.
NON-ADVERSE REPORTS RECEIVED FROM THE PARLIAMENTARY LEGAL COMMITTEE
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that I have received Non-adverse Reports from the Parliamentary Legal Committee on the following Bills and Statutory Instruments:-
National Security Council Bill [H. B. 2, 2021], Private Voluntary Organisation Bill [H. B. 10A, 2022] and Statutory Instruments Numbers 118, 118A, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132 and 133 which were published in the Gazette during the month of July 2022.
PETITIONS RECEIVED FROM MR. DANIEL MUSEKIWA AND MS. ALICE KUVEYA
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that on 28 July 2022 Parliament received a petition from Mr. Daniel Musekiwa requesting Parliament to protect the constitutionally guaranteed rights of youths with disabilities and ensure that youths with disabilities in Gweru receive agricultural land so that they can be self reliant. The petition has since been referred to the Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Development.
I also have to inform the House that on 25th July, 2022 Parliament received a petition from Ms. Alice Kuveya of Zengeza 5, Chitungwiza requesting Parliament to respond to its obligation to protect the Constitution by ensuring that it does not proceed to enact into law the Private Voluntary Organisation Amendment Bill based on the flawed process. The petitioners have not met the requirements stipulated in the Standing Orders and the petition was deemed inadmissible. The petitioners have since been informed accordingly.
LAUNCH OF THE TB CAUCUS
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that in preparation for the launch of the TB Caucus the Zimbabwe TB Caucus invites all interested Members to join the Caucus by registering their names with the secretariat. Registration will take place from 14:30 hours to 16:00 hours in the Members dining hall for the next two weeks on sitting days.
*HON. TESESHE: Thank you Madam Speaker. My point of privilege arises on the issue of accommodation for Members of Parliament. We have been receiving calls from Members of Parliament who are being chased away from hotels - we are now sick and tired of this. As Hon. Members, it is embarrassing for one to be turned away from one hotel to the next. May there be an arrangement where people can be given sufficient funds to ensure that people are able to look after themselves? In Uganda, Members are not provided accommodation but they are given sufficient funds for them to look for their own accommodation.
If Parliament cannot provide us with accommodation, we must be given funds to look for accommodation. It is embarrassing moving from one hotel to the other as Members of Parliament. For the four years I have been a Member of Parliament, this has been the most embarrassing year for me for failing to secure accommodation. In Uganda, they are allocated 10 000 for accommodation and fuel and they are given their salaries so that they take care of themselves. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Tekeshe, we have heard what you have said, it is demeaning indeed for an Hon. Member of Parliament to be turned away from a hotel where they will be expecting to get accommodation and where they are supposed to be respected as Hon. Members, and moving from one hotel to the other does not give them a good image. I have taken note of that.
HON. T. MLISWA: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. T. MLISWA: Madam Speaker, I want to remind Hon. Tekeshe that he is one of the Hon. Members who sits in the Standing Rules and Orders Committee where the welfare of Members of Parliament is discussed. I am a bit disturbed that he is bringing this issue up, we have brought these issues several times, and they are the ones who represent us; we have given up and we have lost hope. You are part of it, the Speaker chairs it, the Government Chief Whip is here and the Minister of Finance is not to be blamed because you have never reported back to us that in your deliberations as the Standing Orders Committee, you are failing to do this because of the Minister of Finance. Leave the Minister out. You must negotiate for us, we are struggling because of you, let us not find a scapegoat. The Hon. Speaker chairs this Committee, we would like to know the state of our welfare. We discussed these issues with the Minister of Finance the last time, I was there and we brought issues that Members of Parliament would rather have money to pay for their mortgages and those who want to stay in hotels must stay in hotels. That decision was brought before you and you never took it up. I do not know where the Minister of Finance comes in, we are just not well represented, that is the truth of the matter. Hon. Tekeshe, with that venom, deal with those issues kudare guru ramunogara, you think makagara mushe saka hamuna basa nesu. That is the truth of the matter, we are tired over these issues.
You have a better welfare, you have better cars and we do not get what we want. You are upgraded in terms of the cars you have, we have asked for a joint Caucus with the Government Chief Whip for our welfare and nobody listened to us. So may God bless you, may the ancestors of this country bless you for not looking after those whom you must look after, I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. T. Mliswa, your concerns have been noted. Please do not lose hope.
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: Thank you Madam Speaker. This issue that is being discussed is a good one; if we take the South African example, you will observe that Government has built houses that are utilised by all Members of Parliament. In South Africa, Parliament is in Cape Town and the Government buildings are in Pretoria. Whenever they go to Parliament they go to Cape Town. Upon arrival they have houses where they live, they do not use hotels, they have apartments, the houses do not belong to individual members but they are allocated to members for use during their term. Namibia and Botswana is the same; instead of Hon. Members standing up daily raising points of order and saying they are not being looked after and being chased away from hotels; why not take the example of other countries? They do not live in the same place for security reasons. They are in different places for security reasons so that when there is an emergency, all Members of Parliament are not dead.
Let us learn the good that other Parliaments are doing. South Africa has accepted homosexuality and we cannot accept it but we take the good practices that they do. The issue of the welfare of their Members of Parliament, we would want our Members of Parliament to have houses constructed and this will save us money, they are given money for their upkeep. The other option is to give them money so that they meet their own expenses. The hotels are very expensive; Members consume meals that are more than their salaries. It is painful that for the four days that members live in a hotel the expenses are not even equivalent to their salaries. Members of Parliament must be given the money in the form of salaries. It is an easy issue, we are almost at the end of our term, we should get to a stage that those who are coming back will have houses constructed for them and the Minister of Finance will not have any headaches because each and every Member will have their own apartment. This is what is happening in South Africa.
The houses that they have, some would not even want to get out of these houses and they will refuse to vacate because the houses are state of the arts apartments that are being constructed for Members of Parliament and they belong to Government. The same applies to the Ministers; not a single Minister lives in his or her own house during the term of Parliament. This is done so that Ministers can enjoy the same standard of living. I am happy that the Minister of Finance is here. I thank you.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Chinotimba. Your concerns have been taken note of. It is the same argument that has been put forward by several other Members. The august House is going to look into this issue to see how best the plight of Members of Parliament can be improved in terms of accommodation.
HON. BITI: On a point of order Madam Speaker. Can the esteemed Minister of Finance who is listening present a paper to the House on those welfare issues? Thank you.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that we revert to Order of the Day, Number 1 on today’s Order Paper.
HON. TEKESHE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
FINANCE BILL: BUDGET DEBATE
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion that leave be granted to bring in a Finance Bill.
HON. DR. NYASHANU: Thank you Madam Speaker.
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Finance and Economic Development Hon. Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, on Thursday 28 July 2022 presented the Mid-Term Budget and Economic Review Statement to Parliament. The Mid-Year Budget Review Statement was meant to highlight details on economic developments during the first half of the year, progress on implementation of the 2022 National Budget and also to make proposals for realignment of macro-economic and fiscal policies to the National Development Strategy. Guided by indications of current performance and projected economic statistics, Parliament can consider proposals for necessary fiscal policy interventions to realign the policy thrust towards the broader macro-economic objectives and poverty alleviation.
1.2 The statement comes amidst a cocktail of interventions that the monetary and fiscal authorities have enacted over the past couple of months, with a view to maintaining macro-economic stability. The economy is grappling with inflationary pressures, exchange rate fluctuations, erratic supply of key enablers such as electricity and water, deficiencies in delivery of social and other public services and slow implementation of value addition initiatives. The 2022 National Budget came at a time when the country is battling to contain the negative ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, which have extended beyond the direct health consequences, but has had negative social and economic impacts, thereby posing a big threat to decades of hard-won development. The Mid-Term Review is therefore timely as it presents an opportunity to the Minister to update citizens on the state of the economy, implementation of the monetary and fiscal policies and ultimately progress in the attainment on National Development Strategy1 objectives.
1.3 The Minister of Finance and Economic Development requested additional spending of ZWL929.3 billion on top of the initial 2022 approved budget of ZWL968.3 billion, thus taking the new proposed budget for the 2022 fiscal year to ZWL1.9 trillion. The supplementary budget was unavoidable given the ravaging effects on inflation which stood at 256.94% year on year as of July 2022 .On a month on month basis, inflation declined from 30.7% to 25.6% in July 2022. The Zim dollar has thus depreciated sharply from the time of tabling the budget on 25 November 2022 to the time of reviewing the budget and requesting a supplementary budget on 28 July 2022. The budget had therefore depreciated from the real figure of US$9.16 billion to US$2.33 billion ((US$1:105.67 at 26 November 2022 and US$1: ZWL$416.29 as at 28 July 2022).
2. COMPLIANCE TO LEGISLATION
2.1 The legal requirements underpinning the preparation and presentation of this statement to the august House are provided for in Section 7 (2) (a) of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) which requires the Minister responsible for Finance to “provide full and transparent accounts, from time to time and not less than annually to Parliament, indicating the current and projected State of the Economy, the Public Resources of Zimbabwe and the Fiscal Policy of the Government.”
3. COMMITTEE OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
3.1 Credibility of projections
3.1.1 The Committee observed that there have been subsequent developments after the presentation of the Budget in November 2021, both on the global and domestic front which have created enormous challenges for the economy. These include the Russia/Ukraine conflict whose spill-overs are being felt through fuel, food and fertilizer price increases and shortages globally. Locally, there was poor rainfall distribution in both space and time across the country after incessant rains in January were followed by prolonged dry spell in the first week of February to end of March. This led to failed crop establishment forcing most farmers to replant several times. Rampant market indiscipline, particularly on the parallel market also led to the depreciation of the local currency and rapidly increasing inflation. In response to some of these challenges, on the 7th of May 2022, His Excellency the President announced a cocktail of measures to restore confidence, preserve value and restore macro-economic stability.
3.1.2 Depreciation of the local currency and the inflationary environment experienced during the first half of the year resulted in both revenues and expenditures performing above the original targets. The Committee is however not satisfied with the reliability of Ministry of Finance projections. The underlying assumptions on which the projections were based was wrong and as such, headline inflation steadily accelerated from 60.7% in January to 191.6% in June 2022 and has climbed to peak at 256.9% as of July 2022. The 2022 budget had projected annual inflation, recorded at 54.5% in October 2021 to decline and close at between 52-58%. The revised estimates therefore are above the original estimates by close to 100% as indicated below:
|
2022 original |
Actual(June 30) |
2022 revised |
% change |
Revenue incl grants |
850.77 |
506.6 |
1740.0 |
104.5% |
Expenditure |
968.27 |
534.5 |
1897.53 |
95.97% |
The supplementary budget is therefore 96% of the original budget. The Committee therefore calls upon the Macro-economic Working Group (MWG) comprising Ministry of Finance, RBZ and ZimStat to up their game in terms of improving on their forecasting.
3.1.3 The growth rate of the economy has been revised downwards from 5.5% to 4.6 % on account of reduced output from the 2021/22 agricultural season, compounded by continued depreciation of the local currency and rising inflation. The Committee is concerned with the credibility of this projection given the fact that the 7.8% growth registered in 2021 was largely driven by agriculture which grew by 33.6%. In 2022, agriculture is expected to contract by 5% and this should be reflected in the overall growth rate as agriculture contributes significantly to the overall growth. The economy also grapples with inflationary pressures, reduced aggregate demand and forex challenges
3.1.4 The Committee noted that the statement failed to acknowledge that the surge in annual inflation is attributed to speculative pricing arising from forward pricing practice and adverse inflation expectations and continued arbitrage in the economy following the depreciation of the Zimbabwe dollar against major currencies in the parallel market. The auction system has not addressed price indexing to parallel market. Credibility issues also creep in as economic agents recall the assurances they were given in the 2020 budget that monthly inflation was expected to fall to single digit figures from the first quarter of 2020 to close the year around 2% on the back of commitment by the Central Bank to fight inflation through implementing an active reserve money targeting programme (Paragraph 51 of the 2020 Budget Statement).
3.1.5 The Committee has observed that inflation is now attributable to broad money expansion rather than reserve money. The 365% annual growth in broad money as at May 2022 was largely driven by increases of 316.9% and 286% in credit to the private sector and net claims on Government, respectively. Reserve money stock had increased to from ZWL$15.89 on the week ending 25 June 2021 to ZWL$33.6 billion as at 30 June, 2022, largely due to growth in statutory reserves. The Committee therefore welcomes the recent hike in the bank policy rate from 80% to 200% which is meant to curtail speculative demand for credit in the economy, which has been the main driver of broad money expansion.
3.2 Budget disbursements – The Committee is concerned with what has selective disbursements to some MDAs while some perennially are underfunded as indicated on fig 1 below:
Fig 1: Uneven disbursements, 2020 and 2021
Source : MOFED
The Committee notes that although deviations from the approved budget sometimes can be unavoidable as they may result from inflation, however, uneven pattern in terms of MDA disbursements is a cause for concern. This points to movement of resources across votes. The Committee calls upon Treasury not to move approved budgets per vote across the different votes without parliamentary approval. The Committee is also concerned with the uneven supplementary budgets wherein some votes got more than 100% of the original budget while some like Parliament got as little as 19% as indicated on Annex 1
3.3 Tax Free Threshold- The Committee noted that Government is proposing to adjust the tax-free threshold from Z$25 000 to Z$50 000 and widening of the tax bands to end at Z$1 million where a marginal tax rate of 40% will apply with effect from August 1, 2022. The tax-free threshold on US dollar income has remained at US$100. There is therefore a disconnect in the tax bands for US Dollars and Zimbabwean Dollars given the volatile exchange rate. The Committee calls upon the Ministry to review these tax bands (ZW$) every quarter in line with inflation trends, exchange rate or Total Consumption Poverty Line (TCPL) movements. It is important to note that government revenues increase significantly with advances in inflation, enough to exceed revenue targets. It is therefore prudent that government undertakes frequent adjustments in order to reduce the effects of bracket creep and a higher tax burden on workers. At current levels of prices, the Committee proposes a tax-free threshold of Z$100 000 in order to alleviate poverty of the Zimbabwean workers whose majority are now below the TCPL now estimated at Z$140 874 as of July 2022.
3.4 Agriculture support-The Committee commends the Minister for proposing to set aside a Supplementary Budget amount ZWL$21.5 billion meant to unlock early delivery of the inputs to vulnerable households in preparation for the forthcoming farming season. This comes after the sector was affected by the uneven rainfall distribution, bottlenecks in inputs distribution and high cost of inputs, among other challenges. As a result, the agriculture sector is now projected to contract by -5%, from the initially projected expansion of 5.1%. The Committee calls upon the Ministry to urgently release the US$ 20 million SDR funds earmarked for development of irrigation schemes. The Committee noted that from the targeted US$145 million draw-down from the SDR during 2022, no amount has been drawn to date and this amount is now targeted to be drawn-down during the second half of the year. Realising that Zimbabwe needs at least two million MT of maize for both human consumption and animal feeds, Government should aim at irrigating at least 100 000 ha, channelling more resources to investments in irrigation development and rehabilitation as well as water harvesting and conservation (dam and canal construction) is the way forward in the face of unpredictable weather patterns.
3.5 Mining Royalties-The Committee commends the Minister for taking a bold move to ensure that the mining sector pays its fair share in taxes. The Committee noted that the sector contributed about 1.2% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in direct taxes to the fiscus in 2021, a significant contrast to countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) which averaged 2% during the same period. This is coming amid reports of firming global mineral prices on the international market. Mining royalties contributed 2.65% of the revenue realised from January to June 2022. The Minister therefore proposed that the royalty rate on platinum, which was reduced from 10 % in 2015 to 2.5 % in conformity with a court judgement be revised upwards to 5%, which is in line with other platinum producing countries in Africa. The royalty rate of 5% will also apply on lithium with effect from 1 January 2023. The Committee also takes this opportunity to call upon stakeholders to fast track the amendment of the archaic 1963 Mines and Minerals Act in order to ensure that Zimbabwe benefits from its mineral resources. The colonial era, archaic piece of legislation was crafted in the context of repression of the black majority.
3.6 Agriculture mechanisation- The Committee is concerned that the MDFPRS remained mum on the several mechanization programmes which have been initiated by Government as quoted in the mainstream media in its bid to modernise the sector. The Committee understands that Zimbabwe is set to take delivery of 2300 tractors procured in 2021before the onset of the rains, after 700 have already been delivered. The Committee also understands that Government is working on three new facilities for agriculture mechanisation. These will add on to the Belarus Phase 1, Belarus Phase 2, the John Deere Facility and the Bain/BancABC mechanisation facilities. Although these programmes are being administered through banks who on-lend equipment to farmers on an end-user-pay basis over tenure periods ranging from two to five years, the Committee is interested to know whether Government acts as a guarantor to the facilities. This comes after Government in 2015 disbursed farming equipment under Phase I of the More Food Africa International Programme valued at US$38.7 million which benefited A1 and communal irrigation schemes throughout the country. Parliament has however not been appraised of the performance of these facilities including the Phase II of the Programme valued at US30 million which was earmarked for 2017. Despite these heavy investments in agriculture mechanization through the Reserve Bank Mechanisation Programme launched on 11 June 2007, the $98 million Brazil Facility under the More Food for Africa Programme whose first tranche worth $38,7million was launched in May 2015, and the Iran facility among other programmes and the recent Belarus facility, the country is yet to make significant strides in achieving food security because of reliance on rain-fed agriculture. Any likelihood of poor rainfall in most parts of the country due to climate change could therefore lead to food shortage. There is therefore need for the country to prioritise climate mitigation and adaptation measures through investments in irrigation infrastructure.
3.7 Devolution-The Committee noted the general low utilisation of devolution funds, to which the Minister in the MDFPRS said it reflects the need to speed up the development of a regulatory framework and clearly defined structures, including capacitation of personnel responsible for management of the funds and implementation of the project. To date, ZWL$7.1 billion had been disbursed out of an allocation of ZWL$42.5 billion under the 2022 Devolution Budget. The Committee notes that the Ministry of Local Government is still to expedite the Provincial Councils and Administrative Amendment Bill. The legal framework has a role to articulate, define and clarify the powers, functions, roles and relations among the various governance structures. Although the Constitution broadly lays the foundation for devolution, there is urgent need for an enabling Act for accountability purposes. In the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) on paragraph 728, page 181, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development has also correctly noted the need for a legal instrument to ensure accountability for the devolved funds. The Committee also noted the increase in devolution budget from Z$42.5 billion to Z$52.5 billion, which represents 3% of the revised revenue projection of Z$1.74 trillion. The allocation to devolution should be Z$87billion for the budget to be in compliance with the constitutional provision in Section 301 wherein the allocation should not be less than 5% of anticipated revenue.
3.8 AfDB Facility-The Committee is concerned with the silence on the African Development Bank (AfDB)’s offer for support to clear Zimbabwe’s US13.5 billion debt and the African Emergency Food Production Facility which Zimbabwe is set to benefit. The statement did not give an official position regarding what the media and the AfDB quoted as an undertaking by the bank to help Zimbabwe push for clearance of its $13.5 billion debt.
3.9 Anti-Money Laundering efforts-The Committee wishes to congratulate Zimbabwe for its removal from the International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG) monitoring in March 2022 by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) following successful implementation of policies and measures on the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/ CFT/PF) Framework. The Committee calls upon Government to continue capacitating the Financial Intelligence Unit and ensure its independence so that it can perform its mandate effectively.
3.10 Budget Transparency- The Committee noted with satisfaction and pride the improved ranking of the country in the 2021 International Budget Partnership (IBP) Report wherein Zimbabwe is now ranked third in Africa after South Africa and Benin, and 41 out of 120 countries globally. The country scored 59 out of 100 in the 2021 International Budget Partnership Open Budget Survey (OBS), up from 49 out of 100 in 2019. The ranking for public participation however declined to 19 out of 100, from 33 out of 100 in 2019. This implies that Government should do more in providing the public with opportunities to engage in the budget process. Zimbabwe can further improve its score by merely publishing online the reports that different institutions are generating for internal use. The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development should include in the Annual Economic and Fiscal Review Report detailed actual outcomes for expenditures, comparisons between borrowing estimates and actual outcomes and comparisons between planned nonfinancial outcomes and actual outcomes. The Ministry also needs to improve the comprehensiveness of the Citizens Budget and Mid-Year Review.
3.11 Forex Generation and Gold Coins-The Committee noted with gratification the 33% growth in merchandise exports in the first half of 2022. The Committee is however concerned that despite Zimbabwe realizing US$3 516.5 million in the first half of 2022, from US$2 649.7 million in 2021, the country still grapples with inadequacy of forex due to the confidence deficit which has seen people shying away from formal banking channels. Remittances to the country improved significantly, with a positive impact on the current account balance although the statement did not provide any figures. To provide investors with alternative tools for storing value, government introduced gold coins in the market on the 25th of July 2022. While this is a noble idea, the Committee is concerned that the coins are being sold at an overvalued interbank rate given that the premium (Gap between official and parallel market rates) is now over 90%. The Committee therefore urges Government to investigate and ascertain whether the huge demand in gold coins emanates from the genuine need to store value or is linked to the huge arbitrage opportunities created by the exchange rates misalignment.
3.12 Banking supervision - Related to the above, the Committee calls upon the RBZ to strengthen its monitoring mechanisms to curb nefarious activities in the banking sector which fuel the parallel market. Punitive measures must be put in place for individuals and institutions found on the wrong side of the law. Regular compliance checks should be preferred to abrupt policy announcements and reversals which cause havoc in the market and are a source of the current lack of confidence.
3.13 Intermediated Money Transfer Tax-The Committee welcomes the review of the IMTT Tax-Free Threshold from ZW$1,000 to ZW$2,500 for individuals and for corporates from ZWL$1,320,000 to ZWL$3,300,000 on transactions with values exceeding ZWL$165 million. This move is meant to cushion low-income earners and high-volume businesses. The Committee however, recommends revision of the IMTT minimum threshold to Z$10 000, if the tax relief measure is to make a meaningful impact on the lives of the people.
3.14 Update on Taxation on mobile phones- The Committee is concerned with the lack of an update on the implementation and performance of the taxation on mobile phones which was introduced in order to curb tax evasion on new cellular telephone handsets which attract a 25% customs duty (but can be easily concealed). The 2022 budget introduced a levy of US$50 which is to be collected prior to registration of new cellular handsets by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). The Committee recommends that the levy be scrapped to encourage use of ICTs and government can recoup this forgone tax from increased use of cellphones on airtime levy and IMTT.
3.15 Outstanding tax recovery mechanism-The Committee welcomes the efforts to enhance tax compliance through a temporary closure of operations for business that owe ZIMRA. This is being proposed following the realization that as at 30 June 2022, ZIMRA was owed ZW$23.05 billion and efforts to recover the outstanding tax debts have been hindered by the diversion of funds from company accounts that can be garnished by ZIMRA to other accounts not linked to the business or the proprietor.
This move should however be counter-balanced with the need to support business growth and therefore should be the last resort after exhausting all the other available remedies.
3.16 Withholding tax- The Committee noted the proposal to hike withholding tax from 10% to 30% of the value of imported commercial goods with effect from 1 August 2022 in order to push non-compliant cross border traders to get their tax clearance certificates on time. The increase of the tax in a situation where close to 75% of the economy is informal will lead to a blanket increase in prices of goods and services to cover for the amount withheld for non-compliant suppliers. The Committee is concerned that this increase comes against the background of ZIMRA consistently failing to issue tax clearance certificates on time to various businesses and running behind schedule in processing tax rebates.
3.17 Designation of ZIMRA as the Interim Ports Authority-The Committee welcomes the designation of ZIMRA to be the interim border controller while efforts to establish a Ports Authority to manage affairs at the border posts are underway. ZIMRA will then ensure that only registered agents work inside the border. ZIMRA has to urgently ensure coordination of all agents at ports of entry which was lacking, thus leading to delays in clearing traffic and travelers. The Committee, in its report on visits to border posts undertaken in June and July 2019, had noted that the police and ZNA at some border posts were duplicating efforts by repeating searches that could be undertaken together under one roof and enhance border efficiency. With this additional mandate, there is need for adequate funding of ZIMRA to allow for system upgrades and smooth execution of its duties. In that regard, ZIMRA must be allowed to retain a certain percentage of the revenue for its operations. This will allow for ZIMRA to be adequately equipped with the proper tools of trade such as computers, scanners, drones, surveillance cameras and vehicles. The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority will, thus ensure orderly, efficient and reliable port services while at the same time providing seamless service to Government in revenue collection. Realising that there is a risk of ZIMRA being both a player and regulator, there is need to speed up the process of establishing the Ports Authority which was mooted more than a decade ago.
3.18 Zero rating of bricks The Committee noted with appreciation the zero rating of bricks meant to stimulate construction and housing development. The Committee recommends that the brick making industry be reserved for locals with a view to empower youths, in particular to venture into the brick making industry.
3.19 SDR Allocation- The Committee is concerned that despite the Ministry of Finance undertaking to consult Parliament before the utilisation of SDRs, reports indicate that Treasury has already withdrawn US$280 million from the facility on 7 October 2021 and on 9 December 2021, with most of the funds going to the rehabilitation of the Harare-Beitbridge Highway and the remainder being allocated to COVID-19 vaccination programmes. The Committee recalls the response given by the Leader of Government business in the National Assembly in response to a question by Hon. Mliswa on 18 May 2022, that no disbursements will be made without consultation with Parliament. The Committee therefore calls upon the Minister of Finance to consult Parliament in the utilisation of the SDRs set aside as contingency reserves. The Committee also calls upon the Minister to include a report on the utilisation of SDRs so far in his MDFPRS. Moreover, the Committee calls upon the Auditor General to thoroughly audit the utilisation of the SDRs.
RECOMMENDATIONS
- Treasury should improve on the releases and predictability of resources to MDAs. There is need for equity in the distribution of resources by MDA and programme. Erratic releases impede on the ability of ministries to achieve what they set out to achieve in their strategic plans and as reflected in the blue book. Payment runs should be quickly honoured and Treasury should not authorize budget releases not linked to the cash availability.
- Where possible, capital releases should be once off so as to preserve value for money and facilitate realization of economies of scale.
- Constituency Development Fund budget should be disbursed before year end.
- Mining royalties should be aligned to the regional averages, to ensure that Zimbabweans benefit from the finite mineral resources.
- Treasury should honour its promise to submit to Parliament within 2 weeks, a report on the utilisation of SDRs. The Committee further insists on obtaining disaggregated data on SDR utilization. It is therefore directed that the Minister of Finance and Economic Development brings to the House a detailed report with disaggregated data on progress made so far with regards to deployment of SDR resources.
- ZIMRA must be allowed to retain 3% of the net revenue collected for its operations beginning 2022 fiscal year. This will ensure that the authority is adequately capacitated to pursue revenue enhancement measures and plug revenue leakages.
- Government should speed up the setting of a permanent Ports Authority in the same manner that the Airports Company of Zimbabwe (Private) Limited (ACZ) was established. ACZ was formed through the Civil Aviation Amendment Act, 2018 (No.10 of 2018) mandated to acquire, establish, develop, maintain, manage, control and operate airports. The Committee hereby directs the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development to establish a Border Posts Authority by September 2023. He should however submit a statement on progress in this House by end of November 2022.
- The IMTT minimum threshold should be increased to Z$10 000, for the tax relief measure to make a meaningful impact on disposable income and on the lives of the people.
- There is need to speed up enactment of a legal instrument to ensure accountability for the devolved funds. As such, the Provincial Councils and Administrative Amendment Bill which is expected to clearly define roles, responsibilities and parameters for the three tiers of government to avoid duplication of functions should be fast-tracked and brought to Parliament by March 2023.
- The overdue Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill should be promulgated into law. This will in turn usher in the necessary processes for the amendment of the Precious Stones, and Gold Trade Acts to facilitate growth of the mining industry and the nation as a whole. There is also need to effect the cadastre system and employing digital technology in the mining sector so that there is constant surveillance of mining operations through the country.
- The Committee hereby directs that the Minister of Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Resettlement bring to the House, a statement on the operationalization of the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC). This institution was launched in March 2021 but to date, no meaningful support through this bank is being offered to farmers. Formerly, Agricultural Finance Corporation, which in turn was a transformation of the Land Bank which had been established in 1925, the institution was transformed into an agricultural development bank in 2003, earmarked to provide finance to farmers in line with the government's land reorganization strategy. Despite this, a financing gap in the country’s agriculture sector still remains despite the sector being touted as bankable and creditworthy, according to research. Research has also recommended for adoption of collateral substitution lending approaches that have been used by successful agriculture finance institutions in other countries.
CONCLUSION
Regardless of the difficult macro-economic environment exacerbated by exogenous shocks related to geopolitical tensions, poor rainfall patterns, the COVID-19 pandemic as well as limited external support, the economy is exhibiting some positive sentiments and is on its way to recovery. The Committee recommends that Parliament approves the 2022 Supplementary budget subject to the proposed amendments by the Committee.
ANNEX 1
|
Original Budget |
Expenditure to 30 June |
% expenditure |
Additional Estimates |
2022 Revised Budget |
% Increase |
Vote Appropriations |
ZWL$ |
ZWL$ |
% |
ZWL$ |
ZWL$ |
ZWL$ |
Office of the President and Cabinet |
32,391.20 |
35,823.00 |
110.59 |
47,155.60 |
79,765.00 |
145.6% |
Parliament of Zimbabwe |
14,615.10 |
4,877.90 |
33.38 |
2,800.70 |
17,415.80 |
19.2% |
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare |
19,477.30 |
9,654.10 |
49.57 |
34,897.40 |
54,374.80 |
179.2% |
Defence and War Veterans |
61,553.30 |
46,345.70 |
75.29 |
71,515.60 |
133,068.90 |
116.2% |
Finance and Economic Development |
64,573.60 |
48,192.20 |
74.63 |
127,673.70 |
176,617.50 |
197.7% |
Auditor General |
3,014.10 |
534.50 |
17.73 |
1,059.60 |
4,073.70 |
35.2% |
Industry and Commerce |
3,879.50 |
1,768.70 |
45.59 |
1,662.50 |
5,542.10 |
42.9% |
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development |
124,049.10 |
98,997.30 |
79.80 |
100,672.00 |
231,819.00 |
81.2% |
Mines and Mining Development |
3,020.90 |
1,725.20 |
57.11 |
1,582.50 |
4,603.50 |
52.4% |
Environment, Tourism and Hosipitality Industry |
3,711.40 |
1,711.70 |
46.12 |
3,624.60 |
7,335.90 |
97.7% |
Transport and Infrastructural development |
60,802.50 |
29,881.30 |
49.14 |
46,507.40 |
107,309.90 |
76.5% |
Foreign Affairs and International Trade |
14,877.30 |
3,193.00 |
21.46 |
3,848.00 |
18,725.30 |
25.9% |
Local Government and Public Works |
24,315.30 |
13,069.90 |
53.75 |
12,743.40 |
37,058.70 |
52.4% |
Health and Child Care |
117,714.20 |
31,819.10 |
27.03 |
62,210.50 |
179,294.50 |
52.8% |
Primary and Secondary Education |
124,070.00 |
54,808.80 |
44.18 |
103,924.50 |
228,994.50 |
83.8% |
Higher & Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development |
35,774.20 |
16,144.10 |
45.13 |
35,036.10 |
70,810.40 |
97.9% |
Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development |
4,734.50 |
2,374.10 |
50.14 |
3,139.00 |
7,873.50 |
66.3% |
Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage |
49,417.60 |
32,159.20 |
65.08 |
61,077.10 |
115,493.70 |
123.6% |
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs |
22,705.10 |
11,118.70 |
48.97 |
18,187.10 |
40,892.20 |
80.1% |
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services |
2,652.70 |
738.90 |
27.85 |
1,012.80 |
3,665.50 |
38.2% |
Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation |
7,844.10 |
3,689.90 |
47.04 |
3,788.60 |
11,632.60 |
48.3% |
Energy and Power Development |
3,553.90 |
2,823.70 |
79.45 |
2,369.70 |
8,183.60 |
66.7% |
Information Communication Technology and Courier Services |
3,294.60 |
1,274.90 |
38.70 |
4,793.70 |
8,088.20 |
145.5% |
National Housing and Social Amenities |
10,061.50 |
2,392.60 |
23.78 |
6,894.70 |
16,956.20 |
68.5% |
Judicial Service Commission |
5,445.80 |
4,177.60 |
76.71 |
3,083.00 |
8,583.60 |
56.6% |
Public Service Commission |
22,572.10 |
18,103.40 |
80.20 |
48,800.00 |
71,552.10 |
216.2% |
National Council of Chiefs |
671.00 |
281.90 |
42.01 |
500.00 |
1,171.00 |
74.5% |
Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission |
403.90 |
330.60 |
81.85 |
527.40 |
931.30 |
130.6% |
National Peace and Reconciliation Commission |
441.30 |
247.80 |
56.15 |
390.40 |
831.70 |
88.5% |
National Prosecuting Authority |
1,629.30 |
938.10 |
57.58 |
1,518.30 |
3,147.50 |
93.2% |
Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission |
913.70 |
517.40 |
56.63 |
351.40 |
1,265.10 |
38.5% |
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission |
11,632.80 |
9,547.80 |
82.08 |
32,693.50 |
44,326.30 |
281.0% |
Zimbabwe Gender Commission |
497.60 |
172.90 |
34.75 |
507.30 |
1,004.90 |
101.9% |
Zimbabwe Land Commission |
1,759.30 |
1,175.80 |
66.83 |
4,688.40 |
6,447.70 |
266.5% |
Zimbabwe Media Commission |
511.00 |
181.10 |
35.44 |
238.20 |
749.20 |
46.6% |
Sub-TOTAL |
858,580.80 |
490,792.90 |
57.16 |
851,474.70 |
1,709,605.40 |
99.2% |
CONSTITUTIONAL AND STATUTORY APPROPRIATIONS
|
|
|||||
Debt Service: Interest Bill |
14,367.00 |
3,487.40 |
24.27 |
3,000.00 |
17,367.00 |
20.9% |
Pension |
47,641.50 |
31,572.70 |
66.27 |
62,628.90 |
110,270.40 |
131.5% |
Transfer to Provincial Councils and Local Authorities |
42,539.00 |
7,143.30 |
16.79 |
10,000.00 |
52,539.00 |
23.5% |
Other Constitutional & Statutory Appropriations |
4,960.30 |
1,510.20 |
30.45 |
2,149.80 |
7,110.10 |
43.3% |
Total Expenditure& Net Lending |
968,088.60 |
534,506.50 |
55.21 |
929,253.40 |
1,896,891.90 |
96.0% |
I thank you.
HON. DR. MUTODI: As a member of the Committee Madam Speaker Ma’am, I have realised that the Supplementary Budget viewed in conjunction with the volatile exchange rate, high inflation and increased interest rates, show that macro-economic factors affecting the economy were not accurately estimated. The Minister and his team did not do a proper job when they presented the Budget in the first place, putting forward figures which have turned out to be very little to cover the required payments that the economy is facing. This has seen us now reaching a trillion dollar budget. This has led to the erosion of savings, loss of confidence in the Zimbabwe dollar and extreme poverty among the generality of Zimbabweans.
The huge Supplementary Budget means that inflation, exchange rates and other macro-economic factors will continue to be on a sky rocketing trend and this is not desirable. The Minister is therefore encouraged to come up with robust ways of dealing with inflation. A proper plan for the estimation of the performance of macro-economic factors in line with the foreseeable state of the nation. We know that the country is facing sanctions from the western capitals; we know that there is the Russian-Ukrainian conflict but this is not affecting Zimbabwe alone. South Africa, Botswana and Namibia are being affected but their economies are not screaming at the same rate as our economy is doing.
We want to encourage the Minister to really come up with robust ways of addressing these issues as they are actually impacting on the livelihoods of ordinary Zimbabweans. I thank you.
HON. BITI: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. It is my privilege to join the debate on the Supplementary Budget that was brought in by the Minister of Finance on 27th July, 2022. Madam Speaker, even though you are calling it supplementary budget, it cannot be a supplementary budget. It is in fact a brand new budget. A supplementary budget is an increase, 10%; 15%, you can call it a supplementary budget but when you have a 100% increase on the original budget, it cannot be a supplementary budget. This is a brand new budget; a budget that is now raising expenditure by 100% to $1.9 trillion.
In a country such as Zimbabwe, because we have been there before, in 2006, 2007 and 2008, once you begin to budget in trillions, you must know you have lost it. You must know that you have now become an innocent by-stander to the economy. You must know that you are no longer in charge of the economy. Unfortunately, that is the predicament that my good friend, the Minister of Finance finds himself in. The Minister of Finance brought a budget in November, 2021. That budget was based on certain underlying assumptions that were made. Those underlying assumptions were the following:
Number one, that we will have a predictable exchange rate. Number two, that inflation will be stable. Number three, that we will have a decent rain season. Number four, that there will be growth rate of at least 6%. The concern is that the underlying assumptions made by the Minister were so far off the mark that hardly more than six months later, he has had to come to this august House to ask for a 100% increase in his budget. So we question the legitimacy and credibility of all the processes that we are doing. It is a waste of time that we are asked to sit here when the Minister is going to go and be off target by 100%. This is the Minister who has cut his teeth on the mantra of surpluses. So what it means is that before six months is out, this budget is already out by 100%.
Bear in mind that we already have a Financial Adjustment Bill tabled in February, 2022 in respect of which the Minister is asking for condonation by this august House of over expenditure in 2019 and 2020 of $103 billion. If you look at $103 billion for 2021 and for 2020, it actually means that he has been having a parallel budget that is more than the original budget. The only thing that he has done in his favour this time around is, at least he has come to Parliament to ask for condonation. Otherwise in the last years - 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, he has just been running parallel budgets and then seeking post condonation by Parliament through the Financial Adjustment Bill.
Our prayer now is that the Minister must respect Parliament. The Minister must respect the Blue Book; the Minister must respect the Appropriation Bill that we pass as Parliament and live within his means, so that Parliament is not put to the embarrassment that it becomes a rubber stamp of excessive Government expenditure engineered by the Minister of Finance.
I come to the second point I have Madam Speaker. What are the issues that are affecting our country at the present moment? I will submit that there are seven key issues that are affecting this economy. The first one is hyperinflation. Inflation in Zimbabwe right now is the highest in the world. Even with the reduced inflation of July, our inflation is still above 500% with month on month inflation more than 60%. The definition of hyperinflation is when inflation exceeds 50% per month. So we are back in a hyperinflationary mode but this is regrettable because less than 10 years ago, we had the second highest inflation in the history of mankind at 500 billion percent, only less than Hungary in 1956. That is problem number one.
Problem number two; we have got the challenge of collapsed exchange rate. The parallel market rate is over 1: 800. A few days ago it was 1:1200. The third problem we have is disposable income. Public servants are being paid paltry incomes which are not reflective of the reality out there. The poverty datum line to survive in Zimbabwe, for a family of six you need at least US$800 per month, yet all of us including Members of Parliament, we are earning less than US$100 per month. Most of us are earning 60 000 RTGs; 60 000 RTGs cannot buy you four loaves of bread; it cannot buy you four bottles of cooking fat. It cannot buy you four bottles of mazowe. About 79% of our people are wallowing in poverty, surviving on less than US$1.20.
The fourth thing is the collapse of the public service system. Hospitals are closed, there are no drugs, there are no syringe machines, our people are dying of ordinary simple diseases. Teachers have not been going to work for literally two years.
Our next problem is the issue of public debt, the issue of arbitrage and that of corruption. We are losing revenue of at least US1 billion a year in gold that is being smuggled out of Zimbabwe. We are losing US$1 billion a year in respect of cigarettes that are being smuggled out of Zimbabwe. We are now an economy run by speculators. We are now an economy run by cartels; a few individuals that are controlling this economy and that are forcing this economy to overheat. These are the issues that we expected the Minister to address in his budget. Regrettably, he does not address these issues, the issue of the exchange rate needed to be fixed and sorted out as a matter of urgency. How do you sort the exchange rate - you sort the exchange rate by allowing the multiple currency regime to operate, which he has done but secondly, you allow the Zimbabwean dollar to float. Remove the controls on the Zimbabwean dollar and let the market find a normal stability point in the market.
I was in Kenya a few days ago, they have floated the Kenyan shilling. The average exchange rate is 1: 6000. Everyone knows that the Kenyan shilling trades at 1: 6000. If you go into a Kenyan bank, they will ask you - do you want Ugandan shillings, Kenyan shillings, Tanzanian shilling, Euros or bond? The Minister must float the Zimbabwean dollar so that there is currency stability in this country. When you do that, when there is predictability and certainty, then you can budget. The 2022 Budget was predicated on inflation of 35% but inflation right now is 600% yet the Minister knew this. It was foreseeable because the black market was there but we also know that the biggest generator of inflation in Zimbabwe is actually the Government itself.
It is the Government that has been paying billions and trillions of dollars to contractors, particularly the contractors that are doing the Beitbridge – Harare Road. Those contractors are being paid in Zimbabwean dollars and once they get their payments in Zimbabwean dollars, they push it on to Fourth Street. When they put it on to Fourth Street, the Zimbabwean dollar collapses. So an expansionary fiscal policy; an ambitious fiscal policy has created money in Zimbabwe. On his own admission, broad money grew by 345% by May, 2022. That means the printing machines are in overdrive Madam Speaker Ma’am, you create a crisis of over accumulation. What is a crisis of over accumulation? A crisis of over accumulation is when you have got too much paper money chasing too few goods.
We go back to 2008, where all of us were trillionaires. The last time the Reserve Bank Governor printed our own currency, it was a $100.000 trillion, which could not buy you two bottles of soda. We now have our highest denominated note being a $100 note which cannot buy you a loaf of bread. That is failure Madam Speaker Ma’am. It cannot buy you chewing gum and that is failure. The Government must stop printing money through an expansionary fiscal policy. The Government must live within its means and eat what it kills. It cannot kill a rat and spend money like it has killed an elephant. That is the basis of the instability arresting this economy.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, I come to the projection. The Minister estimates that this economy will grow by 4.2%. He says that this is a reduction from the 7.3% growth rate of 2021. We know that the growth rate in 2021 was predicated by a strong agricultural season. Agriculture contributed 36% to the growth rate of 2021, which was 7.3%. In his own Budget Statement, he asserts that agriculture is going to shrink by
-5%. So, if your anchor or mainstay of the economy has shrunk by -5%, where are you going to get the growth rate of 4.3%. In our submission Madam Speaker Ma’am, the growth rate of 4.3% is not realistic. It is not supported by any visible growth in the economy other than mining and must be reduced further.
One of the reasons why the Minister must reduce the growth rate further is that he has surrendered his authority and wisdom to the Reserve Bank, to number 80 Samora Machel Avenue, to John Panonetsa Mangudya. Unfortunately for the Minister, Mangudya is going to lead him into total darkness. This is what John Mangudya has done. He has raised the rate of interest to 200%. Madam Speaker, if you have a country such as Zimbabwe, which is prone to depressions because there is no output – I want to go back to the figures of 2020. Our economy grew by -11.7% in 2020. This is confirmed in the IMF’s Article IV Report of April, 2020. The Minister himself in his letter that was leaked that he wrote to the IMF in April, 2020 actually estimated himself that the growth rate of 2020 will be -20%. We know that it was -11.7% in 2020 and 7.3% in 2021.
If you look from 2014 to 2021, the economy has been on a downward spiral. In fact, if you trace the history of our economy from 1960 to now, the economy has been in permanent recession mode. If you raise rates of interest, you are discouraging economic activity in the market. You are preventing companies from borrowing because companies depend on working capital from the banking sector. You are preventing financial intermediation and high rates of interest also do not make sense because we have got an in duplum rule, which says that when interest capitalises and reaches 1%, it stops accumulating. A rate of 200% does not make sense both economically and legally. Madam Speaker Ma’am, what high rate of interest does is that it starves the economy of oxygen and it causes the economy to go into recession or depression mode. This is exactly what is happening right now. There is a collapse in aggregate demand, economic activity and in buoyancy.
You heard Hon. Members of Parliament saying they are being chased away from hotels, they have no money so the economy is shrinking. It is strange Madam Speaker that in an economy which should be allowed to breath by the injection of money, the Government and its Central Bank is doing everything to squeeze the little economy that is there. I want to say to my learned friend because he is very educated, much more educated than me that in a country such as Zimbabwe where less than 15% of the population is banked and where those that are banked are very minimum, there is over ZWL10 billion in the banking system owned by less than 12 companies such as Delta, Econet, Sakunda, Tagwirei, their cousins and so forth. 12 companies own the bulk of the money. Where the country is under banked, your source of intervention cannot be monetary policy because Monetary Policy does not touch anyone. We do not have money in Dotito, Chiendambuya, Tsholotsho and Nkayi, so the interventions that make sense must be supply side interventions not monetary interventions. He has listened to John Mangudya, he is starving the economy of oxygen and he is making sure that the economy is now permanently stuck in default mode and depression mode.
I want to come to another thing Madam Speaker Ma’am which is the debt question. Zimbabwe is struggling with a debt overhang. Our debt overhang, the Minister puts the figures at US$14 billion. We beg to differ. We think that a sovereign debt of Zimbabwe is over US$30 billion. We think that the Minister is under estimating and under stating the debt we owe to the African Import and Export Bank, the Republic of China and various private loans that we know the Government has contracted. The problem with the debt question is that we do not see any plan by the Minister, yet the debt question is putting a premium on our development. There are huge amounts of money that are at the African Development Bank. President Adesina who was in this country has got over $40 billion on his high fives, agriculture, roads, water for poor countries such as Zimbabwe. The World Bank has got over $75 billion for poor countries such as Zimbabwe. We cannot access those monies because we have arrears which we need to clear – [HON. MEMBERS: Sanctions.] – It is not sanctions. We have got US$2 billion that we owe to the World Bank – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – We have got US$500 million that we owe to the African Development Bank. We have got US$5 billion … [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] – Hauna pekurara ipapa.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order please! Order Hon. Members!
HON. BITI: Madam Speaker, we owe US$5 billion to the Paris Club of Lenders. Our point to the Minister of Finance is that please come up with a debt plan. At least Chinamasa had his Lima Plan, which may have failed …
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Biti, you are left with five minutes.
HON. BITI: In conclusion, I urge the Minister of Finance to do the following things:
- To have a credible macro-economic framework,
- To come up with a solution to sort out the exchange rate. In my opinion, please float the Zimbabwean dollar.
- Live within your means. Pursue fiscal prudence, pay civil servants including teachers and Members of Parliament in United States dollars, please fund agriculture adequately, please fund the social services adequately and deal with corruption and cartels. I thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I just want to debate a little bit on the supplementary budget request by the Hon. Minister of Finance. I have proposals as opposed to issues.
Madam Speaker, we have the Boeing 777s that are sitting at Air Zimbabwe which I think we spent US$65 million. The Boeing 777s are in the first or second generation of aircrafts. The ERJ 145 which is a 55 seater aircraft can do wonders and it costs just less than US$5 million. My point exactly is that if we continue to keep the Boeing 777s, they are only required by people who operate in air spaces that have conflicts which operators do not care if those aircrafts are brought down by missiles or otherwise. Those people are there and they are looking for those aircrafts. It is my thinking that if we continue to have them grounded as they are, they will continue to have parts that are replenished or replaced, irrespective of whether they are flying or not. This is the danger that you have in aircraft or in the aviation sector. So that is my first point. Let us generate income using what we have to get what we want.
The second issue where we can generate revenue Madam Speaker, is the issue of the Ports Authority that has been eloquently, elaborately, effectively and efficiently put across by the Committee’s recommendation. There is need Madam Speaker, to quickly and expeditiously computerise the Ports Authority. The issue of ZIMRA, we have seen it in the previous archaic, moribund and antiquated way of collecting revenue at the tollgates and at the time, they were getting 10%. It does not separate the regulator and the operator.
(v)HON. NDEBELE: On a point of order Madam Speaker
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Nduna. What is your point of order Hon. Ndebele?
(v) HON. NDEBELE: Madam Speaker, could you kindly request IT to look into the issue of audio. We can hardly hear Hon. Nduna. That was the same thing that happened to the last part of Hon. Biti’s presentation, please.
HON. NDUNA: Madam Speaker, the issue that I want to touch on is to both computerise the Ports Authority and I am happy that the report by the Budget Committee stipulates and directs the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development to expeditiously man and computerise the Ports Authority in that the issue of vehicular transport and human traffic, if it continues to be amalgamated, we continue to have a log-jam and we continue to unnecessarily incur costs, especially if you delay those heavy trucks loaded with commodities that are supposed to go into the market. A good example is if a 30 tonne fuel truck is delayed by 48 hours at the border post, the resultant effect when the truck lands to offload the commodity, the sugar, assuming it is sugar, is going to land at 4c more than it left the border post because of the delay of 48 hours and the same happens to fuel, 45c more. So we could definitely save revenue by expeditiously making sure that there is a free flow of traffic - I mean a flow that is computerised.
I therefore also call upon the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development to synergise on the systems to expeditiously have mobility of transport systems, and this issue is called Zimbabwe Integrated Transport Management System (ZIMTIS). It actually integrates CVR, VID, ZINARA and RMT. It integrates all the transport systems including the Vehicle Theft Squad (VTS) so that when police at the road block actually torches the licence plate of that vehicle it can give you a history and a plethora of issues including the amount of speed on a public service vehicle that the driver has been having one tollgate after the other.
We can utilise the infrastructure that we have in order for revenue generation and also reduce crime. So besides the Ports Authority, there is need to have ZIMTIS established not any time more than today expeditiously so that we can make sure that we reduce revenue leakages, plug revenue shortages and all that using computerisation.
Thirdly Madam Speaker, the issue of the Mines and Minerals Act that has been spoken about by the Budget Committee, how we are losing revenue through that moribund and antiquated piece of legislation of 1951, is because there is no mention of the small scale miners in that piece of legislation whereas the small scale miners are expected by year end to produce 100 tonnes of gold in order to contribute $12 billion to the mines minerals economy by year 2023. So looking forward, we will continue to have supplementary budgetary requests because there is illicit outflows of our mineral wealth.
I call upon the Minister, as the gold finger, to expeditiously allow or request the Minister of Mines to bring to this House the antiquated piece of legislation so that we can shred and include the small scale miners, artisanal miners and we continue to contribute to the fiscus in a regulated manner. Currently, they are using claims that are held for speculative purposes by large scale miners, whereas they are not observed and they are actually not given their right using the piece of legislation that is called the Mines and Minerals Act.
Madam Speaker, the Minister of Finance has done very well in the transitional monetary stabilisation money policy – [HON. MEMBERS: Ahhhh.] – chiregerai kundikorekita ndikorekitiwe naMinister varipano.] – the TSP Madam Speaker, he has done very well. I ask that the 2% that is charged on the transactions should not be charged to pensioners. The money that they are receiving is quite a pittance and it is my hope and view that he is going to see reason not to charge the pensioners that 2% so that they get their money in a wholesome figure.
It is my hope that the current land redistribution exercise should not direct its effort to land ownership which is what is currently happening. People own vast lands and there is no utilisation. The current land redistribution should focus on land utilisation as opposed to ownership. Currently, people go to their lands for weekend escapades and they are not utilising it. When they die, that is the time that you get to see that there is vast land that has not been utilised because they want to be buried on those farms.
Madam Speaker, I ask that the current land redistribution exercise, especially for the youths, should concentrate on the youths as a group and give them land both for subsistence and commercial purposes. I am going to request, in my constituency, we have 10 000 young people aged between 18 and 22 and I request that the 500 hectares that have been earmarked for land redistribution does not go to individuals but to that group of youths and they get to use their minds in order for revenue generation, commercial purpose to partner, offshore financiers and make sure that we contribute and augment the fiscal benefits into the central revenue fund so that the Minister of Finance can holistically have monies coming from our youths, ubiquitous amounts of land and copious amounts of water bodies. In my constituency, there is John Binya, Masterpice, Backsley, Mupfure River, Mupfure Dam, Pool Dam, Cliffton, Suri Suri River and Suri Suri Dam, there is more than eight water bodies and we can utilise them using this financial modus operandi of utilising the land as opposed to just owning it. I thank you Madam Speaker and I hope that these submissions which are positive proposals can do a lot of wonders for the nation and for the Minister of Finance. I thank you.
HON. T. MLISWA: Thank you very much Madam Speaker. I just want to contribute on the report on the Mid-Term Budget Economic Review. The Chairman put it correctly in saying that there were cocktails of interventions for the improvement of social and public services. The moment you use the word ‘cocktail’, it means that the original drink is not sweet, so you need to add something until you gain some taste. So indeed, the interventions have been plenty. You are talking about the 929 billion which is required which takes us to nearly two trillion and we have to look at what we have also passed before, whether it has been disbursed or not.
That is really important for Committees to report that the various ministries where you have oversight over, did they get money? The last time we debated, 30% had been disbursed and not 100%. So, why do we need a supplementary budget when you have not disbursed the first lot? I do not know - ko sei muchida mari yakawanda iyo yekutanga yamakatenderwa musina kupihwa? I am failing to understand the logic of Hon. Members in wanting to support this supplementary. Again, you are encouraging non-performance on passing budgets here. It is a shame on you that you are not paying attention to detail in terms of that. It exposes us because if there is anything, we should be asking the Hon. Minister what happened to the budget that we passed. Did the money reach its intended purposes as allocated as per Votes? If it did, then supplementary comes in.
What is the definition of supplementary? Mothers you are here, supplementary milk means mukaka unonwiwa kana wamai usikukwana, munoshandisa wepowder, mwana akamwa here zvakakwana kuti muzoda wepowder? I am totally against this House constantly endorsing or rubber stamping issues which do not make sense.
My question here is; why are you pushing for a supplementary when the budget allocated to different ministries was not disbursed? The Portfolio Committees - what are their reports saying and what are they doing? So clearly, there is an exposé of a Parliament which meets once in a while to endorse or rubber stamp things which are illegal. The Public Finance Management Act itself is pretty clear that quarterly or monthly, there must be reports coming into Portfolio Committees. Once again, you are repeating the same mistake of not following the Public Finance Management Act and continuously we sit here and blame the Minister of Finance and yet we hold the keys to everything. To me, it again exposes us as Parliament at the end of the day, even our own money that we are supposed to get; did we get the money? You are crying foul that the hotels are not accepting you. Shame on you but you passed the budget. What have you done to just deal with your own issues? You are busy talking about other people’s issues when your house is not clean. Clean your house first and then go to the next house because it is embarrassing as Members of Parliament who passed the budget that you are saying hotels have not been paid for. So when you were passing the budget, did you not factor that in? At any point, did we as Parliament come in and say we have been allocated all our money and there is some money which has not come through, we need it so that we pay bills? You make your bed and you lie on it, that is what English proverbs say - you make your bed as parliamentarians and you are laying on it.
Let us not come here to rubber stamp issues from your caucuses just to pass things. We are fed up of parliamentarians who make noise the last minute when you are going towards your end of term because you are now thinking of your suffering. When you came in here, who told you that there was cherry in this place - there is no cherry in this place; I hope the nation understands that being a Member of Parliament is the route for being poor at the end of the day. The people who were Members of Parliament during Rhodesian time were farmers who came with their land cruisers, park them here, got into 504s when doing Parliament business and during weekends, they go back in their land cruisers. Now, because you are poorer, whichever witchdoctor told you that you will be appointed a Minister when you come into Parliament wronged you. I think you must stop going to these witchdoctors who are lying to you because serving people requires you to be capacitated. We now need that, not only intellectual but from a resource point of view and so forth. So, it is really disappointing that the Caucuses that you have do not talk about your welfare and all that and you have got Chief Whips who should be looking into that.
Going back to this point Madam Speaker, you have a situation where the Hon. Minister here talked about a surplus, what has happened to the surplus? Many times we were told about the surplus, I did not see the Finance and Budget Committee talking about the surplus. Where did it go? You have the opportunity to invite the Minister to say Minister, we are short of money can you kick-in the surplus. Why do we not follow up on things which are said here? Where did the surplus go? The report talks about SDRs, SDRs you are now spending money on roads rehabilitation yet the whole point was to have local contractors paying the local currency, SDR is not local currency, it is USD. Now you are using USD to pay the local people yet we were pushing business for the local people to make money.
Madam Speaker, the agreements were 50% would be USD and 50% would be ZIM dollar. I go back to Government, being the chief culprit of inflation, you have contracted foreigners to come and work here, Chinese are not earning yern, they are earning ZIM dollar. Madam Speaker, they go and burn that ZIM dollar to turn it to USD, they have no interest of investing here, they send it back to China. All these dams which have been built have come as a result of cost where inflation has gone up, when inflation goes up, it haunts the innocent person. The innocent person is the one who has suffered. Look at the contractors who have been contracted. How many are foreign and how many are local? Let us look at the local ones, have they done well, have they not done well but the local ones end up falling on the wayside because they are trying to be very straight forward in their approach and they lose business because if you clearly run a business in this country using ZIM dollar, you will go broke. If you want to use ZIM dollar for your health care, you die. Foreign companies given the ZIM dollar, they burn it, they take out the local contractors and they are on their own. So the USD is in fact working at the end of the day because they have got the financial muscle, they are not paying for any equipment because they are well resourced.
What the Chinese have done for example in this country, is just coming with equipment. I have never heard of anybody who has been loaned money by the Chinese. I have never had of Government being given money by the Chinese but they are given equipment. Is the equipment money, is Zimbabwe looking for equipment? No, we are looking for money! The last time the former President Mugabe was around when Ambassador Mutsvangwa was Ambassador to China, there was a rumour that we were given USD1 billion. Did it come? It did not come, it ended up ZANU PF nearly losing the controversial elections in 2008. Where was the billion dollars-friend who does not give you cash? If our partners are China, why are we short of cash? They are putting you in a Parliamentary building where you do not have money, to do what? You want to be taken photos in that Parliamentary building when your children are starving, when we are not dealing with the local issues. You need to go back to basics.
Madam Speaker, there is the aspect of domestic resource mobilisation. Zimbabwe is endowed with resources. What happened to domestic resource mobilisation? Where is the accountability of the resources in this country? We are talking about 12-billion dollar economy in terms of mining, we are talking about small scale in terms of the minerals but the small scale farmers, while I agree with Hon. Nduna but they are a disaster in terms of environmental degradation. The country is worn out, the farmers cannot look after cattle. The only wealth that an African man has is cattle. Your cattle are your wealth and it is your moving bank. But now, with all these portholes allover in the rural areas, we are now even losing our heritage and culture. So where is the money going to come from for rehabilitating of all these holes which have been left which are killing our animals today?
Madam Speaker, we are poorer by the day and to me it is important that we are able to look at the foreign direct investment. The late S. B. Moyo came with a list of the foreign direct investments of countries and companies which said they were going to invest in Zimbabwe. Let us talk, how many of them have invested? An agreement is not an investment. How much money has come to the country from the foreign direct investment? Not only that, we foolishly, stupidly abandoned the Indigenisation Act to appease foreigners. The 10% for the local community is no longer there, the 10% for the worker went away, the 31% for the sovereign country went and now we are poorer. We reversed a law because of the Finance Bill saying that no, they were not happy with that. One thing that you cannot take away from the late President Mugabe – I was talking to my friend today was clarity, it is either black or white. Inconsistency of Government policy, one minute the President whether advised or not, has got the Minister of Finance on the left and on the right he has got the Governor of the Reserve Bank speaking about the monetary policy. Within a week, it is changing. So, who advised the President on that? Where are the technocrats? Now we have a situation where there are saboteurs who seem to be in Government. The Ruling Party must stop pointing people to be saboteurs when it is housing saboteurs within the Government offices and within the party. Take a good look at yourself. Who looked bad? It was the President. What did you do as Parliamentarians to bring people to talk about that statement, you did nothing. So the enemy is within, the enemy has never been outside. The enemy outside is well-known, is easy, he does not run away.
We have got saboteurs who are bent on exposing the President by coming up with the wrong policy and then within a week, it changes. What is that called, it is inconsistency. No one invests in a country where there is inconsistency. The Look East Policy by the Former President Mugabe was very clear, everybody understood it. Those who wanted to come were invited to come and those who did not want to come did not come. Then the reengagement started by the Americans, the Second Republic must not lie and say that they are engaging and reengaging. The First Republic had the Americans and the British starting to work with us because there was consistency. Madam Speaker, it is important to be consistent. It is equally important and well appreciated to be consistently wrong. You are wrong but you are consistently wrong, it is better not to try to be right yet you are making many wrongs. We have a situation where you are not even consistently wrong. We are always inconsistently wrong. To me it is important that consistency of policy create confidence of the people, confidence in the currency, no one has confidence in the currency anymore because of inconsistencies which happen.
When a President issues a statement, he is the number one citizen, he is the last person to speak at the end of the day and everybody holds onto that. It is important that we look at the aspect of agriculture. Farmers right now are holding onto their maize because of the price metrics, importation you are paying USD280, your local farmer you are paying USD90 plus RTGs which probably is worth 120 dollars per tonne. We have seen local farmers holding on to their maize, why are we not prepared to give our farmers money yet we are prepared to pay the foreign farmers. There seems to be people who are bent on seeing farmers not doing well, not sustaining themselves because they are making commissions from the deals of maize. Pane macuts avanowana macommision, saka zvirinani akasabhadhara murimi akashungurudzika asamire futi, voramba vachiimporter. You cannot suffocate a country because of corruption, that is what is happening. You go to the aspect of farms and sales, the title deeds. There has got to be tenure in terms of farms and 99 year leases, and offer letters are not required. The Minister of Finance is a banker and there is no offer letter which can be withdrawn. However, once you leave ZANU PF and take the farms, not only that, they kick you out of the party and they take the farm. – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] -
So which bank will do that? I am an example of somebody who left ZANU PF and they came and invaded my farm. Fortunately, the former President said you have kicked him out of ZANU PF, so allow him to have his farm. The Vice President then, E. D. Mnangagwa sent Ziyambi Ziyambi who was the Chairman to go and remove the people in 24 hours. I am an example and so no one should argue. You pay land with politics. When you leave ZANU PF, which banker will give money when you know that you are a politically polarized country? When you leave the party you also want to go for the family, dogs and everything. We must know when politics talks and when the economy of the country is important.
I also want to talk about the issue of rainfall. Everybody knew that we were facing drought – where was the cloud seeding? We all were told about cloud seeding and we are crying that there was a drought. How can we have drought when cloud seeding is there? I am glad that the Deputy Minister of Environment, Hon. Rwodzi is here. You were not in the Ministry then – why did you not cloud seed? You told everybody we are cloud seeding and you went to Scotland for climate change. You come here and you are prepared to see a drought yet you have the mechanism of cloud seeding. Do not tell us things that you are not going to do because you get us excited about cloud seeding. Where did we see any cloud seeing? There was no cloud seeding. So to me, if you do not adapt to the current climatic conditions in the world, it becomes very difficult to sustain the economy. The portfolio needs to look into that.
On the platinum, when things were bad with COVID, the platinum classes went up. Are we not a platinum country and being a platinum country, the price of platinum went up; the price of resources went up and the price of gold went up. We are sitting with a gold refinery. There are other miners in this country who are taking gold to Dubai to get it refined yet we have a refiner. They are taking this gold corrupting our own leaders. The leaders are prepared to give them the million dollars yet we were losing US$100 million. So where are we going as a country, endowed with the resources which are there when we are busy selling resources?
The Chinese are here and you can talk about Manhize. Manhize is going to attract USD20 billion per year in exports but what is in it for us – nothing and for that you have given the Chinese to build the Parliament, the airport on a project which is USD20 billion. The furnaces which are coming for Manhize are as long as the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. Two thousand hectares of industry and 50 000 jobs, the contractors there are not Zimbabwean contractors but they are Chinese contractors who are busy abusing our people again. Where are we going?
A mine is opened in Bikita and the President goes there, they do not feel shy, our children are being abused and people are crying. You cannot talk about your good economy if the labour practice in the country is archaic, punitive, and abusive by other foreigners. God, where is Mbuya Nehanda to protect us from such things? Now, we are looking for spiritual help because men have failed us. What else can people do except to look up to God and our ancestors? That is where we leave it to.
I want to conclude by saying that there must be legal instruments that protect our people. The chairman of the Committee said that you create all these nice names like AFC, Agribank and yet there is no money to give to the farmers. So why are they being paid to be in those institutions? The only good thing I want to talk about which people did not realise and I am going to share with you, is that the economy is going to stabilize not because of any architectural work but the coins have come in and the role of the coins is to mop up the ZWD.
The Minister of Finance will smile because it will mop up the ZWD and the Government has decided not to pay ZWD to the contractors. So ultimately the good news is that while Hon. Biti and many of us talked about dollarization, it has come but Government will not announce it. You shall be paid in USD because Government is no longer paying contractors in ZWD. So I would like to commend the Minister of Finance for following what Hon. Biti and others like myself used to say that dollarize; you have come with it behind the scenes and Hon. Minister, I can tell you that the economy is going to stabilize because of that. Keep on doing the gold coins – we are not asking how much gold is in it because you are buying from us. That is for another day but they are going to mop up the entire ZWD. Thank you for bringing that strategy and I think in a way, God did talk to you about using gold in hedging our currency. Thank you.
HON. BRIG. GEN. (RTD.) MAYIHLOME: Thank you Madam Speaker for giving me an opportunity to add my voice to this Mid-Term Budget Review. I want to comment the Minister for coming up with the Mid-Term Review and in general, the budget is welcome. Nevertheless, I have a few issues that I want to bring to the attention of the Hon. Minister that need to be seriously looked at. The first point that I would like the attention of the Hon. Minister is the issue of banks having the bulk of their income on non-interest income. I think we have a problem and I thought the Minister was going to look at incentives as to how the economy can bank money.
People are not just banking money in this country and even the money that goes into banks currently is largely from Government payments, other contractors or salaries to civil service and no one out there in the informal sector is taking the money into the bank. How do we intend to incentivize the economy to the bank so that at least banks earn most of their income for interest instead of bank charges? I think the community or the nation is over-burdened by banks where you put your money into the bank like USD100, and if you go back in three months time, you owe the bank more money. So people have no incentive to take even RTGs or USD, the banks are really blood-sucking the population.
The other issue Hon. Mliswa laboured on this point and I will just touch it in passing – the impact of local and foreign investment. I thought the review was going to dwell on this at length because we have been expecting anxiety that at least the Diaspora policy would mop up some funds that are currently coming through the informal systems into the investment sector such that those funds are available for investment. I do not believe that this country is really starved of money but I believe what we are starved of are the right incentives for this money to go into the right sectors such that investment is promoted.
Thirdly, I was a bit disappointed Madam Speaker Ma’am, that four years down the line, the Hon. Minister is still talking about diligence on parastatals. Parastatals are blood sucking and they are such a drain to the economy but up to now, we do not have results. We are not seeing parastatals being privatised. We are not seeing action in that area. We are still doing due diligence even for departments like the Zimbabwe Traffic Safety Council. What are we really looking for? We need to be more serious in that area.
On the issue of ERRP, yes we appreciate what is happening on the Beitbridge to Chirundu corridor but take a moment to pause and think about other parts of the country, what has been the impact of ERRP? Not very much, it is not visible. We need to spread the cake to the larger parts of the country instead of just concentrating on a few areas. Everybody expects to benefit like what the President says that no one and no place should be left behind in development.
I come from Matabeleland South Province which is the poorest in the country but if you look at the devolution allocation or the formula that is used to allocate devolution funds, you find that Matabeleland gets very little in terms of devolution. The formula should be the other way round. Look at who is better and bring everyone up to the same level. The formula that is being used does not take into account that in Matabeleland South, that education infrastructure is dilapidated. It does not take into account that Matabeleland South does not have ICT, it does not take into account that there are no roads in Matabeleland South and it does not take into account that Matabeleland South is in want of irrigation. All those things can only come through devolution funds because the money for Rural District Councils is just not there. The population is very sparse and they contribute very little towards rates. There is need for a review there.
The digital economy is doing very well in the other provinces but in the dry and mountainous parts of the country, it is still a pie in the sky. When you are talking of digital economy, people wonder what we are really talking about because they cannot access basic communication services. They cannot access internet, transactions and ordinary messages. The basic communication is not available. These are things that are very nice to talk about in the budget but it is a pie in the sky because we do not have network.
Well done Hon. Minister for exempting clay bricks from paying VAT because it will give incentives to the construction industry but perhaps you could have considered reducing the VAT on cement products as well and not just the clay. We applaud you for that.
On the issue of sports facilities, we saw you on television the other day when you were watching cricket in Bulawayo and you remarked that you were going to give rebates to companies that invest in sports facilities but I did not see this emphasised in the Mid-Term Budget. I wonder whether it is coming in 2023. If you look at countries like Botswana and Malawi, how they performed in the last Commonwealth Games, Zimbabwe is nowhere near that standard. We are not investing in infrastructure for sports, whether it is at schools or youth centres. Our stadiums are dilapidated. Why not create incentives for diaspora companies to invest in sports infrastructure? I thought this should be considered maybe in the next budget.
There is need to offer incentives to regularise the informal sector. The informal sector has spread virtually to all sectors of the economy and there is no motivation for anyone who is in the informal sector to formalise. We need to regulate the informal sector. I have seen it in the illicit financial flows when we were looking at the gold sectors for example. Most of the gold in this country is being smuggled. Fidelity will lie to you Hon. Minister to say they are buying gold. They are buying maybe 10% of the gold. The rest of the gold is being purchased by individuals and smuggled out of the country. We need to create such incentives that Fidelity is empowered to be able to buy gold and pay prices which are comparable if not better than those that are paid by private buyers.
Transfer pricing is another issue, particularly in the mining sector which you should seriously consider. What measures are we putting in place to ensure that transfer pricing is reduced? The Budget Committee did welcome the issue of royalties on mining because the country will benefit from what we have. I want to echo the point that was raised by Hon. Mliswa about local contractors and local material - too much investment by big companies on equipment, labour and materials, what are we doing to incentivise or even to make sure that on tenders, those who use local resources get better opportunities to get Government contracts?
With those considerations, I hope Hon. Minister, you will relook at some of the issues that we have raised. I rest my case and I thank you.
*HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am for allowing me to add my voice on the Budget that was presented by the Minister of Finance. Firstly, I want to thank the Minister that he has seen it necessary that the Budget be supplemented. If the way we talk and debate here in Parliament is the way we govern our country, we would be much developed. We need not point fingers at each other. When such things are implemented, we begin to point fingers at each other, accusing one another of what should have been done. Where are we when the Minister is planning and crafting the budget? It is because we are divided. Some are across the Zambezi River and some are on the other side. Why can we not work as a united force and not look at the issue of who is in power? We should not be partisan when it comes to governance issues. We should not look at who is governing but consider the nation of Zimbabwe first.
I want to add that everything that is done is because of what has been put on the table. I remember in 2009 when Hon. Biti was the Minister of Finance; he used to say ‘let us eat what we kill’. Today we want to feast on an elephant and yet we only caught a mouse. Have we looked at the amount of money that is available for the Supplementary Budget? As I proceed, I am saying that the country is ours as Africans and if that country is ours as Africans, I do not see the reason why those on my left cannot go and see the Minister of Finance and assist him with ideas so that we sift and see the way forward. We can go and present our suggestions or recommendations to the Minister. If we leave him to do everything and he brings it here, it is not for us to say the Minister failed. Some of these things need to be considered. We are building our nation and a country is built by its own native people.
On the issue of agriculture, Minister, I do not know globally how much interest rate is charged on the loans that will have been taken. If we look at Command Agriculture, the farmer is being charged an interest rate of 70%. If we look in the SADC region, the prices of inputs are heavily subsidised, which means people should be able to make decisions using their mental capacities not their stammers. What we request is that inputs must be subsidised. For those in the rural areas, if they fail to buy fertiliser, it means there is no sustainability and there is poverty. If a rural farmer cannot afford fertiliser because of the high interest rate, what we would have done is to engage in farming of poverty and hunger.
So I am suggesting that we should come up with measures, especially through your Ministry to put measures in place in terms of reduction of interest rates so that farmers can engage in productive farming. I also want to urge the Minister that if inputs could be acquired around this time so that they are timely distributed and also those who do not have money can sell their domestic animals to buy the required inputs. We are told inputs are there but are not yet ready for distribution. We are going to wait until November, when it rains. When distribution takes place, we are going to start asking what is the definition of order, and it is going to lead to disorder. The result there is no order.
People will be already in the farming season and no one will buy the livestock so that one can buy fertiliser. My request is that fertiliser and other inputs are available during this period so that people get their inputs in time.
On the mining sector, it seems it is organised. The Hon. Minister realises that there is money in the country and some have said that there is illicit gold flows. Where will you be Zimbabweans where you have seen these illicit mineral flows? When you see this, be the whistleblowers, so that it comes to the attention of the authorities. As whistleblowers you will be able to safeguard our wealth. So if the minerals are ours – you are talking about corruption and you are quiet when you see corruption taking place, it means you as an individual are also corrupt. Name shaming is done by those who are not educated; those who are learned will not do that. However, there are means to bring those who do that to shame as learned people without necessarily naming them here.
I wish those who are on the other side of the House can come and we work as a united force. If you look at the Israelites, those who went to spy slept in homes of people who did not believe in God but they were blessed by God. Those on the left and on the right direction are not working together. Probably the opposition direction has the ideas that can build this nation. I do not know what we can give them so that they are aware of the fact that when we are in this House, we should not look at which party you belong. Let us build our nation. My request is that all those on my left, if only they could come together with us so that we work on the same issues and address the issues as a nation. I thank you.
HON. MPARIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to the report and the statement that was presented by the Minister, in terms of request for Supplementary Budget. I want to begin by thanking the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Budget and Finance and also the recommendations that they put forward so that the Minister can make some concessions in terms of advice from the gurus in the Finance Committee. Having said that, I think you know that those who have spoken before me are gurus in the finance but I hope and trust that I will also be able to draw some meaningful conclusions in terms of my input because things that have been said by the other Hon. Members here really make sense. I hope and trust that the Minister will also be able to get some kind of information that will assist in modeling the kind of budget that will be presented come November.
The biggest question that I wanted to ask the Minister, he is not here, I know the technical people are here to actually take notes. I think also interfacing is important when you speak when one politician is actually looking at you. I wanted guarantee and assurance from the Minister in whether, after his proposal has actually sailed in this House, will he not, in the next three months, come back again for further request. I ask this important question in view of the fact that even when we adjourned the debate after his presentation, I am worried that due to inflation and other issues out there, the Budget may not even meet the demands in terms of the request. Getting into the presentation Madam Speaker, the Chair of the Committee mentioned that $280 million has already been spent by the Ministry on the SDR. I worry that this is mistrust in terms of getting to approach and talk to Parliament when something is already utilised. The Constitution is clear. Section 302 insists that the Ministry has to approach Parliament first and we give them the mandate to proceed when borrowing. If this culture persists, there is mistrust and we will not be able to account for what the Ministry will have taken before they come to the public.
I want to agree with the statement by Hon. Biti on the comment that he made that this is a brand new Budget. I see that on almost every item, there is a supplementary, which means there is shortage in every other aspect. I speak as a mother, as a woman and somebody who represents people in their communities. I wonder whether by the time we approve this Supplementary Budget, whether it will be sufficient - the disbursement will begin, but the money will not be adequate. That is another issue that the Minister needs to note.
Madam Speaker, I speak with passion because this is my constituency. There is urgent need to improve the welfare of our civil servants, more urgent than before. Hon. Biti touched on it but I speak with information that you have qualified, committed men and women who have worked in the civil service as our employees of Government. The monies that they receive are not even adequate enough to take them from the workplace to their homes. Their children are the ones who are being chucked away from school. I am talking of nurses and anyone who is in the civil service. I worry because I did not see any alternative in terms of how the Minister will improve the working conditions of the civil servants. This is a critical constituency. We have lost about 10% of our civil servants to neighbouring countries, South Africa, Mozambique, et cetera to be paid in Kwacha and Metical because our own currency cannot sustain them. We cannot lose the human resource. We have quality training and our institutions of training give best results in the region. I worry that if we continue in this trend, the country is losing its own resource in terms of human resource. We need to urgently address the conditions of service for the civil servants.
Madam Speaker, the living wage has to be paid to all civil servants. We need decent wage to civil servants. We need meaningful debate in terms of dialogue when we talk about the workers. The Tripartite Negotiating Forum has failed to produce results in terms of engaging with Government. Nobody is honest enough. We agreed in this House and we put an instrument where the three parties have got to meet but nothing is coming out of the negotiations. I wonder what the problem is because at the end of it all we pay money. I speak to the Minister of Finance, not because I do not know that there are other relevant Ministers but when it comes to money, it then comes from the Ministry of Finance. There is urgent need to enforce the TNF Act into action. Government has got to commit itself and coordinate the meetings in all earnest. We are sick and tired of getting workers on strike and workers issuing statements of ultimatum because Government is not paying heed. With that call Madam Speaker, I would want to thank those who have spoken before me and also the Minister for actually coming. “Wachemera pane vanhu arikuti ndioneiwo mundinzwe mundibetsere.” I want to thank him for coming public, “kuti imiwee, zvandakakumbira paye hazvichakwane, saka ndauya kwamuri ndimi munokwanisa kuti mundipe.” I hope and trust that at the end of it all, it will suffice that we will be able to have something chinobatsira kuti nyika yedu ive inofambira mberi. Mazvita.
HON. JOSIAH SITHOLE: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I also want to add my voice to this issue of a supplementary budget presented by our Hon. Minister. I would like to start by saying the supplementary budget is highly necessary considering our needs, both as Government and Parliament as such. Madam Speaker Ma’am, it is highly noted that we do have challenges that we have to fight together, the main challenge being the issue of inflation. I think all our presenters and contributors have been talking about this. It is a devil that has to be harnessed so that we can end up with a country that is economically viable.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I also want to point out that as a way of trying to make sure that whatever monies we have put to good use, it is necessary that we also ensure that when we have got projects that are to be completed, such projects have to be completed in time. It is sad to see that a contractor may be given a road only to come there, there is equipment and nothing is done because the contractor claims they have not been paid. It is necessary that payments are done in good time.
Mr. Speaker Sir, in areas such as BEAM, you find that some schools are failing to run because their BEAM funds have not been disbursed in time. Also, the fees that were meant to be paid to teachers’ children were paid late. By the time the fees were disbursed, the teachers had lost hope. Some were beginning to ridicule them and say we thought we were going to be liberated this way but unfortunately, you were not getting the money. Mr. Speaker Sir, we are happy that something has been done but we want our people to appreciate the work that we do in good time.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I have got a very nasty experience in my constituency and nearby constituencies where you find people have said tools down to cotton growing because they discovered that payment of cotton was not done in time. In some cases, up to this day, some farmers did not get their payments as far back as 2019. That has actually demoralized them to the extent that they have said tools down. In my constituency and other constituencies I am talking about, cotton is actually their breadbasket. If they do not grow cotton in that area, then those farmers are not going to succeed. Mr. Speaker Sir, I just want to end by saying a lot of good work has been done and we have to applaud that. We have to applaud what the Government has done in terms of infrastructure. A lot is being done and it is necessary then to ask for a supplementary because we are aware that in previous governments, we have actually been seeing very little being done but still supplementaries coming up. So in this case, this is a worthwhile move.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I also want to applaud the Government for introducing the gold coins. We hear those money changers are beginning to lose their business because of the effects of the introduction of the gold coins. We hope more and more of such measures are going to be implemented so that we see our people prospering and also becoming more economically viable as they go towards vision 2030. I thank you Mr. Speaker.
HON. MUSHORIWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for recognising me to contribute to this debate. Mr. Speaker Sir, because some of the issues have already been stated by other Hon. Members, I am going to restrict myself to five key issues.
Firstly, the challenge we have faced in this Government, in the Treasury from 2018 up to now, is the question of failure to actually come up with proper assumptions and I think it has already been stated that the Minister of Finance and Economic Development from 2018, all the assumptions on the inflation, assumptions on the exchange rate and assumptions even on the annual growth have all been wrong. There has never been a year the Ministry has actually done a proper thing. In fact you will realise that from 2019, we passed a budget in this august House, of close to eight billion and do you know what the Ministry did? They went and spent 6.8 billion behind our backs, which is about 85% of the budget that we had passed. That year Mr. Speaker Sir, the Hon. Minister was actually beating his chest and saying that we have got a surplus.
In 2020, we passed a budget of around 76 billion RTGS and guess what Mr. Speaker Sir - the Hon. Minister went behind our backs, behind this Parliament and spent more than 100 billion which is more than 135% of the original budget that we had passed in this august House. I want to quote the President, Hon. Mnangagwa when he was talking to Mr. Guvamatanga - “in other countries like China, you will be beheaded but luckily we are in Zimbabwe where the President does not like the death penalty”. Mr. Speaker Sir, even though the Auditor-General has not yet audited the 2021 figures, we know for sure that there is going to be another condonation. A lot of money was actually spent, but what we find difficult is that when the Minister came with his Permanent Secretary, they actually told us that they had moved from what used to happen. They assured us that they were going to make sure that there would not be any disregard to proper public finance management principles as enshrined in Chapter 17 of the Constitution and the Public Finance Act, but unfortunately things have not happened.
Then having said that Mr. Speaker Sir, I bring to you another issue that is heart breaking. In 2009, you will recall that Zimbabwe was given 262 million SDRs or close to about US$400 million. Do you know what happened Mr. Speaker Sir? The economy felt that something had actually been put into the economy. Hon. Biti was the Minister of Finance. You could actually feel that there had been an infusion of money into the system. Guess what, we were given 962 million which is close to a billion and that billion, it is as if there is nothing. You cannot even feel anything. You talk to people in Dzivarasekwa, they do not even feel it. They did not even feel that we had received 962 million or a billion in United States dollars. Nothing Mr. Speaker Sir, and one will have to ask what happened to that money.
There is another issue which the Hon. Minister has also not done us good. The Hon. Minister came to this august House not once, not twice but thrice. He would stand up and say as a country we have budgeted, we have set aside, we have got US$119 million from our own resources for COVID vaccines and accessories and he would actually boast saying we are using that money to pay. He would come into this august House and he would say we are busy, we are using our own money to do the Harare-Beitbridge Highway, but guess what? When your Committee asked the Hon. Minister to tell us what has happened to the SDRs, we are now being told that the SDRs money has been put to the highway where the Hon. Minister was busy saying no, we are using our own public resources to do the road. We were told that some money in the SDRs have been used for COVID when we have been told - and it is in black and white in his budget presentation in the past two years, where he would say that we had actually used our own resources to procure vaccines from China. So what is happening there Mr. Speaker Sir? We do not understand what the Hon. Minister would also be saying.
The third issue Mr. Speaker is the question of disbursement. There are certain departments, ministries that we know where monies are disbursed sufficiently but look at the oversight entities, look at Parliament. Parliament, up to the time the Mid-Term was actually done, we had received less than 40% and the Auditor-General had only received about 17%. We can say the same of the Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission, but just shift it Mr. Speaker Sir and then you will realize; go to the OPC and see the percentage. Almost close to 87% of the budget has been disbursed to them. The question Mr. Speaker Sir is, we understand and we appreciate that Treasury has got competing demands, but what we expect is that Treasury should actually be fair and there should be equity in the distribution of the national cake rather than to have a situation where we have a continuous bias year in year out. It does not make sense.
Still tied to the Parliament is the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), Mr. Speaker Sir and I speak on behalf of all Members of Parliament in this House. Do you know all members submitted projects that they wanted to do in their various constituencies? It is now difficult or impossible to complete some of the projects. The timing of that is actually very dangerous, we have got only one year to go to the next elections. Every Member of Parliament has got a desire to contribute to the development in his or her constituency. I note from the supplementary budget that the Hon. Minister has put an extra $2 billion which translates to around $9.5 million per constituency to add to it. Whilst it is a good gesture, the only thing that we require is that this money, little as it is, let this money come as urgent as yesterday so that the project that we have been undertaking as Members of Parliament should actually be completed. If those projects are not completed, Members of Parliament that are going to lose whether in their primary elections are going to cry and blame the Hon. Minister that he actually contributed towards that.
The fourth issue is to do with the debt, debt management is actually problematic, and last year the Hon. Minister told us that the forex debt was standing at more than 14 billion. In the Mid-Term he told us that the forex debt is 14.2 billion. If you look, there is nothing in his statement that showed us that he had actually paid a certain amount or capital of any debt that has actually reduced the amount from $14.2 to $13.2 billion. Worse still, this figure of $14.2 billion, in our view, is not wholesome. We know Mr. Speaker Sir that there are certain guarantees and certain amounts that are owed by State enterprises that had been allowed or assumed by Government which are not included in this debt.
If you check on the $1.3 trillion domestic debt, I will submit to you Mr. Speaker that the global compensation was done in US dollars, 3.5 billion but guess what, it is included in the $1.3 trillion. If you do mathematics using the current rate, you realise that there is a chicanery that is being played and it is not good for this economy.
We know the Hon. Minister told us that there is good to be arrears clearance debt relief restructuring led by the ADB President, Dr. Adesina. Here is the problem. Before we even talk of the high level forum; we need as Zimbabweans, first and foremost, to be honest to each other. We need an engagement where Parliament, the Executive and civic society, we come together and agree on the state and nature of our debt. Without doing that, we will actually be selling hot air outside. It is not going to happen that this high level forum will achieve anything. We came from there; we know the challenges. Do you know the Hon. Minister, in his maiden speech - [HON. BITI: 1st September, 2018] - he talked nicely we are not going to move to episis, we are going to do this. What has happened Mr. Speaker Sir? Nothing; right now do you know if you go to Government departments and Government ministries, they owe huge amounts of money? This $1.3 trillion is just probably a third of the amount of money that is owed. I can actually tell you just a good example of Parliament of Zimbabwe. The reason why Members of Parliament are being chased away from the hotels is because Parliament owes a lot of money to these hotels, not only to hotels but to other suppliers.
That debt is not included because we are still doing cash budgeting. If we had actually moved a step in the process towards the episis, by now we could actually be somewhere. Admittedly, we understand that we are supposed to be fully fledged by 2023 but there is no progress in the various ministries or in the State enterprises, nothing. We are actually not moving. Go to local authorities, there is nothing that is happening towards moving to a more transparency mechanism of reporting.
Mr. Speaker Sir, finally I want to talk about the issue on the tax free threshold. The truth of the matter is that the people that are earning RTGS - [HON. BITI: Including Members of Parliament.] - all of us here Mr. Speaker, we are carrying the burden of this economy. Do you know that out of the money that we earn, we end up having to carry the burden in this way, firstly we are highly taxed. Secondly, out of the tax that we pay, the amount that we get, we are supposed to then pay the 2% tax. If you go to various shops and informal market, people demand US dollars. Ask all the civil servants even employees here at Parliament where they lodge because some of them do not have houses; they are asked to pay in US dollars their rentals. Everything is actually being paid in US dollars. Our people are carrying the burden, the people that we believe should actually help in making sure that the economy of this country is turned around are getting peanuts. In trade union, there is a saying that says ‘when you pretend to pay your employees, they also pretend to be working’ this is why you find the level of corruption is high. You wonder why a lot of things that could actually be harnessed at the shop floor are going unchecked because the people that are supposed to do the work are not happy.
The Hon. Minister has told us that he has actually moved tax threshold but look at the gap, we will be submitting that we need to re-look into the figures so that we do not continuously over tax our people. We deserve a country that has got civil servants that are better remunerated. Do you know there was a time when we grew up being a child of a nurse or teacher was something that people will just give you respect for; to just know that your parents work in Government was actually an honour. Right now, makorokoza, mahwindi now make more money including everybody who failed form 2 and ordinary level actually make more money than people who have PHDs and Masters who are in Government, let us give them a break. Let us pay them fully in US dollars. I thank you.
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you Mr. Speaker for allowing me to debate on this subject of the supplementary budget. I want to thank the Minister for bringing this supplementary budget which is a normal practice in many countries that when they face additional demand for funding from various government agencies, they propose a supplementary budget. In my view, the supplementary budget came out of such demand from ministries and Government agencies - but for me, also I see it as coming from the general price increases. In my view, I think the Minister had budgeted for enough resources to look after Government expenditure but those resources were eroded by inflation. I think inflation in some areas was difficult to predict. So when you get to a situation like that, it may then disrupt or distort what you have budgeted for that period.
Mr. Speaker, in my view, the Minister was just responding to a situation or was forced by the situation to come up with this supplementary budget which I think was very necessary and we definitely applaud him for that so that that we cater or deal with the issues that were budgeted for this financial year. Without coming up with this supplementary budget, it means many of these expectations will not be looked after.
However Minister, I also want to say we also need to aggressively come up with measures to deal with inflation, which in my view is the main source of your coming up with a supplementary budget. I have been looking at this issue and may be when replying to our comments you would correct me. Where somebody is giving a service to Government, you pay him 100 million RTGs today and tomorrow morning that money is not in the account, where has it gone to? What measures have you put in place to protect inflation in terms of that money chasing the fewer US dollars in the market?
Mr. Speaker, after we have come up with a good measure to deal with funding for the development using our own resources, the same people we are paying using RTGs are running away from our currency. They go out there to give pressure on the US dollars and create this situation where your ability to then fund the budgeted expenditure is then disrupted. As we come up with this supplementary budget, what measures are we putting in place because that money is coming back to the market and increasing the availability of the ZIM dollar and maybe this will force the rate to go haywire? What measures have we put in place that as we get this supplementary budget, it does not add to the inflation push that is there at the moment?
Mr. Speaker, we also want to mobilise domestic investment. What are we doing? Have we totally said because of the macro environment that we are in, we no longer want to see things like bonds because these instruments are not there? People only have money largely as the assets and they are now forced to go for the US dollar. We have not created other instruments in the market so that people can have different assets in order to keep their wealth. What are we doing in our planning as Ministry of Finance as we are faced with different pressures on our ZIM dollar and the general welfare of our economy?
Mr. Speaker, because of this inflationary environment, there are many people who are going to suffer if we do not manage that side that I have been talking about. Now that we are bringing this money, which is very necessary and which we have no choice but to deal with, if we are going to meet all the objectives that we have set for ourselves for this period, we should put measures. If we do not manage the inflation side, it means retired people are going to have their pensions eroded. When we want to do something, we increase the economic activities but if inflation is not managed, it may destroy this. I think Hon. Biti would know what happened to some of these institutions when he was the Minister of Finance. He also allowed some institutions to cannibalise and destroy other people’s investments. You remember Renaissance Bank, when it took money from NSSA, First Mutual and the Timber saga, it destroyed people’s assets and today we have poor people who were contributing to pension funds but they have nothing.
So when you hear some of these people talking; you think they are saints, they are holy people but they also presided over the destruction of people’s assets – [HON. BITI: You have left out Barbican.] – if you were there, then you are in complicity. I strongly urge the Minister that in his well thought-out approach in coming with this supplementary budget, he also finds safety nets for our low income people and different other people who are going to be affected should the inflation take another direction.
Mr. Speaker, I want also to thank the Minister and the whole financial system when they came up with the gold coin approach. I think it has come up with some form of panacea to our problems but let us defend it, we do not want in the short term to see what we have achieved now being affected. We should be able to defend a good policy that we have put in place so that it is not abused because as we sit, those people who are keen on doing corrupt things and so forth, they are looking for ways to defeat your gold points, so we need to come up with a strong policy. It is a good policy and I think for the past three weeks, we have not seen the black market raising its head. It is just stagnant at the moment. This is critical especially when you are coming up with this supplementary budget. For it to have the intended effect, it means we should have some stability so that what we are trying to solve can be solved. If inflation comes in and they start abusing the measure that you have put in place, then the supplementary budget may lose steam and we do not benefit because the intention is that the supplementary budget must really assist your effort to see us achieving what we set ourselves to achieve for this year and I want to thank you for that.
I hope in the process, for example the issue of CDF, Members of Parliament in their efforts in using CDF - if you go in the rural areas, you will see good projects that have come out of CDF but because prices went up, they could not finish some of these projects. So when you came up with the ZWD 9 billion, is it good enough to ensure that those projects are finished for the good of our people or not? I also want you to look around that because for me, some say you are coming up with a new budget but I think it is just mitigation against inflation. What you were doing is to deal with areas which you could not satisfy using the current figure which has been eroded.
Now you want to bring in more money and the things that you wanted to do are still the same and you have not started new projects that need this money. You are still going for the same projects but inflation has destroyed the capacity of the value of your money to deal with those projects. So let us find ways in trying to protect that which you are giving us so that we achieve the intended objectives. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. MARKHAM: I just like to say I have great concerns about the supplementary budget and I do not believe a 100% is supplementary. My issues are the credentials which were covered by Hon. Mushoriwa. However, even in the recommendation, there is no solution for the four or more exchange rates we use in this country. We are divorced from reality if we have more than one exchange rate. The crux of the matter also lies in this bulk payment which goes on at Fourth Street. We all know about it but the Reserve Bank and the Ministry know about it in a certain way and it has been going on for four years; we are worried about it and it is too late, we missed the boat.
We have been talking about the currency and there is no solution. That is my concern but we do not address the people. We do not address the civil servants and we do not address the problem of the pensioners. One of the major defaulting ministries, the Ministry of Local Government, we do not even have a Bill to control 5% of the National Budget. Agriculture, if I tell the Minister now that the money sponsored since 2015 to fund agriculture would have paid his ex-commercial farmers bill three times over, and over 10 billion dollars has been spent in Command Agriculture and Pfumvudza as support and what have we got to show for it? We are still calling for support on today’s budget.
My fourth point which I have an issue with is the debt crisis that we face. Yes, the Minister talks of payments but they are not even payments in reality. I just want to focus on five areas. We have already talked about them but I would like to draw the attention on the issue of the cause for the supplementary budget. The overriding ministries that have overspent - the OPC and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development; the OPC has 143% and the Ministry of Finance is way up but Parliament is at 33% and yet we are the oversight body.
We look at those that underspent - I believe this is done so that nothing changes. Look at the Auditor-General who oversees corruption. Look at the land issue which is a burning issue in this country yet the Land Commission has received 21%. A new Ministry which is not even mentioned, the Ministry of Housing needs capacitation to get to a situation where there are computers, offices, et cetera. This year it only received 23% of its budget yet it is the cornerstone of the Government’s election policy on housing. If you delivered 23%, so the electorate that you have spoken about, I think it has done much. That is the major issue I have with misallocation of the appropriation budget. I say misallocation because you were shifting budgets from ministry to ministry to those that you deem needed more, and obviously Parliament is one of those because we are oversight.
I would want to go onto my second point of the commercial farmers. I bring up the commercial farmers that on Thursday we had the supplementary budget, the next day he was going to meet the commercial farmers and it became very clear that the ability of the Government to raise the money which was due, 50% of the 3.5 was due four days later could not be raised no matter where they looked.
So in my view, the Minister has signed an agreement which he will not bring to Parliament, which he hides behind confidentiality. Four days later he was supposed to pay 1.75% and this supplementary budget is mute on the issue of that debt. It is mute on the requirement to pay because it does not matter where we borrow the money from, we still have to pay back. That gives me an issue that we are now signing agreements so long as it says a promise of money in the end and we have no intention of fulfilling the agreement.
My third issue is the debt crisis which Hon. Biti mentioned about 30 billion. I congratulate the Minister for bringing a supplementary budget but the 2015/2018, what is euphemistically called the Financial Adjustment Bill for 9.6 billion has stalled. Of that 9.6 billion, for those people who doubt my figures on agriculture, 54% was spent by the Ministry of Agriculture and it is totally unaccounted for. If we read the Auditor General’s Report, year by year, it has no movement, not in simple terms but it says no movement. So since 2015/2018, the Ministry of Agriculture spent 54% of the budget which they cannot even account for. We go to the next Bill, the 2019/20, again seeking approval after the event by Parliament of I do not know how many millions – Z$103 billion. If you add all those up; plus the funds, plus the AfriExim Bank - we end up at $28 billion. We have not included all the money that we borrowed from the Chinese – some of it yes, but not all of it. In the report by our Committee, we have Belarus, we have Agricultural Mechanisation Support Programmes, how much do those add up to? We have no intention to look at the debt and find out how we are going to support and pay it back. Without that trust, we have a major issue.
I would like to go to my fourth point which is my hobby horse, which is what is referred to in the Budget as Inter Governmental Fiscal Transfer, that is, 5% of the Budget which Government allocates to local government. My concern is that we do not even have a Bill controlling 5% of the National Budget. One man can do what he likes with that Budget. The figures do not add up, if we are supposed to get 5% of the Budget, why is it only $10 billion of the Supplementary Budget put aside for that? If you look at last years figures, City of Harare got less than 10% of the money allocated in the Budget. I can assure you this year it is exactly the same. These disbursements are hovering around 10%. So why did we budget for it? I will tell you why. My biggest concern with the Supplementary Budget we have to go back to the Pre-Budget Seminar. This is a tick-the-box exercise.
We had the Pre-Budget Seminar and all the Committees sat down with the Ministries and decided what we wanted. We submitted to Treasury and Treasury came back and said that is how much we have got. We catered right back to exactly what he wanted. In fact, we were told what they wanted. We ticked the boxes and we got ready for the Budget. Six months later, they are coming to say we need double. We ticked the boxes. We did not do anything - because of COVID, the Budget last year ran through one evening session with none of the major players available. For all our debate in this House, not one recommendation from a Member of Parliament was considered in that Budget. There was no change. In fact, the Blue Book was printed before the debate. So, why are we here?
On my last point, I have to cover the civil servants, particularly the teachers and the nurses and I will tell you why. Hon. Mushoriwa talked about ‘if you pretend to pay someone, he is going to pretend to work’. That is the exact situation with the bulk of the civil servants, particularly those in the teaching fraternity. We have had three years of no teaching of our children. BEAM, there is late disbursements, teachers no salary. COVID interfered, yes, but we have not solved the problem. Nurses, doctors and teachers - people we trained in this country are being stolen to work for other countries because we cannot pay them. My question is, why do we not bond the people that we educate? If you become a doctor, you have to work for us for years because you got subsidised education. We are educating people who are going to the West, China and SADC. We are losing everyone but we do not change. We give the same reasons, yes we must do this, open makorokoza mines and buy agricultural land and do this and that. Nothing happens.
In my humble view, we are doing too little too late. Every time we come to this House, it is too little too late. It is like the commercial farmers’ deal, it is too little too late and will not happen. I thank you.
HON. MADZIMURE: I just want to remind the Hon. Minister that his Budget is meant to address issues that Government has set itself to do. When the Minister came in 2018 he started by introducing TSP which was meant to stabilise the economy and use it to introduce another strategy which is NDS1 that you always hear everybody from Government referring to and use the NDS1 to start making steps towards achieving Vision 2030. Therefore, the Budget itself must answer the objectives of NDS1.
If you look at inflation, it should have been stabilised by TSP. It is now above 580%. What has happened? The Budget Statement does not respond to that and give answers to what has happened. Where has the Minister lost it? What is that he is supposed to do to take us back to his objective? As far as inflation is concerned, the Minister wanted a single digit figure. A single digit against 560% that is a monumental failure and the Minister must explain what happened. Because of that, the objective of the NDS1 has been missed.
According to the Minister’s statement, there is no mention of sanctions as a factor that is affecting his desire to see Zimbabwe progress as a nation. Therefore, it is not a factor. Going back to inflation, Zimbabwe is not an island. Zimbabwe has all these other countries around it. He even mentioned the destabilisation of the world order in countries like Ukraine but this does not affect Zimbabwe alone. It affects every other country. If you look at the average inflation figures on the global market, it is around 8%. Zimbabwe’s inflation is 580%, where has the Minister lost it?
When you try and look at how the Minister will expect the civil servants to survive under those circumstances with the inflation above 580%, if you then calculate it mathematically, you cannot compensate the civil servants what they were earning when we were in December debating the Budget. Whatever we are going to increase does not make any sense as far as the earnings of the civil servants are concerned. As everybody else has discussed a lot of these other issues, my concentration is on how the Minister expects us to move towards Vision 2030 under such economic situation. We have got no chance at all – [AN HON. MEMBER: Remove sanctions] – Those who have got memory, we debated some of the issues, especially the issue of sanctions in this particular House. As far as I am concerned, this is not an issue. This is also not covered in the ZANU PF Manifesto. The ZANU PF Manifesto actually declared that they were going to provide two million houses within these five years. They promised two million jobs within these five years and these are supposed to be provided for through a budget. What is there in this budget that will create employment? What is there in this budget that will give accommodation to our people?
Only last night, the Minister of National Housing was saying they are going to provide 224 000 houses up to 2023. When you look at the budget, up to today, the Ministry has only got less than 24% of its allocation. How is he going to deliver? Doctors and nurses have been promised houses, flats and everything. Within this budget, what is there that is going to be given to those ministries for them to construct the flats – nothing. When you hear them vachitaura, hanzi zvakanaka zvokunaka zviye izvi. Vision 2030 inogara ichitaurwa pangoshama munhu muromo, Vision 2030, but Vision 2030 ka ine mamilestones.
Mr. Speaker, I just want the Minister to reflect, especially on his maiden speech in this House in 2018, what he promised and what is happening today. As Zimbabwe, we are going through the same circle of 2007/2008. Mu Zimbabwe tinongo tenderera sevhiri richingo dzokera paranga riri. This is exactly the situation that we have, Chinamasa as Hon. Biti is saying, he now appears to be an angel as far as running the Finance Ministry is concerned. He was just a simple lawyer who had not even run a business but he performed much better.
I tell you Mr. Speaker, the real issue is how this budget is impacting the people on the ground. Those people, pensioners are getting 5000 RTGs. Last month, our vulnerable; the old people got 1 500 RTGs in their accounts. What do you do with 1 500 RTGs. The whole Ministry of Labour paying out 1 500 RTGs, it is an insult to our people. Why can we not just pay US$20, it is much better. However, as far as the Minister is concerned, zvakarongeka. I watched him being grilled by the teachers, him and the Minister of Labour. They could not respond to their questions and concerns. They have got no solution whatsoever. This is what is frightening; there is no solution; there is no clue whatsoever to stop the rot.
The Minister is here to answer and I would be so glad to hear the Minister telling us that the three tier exchange rate that we have, I am going to stop it this way, not putting the gold coins on the market and expect anything to move. How do you expect a person whom you are giving, for example police officers $48 000 RTGs to buy a coin that cost US$1 876? Ten Members of Parliament can put their money together and can still not buy a single coin. Even the Government Chief Whip who is enjoying more coupons than anybody else can still not buy that coin. They drive well around, the Chief Whips and Chairpersons.
So, I expect the Minister to tell the people or Zimbabwe that from tomorrow, I am going to manage the exchange rate this way because all the other measures he has put in place have failed. The Minister must tell the people of Zimbabwe that as we go towards Vision 2030, from tomorrow this is the value they are going to realise from their savings because I am going to put these measures in place. From tomorrow, this is how I am going to preserve your contributions towards your retirement. These are the issues that the Minister must address. From tomorrow, this is the real growth rate, et cetera.
The GDP, if you just want to see how the country is growing, you look at the lifestyle of your people. The lifestyle of our people has not improved, especially during this tenure of the Second Republic. You can only see evidence of improvement of the people’s lives through their lifestyles. Are they sending their children to school; are they accessing health facilities; are you affording them good roads; are you affording them clean drinking water? This is the evidence of real growth, not yepa TV; not yepa rally; not yepamuromo kungoti zvakarongeka. Things are not well.
So I implore the Minister to seriously consider that he also wants a legacy. He must leave something for the people of Zimbabwe. Who do you expect to volunteer to be the Minister of Finance to take over from him? No one would want to do that. Unless achingova zvake mukorokoza anongodavo mari because the situation that we now have is not attainable. It cannot work. It cannot continue at this particular trajectory. Weare going the same route; the same circle yatakaenda na Gideon Gono. Very soon, the moment they start paying the contractors, the exchange rate will be 1: 1 500. They will still have to pay them. Writing circulars to say we are not paying and the like is a joke. You still have to pay and when you pay, the consequences will be seen. There is no measure – this is why I am saying the Minister must tell us how he is going to deal with those issues. In the Budget Statement, there is nothing that points to the fact that he has dealt with that particular matter. Kumbomira kuti handimbokupi mari yako asi ndichakupa mari yacho, ndinenge ndakangoi mirirawo. What I was supposed to do with it, the same way of taking it kunana Fourth Street is the same thing that they will do. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
(v)HON. S. BANDA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for also giving me this opportunity to contribute to this debate. Mr. Speaker Sir, I would want to speak on two issues. I want to look at the real value of the Budget over the past couple of years. If I go to 2017, the Budget had an equivalent value of $3.87 billion. In 2018, it rose to $5.07 billion. In 2019, it went up to $6.1 billion. In 2021 Mr. Speaker Sir, because of issues of currency, the Budget in terms of US dollars went down to $4.9 billion. In 2021, when we were preparing for the 2022, when the Budget was presented, it looked like it had a nominal value of $5.3 billion. If you now look into the Supplementary Statement, you realise that the value of that Budget was actually $2.23 billion. Now we are trying to add another $2.3 billion so that ultimately we have got a Budget which is worth $4.69 billion. What it now means Mr. Speaker Sir, is that the Budget that we have now is much less than the Budget that we had before 2018. For the period 2018 to 2020, the Budgets that have been there are more than what we have now. It means that the economy has shrunk. That is something that we have not been told. Mr. Speaker Sir, the real value of the Budget despite this 100% increment in the nominal Budget, is still way below what we had in 2018, 2019 and even in 2021.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the 2022 Budget was double that of 2021 yet we are also now doubling the 2022 Budget. In reality, we have not even doubled it, we have actually shrunk. We passed a Budget which was too little. When we tried to raise it, that was shot down. We really urge the Hon. Minister to listen carefully to what people will be saying when they are doing their budgets. That is my first issue Mr. Speaker Sir.
Let me go to the issue of exchange rates which we cannot run away from when we are talking about the Budget. In November 2021, when the Budget was being announced, it was ZWL 968.3 billion and the rate at that time was ZWL 105.69. Now, when the Supplementary Budget is coming into play, it is almost the same amount. The rate has now shot to ZWL434 using the official rate. If I am going to use the parallel rates, it will be something else. What we realise is that there has been a change of 410% in terms of the value of the Zimbabwe dollar.
Mr. Speaker Sir, when we have a supplementary budget, we need to look at the fundamentals. How do we stop this paralysis? This calls for discipline in the nation. This calls for honesty and integrity and it calls for dialogue of all stakeholders in this country, whether it is business, church, youths, et cetera. Everyone has to sit down and we have to be honest. There was a time when we had the Transitional Stabilisation Programme and it almost worked. For about six months, we thought that the economy had stabilised. Mr. Speaker Sir, all that flew out because we are not one. We need to go back to oneness. Let us not manage de-dolarisation. Let there be self re-actualisation and re-activation of self dolarisation. Let the currency do what it wants to do. If we try to micro-manage it, it will never work.
In another school of thought, they say that you can allow each bank to start its own currency. Let us say CBZ starts its own currency, POSB starts their own currency, Standard Bank does the same and the currencies start fighting on the market on their own; here we are saying let us not use foreign based currencies. We are using our own Zimbabwe based currency. Each bank can start its own currency. When those banks start fighting using market forces, at the end of the day, the universally accepted currency will become the global currency accepted in the country. There will be no risk of loss of sovereignty because it will still be in the country. That is another option that the Hon. Minister can look at.
Lastly Mr. Speaker Sir, I just wonder, exports rose from $3.5 billion in the first half of the year from $2.6 billion in 2021. Now, the Minister in his Statement has projected that exports are going to rise to $7.3 billion from $6.4 billion in 2021 for the entire year. Where are exports going Mr. Speaker Sir? It is not enough to solve our liquidity crisis where we just put in 10% of the GDP, which is around the $3.5 billion that we are talking about. Can we not take part of it and put it into the market so that money can circulate more?
Mr. Speaker Sir, on salaries, I appreciate what has happened that if you look at the supplements, you realise that the Public Service Commission had an increment of 178%, the Auditor-General has been given 33%, Foreign Affairs 26%, Health 50%, Youth 50% and the Ministry of Finance is at 198%, almost 200%. Originally they had a higher amount and now they have given themselves almost 200% increment. Mr. Speaker Sir, that has to be looked at.
Let me come to Parliament. This Parliament which approves …
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MUTOMBA): Hon. Banda, I think you seem to be repeating quite a lot of your points. We are very much interested in hearing your new points that you would contribute so that the Minister can respond. The Hon. Minister is not writing any points from you because a lot of points you are raising have been raised already. Please come in with new ideas.
(v)HON. S. BANDA: Mr. Speaker Sir, in terms of the Parliament budget, the Parliament budget was at 19%. It is the lowest budget across, so I wonder because this is what Hon. Mliswa was speaking to, to say this Parliament is just being looked at with disgust and disdain. Honestly, this budget has to be reviewed upwards.
Lastly Mr. Speaker Sir, the issue of salaries. I just want to comment and say that I think there are departments of certain ministries, for instance in the prison services. You will find that there are some junior officers who are earning more than their seniors ever since these adjustments were effected. I urge the Hon. Minister to also look into that. With these few words, I come to the end of my contribution.
*HON. TEKESHE: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. I do not have a lot to say because it has already been said but I would like to comment on the issue of gold coins. Gold coins are only known in Harare, in the offices of the ministers and by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe but outside Harare, they are not known. If the Hon. Minister wants it to be a successful story, may he kindly task officers in different provinces to explain to people what gold coins are and their importance and a lot concerning them. The elderly are selling their livestock in rural areas using Bond notes instead of gold coins because they do not know about them. If you educate them about gold coins, they may be able to earn some and keep them.
Again, the Government is not realising that jobs are scarce. Since a lot of people are unemployed, they are now vendors. Instead of harassing and beating them, how about you collect tax from vendors. Vendors have a lot of funds and only the police and municipal officers are benefiting from those funds. They are collecting and spending money from vendors, money that is supposed to be Government tax. May the Government formalise vendors and collect tax from them so that we benefit as a country.
Moving on, another issue is on corruption, corruption is rampant. We heard others saying that China and Rwanda had a huge turn around but in Zimbabwe, that will never happen because corruption is starting from the leaders going down to the lowest officer in the ministry. Recently, a young minister was arrested but the leaders were also responsible for that corruption. During the COVID era, there was corruption because we received $600 million. We moved around the country with Public Service searching for the $600 million but only one person testified that he had received ZWL300.00. We do not know where those funds went to, and no action has been taken to get those funds back. They are never taken into account. We just take money and continue requesting for Supplementary Budgets whilst doing nothing about corruption. May Government have policies on zero tolerance to corruption?
In China, a former mayor of the ruling party was sentenced to death because of corruption but in Zimbabwe, we protect each other because we are leaders. We continuously spend funds and continue saying supplementary, supplementary. Banks were closed because they were broke … - [HON. BITI: Banks like Barbican Bank!] - For instance the one being mentioned Hon. Minister but no one was arrested. I do not know how many banks were closed and I do not know how many banks were broke. We will continuously argue about supplementary budgets, the exchange rate and the market but the biggest problem is that of corruption. The Minister clearly indicated that he was not able to settle debts because of Bond notes. He was not able to settle the debts when we were using USD but managed to settle the debts when Bond notes were returned to the market. How is that possible if you are not responsible for the parallel market? Our biggest problem is that of the parallel market. We are crying over the parallel market but the Government is fueling it. How will we overcome it because the Hon. Minister is clearly indicating that they were not able to settle debts when we were using USD but managed to do so when we were using Bond notes? This means that they are the ones selling United States Dollars. This is why when money changers are arrested, they return to the streets after a short period of time and you wonder with the experience of our local police how that is possible. They do not clear that because there are leaders involved.
If we look at Command Agriculture Mr. Speaker Sir, Command Agriculture is now a private sector but they are engaging Government officers like AREX officers. Why are we included in Command Agriculture since it is now a private sector? The owner is making money in Command Agriculture because their salaries are being paid by the Government. Hon. Minister, you need to take a close look on that situation. Why do you continue to pay AREX officers if they are employed under the private sector? Let them do the game and fund themselves and stop disadvantaging us.
My last contribution is, Hon. Minister, you spoke about the Supplementary Budget among other things but it is now 40 years after Independence. Our elderly are not benefiting anything tangible and they are clearly indicating that they would benefit something during the Smith regime. Why not give them something? I wish we could debate advocating for funding for the elderly and vendors as a supplementary. We would gladly approve it… - [HON. TOGAREPI: Smith akapa chembere mari kupi? Mave munhu mukuru Chief Whip musadaro] - Mr. Speaker Sir, with all due respect, we did not interject during the Government Chief Whip’s debate. I never said anything, if you protect the Chief Whip, you are killing the country. You are too protective over issues that do not require protection. Chief Whip, my respect for you Mhofu is fading. How can you do this to me?
You are killing the country by protecting what is not supposed to be protected…
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MUTOMBA): Hon. Member, you are now moving in the wrong direction. You were on the right path with fresh points but you are now missing the point.
*HON. TEKESHE: I have never interrupted him like what he is doing. I may start doing the same today to anyone who stands up to contribute since it is a habit in this House.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Please address the Chair and stop focusing on what he is saying.
*HON. TEKESHE: We need to tell him the truth Hon. Speaker Sir. May Hon. Togarepi please inform the House as to where the $600 million that was meant COVID relief went to? Masks were being sold at USD28.00. Please do not do that, you are destroying the country. I thank you.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Tekeshe for introducing new ideas and contributions. I urge those Hon. Members whom I am giving the opportunity to debate to come with new contributions and ideas not repeating. Actually for those who are here, please check to see whether the Hon. Minister is taking notes, if he is not writing, then it means that your points have been raised before. So please stand guided.
(v)HON. CHIBAYA: Thank you Hon. Speaker for giving me the opportunity to add my voice to the debate. Allow me to start contributing on the issue of the civil servants welfare. Hon. Speaker, a hungry person is an angry person and we do not expect good results from our children because of the teachers at school. We also do not expect good services from our nurses and doctors if they are hungry - the same applies to our security agencies.
We have heard that the issue of school fees is not resolved, parents are being asked to pay in USD while the budget showed that workers will have a marginal salary increase in ZWL. How will civil servants pay for school fees?
On the issue of road construction – we have got a road in my constituency which runs from Mkoba 12 turn-off to Mkoba 17. Contractors were on site for only two days, I think this issue was also raised by Hon. Matangira. This means that these contractors were not paid. The same goes for the road from Gweru to lower Gweru, that road is now almost a year without any activity. People from my constituency, those from lower Gweru and Woodlands are now finding it difficult to travel to their homes. My recommendation is that the Minister of Finance must provide adequate funding to the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development.
I want to conclude my debate by supporting what has been said by Hon. Tekeshe. Hon. Speaker, you are aware that according to the Auditor General’s Report, works of corruption were exposed especially on COVID-19 funds and no one was arrested and you can tell that the money was used by the elite, those at the top. We want action to be taken on this matter.
HON. I. NYONI: I am going to touch on a number of issues that were raised by the Minister on the Mid-Term-Statement. According to the Minister’s Midterm Budget Statement, the banking sector continued to support the productive sector of the economy from loans.
The Minister presented a pie-chart and on the pie chart, loans for the productive sector that were used for production in various industries were about 77, 73% while loans for consumptive purposes were 19% and the balance was for others.
We recall not a long ago the interest rates were increased to 200% and this included interest rates for the areas in the productive sector. How is the productive sector expected to increase production in such a punitive interest rate? Is it not possible for the Minister to come up with policies that excludes the productive sector from such high interest rates?
I also would like to suggest that we have got schools as well, they borrow money from the banks to sustain their activities. We have got the health sector, they also borrow money to sustain their activities. The Minister should consider that these sectors are excluded from the punitive 200% interest rates.
I am very much aware that the 200% came up because the Minister was trying to reduce borrowing for speculative purposes but then these people in the productive sectors are not borrowing for speculative purposes, they will be borrowing for manufacturing. Schools particularly in my constituency in Bulawayo East; we have some private schools that were surviving through borrowing while they wait for payment from parents. They have also been affected by this 200%; it becomes very difficult to run their schools.
My second point is on the issue of the Poverty Datum Line, according to ZIMSTAT Report recently, that was 22 July, 2022, the poverty datum line was pegged for a family of five at ZWL115 000, that is ZWL23 000 per person. The review on the tax free threshold according to the Minister’s Mid-Term Budget is ZWL50 000. However, this figure is far much below the poverty datum line figure. My suggestion is that perhaps the Minister could re-look at the figure and perhaps put it in line with the poverty datum line figure.
Lastly on ZIMRA – we are all aware that ZIMRA is a very important part of the revenue collection for the Government. Huge part of the revenue is collected through ZIMRA. Could it be possible that ZIMRA is capacitated so that the leakage in revenue collection is closed? This can be done in terms of capacitating ZIMRA in terms of manpower, equipment, and financial capital.
Let me also buttress my support on the Budget and Finance Committee which submitted that ZIMRA be allowed to retain 3% of the total revenue they collect. In addition to that, I am very much aware that on commercial imports, ZIMRA retains ZWL1300 and that converts to about USD2.50.
Last but not least, on the payment of import duties particularly the import VAT, import duty, import duty prime which is imported on commercial duty in particular, according to the ZIMRA tariff, there are luxury items that pay duty in foreign currency. Other items such as spares, raw materials pay in Zimbabwe dollars but we have seen situations whereby companies would not be having the Zimbabwe dollars. Can there be a consideration that if they have got the foreign currency, they be allowed to pay the duty in foreign currency? We know at the moment the Zimbabwe dollar appears scarce in the market. Some companies are holding on the foreign currency. We have several that are based in my constituency who have come up with queries that they have been refused by ZIMRA to pay duty in foreign currency for those items. That is my submission Mr. Speaker Sir. Thank you.
HON. MOKONE: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. I am not going to be long because most of the issues have been alluded to by the people who presented first. I am going to buttress on the issue of digitisation. May the Minister kindly consider this programme? Zimbabwe is amongst the few Southern African countries that has not digitised fully. May the Minister kindly disburse more funds towards this programme? May the Minister also look into the issue of having ICT in schools and allocate more money to the ICT Ministry so that they carry out the internet programmes across the country?
The last issue is on gender sensitivity of the Budget. There is need for this Budget to address the issue of education. There has to be sanitary pads in schools and more money has to be given to the education sector so that they buy sanitary pads for the girl child in schools.
Lastly, on the issue of disbursement of funds, Hon. Mushoriwa spoke about it but I will buttress upon it. The ministries that falls under our ambit are complaining that the funds are being disbursed to them very late. These days with the inflation in the country, if you give them the funds late, it means that they will not carry out the programmes they wanted to. My plea to the Ministry is, may the funds be timeously disbursed so that ministries achieve their mandates without hiccups? Thank you.
HON. PHULU: I think the last two presentations are evidence that sometimes the people who speak last can bring some very valid points. I only have one point and will ignore everything in my notes because everything has been covered. It relates to the intention on the part of the Minister to increase import duties for malaichas or people who import informally where they do not have tax clearance certificates. We can see that it is an attempt to capture a certain market and we are saying, look we are increasing the margin to 30%. I do not know whether in so doing, under normal circumstances yes, I think it is an incentive for people to formalise, have companies and tax clearing certificates but malaichas do not have companies and are not formal.
By their nature, malaichas are informal but you need to consider what an integral part they are to the economy. If you go to rural Plumtree where I come from, those malaichas are actually doing part, if not a large part of the work on behalf of the Ministry of social welfare. They are looking after the elderly. They are a life blood and I think that 30% is too much. It will choke them and when it chokes them, the people who suffer are the recipients of those services that they offer. We think that there should be an amnesty of some sort to those people as they continue to offer an important service. Yes, we must try to encourage them to pay duty somehow, but certainly without choking and taking them out of the game altogether. That is my plea.
I will speak about it again Mr. Speaker when we come to that clause in the Appropriation Bill. That is the one thing and perhaps another thing that I just want to underline is when a nation is in trouble, the economy is not doing well and people are hungry, we need to deal with their psychological issues in terms of mental health. The issue of sporting facilities is key. A lot of the new townships that we have and by new townships I mean built after 1980; they do not have sporting facilities and clubs that match the township that were built before 1980. Does this say that our Government post-independence does not put much importance on recreation and creativity on the part of our young people? We ask that this is something that needs to be looked at seriously to ensure that there is land allocated for those activities and money budgeted. It is a fence, a shade and that is it.
A lot of countries do well in sport when they are in classes. You look at Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon and all the countries, even countries at war. They still do well in terms of sports and a point was raised in that regard. I think when our country is in crisis, this is when we should see our budget actually reflecting that we need to deal with mental health issues. We are tired of njegus in our constituencies. The young people are drinking to the point of death. I received a phone call yesterday that one of the young people in my constituency is in hospital. I enquired why and they said it is njegu and so it is a serious crisis which we think the budget can also show. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): Mr. Speaker, I thank the Hon. Members for their robust debate and with your permission, I now move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 17th August, 2022
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE), the House adjourned at a Quarter past Six o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 16th August 2022
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’ clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE
CHANGES TO THEMATIC COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: I have to inform the Senate of the following assignments of Hon. Senators to Thematic Committees: Hon. Sen. P. Mupfumira has been assigned to serve in the Thematic Committees on HIV and AIDs and Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment.
Hon. Sen. N. Manyawu has been assigned to serve in the Thematic Committees on Gender and Development and HIV and AIDs.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: 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. MATHUTHU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE THEMATIC COMMITTEE ON GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT ON THE BENCHMARK VISIT TO RWANDA
HON. SEN. C. NDLOVU: I move the motion standing in my name that this House takes note of the Report of the Thematic Committee on Gender and Development on the benchmark visit to Rwanda on women participation in leadership, politics, decision-making positions and women empowerment in the socio-economic sector from 26th March to 31st March, 2022.
HON. SEN. S. MPOFU: I second.
HON. SEN. C. NDLOVU:
1.0 INTRODUCTION
A five-member delegation of the Thematic Committee on Gender and Development accompanied by two members of staff, conducted a benchmarking visit to the Parliament of Rwanda from the 26th to the 31stof March, 2022. The need for total inclusion and non-discrimination of women in all spheres of life necessitated the visit. In this regard, the delegation sought to learn from and share experiences with its counterpart Committee in the Rwandan Parliament. The intention was to learn and adopt best practices and ultimately enhance Parliamentary oversight on the emancipation of women, girls, and other vulnerable groups as well as gender responsiveness in the utilisation of public resources.
1.1 COMPOSITION OF THE DELEGATION
The delegation to Rwanda comprised the following Senators and staff:
i) Hon. Sen. Ndlovu C. (Chairperson and Leader of the Delegation)
ii) Hon. Sen. Mpofu S.
iii) Hon. Sen. Hungwe Omega-Sipani
iv) Sen. Chief Nembire
v) Sen Moeketsi V.
vi) Mr. Majoni L (Secretary to the Delegation)
vii) Ms. Mugota V (Researcher)
2.0 OBJECTIVES OF THE BENCHMARK VISIT
The main objective of the visit was to enhance Members of the Committee’s understanding of policies and laws that Rwanda has put in place to promote women participation in leadership, decision making and women empowerment in the socio-economic sector with a view to adopt and recommend best practice in the crafting of our own laws and to expose Members of the Committee to diverse ways of women empowerment and emancipation.
3.0 METHODOLOGY
The Committee delegation first had a courtesy call at the President of the Senate, Dr Augustin Iyamureni. The Committee also met its counterparts Committee the Senate Standing Committee on Political Affairs and Governance and the Women Parliamentary Forum. The Committees shared experiences pertaining their mandates in oversight and promotion of gender.
The Committee further met with Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion headed by Hon. Prof Jeannettee Bayisenge and learnt the role that the Government of Rwanda is playing in Gender mainstreaming, equality and promotion of stable family. It is from the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion where the Committee learnt about the collaborations between Government Institutions, Development partners, Non-Governmental Organisations, Faith Based Organisations, Civil Society and the Private Sector in promoting gender.
The delegation had an opportunity to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial Park and Museum to appreciate the history of 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. This history is contributing significantly, towards the achievements in development, national unity, peace, reconciliation, gender equity and equality made by Rwanda.
The Committee delegation visited the Rwanda Investigations Board Isange One Stop Center at Kacyiru Hospital. The Officials informed the Committee on the importance of integrating the investigations, hospital and a safe house for victims of gender-based violence, rape and sexual harassment victims.
The Committee delegation visited the Kigali Special Economic Zones where the government, private sector, cooperatives and small-scale business create employment for youth and women in the country. An opportunity was given for the delegation to tour a textile firm (Pink Mango Factory) and a construction company (SAFINTRA) to appreciate the role of women in manufacturing.
The Committee was accorded an opportunity to visit Duterimbere one of the Non- Governmental Organizations that is playing a significant role in women empowerment. The Committee learnt from the meeting held with the officials from Duterimbere, that the burden should not only be left to the Government to promote empowerment of women, girls, boys and other vulnerable groups in society, NGOs have a role to play for the development of women and the nation.
4.0 BACKGROUND
Traditionally women’s roles and responsibilities were confined to household chores, and other activities which to a larger extent engage them for longer hours. In essence women have limited access to financial resources, decision making positions, and employment opportunities. Women’s empowerment is viewed as the capacity of women to increase their own self-reliance and internal strength besides the right to determined choices and influence the direction of change through the ability to gain control over material and non-material resources.
Zimbabwe has a National Gender Policy revised (2013-2017) that places strong emphasis on gender equality and envisions a gender -just society in which men and women enjoy equity and benefit as equal partners in the development of the country. The Zimbabwean government is on its course of implementing the policy to achieve a gender -just society and eradicate all forms of discrimination and inequalities in all spheres of life and development. At national level, Zimbabwe is committed to the Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal Number 5 on Gender equality and Empowerment. In trying to empower the women and girls the government of Zimbabwe has established the Women Microfinance-Empowerment Bank where women can access financial loans for entrepreneurship and other projects. Section 124 (b) of the Zimbabwe Constitution calls for women representation in Parliament through a Women Quota System in Parliament where 60 seats are reserved for women in the National Assembly and also the proportional selection of Senators as stipulated in Section 120 (2 a, b).
However, the quota system is not a permanent feature since the Zimbabwean Government has not yet achieved a fifty-fifty gender parity in all sectors therefore, it was important for the Committee to visit Rwanda and familiarise on how Rwanda has managed to achieve highest number of women in Parliament and decision-making positions.
Rwanda has a high record on women empowerment both regionally and globally. In this regard, Rwanda is considered as one of the best countries in the world that has managed to meet the women’s special needs and aspiration. Additionally, the Government of Rwanda has demonstrated strong determination and political will directed towards empowering women in the country and has achieved the highest number of women in decision making for example Rwanda has 61.3% women in Parliament.
It is against this background that the Thematic Committee on Gender and Development pursued a benchmark visit to Rwanda from 26 to 31 March 2022.
5.0 COMMITTEE FINDINGS
5.1 COMPARISON ON WOMEN REPRESENTATION IN DECISION MAKING BETWEEN ZIMBWABWE AND RWANDA
During the visit the Committee witnessed that Rwanda has got a significant number of women participation in decision making as illustrated by the table above and this is in line with the Article 75 (1 and 2 ) of the Rwanda Constitution and the mission of Revised Rwanda National Gender Policy 2021 aimed to ensure, that gender gaps across sectors are addressed through accelerating effective gender mainstreaming, gender responsive interventions and gender accountability to position Rwanda as a global model in promoting gender equality. In comparison to Zimbabwe, which lacks implementation of the legal and policy frameworks that guides the country towards, gender equality asserted in section 17 (a, b, c) of the Constitution. It is also clear that appointment and elections in government bodies are not considerate about gender parity in Zimbabwe as rightly stipulated in the constitution.
5.2 WOMEN REPRESANTATION AND EMPOWERMENT ENABLING FACTORS IN RWANDA
5.2.1 International Conventions, National Laws and Gender National Policy,
During a courtesy call with the Honourable President of the Senate and the Senate Standing Committee on Political Affairs and Governance, the delegation learnt that Rwanda has demonstrated its commitment to gender equality through ratification of relevant international instruments and putting in place a robust domestic legal and institutional framework to implement these obligations.
The delegation was informed that Rwanda was committed to global and regional gender equality commitments which included the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women acceded in March 1981, the Protocol to the African Charter on Human Rights ratified in July 1983, Convention on the Political Rights of Women, Convention on the Nationality of Married Women, Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages and ILO Conventions. On the other hand, Zimbabwe also signed and ratified some of the above conventions and the only different that the two countries have is on the implementation. The two countries domesticated the above conventions and are part of governing laws and gender policies. However, as for Zimbabwe it’s still lagging behind and the implementation is at a snail pace.
The Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda provides that in every decision making of any institution, 30 percent should be women, thus political party lists of candidates also adhere to this. There are also 24 seats reserved for women in Parliament as stipulated in the constitution. Rwanda has put in place several laws for gender equality which include Law N° 43/2013 of 16/06/2013 Governing Land in Rwanda; Law Nº27/2016 of 08/07/2016 Governing Matrimonial Regimes, Donations and Successions; Law Nº68/2018 of 30/08/2018 determining offences and penalties in general and Organic Law N° 12/2013/OL of 12/09/2013 on State Finances and Property. In comparison to Zimbabwean Constitution Section 17 calls upon the state to promote full gender balance in Zimbabwean society through promoting full participation of women in all spheres as well as ensuring that both genders are equally represented in all institutions and agencies of government at every level. In essence Zimbabwe is still grappling to implement the 50-50 call by the constitution mainly due to policy inconstancies.
The policies in place for Gender equality include; Rwanda Vision 2050;National Gender Policy 2021;Sector Gender Mainstreaming Strategies; Girls’ Education Policy 2008 (gives educational loans specifically for woman); National Policy against Gender Based Violence 2011; National Decentralization Policy 2012 revised in 2021 to ensure a fast track and sustain equitable local economic development and Health Sector Policy 2015 which is aimed on improving the availability of quality drugs, vaccines and consumables, expanding geographical accessibility to health services and improving the financial accessibility to health services. The Committee was informed that Rwanda fully implements all these laws to promote gender equity.
5.2.2 Gender Machinery in Rwanda
The delegation was informed that in order to fully implement policies, strategies and laws related to Gender, the Government of Rwanda has established the following gender machinery; Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGERPROF), Gender Monitoring Office (GMO), National Women’s Council (NWC) and the Rwanda Women Parliamentary Forum (FFRP).
The MIGEPROF is the Central Government institution mandated to ensure strategic coordination of the implementation of national policies, strategies and programmes regarding the promotion of the family, gender and children’s rights to facilitate their integration in the socio-economic and political context of Rwanda. On the other hand, Zimbabwe has got the Ministry of Women Affairs Community Small and Medium Enterprises Development which plays similar roles like that of the counter Parliament of Rwanda.
The GMO monitors gender mainstreaming and the fight against GBV/Injustices in public, private, civil society and religious institutions to achieve gender equality. In its work GMO conduct investigations and inquiries on cases of women discriminations, gender-based violence and other forms of inhuman treatment in communities. Comparatively, Zimbabwe has an independent Commission, the National Gender Commission which was established to investigate and make recommendations on all forms of injustices and gender discrimination. The only difference between the two institutions is that the GMO of Rwanda has got arresting powers after investigations and can prepare dockets for prosecution by courts, whereas the Zimbabwe National Gender Commission has no such powers, its role is to investigate and make recommendation on the issue.
The NWC is a forum for advocacy and social mobilisation on issues affecting women in order to build their capacity and ensure their participation in the development of the country in general under the guidance and supervision of the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion. The NWC is composed of all women and girls aged from 18 and above and its structures are from village level. At each level, there is an executive committee of 7 people. The highest organ is the General Assembly at the national level which is composed of Members of the Executive Committee of the National Women’s Council at national level; Provincial and Kigali City levels; District levels within the country and Representatives of women’s associations and cooperatives which have legal personality operating at the national level. In contrast, Zimbabwe has no such structures in the promotion and gender and women empowerment. The NWC in Rwanda facilitate for the mobilisation of women to participate in development programs and capacitating women in different areas and advocate for resolution of women’s problems.
The Rwanda Women Parliamentary Forum (FFRP) is a cross-party Women’s Caucus aimed at uniting women in the Rwandan Parliament towards common goals, and championing gender equality interests at the legislative level. The FFRP’s specific objectives include building solidarity among female Members of Parliament (MPs) regardless of different party ideologies, supporting women in Parliament to get involved in the revision or repeal of laws that discriminate women, and to raise awareness among other MPs, as well as public and private institutions, about the importance of gender equality. Zimbabwe has got such an organ the Zimbabwe Women Caucus in Parliament which plays roles similar to the above mentioned.
5.2.2.1 Challenges
The delegation learnt that the Parliament of Rwanda has also been facing challenges. Negative cultural norms and patriarchal attitudes still exist and hinder gender equality promotion and women full involvement in development programs. Faced with these challenges the way forward has been awareness campaigns and also National strategy on men engagement such as HeForShe initiatives.
5.2.3 Gender Based Violence (GBV)
GBV undermines a person's sense of self-worth and self-esteem thus hindering them to participate in political and socio-economic sectors. In this regard, the delegation learnt that in order to provide support to victims of GBV, the Government of Rwanda established 44 one stop centres (IOSC) across the country and there are also IOSC Mobile which travel with the services to remote areas. Unlike in Zimbabwe where there are only five one stop centres for the whole country and is on the course of facilitating for mobile one stop centre services.
The delegation also had an opportunity to visit ISANGE One Stop Centre which was established in 2009. It provides 24/7 multi-disciplinary free holistic services under one roof. This has been necessitated by the fact that no single institution can effectively manage GBV and child abuse, thus different interventions are needed and also the long distance between service providers results in the risk of losing evidence. Services offered include Investigations; psychological counselling (adults couple therapy, individual counselling, family therapy, systematic therapy and children counselling); medical treatment (STIs, pregnancy, to give preventive help, PREP for prevention against HIV) and medical legal examination (forensic evidence on electronic and hard copies). The Committee was also informed that all these services were offered for free and provision of a temporary shelter. This program benefits both man and women.
In contrast with the above, Zimbabwe has only five one stop centers which are overwhelmed and are not fully operational and owned by the government some of the safe houses are owned by Non-Governmental Organisation like Musasa Project. Furthermore, investigations, medical examination and laboratory services are not readily available, therefore, compromising the concept of having one stop centers.
5.3WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
5.3.1 Kigali Special Economic Zone
The delegation also learnt that women participation in Rwanda is not only in the political sector but also in the economic sector. It had an opportunity to tour Kigali Special Economic Zone (SEZ). Rwanda's SEZ program is designed to address some of the domestic private sector constraints such as availability of industrial and commercial land, availability and the cost of energy, limited transport linkages, market access and reduced bureaucracy and availability of skills. The delegation visited Pink Mango a textile company in the zone and was informed that currently the company has on average of 3000 workers and 80 percent are women. The Committee was also informed that there are 7-year tax holidays offered by the Government for companies which employ more than 2500 people. The company’s corporate social responsibility includes monthly distribution of sanitary wear to women and nursery school for children of different age groups, to care for babies while their mothers are working. The delegation was impressed by this initiative as it reduces the barriers that limit women to participate in formal employment sectors. The picture below shows some of the children at the nursery school at Pin Mango textile.
The delegation also visited SAFINTRA which is a steel roofing company. The company is highly automated and has few staff. However, currently it has got 5 women and is aiming to employ more women. The Committee learnt that even though the company is highly automated and is in heavy manufacturing, women have space and had critical roles to play such as management, secretariat. Whilst the delegation appreciated the special economic zones in Rwanda and operational setup to promote women in these workplaces, it is opposed to Zimbabwe where the established safe markets for Small and Medium Entrepreneurs, have no any facility for nursery and kids’ playgrounds hence, they are a difficult working environment for mothers with young babies.
5.3.2 Duterimbere Non-Governmental Organisation
The delegation visited Duterimbere a non-profit organisation created in 1987 by 29 women with the aim to eradicate poverty in Rwandan population particularly to the women. The organisation is currently owned by 880 members (all women) drawn across the country. It has got a division of microfinance (Duterimbire IMF).
Duterimbire IMF is a registered Microfinance institution that was started in 2004 and was licenced by the National Bank of Rwanda in 2005. Its products and services include customer’s savings and deposit, customer loans for project development and financial education trainings to clients for understanding management of their small enterprises. The company currently has 58 553 customers (43 915 women 75%). The outstanding loans as of February 2022 are at approximately USD$7 105 222 with majority given to women. It also promotes women entrepreneurship through capacity building for starting and management of SMEs, Voluntary Saving and Loans (VSL) groups and linkages to Microfinance Institutions. Whilst comparing to Zimbabwe, none governmental organisation does exist in assisting and empowering women through capacity building training and projects funding. In addition, Zimbabwe has established a Women Microfinance Bank for women empowerment and is directly funded from Government coffers as opposed to the system of Rwanda where Duterimbire is funded by IMF.
6.0 KEY OBSERVATIONS BY THE COMMITTEE
The Committee delegation observed that:
- In Rwanda, Gender equality starts from the grass-roots that is family level through the roles given to children.
- The government through reconciliation process on the National Genocide, unified people and managed to create and implement policies that eliminated all forms of discriminations in terms of gender, creed, ethnicity, race, religion and or disabilities.
- Since most families were affected by genocide and many children were left without parents, the government adopted a system of family promotion where citizens can register to take care and adopt any vulnerable child within the society to allow him or her to grow up in a family setup and under parental care.
- The local traditional leadership, support and work with government and ensure the full implementation of the marriage laws and protection from child marriages and teenage pregnancies through registering and approving marriage between people who are 21 years and above as stipulated by the Rwandan Constitution.
- The empowerment of local youths and women through the Corporative in Small to Medium Businesses is easily manageable through registering, monitoring their operations and receiving their challenges. The Committee witnessed that the system of corporative in the SMEs curb problems such as externalisation of funds and also smuggling of foreign goods.
- Women’s empowerment through the system of cooperatives enables their small and medium businesses to grow and flourish due to financial loaning securities and better management of funds as compared to single owned businesses.
- Private companies promote gender equity and equality, which is key for women empowerment as witnessed by the Pink-Mango factory that provided and built a nursery school for children whose mothers are employed within the factory.
- In Rwanda there is a women support network through a Nation Women’s Council with structures from village level, which advocate and mobilises on issues affecting women in building their capacity and ensure their participation in national development.
- Rwanda introduced mobile one stop centres for GBV, rape and sexual harassment to remote and inaccessible areas around the country.
- That Rwanda has managed to implement policies and laws that promote participation of women in all spheres of life.
7.0 RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the lessons learnt and the best practices from the benchmark visit to Rwanda the Committee recommends that;
- At least by 31 December, 2023, in all provincial and district hospitals in Zimbabwe, the Government through the Ministry of Women Affairs Community Small and Medium Enterprises Development, the Ministry of Healthy and Child Care and the Ministry of Home Affairs should establish One Stop Centrers where victims of Gender Based Violence, sexual harassment and rape will report, get investigations, treatment, counselling and safe shelter at the same premises to avoid compromise of evidence and injustice.
- The Government through the Ministry of Women Affairs Community Small and Medium Enterprises Development in collaboration with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary education should establish nursery schools in all the entrepreneur and cooperative sectors where women will be working by 31 March 2023.
- The Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development should introduce a tax rebate for companies and industries that employ at least 1000 women, by 31 December 2023.
- The Ministry of Industry and Commerce, should invest in the Special Economic Zones particularly in light manufacturing and textiles where women and youth will get employed at least by 31 December 2023.
- The Ministry of Women Affairs Community Small and Medium Enterprises Development should engage traditional leaders in ensuring compliancy to 18 years age of consent to marriage, to curb child marriages and teenage pregnancies by 31st December 2022.
- The Ministry of Women Affairs Community Small and Medium Enterprises Development should encourage cooperatives business by registering more cooperative to access group loaning as compared to individual loaning for SMEs businesses, by 31stDecember 2022.
- The Ministry of Women Affairs should introduce a women network forum which mobilises issues affecting women starting from the grassroots by 31stDecember 2022.
9.0 CONCLUSION
Rwanda is well advanced in terms of women participation in politics, decision making and women empowerment. There is need for the Government of Zimbabwe to adopt the best practices by Rwandan Government as the Country is embracing the attainment of the vision 2030 of becoming an upper middle-income economy. Zimbabwe in its National Development Strategy 1 thrust is to leave no one behind hence the inclusion of women in leadership and political participation and empowerment are key to the development of the nation. I thank you.
+HON. SEN. S. MPOFU: Thank you Madam President for giving me this opportunity. I was really pleased to be part of the team that went to Rwanda with the Thematic Committee on Gender. We learnt a lot – [Part of speech not recorded due to technical fault] – There are 11 political parties and all are represented in their Parliament. They are united in such a way that you cannot tell which party they represent. This is something that really surprised us and we also wish that as Zimbabweans we could implement this and have a good working relationship. We visited another factory in their special economic zone and found men, women and girls who are in the business of sewing. This is not a Government enterprise but it is a combination of small and medium business enterprises and cooperatives, including the private sector. This was done in order to promote women in business. We discovered that a lot of managerial posts in that factory were occupied by women. One thing that we admired is that women who are breast feeding are allowed to bring their infants to work. There is a crèche in that factory. There are other women who work in the factory as babysitters whilst others are at work.
However, these women are not trained to be babysitters but they practice this as women with children. We also visited the genocide museum and the place is really haunting because a lot of people perished. This is a sad scenario looking at the history of the country. What happened is that for a person who was married to someone who was not from their tribe, they would kill the spouse from the opposite tribe. If your sister was married to the opposite tribe, you would be given a task to go and kill the man because he is not one of your tribe. This is what really escalated the genocide. After this, that is when the people of Rwanda decided to come and work together. In creating such relations, they decided to ignore their tribal differences. No one is supposed to be recognised either as a Hutu or a Tutsi. Everyone is now recognised as a Rwandan. I wish that we could do the same so that we do not differentiate each other by tribe.
The advantage of these one-stop-centres is that the victims of rape, sexually harassed and domestic violence go and report at these one-stop-centres. After that, you proceed to the investigation offices where they will investigate the case that will be presented before them. There is a hospital where victims of rape are medically examined to determine the level of abuse and determine whether they were really abused or not and hospitalised. There are also safe houses to give shelter to victims of sexual abuse. For those who fear victimisation, they are given shelter.
There are counselling services in this one-stop-centre, especially for victims of rape and sexual abuse so that after going through the different offices and being given shelter, they are also given psycho-social support counselling to address the mental state of the victim of rape. There is another NGO which was formed in 1987 by 29 women after having seen that women were being ill-treated. So the other mandate of the NGO is to end poverty, promote gender mainstreaming and also provide decent accommodation.
They were also looking at the vulnerable. In all these activities, this non-governmental organisation is working with the Government of Rwanda because they saw that Government on its own could not carry this burden of gender mainstreaming and addressing the different ills that were facing these women. There are so many things that are being done by this NGO. They have loans which are given to both men and women in agriculture, livestock production and young people were also given loans without collateral depending on the different projects that they do. They are given a specific timeframe when they can pay back these loans. Women are given specific loans which have a low interest rate and are not a burden to them.
There are loans for SMEs, farmers and buying houses. There are other loans for those who want to buy equipment like tractors and other machinery for road rehabilitation. Most of their clients are women who are independent. There are groups, companies and cooperatives. They also have a good programme which is meant for customers’ savings and deposits. Before saving their money, they are taught how to run businesses and how after being given skills in business management, how they can save their money instead of squandering the money. They are taught how to save money for future use, especially for buying stock and have savings accounts. These people who fall under this NGO can save their money.
This is a free scheme without any interests. There is another one which is meant for school going children to assist them during the course of their education. There is another savings club for young people. In this NGO, there is no interest that is charged. The other thing I noticed is, they have clubs for young children who are given skills on how to save money from a tender age. They are taught to save money from a young age so that they grow up with this skill of saving money. Gender equality is taught at a tender age at the grass root level so that as they grow up, they understand gender equality in their society and that there is no abuse between the genders as they grow up.
Many women in Rwanda are empowered with decision making positions, which is a good development because they are committed to gender equality. There are so many programmes which are meant to empower young people and girls. The people of Rwanda respect their traditional leaders and the traditional leaders work together with Government. They protect and strive to eliminate child marriages. In Rwanda, a lady can only get married at the age of 21 and not earlier than that. So, we learnt a lot.
I believe that other speakers who are going to speak after me will testify that this is a very clean country. There is a programme similar to the one run by President E.D Mnangagwa, the ‘Clean Up Campaign’. This is a serious campaign which they take as a very critical programme. During the Clean-up exercise, everyone participates in this national programme. There is no car which moves around during the clean up exercise. They have headmen even in urban areas that make sure that people follow this and no one disturbs this exercise. I believe that we need to understand the importance of keeping Zimbabwe clean like Rwanda. Mr. President, I would like to thank you for giving me this opportunity to share these few words. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. SIPANI-HUNGWE: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to the debate as one of the members of the delegation. Before I add my voice to the debate, I would like to express my condolences on the passing on of Hon. Sen. Khupe and Hon. Sen. Chidawu. It is very saddening to note that we lost some of our colleagues whom we were with in this House. May God forgive them for all their trespasses in this world. I am one the people who went to Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda. I learnt quite a number of things but I also noticed that there are some things where we seem to be advanced, especially with regards to women in power as well as those in lower positions and the girl child; they do respect them very much. They position their women accordingly, beginning in their homes. They show that they are people who respect women but it looks like it emanates from the genocide or civil war that took place in 1994. People killed each other on tribal grounds, killing each other over the size of the nose or height where someone could be accused and condemned to death. We realised that even people from churches would sell out those people who were seeking refuge. They would be betrayed by people who pretended to be giving them refuge and that was so bad.
They are also able to organise their things. They have one-stop-centres. If someone is subjected to violence at home, they get treatment and soon after counseling, as well as shelter in case they do not have alternative accommodation. We also met very young Ministers, we saw a very young lady Minister, maybe 21 or 22 years of age and I really admired them. They are very young and very clean too. Many people look down upon the President’s clean-up campaign on the first Friday of every month. We were surprised that the people in Rwanda take this day seriously. There were no vehicles on the road as everyone was taking part in the national clean up day. I thought clean cities are only found in Europe but we saw a very clean city in Africa. Kigali is a very clean city. A lot of state of the art construction is going on. Their economy also shows it is progressing. So we learnt a lot from the visit.
The other thing of interest is - here we say 18 years that person is not fully mature but that side they say 21 years, meaning the person is fully matured. What I learnt is - let us do away with tribalism and stop seeing a person as Ndebele, Shona or whatever tribe. In Rwanda, if you mention that you are Tutsi you will be attacked. They all are Rwandans. They do not mention tribes. So I think if we are to do the same as Africans that would greatly help us. We also noted that there is nothing like not going to work because one is breast feeding. There are beautiful kindergartens where they leave their kids while the mother is working. The mother is allowed to briefly leave her work station to breast feed. I think that is a good thing. Here we talk of maternity leave whilst there will not be anyone doing that job.
The other thing is, there are 24 seats for women. So we are better than them on that aspect because we are more than their quota and they were learning from us. There is an organisation that is giving women loans but I realised that we seem to be more advanced although it needs panel-beating but we have a whole bank that gives women money. We did not go to other towns or cities but we were in Kigali.
I want to emphasise the cleanliness of the city. Nobody travels, everybody stays home and they will be cleaning. No shops open and I think if we are to imitate that, our towns can also be very clean. Thank you Mr. President Sir.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Thank you Mr. President. I would also want to thank the Hon. Senator who brought this issue to this august House. I was not part of the delegation which visited Rwanda but I went there twice in different programmes that are not under Parliament of Zimbabwe. I have stood up to testify and support what the Hon. Senators were saying.
The issue that there was genocide in Rwanda is a critical issue. In just about three months - between April and July one million people were killed in the streets of Rwanda. They were killed because they were Hutus or Tutsis tribe. When we went to the museum, there were many skulls; actually there is a room filled with human skulls (victims of genocide) this was because of tribal differences. When the white people came, they would measure the size of the nose to determine whether one was a Hutu or Tutsi when they sought identification papers. One tribe had long nose and the other short nose.
There was hatred between the tribes. A man would marry a woman from a different tribe then during the war, you would find the mother or father killing their child because of tribal issues. You would find even skulls of young children. Indeed, when you visit that area, they will show you the ugliness of genocide and tribal hatred. Their experience shows that tribal differences are not good. This is not a good thing. It must not be entertained.
If you sit in a restaurant or hotel conversing with the Rwandese, if you ask them whether they are Hutu or Tutsi, they will all say we are people of Rwanda. The notion of being Hutu or Tutsi is no longer entertained but everyone is a Rwandese as a patriot. This is patriotism which must be taught even to the people of Zimbabwe that this is not a welcome move to differentiate people because of tribal origins. Now the people of Rwanda are united. People now respect true African ethos. There is no corruption in Rwanda. Those who engage in corrupt activities are banished. There is no corruption because the people are united. They are focussing on developing their country and working hard. Even on their clean up campaigns, there is no movement of vehicles during clean up campaigns.
The other lesson learnt is that after genocide, they decided to look for lawyers and judges who are international who are going to deal with perpetrators of genocide. They hired 80 international judges who have knowledge of the international law. They poured millions of dollars into that project so that the perpetrators of genocide would be brought to book. This was done and after two years, there was an agreement that all cases were dealt with. There were more than a million cases – issues of tribal conflicts are not easy to deal with hence these issues were also brought to traditional courts. The peace which is prevailing right now in Rwanda is because these issues were brought to traditional courts. Just a few were taken to the international criminal court. Most cases were dealt with under traditional courts. Today Rwanda is the most peaceful and cleanest country in Africa. What affects us is that even as black people, we look for intervention from westerners to intervene on our problems which can be resolved in traditional ways.
As we debate on this issue, we need to ask ourselves how we are going to deal with cases. Are we going to deal with them using western or traditional courts? Most people think that when issues are taken to traditional courts, they will not be dealt with appropriately. Chinese and Japanese believe that they are modern for us Africans. Africans/Zimbabweans also believe that we are modern. Even the bad is being copied by the black people. Rwanda has fixed its issues and these were fixed internally by the people of Rwanda. Today there is peace and tranquillity in Rwanda.
We also took the ZIDA model Rwanda – teachers are now being sent to partake in the Rwanda education sector. We need to emulate what is happening in Rwanda. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. MOEKETSI: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity. I would also like to thank Hon. Sen. Ndlovu for moving this motion and Hon. Sen. Mpofu who seconded the motion. I am one of the Hon. Senators who were part of this delegation to Rwanda.
I do not want to say much but I would like to talk about unity. We are used to what happens in our homeland where before any Committee meetings, we pray for God’s guidance. In Rwanda, there is no such. Then I asked towards the end that since we came, we have not prayed before opening any session. They said ‘no, we do not pray. Since you raised the issue, may you pray?’ So we prayed. The agreement that was made by the Rwandese, nothing else pleased me Mr. President but to note that factories were employing a lot of women who were sewing, and doing different jobs. This really pleased me.
What prompted me to contribute is that Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira mentioned that he has visited that country several times. My request is that whatever we learn, we need to emulate and implement in our own country. Let us not just debate but let us implement this. You mentioned that judges went to Rwanda but could not resolve genocide cases but these cases were resolved by traditional leaders. This means that in Zimbabwe, we have traditional leaders who can deal with issues and rectify wrongs. We have chiefs who can give us laws and guide us, meaning that the issue that was raised was that Rwanda allows girls to be married at 21 years and not before.
We find parents being arrested because of the law that we enacted. I cannot discipline a child because when you discipline your child, you can be arrested by the police. We have some laws that should be implemented by traditional leaders. You have been to Rwanda Hon. Sen. Chief and have seen the laws that are good for Zimbabweans. Indeed, you say the truth. We emulate bad things. When we went to Rwanda, we did not know which political affiliation these politicians were coming from. We were surprised to discover that they belonged to different political parties but in Zimbabwe, we have graves. This should be dealt with by traditional leaders.
I once said that those who went to war were guided by our ancestors and these ancestors still exist and are found within our traditional leadership systems. They also spoke about the Bank of Rwanda that has a percentage for women who get interest in gardening but we kill each other. Some may have properties that were taken because of loans but the Rwanda Government knows that loans are given to different people with different interest rates looking at their ability to repay and their financial status. So we need to work together with our traditional leaders. With these few words, I thank you for giving me this opportunity.
*HON. SEN. KOMICHI: Thank you Mr. President, Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira. I would like to thank the movers of this motion, Hon. Sen. Chief Ndlovu, Hon. Sen. Mpofu and other Hon. Senators who supported this discourse. I would start by joining Hon. Sen. Hungwe to mourn departed Hon. Senators who departed recently. I would like to congratulate Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira for being appointed President of the Pan-African Parliament. I would also like to share my view point on the discussion regarding the visit to Rwanda. I did not go to Rwanda but have knowledge of the Rwanda genocide.
Indeed, these people fought and hated each other until there was genocide within a short space of time because of tribal wars. There was the decimation of a certain tribe where a million people lost their lives. You will find that Africans hate each other because of tribal differences. We need to take a leaf and learn as Zimbabweans and Africa at large, that this is not welcome and must not happen. Hon. Sen. Chief, the words that you said that they took judges and western lawyers, if this was done through that process, it was going to take centuries to deal with issues until they decided as people of Rwanda to find internal solutions through the traditional courts.
Traditional leaders then dealt with issues and there was peace in Rwanda. Today, there is peace and we are happy as Africans that we have an African country which can be emulated. The courts and the systems in that country are being studied by professors from different educational institutions the world-over, taking home grown solutions which bring positive results using indigenous knowledge systems and culture, instead of relying on western systems and solutions.
Therefore, the Rwanda situation teaches us that as black people, we can have internal solutions. It teaches African people that we can sit down and discuss so that we find home-grown solutions. We are found behaving like slaves because we emulate foreign concepts as models which are considered to be modern. What modernity is there if it is not emancipating the black people? Today, we need to change our mindset so that we are proud of ourselves as black people in order to transform the poverty which is in Africa.
As Africans we were blessed by God. Fellow Senators, Africa is rich with minerals, water and arable land. We are a pride on the continent, the world-over we cannot be compared to any other country, because our country is rich in resources but we are failing to manage those resources because we are using foreign concepts and systems.
The plea therefore, is that we should look within as Africa, and Rwanda has set a very good example, the governance system is the foundation of failure for black people. The governance system we follow in Zimbabwe and other African countries excluding Rwanda is the American government system. We copy the British, European and American system and we are not experts but learners in that aspect because of these foreign concepts. We need to build our own systems where we find the community tilling a common field and working together doing what was called Mushandirapamwe or the pulling of resources to cultivate for the benefit of the community.
We learnt a lot today that there is a President in Rwanda, the vice and other deputies and prime ministers come from different political parties. In Rwanda, no political party is used by Western countries and any other countries. Every political party works together for the common good of Rwanda. Therefore, Rwanda is clean; it is empowered and it has gender inequality. As Africa, we need to emulate this system. After general elections, we need to work together to develop our nations as Africa. I have an example of the Government of National Unity which transpired sometime in Zimbabwe. We also have an example of Mozambique which lost 64 billion dollars in gas extraction because of the insurgency that happened in Mozambique. If the people of Mozambique were united, then they were not going to lose the 64 billion dollar investment because we do counter-productive activities by copying British systems and other western systems.
The basis of the governance system is working together which is found in Rwanda which should be taken up by Zimbabweans; we do not need to be used by Westerners and other international countries. After elections, you find politicians being used by westerners that an election was stolen. However, at the end of the day, the ordinary citizens are the ones who suffer. We must not allow other countries to use us.
Let us look at what happened in Rwanda, as black people we can do our own projects and programmes. There is wealth in Kigali, there is wealth in the empowerment of women because people work together. As black people, we are urged to learn from Rwanda. We need to depart from the selfish agenda of the Western World but look at African solutions.
If the people of Rwanda had taken western systems in dealing with their issues, it was going to take a century for them to solve their problems. However, they decided to work with their traditional leaders and as black people, they have found a solution. So, we are also encouraged as Zimbabweans to learn from the people of Rwanda and implement this.
The delegation that went to Rwanda, you learnt something; let us take and implement that in Zimbabwe. It is very important to note that this is a good thing, we can copy this and we can have peace in Zimbabwe.
*HON. SEN. J. D. HUNGWE: Thank you Mr. President. I stand to add my voice on what my fellow senators also mentioned. I was deeply thinking about what I read sometime in the past. You spoke about the Rwandan issue and I am sure you have read some books and are aware that the Rwanda that you are talking about is the origin of the foundation of the ant-people or the black people. I am not surprised that they are performing very well like what was mentioned because they indeed are the source of exemplary of where the Bantu people originated from. We came here after being driven away but our original place is Rwanda. Is that so Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira – [HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Yes, Sen. Hungwe.] – So we should emulate where we came from and where we are so that we determine where we are going, our destiny. It is all about emulating our culture and do away with the Whiteman’s culture. What can be so difficult about that? How can we fail to write things? Is that so difficult to follow our culture? Let us do away with foreign cultures and promote our own. You will realise that we have been put in a difficult position where we have lost identity as black people whilst we emulate foreign cultures.
The chief was saying even people in traditional courts, wherever you go to a traditional court, you cannot find an opposition party. Can you find an opposition at a traditional court? That shows that we just inherited other people’s cultures. All these chiefs that we see here have no oppositions under their chieftainships. It is so embarrassing to have an opposition. You do not find an opposition opposing the chieftainship – where are you getting that from? Behave like people and according to your culture and follow your culture. It is so embarrassing and some of you may not know. Embarrassing things are all about imitating someone’s culture or practice when you do not know. Someone may not know that spiting after doing something means the act has been embarrassing. That is what my mother used to do and also yours. You should stop imitating or adopting other people’s cultures and traditions. Emulate your own culture. How can you just adopt other people’s culture? A chief does not have an opposition. He rules or leads everyone alike. Sometimes in the end the chief may say do you not see that what Mr. Sorobi was doing is not right. Our culture does not allow that.
Is it not a good thing that we use our culture in correcting each other but now we have adopted foreign culture? Follow your own culture and do not adopt other people’s culture. That is why people laugh at you wherever you go like in Rwanda. They ask you what you are doing. Imagine travelling all the way to Rwanda to learn yet your own culture is there. Are you not ashamed of yourselves? Travelling all the way to other fellow black countries to learn how to behave yet you have your own culture. There are some people out there who believe that Zimbabweans are good people. How can you go all the way to try and imitate what other people are doing out there yet you are looked upon as an example? Do not be so embarrassing.
God created this world. Have you heard about Christians? They fight to equate Jesus to God – the creator of people. God is the almighty and is the creator. You cannot try to equate him to other people like prophets. God is the one who created you and everyone else. Do you understand that? Let us not behave like idiots. God is our creator, nobody else is like him. It is not possible. God is God and you must know that. That defines you as a people.
Mr. President Sir, I kept on going but I only wanted to demonstrate that we should behave as human beings who were created by God, who know that God is the creator. That is what I wanted to say in supporting what was earlier on said by my fellow senators. I thank you.
+HON. SEN. A. DUBE: I would also like to add my views on this debate. This is a report that teaches us a lot as Senators in the Upper House. Firstly, I would like to pay my respect to the Senators who left us who include Senator Dube, Senator Khupe and Senator Chidawu. This has been a very sad thing that befell us as Senate. We put all this in the hands of God.
I would like to support this report, especially with regard to the contents that speak to equal rights of men and women. Every day we talk about the need for equality but sometimes people may not understand. I am very grateful that we have an understanding President who supports that view of equal rights. I do understand that indeed it is not possible to fulfil it entirely. Regardless of that, we have few women in leadership positions and sometimes we do not understand that it is important for them to hold those high offices.
After going through this report, we learn that it is indeed a good thing to emulate what is happening in Rwanda with regards to equal opportunities for men and women. It is also a good thing that the people who went to Rwanda represented us well in finding out what is happening to equal opportunities for women and men in Africa. We wish for equal opportunities for both men and women.
The second thing that I learnt with sorrow is the high number of people who were killed during the genocide on tribal grounds. That should be a lesson to all of us. Some people may not know what transpired in Rwanda that led to thousands being killed. In Zimbabwe, we segregate a lot on tribal grounds; Xhosa, Ndebele, Tonga or Shona. In the end, we should realise that such things may lead to loss of lives.
As Zimbabweans, we are one people. What we fought for is one thing. We all fought for being Zimbabweans as one and that is why we fought the white colonialists. That should be a very big lesson for all of us. Sometimes we read in the media that some people call for succession. That must never happen because such people are only looking for blood and war. The devil will be looking for an opportunity for the spilling of blood again. The devil will enjoy and rule with pleasure after finishing each other as blacks.
We also learnt that they respect the traditional leaders very much in Rwanda. We have seen a lot of unpleasant things and diseases because we have thrown away our culture and quickly embrace foreign cultures. We forget to resort to our traditional leaders who may give us advice and guidance on how to live hamoniously. So, that leads to a lot of chaos in our country with lack of respect amongst young people and the elderly whereby a child can threaten to go to court suing or attacking their parents. We run around to look for lawyers yet we have lawyers that were given by God, the chiefs or traditional leaders who can easily assist us in delivering this justice.
I wish Mr. President to understand this thing, revert to our culture and empower our traditional leaders so that they take a leading role. So, this Rwandan trip taught us a lot of things. If you look at the people who went there, if we can unite, a lot of things can move progressively in this chaos but where there is chaos and division, nothing moves because God does not condone such. I really understood this report. What can we do as a people? We can emulate what is happening in Rwanda without any problems.
Right now we talk of the National Clean-up Day but some people do not understand it. Some people take it as harassment yet indeed it is meant to address cleanliness which is found in the Constitution, to instil good hygiene and health in us. Everything is stated in this report and I would like to thank the delegation that brought us such a good report which teaches us a lot, the delegation led by Hon. Sen. Chief Ndlovu. It really encourages us to go back to our roots and emulate our culture and to unite regardless of the tribe that you belong to. We should in fact be proud to be Zimbabweans. Thank you.
HON. SEN. C. NDLOVU: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. CHIRONGOMA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 17th August, 2022.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR MASHONALAND CENTRAL PROVINCE (HON SEN. MAVHUNGA), the Senate adjourned at Twenty Five Minutes past Four o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 28th July, 2022
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
PRESENTATION OF THE 2022 MID-TERM FISCAL POLICY REVIEW AND SUPPLEMENTARY BUDGET STATEMENT
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that the Hon. Minister of Finance and Economic Development will present the 2022 Mid-Term Fiscal Policy Review and Supplementary Budget Statement at 1445 hours today.
Please click on the download to get the full version.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 27th July, 2022
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
PETITIONS RECEIVED FROM THE CITIZENS AGAINST ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AND MR. B. WESTONI OF BINDURA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE EDUCATION
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that on
Thursday, 5th May, 2022 Parliament received a petition from the Citizens Against Economic Sanctions, beseeching Parliament to exercise its oversight and legislative functions by putting in place legislation which provides for the National Anti-sanctions Budget.
The petition has since been referred to the Portfolio Committee on Finance and Economic Development.
I also have to inform the House that on Thursday, 19th May, 2022, Parliament received a petition from Mr. B. Westoni of the Bindura University of Science Education, beseeching Parliament to recommend to the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development to revert to the old remuneration system for lecturers in State universities.
The petition was deemed inadmissible as the petitioners did not satisfy the formal requirements in the Standing Orders. The petitioners have been advised accordingly.
HON. MUSHORIWA: On a point of privilege Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: There is no point of privilege today. – [HON. MUSHORIWA: Yaah Mr. Speaker…] – There is no point of privilege. Can you sit down! – [HON. MUSHORIWA: It has to do with a parliamentary issue that transpired yesterday…] – Can you sit down? There is no point of privilege. – [HON. MUSHORIWA: No, I need to raise it with you Mr. Speaker Sir.] – Can you sit down? – [HON. MUSHORIWA: Yaah and then you give me the opportunity] – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – [HON. T. ZHOU: Hatizirisu takati usauya kuHouse nezuro!] – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order, Order!
APOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM MINISTERS
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have the following apologies from the Executive:- Hon. C.D.G. N. Chiwenga, Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care; Hon. O.C.Z. Muchinguri-Kashiri, Minister of Defence and War Veterans; Hon. Prof. M. Ncube, Minister of Finance and Economic Development; Hon. Dr. Masuka, Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement; Hon. Prof. A. Murwira, Minister for Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development; Hon. J. G. Moyo, Minister of Local Government and Public Works; Hon. Dr. F. M. Shava, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade; Hon. W. Chitando, Minister of Mines and Mining Development; Hon. N. M. Ndhlovu, Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Hospitality Industry; Hon. Rwodzi, Deputy Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Hospitality Industry; Hon. Mabhoyi, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage; Hon. Marapira, Deputy Minister for Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement; Hon. Chiduwa, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Development and Hon. J. Mangwiro, Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care. – [HON. MUSHORIWA: On a point or order Mr. Speaker Sir!] – Are you back with points of order?
HON. MUSHORIWA: Yaah, mine is a point of order.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, you do not say yaah. You address the Speaker properly.
HON. MUSHORIWA: I am sorry Mr. Speaker Sir. Mr. Speaker Sir, my point of order relates to the provision of our Standing Orders that distinguish between point of privilege and point of national interest. My point of privilege relates to the rights of Hon. Members, and it is on that point that I wanted you to address because you said that on Wednesday there is no point of privilege.
Whereas we thought that the point of national interest is the one that is not supposed to be raised on Wednesday. In respect to the point of privilege which violates my rights as a Member of Parliament, I thought they are permitted on such a day. I ask you Mr. Speaker Sir to consider my request.
THE HON. SPEAKER: May you refer me to the proper section of the Standing Order?
HON. MUSHORIWA: I do not have the exact Standing Order but it is … you got it? Thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Have you got it? If you do not have it then can you rest and then bring it to my attention later on? – [HON. MUSHORIWA: There is Standing Order Number 73, Motion Concerning Privilege] – Number 73? Yes, yes you may proceed.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Yes, proceed.
HON. MUSHORIWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Yesterday during the course of business of the House, on the Order Paper there was an item to do with PVOs Amendment Bill. During the debate on the PVOs Bill, during the Committee Stage, Hon. Members who were on virtual wanted to contribute to the debate and the Chairperson of the Committee under the instruction of the Leader of the House made it impossible for anybody who was on virtual to debate. We tried to raise our hands on several occasions; it is on record in the Hansard - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, can you respect another Member of Parliament. Let us hear the Hon. Member and I will make a ruling.
HON. MUSHORIWA: Mr. Speaker Sir, what I am saying is evidenced in the Hansard and also the video recording of Parliamentary business. It is actually there where the Leader of the House including the Chairperson of the Committee was denying me and other Members a chance to speak. The PVOs Amendment Bill had a number of amendments and there was a heated debate during the Second Reading. For the Hon. Chair of the Committee to deny me the right to contribute and then quickly sail through that Bill without any debate, I think it is a clear violation of my right as a Member of Parliament and also the democratic process of this country – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] -
THE HON. SPEAKER: Was this during the Second Reading or Committee Stage?
HON. MUSHORIWA: It was during Committee Stage Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: You said during Committee Stage but in Committee Stage you can debate, is it not?
HON. MUSHORIWA: Yes, we were going clause by clause and it was during this debate when we sought to bring some of the issues that we had raised in the Second Reading which had not been considered by the Minister in his response and all that was brushed aside Hon. Speaker Sir. I thought the Committee Stage is actually the hall mark of the legislative process in Parliament.
Hon. Gonese having stood up
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, Hon. Gonese. Hon. Mushoriwa, normally when we debate in Committee, a clause is called out by the Chair and a question is asked to say - is there any debate, is that correct? – [HON. MEMBERS: Yes.] From my office there, I was following and nobody raised a point of order to say I am being denied – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order, order. –
Hon. Gonese having stood up.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, I have not given a ruling Hon. Gonese; you are a seasoned Member of Parliament here, please allow me to make a ruling. I will check with the Hansard and also the Presiding Officer, then I will give you a correct response thereafter. Do you want to ask a question Hon. Gonese?
HON. GONESE: It is not a question, it is a point of privilege.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Today is your question time.
HON. GONESE: Yes, I know Mr. Speaker but it is also related to the business of the House – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –Yes, it is a different point. It is in terms of Standing Order Number 151.
THE HON. SPEAKER: What is your issue Hon. Gonese?
HON. GONESE: Yes, if you can indulge me Mr. Speaker Sir, I think it is a fundamental issue. It is in terms of Standing Order Number 151 Mr. Speaker Sir - Bill committed after Second Reading. Mr. Speaker Sir, the provisions of that Standing Order are very clear, that is the committal of a Bill after the Second Reading. For the benefit of Hon. Members, I just read it because it is short. When a Bill has been read a second time, it must stand committed to the Committee of the Whole House, on such day as the Member in charge of it must appoint, unless the House otherwise orders.
I am cognisant that the House can grant leave and I am also aware Mr. Speaker Sir that there is a Standing Order which stipulates that no two stages of a Bill may be heard on the same day without the leave of the House. I am aware Mr. Speaker that leave of the House was sought but I want to underline the fact that the spirit of those provisions is meant to deal with non-contentious matters which need to be disposed of. This is a rule of practice Mr. Speaker, not just of this Parliament. In respect of this particular Bill, I was one of the Hon. Members who debated this Bill at length during the Second Reading and several other Members debated extensively. It is in that context Mr. Speaker Sir that I want to underline the fact that as practice, as a convention, we must not overlook matters of practice and matters of convention.
This is a Bill Mr. Speaker Sir, which required Members to be put on notice because a Committee Stage of a Bill is the most important stage of a Bill....
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, I hear you. You are debating now, you must be brief.
HON. GONESE: It is against that spirit of the intention of the Standing Orders which allows Hon. Members to digest the response of the Hon. Minister. That is the reason why in our Standing Orders, there are two provisions, one which says that no two stages of a Bill may be made on the same day and this one which says on a date to be appointed. This is to allow Hon. Members time to study any proposed amendments. That is my submission Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, understood. That issue should have been raised yesterday when leave was sought for the Second Reading of the Bill. So you are discussing a matter – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] - You want to close the stable door when the horses have bolted? – [HON. MEMBERS: We were on virtual] - It does not matter whether you were on virtual or not. You had that opportunity to raise the issue.
HON. CHIBAYA: Mr. Speaker Sir, we are here to represent people but if you are stopping us from raising the issues with your Chair - we are raising those concerns with your Chair and we expect your Chair to protect us. Where do you want us to go when we are here to represent the people...
THE HON. SPEAKER: Can you please sit down?
HON. CHIBAYA: But why are you blocking us from raising the issues which are affecting the people outside there?
THE HON. SPEAKER: I am asking you for the last time, can you sit down?
HON. CHIBAYA: You are the Chair, allow Hon. Members to raise their issues.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order Hon. Chibaya, can you sit down? I am giving you last warning – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] - Order, Order Hon. Members. Hon. Chibaya, can you leave the House!
Instead of walking out, Hon. Chibaya walked to the Speaker’s Chair.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order Hon. Chibaya, can you sit down?
HON. T. MOYO: Good afternoon Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Good afternoon.
HON. T. MOYO: My question is directed to the Hon. Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare. I want to find out from the Minister, Government policy regarding social security nets. I have in mind the Grant-in-Aid and BEAM programmes which are very important and indispensable to the underprivileged students in our schools. It has taken so long for payments to be made and some unscrupulous schools are chasing away students from schools. I want to find out from the Hon. Minister what plans they have put in place so that disbursements are quickly done towards the payment of their fees?
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. Let me thank Hon. Moyo for that important question. We have made tremendous progress in the disbursement of BEAM funds. The last time I checked, we had paid tuition fees for the second term which is the current term except for schools that needed to comply with the reporting requirements for BEAM. I am sure that all those schools that had complied and provided the Ministry with the requisite documents had received their disbursements.
Let me also clearly indicate to this august House that there has been a lot of improvement in terms of coverage on BEAM. We were at about 500 000 students last year. This year our target is 1.5 million and the resources to cover those students are there. Our coverage has become more comprehensive, to include all the requirements for those learners including uniforms, stationery that they need because we used to just cover tuition fees, but we said we needed to make sure that we are covering all the requirements for the learners. So BEAM has improved a lot and Treasury continues to give us additional resources in order to provide a very comprehensive social net for vulnerable children. I thank you.
HON. MUSHORIWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My supplementary question to the Hon. Minister is, he has indicated that the Ministry aims to move from $500.000 to $1.5 million with additional things like uniforms and other stuff. I have been looking in the Blue Book that was passed by Parliament. May the Hon. Minister explain to this House from which pocket does the Ministry get the funds, given that the figures that we have adjusted for inflation do not warrant the assertion that the Minister has put. I thank you
The Chair’s microphone having been switched off.
[HON. MUNENGAMI: Inaudible interjection.] – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. Hon. Munengami, I apologise. Hon. Mushoriwa, the moment you delve into figures, it means that you need to put your question in writing, which will force the Hon. Minister to give the correct statistics as required by the question.
HON. MUSHORIWA: Mr. Speaker Sir, can you just indulge me. The Hon. Minister is the one that invited this line of questioning. He said that they had actually moved from $500.000 to $1.5 million. He has also indicated to this House that in addition to the payment of fees, they are now doing uniforms and stationery. I am then asking the Hon. Minister because the budget that we passed in this Parliament does not have the leeway for those additions. That is why I wanted to find out from which pocket he is going to get the extra funds. Maybe there is another pocket that the Hon. Minister has which is outside the Blue Book.
HON. PROF. MAVIMA: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. Unless the Hon. Member is referring to the erosion of the original budget due to inflation, that original budget was intended to cover for $1.5 million, the target that we had for this year. If then he is referring to the issue of inflation, I do not want to then pre-empt the Minister of Finance and Economic Development who is going to make a presentation here in Parliament tomorrow. I thank you Hon. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Mushoriwa, please if you can pursue the matter tomorrow during the Mid-Term Review.
HON. MASENDA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question goes to the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare. We got a lot of rain in our areas such that our yields were not good and people are experiencing …
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Member, please craft your preamble in a question.
HON. MASENDA: When are the food insecure people across the country going to start receiving food aid to mitigate hunger? Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Speaker. Let me also thank the Hon. Member for that important question. Hon. Speaker, we have just started the food deficit mitigation programme. This month, we had an allocation of 15.000 tonnes to go into the areas that were adversely affected due to erratic rains. We are targeting that on an average, up to the next harvest, we will be distributing something like 30.000 tonnes per month. We will start off low but we will increase the allocations as we reach the peak hunger period, which is going to be from January to about March into 2023. That programme has started. The delay was because we were waiting for figures from the ZIMVAC report for the rural areas. Once we got those figures, we also had to verify using our social development officers on the ground so that we can target properly as to which wards and which specific households needed this assistance. So we have just started and I am sure that the areas where the Hon. Member is coming from, that were adversely affected, will soon be receiving the necessary assistance. I thank you Hon. Speaker.
*HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. People who were receiving food were very few. Is there a policy that will allow everyone who is facing hunger to benefit? If the grain that we have is not sufficient, can they reduce the quantities for those families that are receiving food aid so that everyone can benefit?
*HON. PROF. MAVIMA: We looked at the numbers which were provided for by ZIMVAC and we sent another delegation for those who work under social development in different districts for them to give us places and number of families in those areas which might need food aid. We are not expecting that we are going to fail to give families which are in need of food aid. We have done proper research and now we know the extent of hunger in the country. We are going to give each and every family what it deserves in terms of food, using the data which has been provided to us by the different Government departments.
*HON. MADZIMURE: From the research and data gathered by the Ministry, how many families require food aid so that as Parliament we will be able to do follow up that the Ministry managed to give so many families some food? Again, from the research which they have done, are they going to increase the food hampers compared to what was given to people during the COVID-19 period? Lastly, are there measures to monitor if the food is going to the intended beneficiaries?
THE HON. SPEAKER: May you put your question in writing as it requires some statistical information.
(v)*HON. KWARAMBA: My question to the Minister is, we used to have the policy of food for work which helped very much in the rural areas when people would partake in different developmental activities like road maintenance. Is Government going to maintain that policy so that people can benefit whilst there is development?
*HON. PROF MAVIMA: Thank you Hon. Member for raising that pertinent question. We have two groups of people who receive food aid. The first group is made up of people who are not feeling well, the elderly, child-headed families and orphans. That group receives food for free, it is a group which is always helped by Government.
There is also the second group - the able-bodied who are able to work and look after themselves. This group of people does not receive food for free. From this time until October/November, they must go and work for the food they receive but when the farming season starts, we continue giving food whilst they are working on their farms so that they harvest in the following season. There is a time when they are given food whilst they are working on their farms so that they can get time to work on their fields. That is the only difference which is there. We do not give food for free to the able-bodied. We request them to work at schools, clinics, road rehabilitation and in different communities.
(v)HON. MBONDIAH: My question to the Minister is, what mechanisms are there in place to ensure that there will not be any politicisation of food aid as what used to happen in the past?
HON. PROF. MAVIMA: This is a question that I have responded to many times over. I have said before that it would not be clever for any ruling party to deny potential voters food assistance unless they do not want those potential voters to vote for the ruling party in the next election. In this particular case, it is not Government policy to consider political orientation as a basis for distribution of food assistance. In fact the policy of the President is that no one and no place should be left behind on any social protection programme. That is how we have implemented the Food Deficit Mitigation Programme.
HON. TOBAIWA: My question is directed to the Minister of Mines and Mining Development. What is Government policy concerning location of mines close to residential areas or schools? Is there a specific distance between the residential area infrastructure and the mining claims?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF MINES AND MINING DEVELOPMENT (HON. KAMBAMURA): Thank you Hon. Speaker, can I kindly ask the Hon. Member to ask the question again.
HON. TOBAIWA: What is Government policy concerning location of mines close to residential areas or schools? Is there a specific distance between the residential area infrastructure and the mining claims?
HON. KAMBAMURA: Mining sites should be at least 450 metres away from built up areas, be it homesteads or schools.
HON.TOBAIWA: Thank you very much Minister. I have raised this question because where I come from, there is a mining claim which was pegged less than 50 metres away from Globe & Phoenix Primary School. The school buildings are cracking because of the mining activities.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Member, if you have a specific instance, please approach the Minister of Mines because as contrary to policy, that has been stated by the Ministry. Can you bring that specific case to the attention of the Ministry of Mines?
HON. CHIMINA: My supplementary question is; what are the authorities doing to enforce those regulations so that the miners comply with them?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Enforcement depends on the complainant. An issue must arise and then the complainant must state their case for enforcement.
HON. MARKHAM: Hon. Speaker, my question arises from the City of Harare stopping licences being issued by its Health Department for businesses within the city. How can the city racially profile people with IDs ending with 00 and stop businesses? It is nearly two weeks now and they have stopped issuing health licences. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE (HON. KAZEMBE): I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the question. It would appear that this is an incident that is taking place currently and I will pass on the question to the relevant Ministry to look at it.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Can you pass it on to the relevant Ministry for a written response to the question.
HON. MARKHAM: Thank you Hon. Speaker, I was going to ask for a written response to the question. I would just like, on a point of clarity, to state that there are two people at the new so-called Highlands Mall which has just opened, who are being threatened to be kicked out because they cannot open their businesses due to one licence from the City of Harare. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you very much. Your question will be referred to the Hon. Minister of Local Government for a written response. Having said that, it is the duty of this august House to streamline the licencing regime so that those who want to invest do not have to go from office to office looking for various licences in order to engage in their businesses. Have that at the back of your mind so that we can rationalise the licencing regime.
HON. MUNENGAMI: My question is directed to the Minister of Public Service, baba Mavima.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Just a slight correction. In this House we do not refer to vanababa or babamudiki. The Hon. Minister is Prof. Mavima. I know that is being respectful in our vernacular language and culture but follow our colonised Standing Orders.
HON. MUNENGAMI: My apologies Hon. Speaker. My question to the Hon. Minister is; what is it that Government is doing with regards to the two day strike which has just been announced by the teachers, which obviously is going to affect the students learning programme considering that other institutions like nurses, doctors and other civil servants categories have embarked on strikes and Government has listened to their grievances; but it seems as though teachers grievances are not being listened to by the Government? Please help us by answering that question.
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Let me thank Hon. Munengami for that important question. Hon. Speaker, there are currently intensive consultations that are going on with all representatives of civil servants. Comprehensively for the first time in actual fact, all the associations and unions have been willing to come to the table. I have already held a meeting with them and another meeting is scheduled for Monday next week so that we can discuss this issue.
Hon. Speaker, I think it would also help the House to know that there have been regular reviews of conditions of service for civil servants. This year alone, there have been at least three interventions to improve the conditions of civil servants. Government keeps the option of negotiation open all the time and it is in this spirit that we have the current consultations that are taking place and I am sure these consultations will help us to avert a job action that will be disruptive to service delivery in the public service.
HON. MUNENGAMI: I want to thank the Hon. Minister for the response. My supplementary question Hon. Minister is that the engagement which you have just started with all the civil servants leaders, will that be in good spirit when currently some of the civil service leaders have been incarcerated?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Can you clarify whether those that have been incarcerated are part of the negotiating team?
HON. MUNENGAMI: Yes, Hon. Speaker. They are actually the leaders of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Association. They are actually part and parcel. In fact, they are the leaders of the union just like any other association.
HON. PROF. MAVIMA: Hon. Speaker, it is my clear understanding that the matter which has led to those leaders to be incarcerated has nothing to do with their membership to any union or any labour related issue. It is a matter of law enforcement removed from their being members of a union or their having participated in any labour relations matter. When we met, the specific union that has been referred to was also represented in that meeting. So, there is no prejudice whatsoever to that particular union because it was well represented at that meeting. We expect that in the coming meeting, that same union will also be represented. I thank you.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: My supplementary question for the attention of the Hon. Minister is: bearing in mind that this challenge of salaries with regard to teachers’ negotiations have been in continuity for almost three years now. What measures are you putting in place so that when you sit down, you will put this issue to closure bearing in mind that the unions of teachers are requesting Government to pay them their salaries as it was in 2012/13? What chances do we have of meeting that requirement?
HON. PROF. MAVIMA: In labour relations, continuous negotiations and bargaining is the hallmark of that field. Hon. Speaker, I will tell you that on a daily basis, I am signing collective bargaining agreements in the various sectors of the economy through their national employment councils. So continuous negotiation is the hallmark of labour relations in any country. That is how labour relations go and that comes from the fact that hardly do we have a situation where workers are fully satisfied with what they are getting.
Another issue that we should not run away from is the fact that we have had currency instability in this country and therefore, we have as Government, clearly said because of that, we need to have periodic reviews of salaries hence the negotiations that have been taking place. We wish for better stability which I know the monetary as well as the fiscal authorities are working on but before we get to that, we will definitely have to continue to sit down with the workers in the public service just like every other sector is doing in order to make sure that we constantly review the working conditions of our workers.
HON. GONESE: On a point of Order Mr. Speaker. My point of order is that the Hon. Minister is not doing justice to the question. The question which has been put or the import of the question put by Hon. Mutseyami by reference to the 2012 salaries is the big elephant in the room which is the USD salaries. This is the fundamental issue which is really being addressed by the supplementary question. The Hon. Minister’s response is to deal with continuous engagement and so on. It is actually evading the crux of the matter being that the workers or civil servants have been demanding salaries denominated in USD. This is what the Hon. Minister should be addressing in his response because the 2012 salaries during the Inclusive Government were based upon a stable currency. Currently, the elephant in the room is the hyper-inflationary environment.
HON. PROF. MAVIMA: The reference to 2012 is misplaced. What we should be referring to is a decent salary for our civil servants. I am on record saying we cannot have optimal service delivery if our civil servants are not motivated enough. So the issue that we should be addressing is, in 2012 I was a civil servant in Government, the salary at that particular point in time was not even what the civil servants have been demanding. What they have been demanding has been a minimum of USD540, that is what they have been asking for and that was a 2018 salary.
However Hon. Speaker, as Zimbabweans, we have to see if we have the capacity to pay that at the moment and that fiscal space is not there. Having said that and that notwithstanding, you will realise that Government has committed to the periodic reviews that I have referred to.
As a nation, we have to make a clear decision as to whether we are always going to be using other people’s currency instead of our currency. At the moment the bulk of salaries and wages in the civil service are paid through Zimbabwean dollars. We have been periodically reviewing these salaries, taking cognisance of the erosion that has been taking place in our currency.
HON. NDIWENI: My question is directed to the Minister of Public Service concerning the policy which was introduced on the incentive that is given to the school teachers that Government will pay for the school fees for the children of the school teachers. My question is on the implementation of this policy and to assess how far it has gone because some children are being turned away from school without having paid school fees.
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Indeed, at the last review in March, Government committed to pay school fees in public schools for those in the teaching profession. That was communicated to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and what remains is really an administrative issue of saying which teachers, which schools should be paid.
I am made to understand that payment has already been done in some schools but there may be some information gap which has meant that some of those teachers have not received payment for their children. It is a very administrative matter and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education should provide the necessary information so that payment can be made but the commitment by Government is very clear. I thank you.
HON. C. MOYO: How is the Hon. Minister incentivizing teachers who have children at universities?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Members, we have a crop of Ministers here - I do not think it is fair to have them to just sit here and they are not asked questions on policy.
HON. PROF. MAVIMA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. Currently, there is no policy to pay for teachers children who are in tertiary education. I thank you.
HON. SHUMBAMHINI: My question goes to the Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement. When is the Ministry going to review the maize producer price which is currently pegged at ZWL75 000, considering the high inflation level prevailing in the country? I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Member, this question appears to have been answered last week. Check with the Hansard.
(v)HON. MIRANZI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Leader of Government Business. What is the Government doing to control basic food prices which are going up daily? As we know, before, Government officials used to move around controlling prices. Thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you. Ask that question tomorrow during the Budget session.
HON. MUTAMBISI: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question is directed to the Leader of the House. What is the Government’s position with regards to the payments of outstanding balances owed to the 2022 Census enumerators? Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE (HON. KAZEMBE): I would like to thank the Hon. Member for a very pertinent question, which in my view requires a very accurate answer. I will propose that this question be asked to the Hon. Minister of Finance and Economic Development tomorrow so that he can give an accurate and comprehensive answer. I thank you.
The Hon. Deputy Speaker having recognised Hon. Togarepi to ask a question.
*HON. TOGAREPI: Madam Speaker, I need protection. These people have squandered money from donors. My question is directed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development. Since it is not the rainy season, what is the Government policy in relation to the rehabilitation of rural roads? Thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): I want to thank Hon. Togarepi for raising such a pertinent question. It is true that the best time for road rehabilitation is during winter where there is no rainfall because the weather conditions will be favourable for the rehabilitation of roads. On the road infrastructure, we have the DDF which is the department that mainly deals with rural roads but right now the state of roads has been declared an emergency. I agree that as a Ministry, council and DDF, we are working together.
The Hon. Member raised the question at a very right time. When the Minister of Finance and Economic Development comes, we must stand together so that the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development’s budget is increased so that we can refurbish our roads before the rainy season. Our coffers are now low in terms of money, hence there is need to increase funding so that the roads can be rehabilitated. I know most rural areas have had bad roads for a long time and I believe that tomorrow the Minister of Finance and Economic Development will consider us and increase the funds so that the roads can be rehabilitated. I thank you.
*HON. CHIKWINYA: My supplementary question is that from the plans which you already have this year for rehabilitating roads, while I am adding from what the previous Hon. Member has said, some roads are now in a bad state, council is saying the roads must be maintained by contractors who have been contracted to refurbish these roads. What is the Government policy for the contractors who were previously given the tenders to refurbish these roads?
*HON. MHONA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I also thank Hon. Chikwinya for raising a pertinent question. On the process of refurbishment of roads, as the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, we take roads from councils, towns or rural areas and refurbish them and when we are done with the refurbishment process, we return the roads to the relevant department so that the department continues to monitor and maintain the roads.
This means if it is a contractor who was given the job to construct or refurbish a road, the contractor must maintain the road for a period of 15 to 20 years if the road is being constructed from zero. If there are such roads which need attention, I am happy to know them so that we look into them and encourage contractors to maintain these roads. We do not expect these roads to be dilapidated to extreme levels. If there are such roads, it means that the process of construction was not properly done. I promise this august House that the way we construct and refurbish our roads, we work with engineers and experts who will be monitoring the whole process and give testimony that the job is being properly done. It is this House which monitors all roads. If there is a road which was not well refurbished, the Hon. Member should bring it to our attention so that we attend to it. Therefore, I urge Hon. Chikwinya to bring the issue to the Ministry so that we can attend to the road. I thank you.
+HON. MATHE: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question is: if a road has been refurbished and the contractor did not do it to perfection, if it needs to be refurbished again, who will bear the cost? I thank you.
*HON. MHONA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I would also like to thank Hon. Mathe for the pertinent question. Those who are contracted should maintain standards. If they do not perform well, then they are not paid the whole amount because we need to use the funds available to the satisfaction of the Ministry. We only pay them after we have been satisfied that they have done a good job. I thank you.
*HON. CHIKOMBO: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. My question to the Minister of Transport is: there are roads which were gravelled long back in the 1980s. What measures are you taking to ensure that these roads are fixed so that accidents on such roads are reduced? I thank you.
*HON. MHONA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. Hon. Chikombo asked a very pertinent question. I am happy that he mentioned one of the roads which I know leads to his rural area. My promise is for you to tell the Buhera people that the Birchenough Road is going to be rehabilitated very soon. This is one of our projects. I thank you.
(v)+HON. MOKONE: Thank you Madam Speaker. My supplementary question to the Minister is on the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road. When are you planning to refurbish that road because that road is very important? It is the main road of Matabeleland South. I thank you.
*HON. MHONA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I would also like to thank Hon. Mokone for that important question. She mentioned that Beitbridge-Bulawayo Road is very important, I agree with the Hon. Member. I agree on another phase when we refurbish Beitbridge-Harare Road, we have engaged a company which is working hard to rehabilitate these roads. As a nation, it is one of the roads that we are working on. We also look forward to embarking on other roads after the Beitbridge-Harare Road, including the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road. I thank you.
*HON. MATSUNGA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. My question is directed to the Minister of Local Government. In his absence, I will direct the question to the Leader of Government Business. What is Government doing regarding title deeds of women who lost their husbands or children who lost their parents? We know in the past, council houses were rent to buy and up to now, some do not have title deeds. What is Government doing regarding this so that such people get title deeds, especially widows and orphans? I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE (HON. KAZEMBE): Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I would also like to thank the Hon. Member for asking such a pertinent question. I remember that in the past few days, His Excellency the President promised that such people will be given title deeds. Indeed, as promised by the President, this is something that is ongoing. There are some procedures that are supposed to be done, like surveys, which will be done by the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education under Minister Prof. Murwira. He informed us that there are some areas which have already been surveyed. After the survey, then it will be determined where demarcations are and the like. So I would like to promise the Hon. Member that it is just a matter of time but I believe that if Prof. Murwira was in the House, he was going to inform the House that there are some areas which are already done. What is left after the survey is the issuing out of title deeds.
The Ministry of Justice is also on top of the situation and we are waiting for those who are surveying; the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education. I thank you.
*HON. MATSUNGA: My supplementary question the Hon. Minister is that there are some areas, particularly in Mufakose Constituency where people formed groups and they paid substantial amounts after being promised title deeds by the City Council. I understand His Excellency the President promised that the title deeds would be given. What is going to happen to those who lost their money? Are they going to be compensated? We know that there are people who are moving around masquerading as council officials collecting money, and it is now a few years after this has been done. What is going to be done?
*HON. KAZEMBE: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. Let me also thank the Hon. Member for the supplementary question. I believe the Hon. Member said that there are council officials who are taking money. There are two things: if these are council officials, then it is easy for us to make follow-up but I believe that there might be specific corruption related issues. No one is above the law. May the Hon. Member furnish us with such information? We know that there are cooperatives and land barons who were taking people’s monies. If that is the case, there is a committee Madam Speaker Ma’am, that is being led by my office and I chair that committee. This is one of the issues that we need to investigate, so may the Hon. Member furnish me with information so that we follow-up? I thank you.
*HON. MATSUNGA: Thank you Hon. Minister …
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Matsunga, you cannot raise two supplementary questions successively. So I refer you to the Hon. Minister of Local Government and Public Works for follow-up. Thank you.
*HON. MATSUNGA: Thank you Madam Speaker.
*HON. CHIDAKWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question to the Hon. Minister pertains to title deeds. We know that there are rent-to-buy houses that were given to people during the 1960s and 1970s. What is the problem regarding the issuing of title deeds because this has been ongoing for quite some time? This is a breeding ground for corruption. From the 60s and 70s for instance, a lot of people do not have title deeds in Mabvuku and Tafara where I come from. What is the problem? I thank you.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, your question is similar to that one that was asked by Hon. Matsunga and this has already been addressed. I believe that you are going to receive the same answer. I thank you.
(v)*HON. C. MOYO: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I would request that we get a Ministerial Statement or a progress report on the areas that are being surveyed by Hon. Minister Murwira. Is it possible for us to get a Ministerial Statement Madam Speaker? These are also complaints that I am receiving everyday where I come from. I thank you.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Moyo. I believe that the Acting Leader of Government Business will convey your request to the Minister of Local Government and Public Works so that this issue is addressed. I thank you.
HON. CHIDAKWA: Thank you Madam Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage - at least I am sparing the professor. Madam Speaker, it is on record that the Hon. Minister informed the nation that Zimbabwe is losing around 1.5 billion in the gold sector alone. We are also getting several reports of illicit mineral outflows. I would like to hear from the Hon. Minister on the progress of curbing illicit mineral outflows when the country requires those resources to fund the education sector, civil servants and electricity. Can the Hon. Minister update us on what he is doing in terms of curbing illicit mineral outflows?
THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE (HON. KAZEMBE): Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I would like to thank Hon. Chidakwa for such a pertinent question, although I do not remember the particular statement that the Hon. Member is making reference to, but nonetheless…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Minister, please may you get connected?
HON. KAZEMBE: Nonetheless, it is a very important question that I will respond to. Madam Speaker Ma’am, the issue to do with the alleged smuggling of gold touches a number of ministries. It requires a holistic approach. We are working together with the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development who are also doing their bit to ensure that this problem is dealt with, but from a policing view point. All we have to do is to capacitate our police. We need to capacitate them in terms of resources that they need but more-so in terms of technology.
Our borders as we all know are not that tight and that is the starting point. Even our legal entry and exit points, but as I alluded earlier, I am glad that this issue touches on a number of ministries including the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development who chairs the Port Authority. What we are doing as Government, and not specifically Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, is to ensure that our borders are secure – that is the starting point. This is so that there are no loopholes or points that people can use to smuggle gold.
For example, I am speaking on behalf of colleague Hon. Minister Mhona. There is a lot of work that is being done at Beitbridge Border Post in terms of deploying technology that will make it very difficult to smuggle goods in or out. When you go there you will see that they have deployed cameras, surveillance systems and access control systems. Those are efforts to ensure that our borders are tight. Even our own airports, the new airport, with your indulgence Minister Mhona can add to what I am saying. The new airport includes the latest technology in terms of security. It will detect almost anything and it will be very difficult, next to impossible rather to smuggle in or smuggle out. So those are some of the efforts that Government is making.
Then internally, it is also critical to ensure that our police are resourced. Our police have all the equipment that they require. They have vehicles and all the necessities to ensure that they can enforce the law. I am also aware that the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development is also amending the Mines and Minerals Act to ensure that those loopholes are closed.
HON. BRIG. GEN. (RTD.) MAYIHLOME: On a point of order Madam Speaker Ma’am. My point of order is that the Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services is deliberating on the same issue of illicit financial flows. The report was being discussed in the Committee on Monday. The Member who asked that question is in the same Committee and it is not correct for him to take advantage of what was deliberated in the Committee on Monday and bring it here – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Is the Hon. Member who asked the question a member of your Committee.
HON. BRIG. GEN. (RTD.) MAYIHLOME: Very correct Ma’am, Hon. Chidhakwa is a member of the Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Mayihlome.
HON. CHIKWINYA: Madam Speaker, I want to find out from the Hon. Minister of Home Affairs that whereas he refers to the comprehensive approach by various ministries in terms of border control, what is it that you are doing to ensure that there are no sacred cows that are treated indifferently from other ordinary citizens? Reports are awash in the media that an entourage belonging to the First Lady was not searched at the Mutare Border into Mozambique, with chrome passing through without following due procedure. What are you doing to those individuals who regard themselves as above the law?
THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE (HON. KAZEMBE): Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I would like to thank Hon. Chikwinya for the question. First and foremost, we cannot discuss or rely on social media stories. The issue that he has referred to as Ministry of Home Affairs and as the Police, we are not aware of such an incident. However, the issue that he has raised to say what are we going to do to ensure that there are no sacred cows - Madam Speaker, there is no one who is above the law. If there are issues or there are suspicions that are brought to the police, investigations will take place and the law will take its course. I thank you.
HON. NYAMUDEZA: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question to the Hon. Minister is; the former Head of State made an acknowledgement of about 15 billion which was lost at Chiadzwa. As a new Government, have you followed up on that amount of money and how much have you recovered from that 15 billion? – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
HON. KAZEMBE: I would like to thank the Hon. Member and again, these are issues that we have heard, issues that have been spoken about but as far as the Ministry is concerned, there is no record of such an incident. We do not have that issue on record but we have heard and read about it. If the Hon. Member has facts, they can assist the police and investigations can be made.
(v)*HON. NYABANI: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. My question is directed to the Leader of the House. What are the plans of the Government regarding the sending of grain to the Grain Marketing Board so that farmers are compensated for their grain especially that they go to GMB depots instead of selling along roads. I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE (HON. KAZEMBE): Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. Let me thank Hon. Nyabani for the question. This is similar to a question which was raised by another Hon. Member. The Hon. Member wants to know the prices of grain because this is what might be prompting people to sell their grain to middlemen instead of taking grain to GMB depots. May the Hon. Member look at the Hansard because this question was addressed by Hon. Minister Dr. Masuka. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Nyabani, may you please refer to the Hansard. The question was addressed by the responsible Hon. Minister.
HON. MATHE: Madam Speaker, I think I feel offended when a male person asks whether I am pregnant or not.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Mathe, who asked such a question?
HON. MATHE: It is Hon. Chidhakwa.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: May you please withdraw that.
HON. CHIDHAKWA: It is not true Madam Speaker, I did not say anything, you can refer to the Hansard.
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by the HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order No. 68.
HON. T. ZHOU: On a point of Order Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of Order Hon. Zhou?
*HON. T. ZHOU: Thank you very much Madam Speaker Ma’am. I think there is need for reorientation of Hon. Members about ethical issues because some Hon. Members are chewing bubble gum here, this is not allowed in the House. I thank you.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I think House decorum does not allow Hon. Members to chew bubble gum in the House - this is not allowed.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
POLICE STATION IN MBIZO
- HON. CHIKWINYA asked the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage to inform the House on the following:
(a) When would the Ministry construct a police station in Mbizo 15, Kwekwe?
(b) Measures being taken by ZRP to curb abuse of drugs and dangerous substances in Mbizo, Kwekwe; and
(c) When would the Ministry provide additional vehicles to ZRP Mbizo to enhance police patrols, especially during the night?
THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE (HON. KAZEMBE): Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I would like to thank Hon. Chikwinya for the question. He wants me to inform the House on the following: when the Ministry would construct a Police Station in Mbizo 15, Kwekwe.
I would like to start by thanking the Hon. Member for the question. I must stress here that it is not just the Government’s desire but also commitment to ensure that members of the public have unlimited access to police services. It is thus pertinent for me to highlight that there are a number of factors that determine the need for the establishment of a police station - these include; but are not limited to; demographic changes within a particular locality: crime levels, patterns and trends, distance between other existing local police establishment and locations of the proposed new establishments.
From my interaction with the Commissioner-General of the police, I am reliably informed that Mbizo 15 is situated within one of the existing Mbizo police station’s patrol areas. According to police analysis as of now, there is nothing to necessitate a police establishment independent of the existing Mbizo Police Station. In addition, my Ministry has been finding it prudent and noble to focus more on fully resourcing current establishments, to enhance their capacity to deal with dynamics in the police environment as opposed to pursuing an expansionism path. Notwithstanding that Hon. Speaker Ma’am, may I hasten to reassure the Hon. Member that should a need be felt in the future, my Ministry stands ready to accord it due consideration in line with the Government’s motto of leaving no one and no place behind.
On question (b), the Hon. Member wants to know measures being taken by the ZRP to curb abuse of drugs and dangerous substances in Mbizo, Kwekwe. I must concede that the proliferation of abuse of drugs and other dangerous substances is indeed worrisome and a cause of great concern to all who care for the future of this country. Our country is both a consumer and a transit point for these dangerous drugs.
In my briefings with the Commissioner-General of the police, I have been reliably informed of a battle of policing initiatives that police have undertaken not only in Mbizo, Kwekwe but also across the length and breadth of the country with a view to curb this scourge which is a trans-national crime. Such initiatives include among others, awareness campaigns and public gatherings, schools and also through print and electronic media, motorised foot and psycho-preventive patrols, mounting of security roadblocks and conducting stop and searches.
To this end, I would like to appeal to all of us here as concerned parents to use our revered social standing in influencing behaviour change in our respective constituencies to fight this social ailment. It goes without saying that the magnitude of this problem cannot be left with the police alone, but demands a holistic approach through a multi-stakeholder collaboration at all levels across the country social stratum.
On the (c) part, the Hon. Member wants to know when the Ministry would provide additional vehicles to ZRP Mbizo to enhance police patrols especially during the night. Vehicles are part of the critical tools of trade for use in ensuring efficient and effective policing. Let me reiterate what I once said on this same forum and not very long ago, that ideally, a station needs at least three vehicles to meet its operational needs. At the present moment, most police stations do not have vehicles at all. My Ministry is continuously lobbying Treasury to expedite the acquisition of vehicles for police stations throughout the country. In fact, the process is in motion and at an advanced stage. I am pleased to mention that ZRP Mbizo does have a police vehicle, a Toyota. I can never agree more with the Hon. Member that additional vehicles are required but for now, my Ministry is working very hard to ensure that those stations that do not have even a single cab are given priority. We have so many of such stations. In Midlands Province alone, police stations like Gweru Central, Shurugwi, Gokwe and Charandura are typical examples. In addition Madam Speaker Ma’am, I am aware that Treasury as we speak is in the process of finalising the procurement process of additional vehicles. I thank you.
HON. CHIKWINYA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I want to thank the Hon. Minister for the response. Hon. Speaker, when Members of Parliament come with specific questions, it is arising from the need from a constituency perspective. We expect the answers to be specific to that particular constituency. Allow me Hon. Speaker to express my reservations over the generality in nature of the responses given by the Hon. Minister. Hon. Speaker, when I asked when a police station is going to be constructed in Mbizo 15, it was after consultation with the police leadership in Mbizo. They said we have a police station that is now earmarked for Mbizo 15, can you go and liaise with the Hon. Minister of Home Affairs for him to expedite that. You have literally withdrawn and reversed that whole scenario. I did not just choose Mbizo 15 out of my own head. It is because I had been given that direction by the leadership of the police in my constituency to say a police station has been approved, which satisfies all those conditions that you have mentioned in terms of population, high crime rate, in terms of the need and patrol. So, I beg for an answer that responds to the need of the residents in my constituency.
Secondly, in terms of drugs, you again give a holistic approach. What is it in Mbizo that you are doing to curb drugs because I have never seen a road block and I have never seen stop and searches. We know where these bases are. We know what is supposed to be done but what is it that you are doing in Mbizo and this is what the people have sent me to come and ask you. I can tell you I have been sent by Magwegwe, Dhadha, Zezayi, Gochai because they want to know what you are going to do in Mbizo. Thank you very much.
HON. KAZEMBE: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the follow up questions. Madam Speaker Ma’am, the questions were very specific and I spoke generally after having responded to the specific questions. I will come to the first question - when are we going to have a police station in Mbizo. Madam Speaker Ma’am, for avoidance of doubt, I will go back to just a few lines so that the Hon. Member is satisfied that I answered specifically that particular question. I said there are factors that are looked at by the police for them to establish a police station; I gave that background then I went straight to the question. I said from my interaction with the Commissioner General of Police, I am reliably informed by the Commissioner General that Mbizo 15 is situated within one of the existing Mbizo Police Station’s patrol areas. This is coming from the Commissioner General, who in my view has the final say. I am sure the people that the Hon. Member has spoken to report to the Commissioner General. When I am investigating these questions, I go to the Commissioner General.
According to the police analysis - as of now, there is nothing to necessitate police establishment in the catchment area of the existing Mbizo Police Station. In addition, my Ministry has been finding it prudent and noble to focus more on resourcing the current establishment. In my view, I tend to subscribe to what the Commissioner General said. To also answer the other part that he raised that maybe he has not seen, that is the issue that we are addressing now. We believe that the police that is there, if it is resourced and they have enough vehicles and motor cycles, they should be able to cover that area efficiently and effectively as opposed to building another white elephant. That is how I responded to this question. Nonetheless, I will still follow up on his question to say the people have approached him and the police have approached him. So, I will still follow up but I thought I had answered the question adequately.
The other question is that of drugs which are prevalent throughout the country. This is an issue that we are dealing with not just as police as I mentioned. It requires a holistic approach and it is unfortunate, Hon. Prof. Mavima is gone. There is actually an Inter-Ministerial Committee that was set up to also deal over and above with what the police are doing, to deal with the issue of drug abuse. That Committee, I am reliably informed that it has come up with a Strategy Paper. It is an Inter-Ministerial Committee chaired by Prof. Mavima. All those are efforts to deal with this but as I mentioned, this issue cannot be dealt with by the police alone.
Coming back to some of the issues that he has raised, it appears that he has got specific cases that he is aware of that he feels should be dealt with. In that case, I will invite him to assist me with that information so that I can cause an investigation to be done. I thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am.
HON. NYAMUDEZA: Thank you Madam Speaker. The Hon. Minister has said that police alone cannot curb drug abuse. These drugs are being sold in open places and shops. Why can the police not arrest those who are selling them in the bottle stores? Thank you.
HON. KAZEMBE: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the supplementary question. Again, that is exactly what I have said that police alone will not be able to deal with this issue. From the supplementary question, it shows the Hon. Member has information. Police relies on information from the people. So if you have such information that there are people or shops that are selling drugs, I kindly ask the Hon. Member to avail that information either to the nearest police station or myself. What we need is information. That is the cooperation that the police are asking for from the people, in particular Members of Parliament because they are role models where they come from. They are people of influence and they can also assist us to curb this challenge. I thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am.
ARRESTS OF ELECTRIC CABLE THIEVES AND BUYERS
- HON. CHIDZIVA asked the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage when Zimbabwe Republic Police will arrest the notorious electric cable thieves or buyers in Highfield West who are well known to the residents.
THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE (HON. KAZEMBE): Cable thieves are causing massive economic loss to the country and untold suffering to the public. We have never tolerated cable thieves and those caught are being arrested on a daily basis. As I speak, we are in the process of amending the Copper Control Act that aims at putting stiffer penalties on both the thieves and the buyers of stolen electricity cables and copper utilities.
Having said that, I am always pleading with our citizens and us Hon. Members to report and share information with the police on any suspected cable thieves and buyers so that we take drastic action. It is a personal plea that I am making to all of you Hon. Members; please provide us with information, in particular with this case. If there is information that could assist the police, if there are names of the suspects, may we please be favoured with those so that we can initiate investigations? I thank you.
(v)HON. WATSON: Could the Minister just clarify since he always uses reference to the theft of copper cables and the amendments that are coming to the Copper Control Amendment Act. I feel that those deterrent measures are only going to work if the thieves are actually caught. He has pleaded with us and with the citizens for information. Residents consistently provide and call the police as the cable thefts are in process and they try to catch the thieves at their own peril. The police do not respond in time even when the theft is two or three blocks from a police station, which has happened several times near the Hillside Police Station in Bulawayo. They need to find another way or an Inter Ministerial Committee to deal with this issue. It happens every night.
HON. KAZEMBE: Allow me to thank the Hon. Member for the supplementary question which I believe is in two parts. On the first part, the Hon. Member was saying the amendments to the Copper Act, whilst they are meant to deter the suspects; she believes that we need to arrest the people. We believe that the initial step is prevention. Prevention is through deterrence and in particular the Bill which through Parliament by the way, I believe the Hon. Member had an opportunity to add input to it. In the amendment, we have put enough deterrent measures because for starters, a good example is; if somebody is caught with copper and they are not a dealer they will be arrested. Even if they are a dealer and they do not have the certificate of origin which is going to be unique they will be arrested. The vehicle that will be used will be seized by the State.
The Bill will ensure that it is not going to be easy for every Jack and Jill to get a licence to become a dealer. You will have to satisfy difficult conditions but this is meant to ensure that we have got genuine dealers and also the numbers are going to be limited. The people who will be allowed to deal in copper will be known. It will be just a group of a few people. The sentences in the Bill are deterrent. All that cocktail of measures, we believe, will deter people. When they are caught, yes they will spend a long time in jail.
The other part of the question is that there is no instant response whenever these issues are reported. It goes back to what I have spoken about that we need to resource our police. Some of the police stations do not have vehicles but I am glad that Treasury is now looking at that. I am pleading with the Hon. Member that when the debate on allocation of funds to ministries starts, please consider the police. We cannot expect the police to react instantly when they do not have resources. When the Budget is discussed, please support us so that the police are capacitated.
RESUSCITATION OF POLICE POST IN GAZALAND
- HON. CHIDZIVA asked the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage to inform the House when Zimbabwe Republic Police will resuscitate the police post at Gazaland in Highfield given the rise in criminal activities and the proximity associated with the nearest police station.
THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE (HON. KAZEMBE): Madam Speaker Ma’am, as I have alluded to earlier on, we are in the process of not only mobilising resources but to build new police posts across the country to ensure services are closer to the police post at Gazaland to address criminal activities currently associated with the area. I thank you.
*HON. CHIDZIVA: My supplementary question is that at Gazaland, there is an existing police post. What is missing are the police officers who are supposed to mann the place. So when are the officers going to come back? When we asked Council, they assured us that the building was still a police post so I want to know when the police officers are going to come and start work as there is too much crime in Gazaland because we do not have police officers who are close by.
*HON. KAZEMBE: Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to thank the Hon. Member for his supplementary question. I am going to restate what I have said before that our wish is for us to have police presence in all areas because police is there to ensure there is peace in the country. The more police we have, the easier their job. Yes, the Hon. Member said there is a police post that is there but for us to establish a police post, it is not just the structure that is needed. For the police to be established at any place, they need resources such as cars, chairs and all the tools of trade. We cannot just send a police officer to go to that police post with nothing to use. They need chairs, phones, radios and everything that is needed for a police station to function. Those are the things that I alluded to needing resources which we are waiting to be availed so that we can come and rectify your request. It is also our wish that each place has a police station or post.
*HON. CHIDZIVA: On a point of clarity Madam Speaker, this police station used to exist with all the resources that you are talking about. These were removed when they closed the station, meaning that those resources are there somewhere. What is not there are the police officers and all the resources that were removed from that station and reinstating them so that police officers can start working. It does not even need a supplementary.
*HON. KAZEMBE: I want to thank Hon. Chidziva who is saying the resources are there. If the resources are there, he should give them to us so we can use them. He is thinking that the things are there that is why he said in his written statement when are you going to resuscitate? That means it used to work and when are you going to ensure it starts working again? That is when I said we can only do that if we have resources. If resources were removed from that place, they were not stored somewhere but were used elsewhere because as I speak, there are other police stations without resources. I think these things were used during the years that they were removed. If they were there, we would just get them and put them back there. We have even bigger police stations that do not have adequate resources too. We asked for resources and it is our hope that Treasury will avail those resources. I ask that the Member of Parliament supports my Ministry when they debate the budget so that we get adequate finances to resource all our police stations. I thank you.
WRITTEN SUBMISSION TO QUESTION WITH NOTICE
PROGRESS OF KWEKWE-NKAI ROAD
- HON. M. MPOFU asked the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development what measures was the Ministry putting in place to ensure that the Kwekwe-Nkayi Road construction does not stall as a result of fuel shortages, which are a major drawback in the progress of this project, which is certainly going to be an economic game changer for communities along the way.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): As you may be aware, the Government, in February 2021 declared the state of all our roads a National disaster, thereby initiating an incentive to the operationalisation of the Second Phase of the Emergency Roads Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP2). Under ERRP2, the Government is targeting to rehabilitate 10000km of roads countrywide. This initiative has seen the rehabilitation of major roads and highways throughout the country and efforts continue in a bid to ensure the achievement of world class roads infrastructure in line with the National Vision 2030.
The Kwekwe-Nkayi-Lupane Road is a national trunk route linking Midlands Province to Matebeland North Province and is vital for trade and commerce, tourism and social communication for the locals and Zimbabweans in general. Maintenance of this narrow mat road becomes critical. In line with H.E’s mantra “leaving no place and no one behind”, my Ministry has included the road under ERRP and has a vision of transforming the trunk road into a highway.
Under the ERRP2, works on the road are limited to road shoulder grading and pothole patching. These works are being done in-house and indeed availability of ZWL fuel has slowed down progress. My Ministry has engaged the Government fuel suppliers, CMED and NOIC to assist in this regard and assurance of supplies has been given. Works had slowed down but will continue and I assure the House that they will be completed before the rainy season.
Furthermore, under NDS1, in which road infrastructure development is recognised as a backbone of economic growth, my Ministry is finalising a Public Private Partnership arrangement for transforming the trunk route into a modern highway. Implementation will be done after all due diligence is carried out. PPPs are increasingly seen as a mechanism to develop infrastructure on a cost effective and sustainable basis and if properly managed, PPPs have a potential to unlock the much needed financial resources to fund public projects.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. MUTAMBISI: I move that Orders of the Day Numbers 1 to 5 be stood over until Order of the Day Number 6 has been disposed of.
HON. CHIBAYA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
SECOND REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ON THE BENCHMARKING VISITS TO KENYA, ZAMBIA AND GHANA ON EDUCATION FINANCING
Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on Motion on the Second Report of the Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education on the Benchmarking visits to Kenya, Zambia and Ghana on Education Financing.
*HON. MUTAMBISI: I would like to add my voice to the report on the benchmarking visit to Zambia on the education sector which was presented by Hon. T. Moyo. I was part of the delegation that went to Zambia. On our tour, we discovered that their education system is similar to ours, particularly looking at free education. Their challenges are similar to ours. However, their Government is doing its best in providing free elementary education. The Government is limited by resources and parents of students come in to complement Government’s efforts.
We also discovered that they have feeding programmes which are similar to our local feeding programmes. In Zimbabwe, it is only at the elementary stage in primary education but in Zambia, even secondary education students have feeding programmes, particularly for vulnerable households. We also noted that in Zambia the school authorities support horticultural projects with funding. This is a challenge that we face in Zimbabwe where we find Government supporting schools with grain but relish is the responsibility of schools and parents. The suggestion then is that schools should embark on income generating projects and irrigation projects which will complement food security in schools.
We also noted that in Zambia, there is inclusive education which is also happening in Zimbabwe where we find disabled children in co-existence with other children but the difference is that those who have serious impairments like the totally blind and deaf and dumb are taken to special schools. We also have such special schools in Zimbabwe such as Morgenster and Kapota. So, the recommendation then is that Zimbabwe should train teachers so that they are able to handle those who have different disabilities, for example those who are taking Braille lessons, and the deaf and dumb who need hearing aids.
Looking at sanitary wear, we are more advanced than Zambia. The Zambian authorities are busy working on providing sanitary wear in schools but Zimbabwe is already far ahead. You find that in other schools we might be far ahead but sometimes we distribute the sanitary wear late. For instance, if they open schools in January, you would find them receiving their sanitary wear in May.
Going back to Zambia, we noted that learners who fall pregnant are given six months maternity leave. They are allowed to breastfeed for that particular time and they are then co-opted into the education system. However, in Zimbabwe we have a policy of re-admission of pregnant learners in schools and that is where we are different from Zambia. In Zambia, if a boy impregnates a girl, both the boy and girl go for maternity leave for six months. This should also happen in Zimbabwe so that we curb the prevalence of teenage pregnancies in schools. This will assist in the rehabilitation of learners for both boys and girls.
I do not have much to say but I know other Hon. Members are going to add to my contribution. We learnt a lot which culminated in us generating recommendations towards the successful implementation of positive education in schools. I thank you.
HON. CHIKWINYA: Hon. Speaker, let me hasten to appreciate the efforts by the Committee on Primary and Secondary Education that undertook a study tour to Zambia. Let me thank them for the wisdom in choosing Zambia as their destination because Zambia is now becoming a role model of leadership in Southern Africa. Zambia is now showing us the way on how to do things and I am sure that is why the Committee in their wisdom chose Zambia. I did not choose Zambia. It is the Committee that chose Zambia because they know that Zambia is setting the pace and standards in every sector since they made a wise decision of voting in a good leadership. It is Zambia - it is not me who chose that destination.
When it comes to the education sector, we may waste money going to these study tours in various other countries when the solution is at our door step. We must simply go back to the standards which we found as we celebrated independence on 18 April in 1980. What is it that we did and where did we go wrong? I thought our report, in its conclusions and findings, was supposed to say everything that what has gone good in Zambia is because they have copied what we were in 1980 as we took over this country from Ian Smith. Zambia is simply copying what Ian Smith did and they are doing well. We must also do the same not to copy what Ian Smith did but to do better that Ian Smith.
Why is it that we are now presiding over an education sector where a teacher is earning ZWL44 000 which is equivalent to USD50? Why is it that we are celebrating an education sector where a whole Committee comes back and the biggest milestone they manage to see is how pregnancy is managed in other countries?
I think as a Parliament, if we want to become serious, let us ask ourselves the difficult questions and let us not look further than the same stakeholders who are in the education sector and these are the teachers themselves who are going to tell us the answers.
A week ago, the State newspaper screened that the New Dispensation has built 1200 schools. I want to challenge the Committee on Education to make a study tour within this country and report back to this Parliament that where are these 1200 schools; which means that they were building one school per month and in which constituencies? I come from Mbizo, there is no such…
HON. T. MOYO: On a point of order! Can the Hon. Member stick to the report. He is disgracing and diverting from the report.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. KHUMALO): No point of order.
HON. CHIKWINYA: Thank you Hon. Speaker for that polite dismissal of the nonsensical point of order which does not arise as I speak.
Hon. Speaker, we are governed by a State where the media is a fourth member of the State. So, if the State media screens that we have 1200 schools having been built by the New Dispensation, this Parliament playing its oversight role must begin to question where. That speaks to the infrastructure of the state of our education, so it boggles one’s mind if an Hon. Member from Chireya wants to say that I am out of order when I am playing my oversight role to say your report speaks about the state of education in our country. The state of education cannot escape the number of schools in our country. I am sure when you went to Zambia, in your report; you reported the per centum or number of schools as per the learners. In Zimbabwe, we are having a ratio of 1:60 and in other cases 1:80. So, how do you expect our education to become qualitative when you have such quantitative individuals in a particular classroom where the recommendation is supposed to be 1:35 or 1:40?
So, in the recommendations of the Committee which we are supposed to adopt and must make sure that the Ministers implement through, is that one of the critical factors is that we are supposed to reduce the number of teacher to pupil ratio back to 1:40. This must be seen by a realisation and practical aspect of building schools in our constituencies.
In my constituency Mbizo where the voting population is now standing at 33 000 and where the resident population according to the latest census is 117 000, we only have two high schools and five primary schools. It cannot be; I am sure when you went to Zambia the teacher to student ratio was not more than 1:40. When we rise as SADC countries following the leadership of Pan-African Parliament President Chief Charumbira who is now a Zimbabwean heading the Pan-African Parliament; to say we must all emulate Zambia in terms of electing our leadership, we must elect a leadership that is responsive to the people’s needs so that our currency has value, education becomes strong and we begin to export maize. Currently, we are importing maize from Zambia, so it is a disgrace.
So, Hon. Speaker, I just thought I wanted to support the Committee in their wisdom of looking to Zambia instead of looking east.
HON. MADHUKU: Mr. Speaker Sir, I think it is very important to note that education is very critical in the life of all human beings and that it is a right to every learner even during times of emergencies. Education is life saving, it also restores a sense of normalcy and security for all learners and children, as well as also providing key entry points for all other sectors including the humanitarian responses like protection, health and nutrition.
Like what the Chairperson reported that Section 75 (1) of our Constitution makes it mandatory that every citizen and permanent resident of Zimbabwe has a right to a State funded basic education including further education, so this is very critical because as I will discuss later on, I will emphasise also the need for financing further education.
For the benchmarking visits, it was an eye-opener. We wanted to look at some of the best practices so that we can also implement them here in Zimbabwe. So specifically for Ghana, it is very critical that we learnt that there is free education, no tuition at all is paid by learners and libraries are built at every school by the State. Science centres and computer laboratories are also built for every school. Also, examination fees is paid in full by the State, free text books provided as well as free meals, which is very critical.
In Kenya, we also learnt something which is very important that the Ministry of Education’s budget excludes salaries for civil servants. This is very critical that the budget excludes salaries. The salaries for teachers are paid by the Teacher Service Commission and this is very important. We think Zimbabwe has to quickly and progressively move towards the provision of this basic right and as enshrined in SDG 4, which also talks about inclusive and equitable quality education as well as Education 2030 Agenda which refers to the global commitment of education for all movement to ensure access to all.
Mr. Speaker Sir, having said that the budget for Kenya on the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education excludes salaries for civil servants. I just want to make a small synopsis of our situation here. The budget in Zimbabwe for the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Mr. Speaker Sir, in 2019, 94% of this budget went towards salaries, then in 2020, 88.4% of the budget went to salaries, 2021, 73.1% was towards salaries. So I think here, Mr. Speaker Sir, what we as Parliamentarians have to push for is a budget - big as it is, which was given by Treasury for 2022, I think we will find out that the largest chunk of this budget goes towards salaries.
So I think our two takeaways from the benchmarking visit we had in Kenya is that a larger portion of the budget which is given to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has to go towards the provision of quality education as opposed to going towards salaries. If we achieve that, then we are actually sure that we will meet the SDG number 4 as well as the Education 2030 agenda.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I will quickly move on to what my other colleagues have discussed - the issue of sanitary wear. In Kenya, there is a special budget for sanitary wear whereas in Ghana, sanitary wear is placed at secure places easily accessible to the girl child. It is there, it is in abundance and it is placed at strategic positions easily accessible to the girl child. Now my worry, Mr. Speaker Sir is that here in Zimbabwe, we have not reached that level where we provide adequate sanitary wear to the girl child. In our tour around the country, we have seen that there are very limited supplies and in the past, we have seen that in certain instances, the quality of the sanitary wear was very poor to such an extent that some of the girl children refused to get that sanitary wear because of its poor quality.
Now we have very disturbing cases in the country. It is public information that some of our girl children use cow dung when they are on this cycle and old pieces of cloth and sometimes leaves. This is a health hazard. I think it is very dangerous because we end up with situations whereby some of these girl children will have cancer and other related diseases. It is very risky but my plea, Mr. Speaker, is that when I went outside to the gents today and every day when I visit the gents here at Parliament and other public places, we see large quantities of protector condoms in our toilets and they are quickly and easily replenished when they are finished. So my question is, where is this supply coming from? Is it some donor agent or some other organisation kind enough to supply this kind of stuff to us? I think in the same manner that we are getting these supplies of condoms in abundance, I think the same should apply also to the girl children and whomever is buying and providing this supply, I think it will be a worthwhile exercise to ensure that these supplies are also given to the girl children in abundance.
So this is my plea, Mr. Speaker Sir, that we do the same for sanitary wear and as a matter of fact it is a requirement. Actually when the Education Act was amended in 2019, Section 4(1) also made it a requirement that sanitary wear becomes a basic right for the girl child. Our laws have been aligned to suit the Constitution, so in this regard, it is mandatory that the Government has to supply the girl children with sanitary wear.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I am also making a proposal that we are aware that it may be a problem to get enough funds to supply the girl children throughout the country but I think we should look forward and ensure that we can introduce something like surtaxes whereby we tax items like cigarettes, alcohol and the sugar drinks. I think if we can have a small tax on these things, some of which are a health hazard, I think we will go far in ensuring that we make the necessary provisions for our girl children. Some of them actually abscond lessons during this time when they are having their monthly cycles so that they will come later after they are through. We cannot achieve quality education, we cannot achieve this basic human right if we are having this scenario, Mr. Speaker Sir.
Lastly, looking at Section 75 (1) of our Constitution which talks about this basic human right of education, I want to address the issue which talks about adult and further education. So we are not only talking about the basic human right of education but there is this aspect of adult and further education which may be ignored, but it is a constitutional right. This aspect of adult and further education, I am looking at it in the context of the revised curriculum which is a competence based curriculum whereby the Ministry introduced new issues like the Continuous Assessment Learning Areas (CALA). So this requirement, Mr. Speaker Sir, ensures that all learners at Form 4, A’ level and O’level carry out certain projects which are going to contribute about 30% of the total summative examination so where one has not fulfilled the requirements of CALA, s/he will not have a certificate at the end of the day.
What it means is that if somebody wants to write O’level or A’level and has not had this fulfillment of CALA, it is not possible. So by way of trying to meet this constitutional requirement of Section 75(1) of adult and further education, I am calling upon the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to ensure that they quickly include this aspect of ensuring that even those learners who finish Form 4 and Form 6 and they do not make it to have a full certificate, they should be considered to ensure that maybe within five years, the same marks for CALA are carried over to ensure they write or those who have not sat at school for formal education are accorded a chance to ensure that they go to the nearest school and ensure that they go through the process of Continuous Assessment Learning Areas so that they are accorded the chance to ensure that they also sit and have a full certificate for Form 4 and Form 6.
I think Mr. Speaker Sir, this is an urgent requirement so that we do not leave other citizens who are thirsty for knowledge who want to learn as our President always says that we should not leave anybody and any area behind.
Lastly Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to thank the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa because he made a pronouncement to say that 2023, there will be State funded basic education in full goes on to ‘O’ and ‘A’ Level, if funds are available. Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to thank you.
(v)HON. NDEBELE: Hon. Speaker, I would like to commend Hon. Madhuku, his colleagues, including their Chairperson for bringing to the House such a very good report. They are all very eloquent. They have brought Kenya close to us at home. Their recommendations as well as suggestions for interventions are very good, I think…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, order Hon. Member. On a point of order, what is that Hon. Member? You are out of order. What is it, is it a point of order?
(v)HON. A. NDEBELE: No, I am not because in the past we have been forced to sit here and listen to useless reports on benchmarking from other Committees. This is commendable.
(v)+HON. BHUDA-MASARA: Thank you Hon. Speaker for giving me this opportunity to debate on the benchmarking visit by the Committee on Primary and Secondary Education, led by Hon. T. Moyo. I would like to applaud Zimbabwe for giving Parliamentary Committees an opportunity to visit other countries within Africa to learn from what they do. I would like to look more into the issue of inclusive education. Here in Zimbabwe, we do have inclusive education but after this report submitted by Parliament, we are looking at how we can develop to the level of other African countries.
Looking at what is happening in Zambia, in relation to the disadvantaged children, Government is paying school fees for these children. There are also school feeding programmes in schools in Zambia, Ghana and Kenya. Governments of these countries do put in place funds for these programmes. Here in Zimbabwe, there is BEAM which is paying for disadvantaged school children but however, at times its role ends up being limited because of extra lessons, which is disadvantaging Government’s efforts of ensuring that every school child has a right to education. This is taking us back as a country. If a disadvantaged child is catered for through BEAM but is required to pay for extra lessons, what are we saying as Government? It means these children will no longer be able to learn. As Zimbabwe, we have learned people but we are now ignorant of the next generation with regards to education. In a number of issues we are failing, yet we have a Constitution which is clear on the role that Government should play in ensuring that every child is given a right to education. We have policies, why are we not enforcing these policies?
We also need to look at the Education Amendment Bill (2020), it clearly states that those that are willing to go back to school even the elderly and Government should assist them. Also NDS1 states that everyone should have access and participation to quality education. If Zimbabwe has all these clearly stated in our Constitution, why are we ignorant of this? We need to look back into these issues because Government is surely assisting in this regard but we are somehow found to be lagging behind, especially us who should be the implementers.
Now, looking into the issue of sanitary wear in our country, if you visit rural schools, the situation is so dire. You will realise that you only talk of sanitary wear in newspapers and radio stations or we only highlight on these as we approach campaign time. Right now some of the girls are using cow dung in place of sanitary pads, yet Government would have disbursed money for the purchase of pads. These are some of the issues that we realise that in Ghana, such projects are well implemented. We need to copy from them because the objective of Committee benchmark visits is to improve from where we are.
Going back on the BEAM issue, it is taking back a lot of progress because a number of schools are not appropriately teaching because they say BEAM funds are coming in late. We need to make sure that we take our education sector seriously and do things appropriately because education is our children’s future. Looking into teachers in these other countries, what makes them teach well is because they are well paid. Here in Zimbabwe, our teachers are doing as they please in schools. They are only teaching those children of parents with money. Those that do not have money are not being taught, which is why they are charging fees for extra lessons. As Government, let us see to it that teachers are well remunerated because they have families to fend for.
I would like to conclude by saying such programmes as this one should continue. The Ministry of Education under the Primary and Secondary Education Portfolio Committee should continue to be supported to have such visits so that they can improve on the education sector from what is happening in other countries as we bring them back home. Everything is well stated in our Constitution. Where is the problem? I would like to thank the Chairman of this Committee, Hon. T. Moyo for tabling this vital report in this august House. I thank you.
*HON. RAIDZA: Thank you Mr. Speaker for affording me this opportunity to contribute to the report which was presented by the Primary and Secondary Education Committee, which toured Zambia, Kenya and Ghana, sharing and comparing notes on how Zimbabwe can enhance the education sector. The report which was presented by Hon. T. Moyo and seconded by Hon. Sithole was quite comprehensive. We learnt a lot from the report, and the interesting thing is that looking at Zimbabwe, our record from 1980 to date indicates that we have covered strides in the education sector. We are aware that before independence, Zimbabwe had a few schools but as a culmination of the independence of Zimbabwe through the ZANU PF Government, a lot of schools were built around the country. Even when looking at how Zimbabweans are educated, it is a result of the education policies that benefited every citizen of our nation.
Mr. Speaker Sir, there were a lot of Government initiatives or programmes like social welfare and university grants that benefited the Zimbabwean populace. So I believe that the tour that was done by the Committee indicates that Zimbabwe is at par with other African countries in pursuing quality education. I am glad because the findings and recommendations of the Committee indicate that Zimbabwe should emulate countries like Zambia in providing free education. This is quite prevalent because of Development Partners but looking at the report, the withdrawal of support by Development Partners left Zambia in a dilemma.
So I would like to urge our Government that is led by His Excellency President E. D. Mnangagwa that free education should be implemented after doing consultations, particularly regarding the funding of education which is done through the annual budget. From my own point of view, I believe that when we debate the budget, it might seem that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is being given a huge chunk of the annual budget but looking at what needs to be done, you discover that the bulk of their allocation is taken up by salaries, which leaves the Ministry in dire need of resources like books, the construction of classroom blocks and other facilities. I would like to urge the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, through Section 5 of our Constitution which stipulates that every citizen deserves the right to education that we can take a leaf from the Government of Zambia which was compromised by the eventual withdrawal of funding. We need to take note of that because donors might come to help but at times it does not benefit. We want our children to have free education.
The other point is that I would like to urge our Minister of Finance and Economic Development that for programmes like BEAM and other programmes, they should be reviewed so that we understand as representatives of different constituencies what it means to offer such programmes and the impact of such programmes on beneficiaries.
Mr. Speaker Sir, looking at contemporary issues in schools, every term when schools open, parents including myself, are concerned with the exorbitant schools fees that are announced. So the question is; what stage are we at as parents? What role do parents play in paying exorbitant school fees? I would like to urge the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, together with the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, I believe it is important that it becomes clear Mr. Speaker Sir, that as representatives, we get critical questions regarding free education.
In the Education Amendment Bill that was passed in this august House, there are words that we find in the Constitution regarding the implementation of such policies. Some people skip the explanation that this is a gradual transformation and not a rapid one. Your Committee’s tour Mr. Speaker Sir, is quite informative even for policy makers as we are already implementing some of the things that we learnt. There are issues like sanitary pads, and the different legal statutes that the Committee learnt about when they toured the three countries. These are some of the things that are already happening in Zimbabwe. Some may differ but this is happening in schools. Some schools are receiving grain, some may be facing food shortages but parents are there to complement Government authorities.
I have noted that in my constituency in Mberengwa East, we have a few schools that have embarked on projects that augment school revenue, and funding sporting activities and other developmental programmes. I would like to urge fellow Hon. Members to continue deliberating on this pertinent issue because education is very important. It is critical for the survival of every individual. The President’s Vision 2030 requires educated people to implement such a comprehensive policy. So we need to continue engaging each other to deliberate on this important issue for the benefit of the Zimbabwean populace, and for posterity, like the President’s common mantra that ‘nyika inovakwa nevene vayo’; our country is built by local people, by Zimbabweans.
When looking at these issues, we need to understand that we need to think deeply on how we can build our nation together as Zimbabweans, finding Zimbabwean solutions. I thank you.
*HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you Madam Speaker. We have heard a report from those who travelled to Zambia and Ghana. They were looking at the education system and how best we can improve our education system. It is our wish, if we could offer free education to our children so that they can take care of themselves in the future. I agree with the Committee and whatever they are saying, we must implement - this in our education system as a country.
Mr. Speaker, firstly as Zimbabweans, we must understand that we invested a lot in the education system since 1980. In Zimbabwe, we have well educated people compared to other countries like Zambia and other African countries. Our education system must not be compared with the education systems of other countries. We are educated and skilled. If you compare us to Europe, you will find that we are way ahead of them. We must be proud of our Government because it invested a lot in education, we have a lot of programmes going on and we cannot keep on investing in the education system.
Mr. Speaker, our Government depends mostly on education because they know the importance of education. Therefore, other countries need to learn from us. At various functions, they praise us because of our education system. Therefore, we must not only base our comments on problems we face but firstly, we must be grateful to Government because our education system is of high standard. We represent our country well in Latin America and other countries. Those who embarked on the benchmarking visits can testify that others were asking them on how best they can develop their own education system.
Mr. Speaker, we want our children to have free basic education. We have problems caused by climate change like drought, among others. Farmers are the losers during drought. A lot of money is being used for those problems; therefore, it is very hard for parents to pay school fees. Government is considering all those problems which are being faced by citizens by paying for basic education. The vision is very important; we once did that in 1980. I am one of the beneficiaries of free basic education. Government was paying for its citizens at universities. In those countries that you mentioned, I think the Hon. Members visited schools in towns. If they had gone to rural areas, they could have been telling us a different story that we are far ahead of many countries because they only develop urban areas not considering the rural areas.
In Zimbabwe, we have a problem of doing theories and not teaching them practical. That is why you find many graduates selling airtime on the streets. It is difficult to get a job in Zimbabwe because a lot of people are now educated. Therefore, as a country, we must allocate funds for the development of facilities. Ninety percent of the education budget allocated goes to teachers’ salaries, which means that we are deprived of our basic needs too for example sanitary wear for the girl child and other basic things so as to learn in a good environment.
Mr. Speaker Sir, this needs the Minister of Finance and Economic Development and the Minister of Education to work hand in hand so as to increase the budget and channel funds to teachers and their accommodation system.
They must allocate them new computers, chalks and WiFi so as to give our children basic education. The education system of children in the rural areas and those in urban areas is totally different because others have access to internet whereas those in rural areas are only told what a computer is. That needs to be improved so that they have basic education. Our Zimbabwean education must not be compared to any other country because we are way ahead of a lot of other countries.
Our education system is very good and is protected and used wisely in the country. What is needed is use of practicals to teach people how to implement their degree knowledge in their day to day lives. Others are teaching their children to employ themselves and others are teaching them to look for jobs. A lot of countries change their governments and a lot of stories are behind their education system. Therefore, we must not compare ourselves to those countries. Zimbabwe and Tunisia are ahead of other countries in Africa and so, we must not compare ourselves to others because we are way ahead. Thank you Mr. Speaker.
(v)HON. MOLEKELA-TSIYE: Thank you Hon. Speaker for the opportunity to debate on this benchmarking visit report. I would like to start by congratulating the relevant Committee for this comprehensive and excellent report. I have gone through the report and I have appreciated its findings and also the recommendations. I would like to share some few thoughts on the report and its recommendations.
The first thing I need to highlight is that it is important as an august House to recognise that Section 75 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe recognises that every citizen and permanent resident of Zimbabwe has a right to basic State funded education including adult basic education. This important provision of the Constitution should be the guiding principle as we consider this report. Added to that, Section 81 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe says that every child, that is to say every boy or girl under the age of 18 years has the right to education. It is thus important for us as an august House to realise that the Constitution is very clear and unequivocal in terms of supporting the importance of financing education in such a way that no child is left behind when it comes to accessing education in Zimbabwe.
This report is very important because it helps the Parliament of Zimbabwe to play its part in ensuring that the citizens of Zimbabwe, especially those who are below the age of 18 have access to education through a financing model that is sustainable in nature.
I will start by looking at some of the findings that the Committee has highlighted. Of special interest to me is the fact that the Committee says in its findings, the average salary for the teaching staff or the educators in the three countries that were visited is about USD500. This figure is very interesting because for the last two years we have had educators in Zimbabwe on industrial action, protests and engaging with the relevant Ministry in terms of their employment conditions where they have said they want to revert to the salary as it were during the all Inclusive Government.
Everyone knows that the amount that they have been talking about is USD540. So this report serves to give guidance to the Government of Zimbabwe, to the relevant Ministry to say that what the educators in Zimbabwe are asking is not necessarily an exorbitant amount because if those three countries are having an average of USD500 per month and the educators are asking for USD540 per month, then our Zimbabwean educators are within the average that the Committee has found.
The current salary of the average educator in Zimbabwe is USD50 per month. So I would like to encourage this august House to make sure that they join the educators of Zimbabwe using this report to support them with Treasury to ensure that their salaries are adjusted to meet the average that was observed by this Committee in its findings. The amount of USD540 is closer to the USD500 that is mentioned in this report and the amount of USD50 is far below the average of USD500. I encourage all parliamentarians to unite in supporting our educators. Without basic salaries of at least USD500 per month for the educators in Zimbabwe, this report is not going to be useful to anyone. What is the use of an education system that does not have teachers...
HON. TOGAREPI: On a point of order Hon. Speaker. I agree that the income of teachers must be looked at and improved as the Government is doing but for people to continue to say teachers are earning USD50, it is total misrepresentation because when you look at whatever they are getting in ZWD, there is also a USD component which is USD175 that they earn. We do not need to just try to make things very bad or worse when we have clear figures that are paid to civil servants. They need to be improved but let us say facts as they are. Thank you.
(v)HON. MOLEKELA-TSIYE: Thank you so much. I also wanted to comment on the need of providing free education without proper planning. It is important that we learn from other countries that we do not commit ourselves as a country. I saw a news headline that needs the Government of Zimbabwe to plan to provide free education, especially to the primary schools. I would like us to be encouraged as the august House to ensure that we take the relevant Ministry and Treasury to task in terms of the plan that they have. How sustainable is it knowing that every year we are expecting an increase in the number of students coming in from ECD to primary school and secondary school? We would like to ensure that if we were to introduce this policy we do not introduce it and stop along the way due to lack of funding. So, we need a serious strategy and comprehensive plan to ensure that if free education is to be introduced, it is not aborted along the way to the detriment of learners. It is important that Parliamentarians take serious oversight role in ensuring that the plan provides basic primary education, learning from the countries where they started and stopped along the way.
I would also like to comment on the dependence on donors. I think we see from Kenya and Ghana especially, that there is increased effort by the governments of those countries to invest more in funding education. I would like to encourage Zimbabwe to take note and to learn from these countries. As things stand today, Zimbabwe is one of those countries that originally invested a lot in education but of late, it has started to depend a lot on international development partners. I think there is need for Zimbabwe to come up with a plan to ensure that the right to education does not depend on donors. We must learn from the other countries that if the donors suddenly withdraw, we will leave a lot of our learners with no plan B. So, we need to ensure that as a country we are responsible for educating our children.
I also wanted to comment on the issue of sanitary wear. Section 81 says that every child, that is to say every boy and girl under the age of 18 years has the right to education. For that provision of the Constitution to be realised, we must make sure that vulnerable girls, orphaned children, especially rural girls are not disadvantaged when it comes to fulfillment of this right. They should not be left behind because they do not have easy access to sanitary wear. We have seen in this report, in the findings that countries such as Ghana provide sanitary wear for the girl child. Zimbabwe has come up with previous plans or solutions such as introducing duty free for sanitary wear products and so on. However, I think we need to learn more from the benchmarking report as a country to ensure that the girl child, especially in rural communities of Zimbabwe, does not fail to attend school because they are going through the menstrual cycle. It is happening at the moment that some learners who are girl children are not able to attend school when they are going through their monthly cycles. It is important as the Parliament of Zimbabwe that we push that there be a clear policy and a clear strategy around sanitary wear so that learners are not left behind from attending school when they are going through their menstrual cycle.
In terms of inclusivity, I note from the report what we are learning from other countries but I needed to highlight that as a way forward, I do not think Zimbabwe has invested a lot when it comes to children with disabilities. In most constituencies across the country, there are no schools or facilities for children with disabilities. They have to go to bigger cities like Harare and Bulawayo. I feel that as a Committee, they should have emphasised that at least in all the ten provincial capitals of the country, there should be basic secondary schools and primary schools that focus on intake of children with disabilities, including those with mental health related conditions.
As a country, we do not seem to have a clear strategy or policy around children with mental health conditions; they are being left behind. We need more schools to be built in this country to allow children with disabilities to access education. As things stand, smaller towns and indeed rural areas of Zimbabwe do not have schools that allow children with disability to go to school. They are being left behind. Section 81 says no child should be left behind. We need children with disabilities and those with mental health problems to be included by ensuring that there is investment in building more schools that cater for their needs. Otherwise as things stand today, most of them are being left behind because they cannot access the specialised schools that are mostly found in the big cities of Zimbabwe and this needs to be addressed urgently.
I also wanted to talk about the recommendation from the Committee that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education should enact an Education Finance Bill. I would like to applaud the Committee on this recommendation and I would like to challenge the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to take seriously the recommendation of enacting an Education Finance Bill and the policy framework that enables Zimbabwe to realise Section 75 of the Constitution.
I realise that there is a deadline of December 2022 and the time between now and December 2022 is very short. I encourage the Ministry to take this matter urgently so that by the end of December 2022, we do have that kind of Bill. We need to support the Bill as the august House to ensure that we help the children of Zimbabwe to access education in line with Section 75 of our Constitution.
I also wanted to look at the recommendation around establishment of the Teachers’ Professional Council by the end of December. I think it is important that teachers be recognised as a very key and specialised profession. We have lawyers, nurses, doctors, engineers but I think for so long, educators or teachers have not been recognised as school professionals. Their terms of conditions of employment in Zimbabwe today do not recognise the hard work that someone has to go through to become a professional and to become an educator. We seem to ignore the fact that if we have to do diplomacy, we have to do degrees to qualify as teachers. They are no longer seen as professionals in Zimbabwe, so I support the proposal to establish a Teachers’ Professional Council that is going to regulate and guide, especially on terms and conditions of employment for educators or teachers in Zimbabwe so that they are recognised as a profession, just like lawyers have got the Law Society of Zimbabwe, doctors have got the Health Professions Council of Zimbabwe. I support the Committee in this recommendation.
I also wanted to support the Committee on the recommendation around 0.5% of Value Added Tax from fuel among others, to be ring fenced for financing education. It is important that as a country we prioritise education. If there are opportunities for innovative financing, let us embrace them. Let us support them and let us ensure that no child is left behind from accessing basic education in Zimbabwe because of lack of financing.
With regards to the extension of the school feeding programme to secondary schools, I have a problem in that recommendation because I already know that Zimbabwe is currently struggling to fund the school feeding programme for primary schools across the country. We are struggling at the moment, so I think at the end of the day we need to set targets in such a way that we should first achieve the milestone of ensuring that all primary schools in the country have a school feeding programme. Once we have achieved that, we can then be able to push that we can go to secondary schools. As things stand right now, there are primary schools that are not fully supported under this programme. So it is important that as Parliament, we support efforts to ensure that first and foremost, every primary school child in this country benefits from the school feeding programme and we can then extend it to secondary schools. At this moment in time, it looks like we are already struggling with the primary school children.
Last but not least, I wanted to encourage the House to support this report, especially knowing that Zimbabwe used to be recognised as a role model in terms of education across Africa. Of late, we have had a lot of losses from the gains we have had initially. We have lost a lot of teachers to other countries and we have lost a lot of teachers to other jobs or careers outside classrooms. We need to bring dignity back to the profession of teaching in this country. We need to bring quality education in our primary and secondary schools. As an august House, it is our duty and obligation to support this Committee report and ensure that this report is not allowed to gather dust and that it is implemented so that it goes a long way in improving access to education for our children and the fulfillment of Sections 75 and 81 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
+HON. MAHLANGU: I will start by looking at the welfare of our teachers which is poorer than any other citizen in the country. However, everyone is a product of the teacher. All of us here are products of the teachers. My request if it was possible, we could return to what it was like in the previous years. Our teachers were treated in a different way. For now, the students are the ones who live a better life compared to teachers. This makes the students to undermine the teacher. We ask that as we are going to have a Mid-Tern Budget, the budget for Ministry of Education be increased so that it matches with the education sector we used to have in previous years.
What is causing our education system to appear as if it is depreciating is that the teacher at times fails to go to school. This is due to the fact that there will be no money for transport. In my constituency, there are areas where the teacher needs to find transport and he fails to board the transport because the bus fare does not permit him to do so. Government should take care of the schools. During our time when we went to school, we knew that rulers, textbooks and pens were found at the school. As for now, the students are supposed to purchase these items on their own, which is a burden to other parents. There are other children who are being taken care of by their grandparents and these grandparents only have the pension as their source of income and they fail to purchase stationery for these students, which is also an issue that is making our education difficult.
I concur with the previous speakers who have spoken before me that our education in Zimbabwe is of high quality. We have a lot of trained personnel who leave the country and they get to be recognised beyond our borders because of the education that they would have received in Zimbabwe. As Parliament, we have to devise means that protect our literate from leaving the country. We need to devise measures that attract our graduates. They should have jobs that promote our education sector.
There are some schools which are in the rural areas which have not seen any form of development. Some of the classrooms were destroyed by heavy winds. We need to consider such schools in our budget. We need to renovate these schools so that we do not create an environment which discourages learning because the students at those schools will end up feeling as if their schools which are constructed by clay bricks do not support their activities compared to those that are constructed with cement. We need to see that we have development.
When the year begins, let us look into the teachers that are going to be teaching ECD learners. These learners need a teacher who is suitable to their needs. I expect that an ECD learner should be taught by someone who is old and mature, someone with care so that the children can quickly adapt to the learning environment and be able to grasp the lessons. The teacher should also understand the way these students communicate because their minds will still be developing. They need a teacher who acts as a parent and who understands their different needs at every time.
I will come to the BEAM Programme, I ask the Minister of Finance to make sure that funds are released to the schools at the beginning of the year so that the schools can be able to develop themselves and buy their provisions. As I am speaking right now, the funds for this year have not been released and the schools are closing for the second term next week. Third terms will commence before these funds have been paid. I would like to thank the Committee on Education because there are other things they found outside the country that they would want to be implemented in our education system. When we are developing our budgets, we need to channel more funds to our education. I thank you
HON. DUTIRO: I would want to thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for giving me this opportunity to make a contribution on the report on the benchmark visit which was conducted in Zambia, Kenya and Ghana. I am very delighted as a result of the fact that most of our nationalists were educated in these three countries that I have mentioned and one of the popular universities is Makerere University in Uganda where our leaders were educated. At the same time, the three countries which the Committee did visit were all former British colonies where we are similar in terms of our education structure, we are all English speaking countries regardless of our native languages that we also speak. I would like to thank the Committee for identifying the three countries along those guidelines. At the same time, I would also want to recognise the historical background of our education system and the structures which were put in place by our colonizers, the British, where they established the education system based on the councils which were the responsible authorities. We have private institutions where private players were allowed to set up schools and we had government schools which were set up as well as religious institutions which also set up educational institutions.
Here in Zimbabwe for example, we had the Roman Catholic, Anglican, local authority – the City of Harare, rural authorities which were also allowed to set up schools and government schools which were set up throughout the country but some of the districts never had government schools, so these religious schools were set up for specific reasons. The private schools were set up for the specific elite education system. When we got our independence, it is very true that we tried to align these various responsible authorities to follow and tow the line as we were independent and as we were following the will of the people to try and align our education system. If you look at the purposes and the needs of these various people, they were actually very different and still remain different up to this very day. We must recognise the historical background and the history of our education in this country and we must also appreciate that we did very well in 1980, as alluded to by the Chief Whip - in terms of us being number 2 vis-à-vis Tunisia. The question is; what really went wrong and when did things go wrong in terms of our trajectory, provision of education, social welfare of our teachers and taking care of everybody else such as the disadvantaged, the disabled and the girl child set up? We must not forget that the rural schools which were owned by the council were the parents’ prerogative to be responsible for making sure that the schools are built and infrastructure is provided for. It was the duty of government to ensure that the teachers’ welfare is catered for.
So, there are two types of monies which are paid at any institution. We have the levies whose sole responsibility is to make sure that the school infrastructure is built, for example the classrooms as well as the furniture. Then we have the school fees where the teachers’ salary is supposed to be paid from. However, when government took over these local authority schools and schools owned by various churches, government took over the payment of teachers’ salaries. To a very large extent, it means that the fees issue was completely eradicated in the local authority owned schools as well as in church owned schools. So we do not talk of school fees when it comes to locally owned schools or church owned schools, we talk of levies. People must learn to differentiate between school fees and levies. In private schools, that is where school fees is paid. In local authorities as well as in church owned schools, school fees are not paid but there are levies where the infrastructure must be built. The teachers are paid by the government. In the private sector, the teachers are paid by the institution as well as the infrastructure. So I think we must learn to differentiate the two.
The issue of us being Number 2 in Africa came upon when Zimbabwe was able to interact and trade with the international community. Things started to change when sanctions were imposed on the country. It is not a secret; this is known by everybody that when sanctions were imposed upon us, our education system crumbled. The Western world orchestrated a structure where they could brain drain the country and make our greatest achievement after our independence to crumble, which was the education system. Our education system is under attack as a result of sanctions. The parents cannot afford to pay the levies to build their schools because it was always our tradition that council schools or local authority owned schools were supposed to be built by the parents and the government was there to support payment of teachers and provision of text books but sanctions did not enable our parents to pay for fees or levies to support construction of schools.
It is not the first time that we have had disabled people in our institutions. We have always had disabled people in our institutions, be it in local authorities, private authorities or in these church-owned schools. The challenge still remained on us to provide some of the social services which must be provided to our disadvantaged people because of our incapacity to produce and manufacture the required commodities. Furniture was always manufactured locally; books were always manufactured and provided by Mambo Press and they were readily available. Schools could access credit so easily, 90 day credit, six months credit could provided - but because Zimbabwe could not access international financing, it became very difficult for schools and the government to borrow to finance the education system.
As long as those sanctions remain as they are, you cannot compare Zimbabwe with any other country which is not under sanctions. Zambia, Ghana and Kenya are not under sanctions. Our failure to speak as a country against sanctions has affected even our thinking because our thinking is helped and improved by education. We must speak with one language and ensure that sanctions are removed on our country. I am calling upon, not only our opposition political party to speak against sanctions on Zimbabwe but to all other SADC countries to speak against sanctions and the impact that sanctions have had on our country. We can talk about it so many times but sanctions remain a major block to the development of education in our country. I want to thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. PHULU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to congratulate the Committee on Secondary and Primary Education for presenting such a report which was very clear and articulate on the major issues to be done and had a set of clear recommendations of what we need as a nation in order to up the standard of our education system.
I would also like to reference the submissions in support of the report by Hon. Molokela which were quite succinct in supporting each and every distinct ground of importance and I would like to reiterate beginning with the submission on inclusivity. The recommendation on inclusivity is one which this House must support on the basis that we must ensure that every child has access to each and every one of our schools and now there is a submission that has been put before the House to say that each and every province should have a major school which specialises in catering for those with disabilities.
Over and above that submission, I would submit each and every school, whether Government or private, has an obligation to ensure that it has the facilities to cater for children with disabilities. Whether or not we have bigger schools which specialise, it is incumbent upon each and every school to be able to do this. I say this Mr. Speaker because it is important for us not to isolate those living with disabilities to certain centres or schools which are identified simply as schools as those living with disabilities go. Rather, we should integrate them into our society so that it is normal to live with them on a day to day basis. While I support that submission, I would like to emphasise that these children who live with disabilities should be properly integrated and it should be an obligation for every school; whether private or public, to ensure that they are able, within a certain timeframe, to cater for them.
I would urge that the law should go further and I know we come against a background where we have had progressive amendments to the Education Act which actually caters for this point that I make that every child should have access to education and the children living with disabilities should be catered for. Every school, private or Government school should be given a timeframe. Certainly after 10 years, we cannot be having the majority of our schools not being able to cater for the majority of the disabilities that we have. We need to start to see work in terms of construction, ensuring that the toilets are right, access in terms of ramps, the way we teach, blackboards and having interactive boards so that they can cater for those living with disabilities. The provision of computers and phones that allow students who suffer from visual or hearing impairments for example, to be able to interact and learn at the same time with those who do not suffer from these impediments. So, I really do like to applaud the Committee for this trip and the incisive and detailed report that they have given us.
I would like to move on to the educator, the teacher. Certainly, we support also the observation that we need to do much in order to restore our teachers to the place they used to occupy in society. I went to a funeral Mr. Speaker in Matopo last weekend and at that funeral, an old man did something which is quite interesting. After recognising the MPs, councillors, chiefs and everybody else, he recognised teachers because he said teachers were always occupying a very high place and a place of respect in our society. They were recognised as leaders of communities, not just of the schools were they taught.
I have decided to incorporate that in the way I do my protocol. I should always recognise teachers who are present at that place because those are people who have always, since time immemorial in our country been responsible for grooming communities in our society. Certainly, in terms of their remuneration it would be good if they went back up towards the US$500 that was mentioned as a benchmark or average which has been found within our region. Yes, I did hear Hon. Moyo as he submitted to say the sanctions obviously are a factor but if you look at our Government policies as we craft them towards our Vision 2030, the policies of this Government do not lean on the crunch of the sanctions.
Using what we have or what we are able to master, we should be able to show that we are prioritising the teacher in terms of ensuring that they are well taken care of because it is incumbent upon the teacher to produce the next generation of leaders for this country. Certainly, the ridicule that they have gone through over the past years should be remedied. You get all sorts of people coming back to say to children, look, I am not like your teacher. This teacher of yours that you like or respect so much has nothing and I drive a very nice motor vehicle, wear nice clothes while his shoes are worn out. Certainly, we should move beyond that. I am sure everyone concurs on that. All the speeches that I have listened to, everyone concurs on that point.
The next point is, teachers are a professional council and that is a point which we should support because it moves towards ensuring that the teachers can coordinate and self-regulate in certain matters of professionalism, ethics, conduct and administrative issues. Certainly, we think that it will be quite interesting if that could be given effect rapidly to ensure that we put the teachers back in the place where they belong.
Education, as I close Mr. Speaker in terms of the Constitution, Sections 71 and 85 are key steps of our country. We hope that we move in leaps and bounce in order to achieve these benchmarks that have been put forward in terms of this report.
I thank you Mr. Speaker for giving me this opportunity as education is a passion of mine, particularly primary and secondary education. I know that you were quite hard pressed for time but I thank you for having afforded me this opportunity and I would like to thank the Committee for the sterling job that they have done.
HON. T. MOYO: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. TEKESHE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 28th July, 2022.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 7 to 12 be stood over until Order of the Day, Number 13 has been disposed of.
HON. TEKESHE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
FIRST REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ON THE INCLUSIVE EDUCATION POLICY (IEP) AND BETTER SCHOOLS PROGRAMME – ZIMBABWE (BSPZ)
Thirteenth Order read: Adjourned debate on the First Report of the Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education on the Inclusive Education Policy (IEP) and Better Schools Programme Zimbabwe (BSPZ).
Question again proposed.
HON. T. MOYO: Hon. Speaker Sir, I wish to thank the House for the contributions that they made to our report. We got valuable contributions which will go a long way in ensuring that the report is rich. Of particular importance, I need to thank the following Members who contributed immensely on the debate, Hon. Madhuku, Hon. Mushoriwa, Hon. Josiah Sithole, Hon. Muchenje, Hon. Mutambisi, to mention just a few. I move that the report be now adopted.
Motion that the First Report of the Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education on the Inclusive Education Policy (IEP) and Better Schools Programme – Zimbabwe (BSPZ) be adopted, put and agreed to.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that all other Orders of the Day on today’s Order Paper be stood over until Order of the Day Number 15 on today’ Order Paper has been disposed of.
HON. TEKESHE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS ON THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND UTILISATION OF PUBLIC RESOURCES
Fifteenth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Public Accounts Committee on the COVID-19 pandemic financial management and utilisation of public resources in the country’s provinces by ministries, departments and agencies.
Question again proposed.
(v)HON. MBONDIAH: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for awarding me the opportunity to wind up the motion that I moved on the 10th May, 2022 on the Report of the Public Accounts Committee on the COVID-19 pandemic financial management and utilisation of public resources by ministries and departments and agencies.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to thank all Hon. Members who debated in support of this motion and also thank all my colleagues in the Public Accounts Committee who worked tirelessly to compile such a detailed and powerful report. Having said that, I therefore, move for the adoption of the report and its recommendations. I thank you.
Motion that the Report of the Public Accounts Committee on the COVID-19 pandemic financial management and utilisation of public resources in the country’s provinces by ministries, departments and agencies, put and agreed to.
On the motion of HON. TOGAREPI, seconded by HON. TEKESHE, the House adjourned at Ten minutes to Seven o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 26th July, 2022
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two O’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair)
HON. C. MOYO: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am and good
afternoon. My point of national interest arises on the benefits of SDRs Madam Speaker Ma’am.
In 2009, we received around USD400 million, and realised a lot of
improvement in our citizens in terms of lifestyles. This year, we received USD961 million, we have not seen any great improvement like what we realised in 2009. I therefore request Madam Speaker Ma’am that the Hon. Minister of Finance and Economic Development brings a Ministerial Statement detailing what has been released so far, and the benefits thereof. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. C. Moyo. The Government Chief Whip will convey the message to the responsible Minister so that he brings a Ministerial Statement.
*HON. TEKESHE: Thank you Hon. Speaker Ma’am. My point of national interest arises on the issue of vendors in our country. Vending is being regarded as a criminal offence and yet there are no jobs in the country. Am I connected Madam Speaker Ma’am?
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, you are not. Please may you be connected?
*HON. TEKESHE: My matter of national interest pertains to vendors in our country. Vending is being regarded as a criminal offence that is punishable more than murderers and robbers yet there are no jobs in the country. Since there are no jobs and we are beating, harassing and confiscating their wares, vendors have now resorted to stealing and committing various criminal offences. We are all aware of the fact that jobs are scarce and the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare is doing nothing to alleviate the situation. Other countries have no problems of vendors because their Social Welfare provides requisite support which we do not have.
Madam Speaker, you are well travelled, and I am sure that you have had opportunity to visit the zoo. In zoos, we see zoo workers playing with wild animals, and the animals do not hurt them. This is because the animals are well fed. As Government, we should ensure that our citizenry is well fed and allow them to vend until such a time that they secure employment. There is a saying that a hungry man is an angry man, and he can do anything in order to put food on the table. Hence our country will not be habitable.
My request is for Parliament to come up with relevant laws to protect and allow vendors to eke a living. We are always complaining about our paltry salaries, and yet vendors have nowhere to complain because they do not have anything. I am saying these people are not vending in order to be rich …
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Tekeshe, remember it has to be One Minute.
HON. TEKESHE: Yes, Madam Speaker, thank you. These people are not vending in order to amass wealth but to put food on the table. Let us allow them to do so. Could the relevant Hon. Minister bring a Ministerial Statement on what measures are in place to cater for the peaceful operating of vendors? Vendors only operate in peaceful environments during election time and they wish for elections to be conducted annually. I thank you.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Tekeshe. The Government Chief Whip will convey your message and request to the responsible Minister so that he brings a Ministerial Statement then you can seek clarity.
HON. MASENDA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am and good afternoon. My point of national interest is centered on the production and sale of agricultural products with particular reference on the production of maize.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, I feel maize being our staple food is not being given the priority it deserves in terms of the buying price being offered to the farmers. The buying price for maize as it stands now is USD90.00 plus RTGS75 000.00 per tonne of maize which translates to USD90.00 plus USD75.00 having converted the RTGS component to USD using the parallel market rate which now stands at USD1 to RTGS1 000.00. I have had to use the parallel market rate because most farmers do not have access to the foreign currency auction that operates under the Reserve Bank. The total buying price Madam Speaker Ma’am, therefore, stands at USD165.00 per tonne.
It therefore means that the farmer can only buy two bags of Compound D after having sold one tonne of maize. To grow one hectare of maize, a farmer requires 350 kg or seven bags of compound D and another seven bags of AN per hectare.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, producing maize is no longer viable and not sustainable to the farmer. To explain clearly, let me use what I may term...
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Masenda, remember it has to be one minute, you are now debating.
HON. MASENDA: Okay, I will cut it short and go to my prayer. I pray Madam Speaker Ma’am that the authorities consider paying maize or pegging the price in US dollars as we have embraced the multi-currency system. I therefore propose that the buying price be pegged in US dollars, with USD90 being paid in hard currency as our economy has embraced a multi-currency system and the balance being paid in RTGs, payable at the bank rate of the day. I wish to thank you Hon. Speaker Ma’am.
HON. MASENDA: Thank you Hon. Masenda. I advise you to ask the responsible Minister tomorrow on Question Time.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 18 be stood over until Order of the Day Number 18 has been disposed of.
HON. TEKESHE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
(v)HON. CHIDAKWA: On a point of order Madam Speaker. My point of order arises from a number of points of national interest. In Parliament we are around 270 and if you only allow three MPs per sitting, which is only two days per week, it will take us five years for one person to also have that chance. Can you adjust that so that we can all have a chance? These are the questions which our constituents want responses. With the powers that you have, can you make sure that we all get a chance? Thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Chidhakwa, some of the points of national interest which Hon. Members are raising can be asked to Hon. Ministers during Question Time, not to raise them as points of national interest. I think three per day is enough. We do not have to increase the number of Hon. Members who raise points of privilege to more than three.
(v)HON. CHIDAKWA: During Question Time, the numbers are also limited.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: They are limited because you spend most of your time making noise, not concentrating on the business of the day.
MOTION
CONDOLENCES ON THE DEATH OF HON. LEONARD CHIKOMBA
Eighteenth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the death of Hon. Leonard Chikomba.
Question again proposed.
*HON. T. ZHOU: Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to thank the Hon. who moved the motion on the life of Hon. Chikomba. We worked with Hon. Chikomba here in Parliament. I came to Parliament together with him in 2013. We worked together serving in the Mines Committee. Hon. Chikomba is a man who was principled. He was a man who stood on his word and did exactly what he would have said. He was the eldest Hon. Member in our Mines Committee and to us, he was full of wisdom. That is where we used to get guidance from.
Madam Speaker, we are deeply pained by the loss of Hon. Chikomba whom I also served with in the Midlands Province which happens to be his home area where he came from. His constituency is called Gokwe-Kabuyuni. He was a well-known man in every area; wherever he went he was known as brother. He was also known as a person who was very respectful and honoured each and every person whether you are young or old. He was full of respect for everyone.
Madam Speaker, it is painful to lose one of our members here in Parliament because of a road accident. Road carnage has cost the lives of so many people, not only MPs but ordinary citizens as well. What we want to urge the public is that as people travel - we realised that our President is engaged in road rehabilitation and because of the good road network, people are now overspeeding – [Laugher.] -
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order.
*HON. T. ZHOU: The road network is so good now such that I saw Hon. Hwende speeding along the Bulawayo road on his way to the burial of Hon. Sen. Khupe because he knows that the roads were rehabilitated by our President Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa. I urge my fellow Hon. Members that because of our good road network - my request is that you need to consider your speed when driving on those roads. I also urge the citizens to also make sure that they do not speed on these roads because of the road rehabilitation that has improved the standard of our roads. For those people who went there, you were able to see how important and how honoured he was by the number of people who attended the funeral. He is someone who knew how to work with his constituents. If we are to consider those who are coming in as Gokwe-Kabuyuni MPs, they will take a leaf from Hon. Chikomba. Madam Speaker Ma’am, with these few words, I want to thank you for the opportunity that you have given me.
*HON. MPARIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker for affording me this opportunity to add my voice and pass my condolences to the family of Hon. Chikomba who was the MP for Gokwe-Kabuyuni. If there is a life of Parliament that has lost Hon. Members, it is the Ninth Parliament. We have lost a lot of Hon. Members and I am saddened because of the frequency of deaths. Death is not something that is acceptable or that you get used to. The only person who knows the diary of death is God.
Hon. Chikomba worked well in this House. He was very humble. I used to meet him outside; he would always greet me and I would respond accordingly. I would then say to myself, I want to know this MP because each day he used to greet me. I remember at one time he asked me if it was pride. So, I want to say that as we go through life, let us pray for one another and let us always do well to one another because we do not know the day when death will visit us.
When we come to this august House, we come here to address issues that affect our constituencies and also the nation at large. As Members of Parliament, let us remain united. I am sure people of Gokwe-Kabuyuni were satisfied with the way Hon. Chikomba worked. They knew that their MP was able to represent them and for us to have a legacy is because when others stand up to speak, we should respect each other. I never saw Hon. Chikomba being booed or heckled when he stood up to debate.
I therefore urge all of us to speak with one voice, be united and agree on issues that affect the ordinary people. I want to thank the Government for the honour that it gave to the MP and also appreciating the work that he did during the liberation struggle. I did not know that he had such a history dating back from the liberation struggle. I wish that all the liberation fighters and veterans could take leaf from the life of Hon. Chikomba because right now, if we were to ask you as an individual what legacy you have and what people would say about you when you are dead, you will realise that it is a difficult question.
So a good historical background is only possible in the way you behave with those you live with and as a representative of the people. I want to thank those who moved the motion for us to give tribute to Hon. Chikomba. That has enabled us to talk about him and also console the family. Probably the wife did not know that Hon. Chikomba was such an important man. Right now if she is listening, she will be shocked with what we are saying.
So I want to thank the mover and I also want to pass my condolence message to Gokwe-Kabuyuni and for them to know that they are not the only ones who lost, but we have also lost a great Hon. Member. Some people know each other from their totems, from their rural areas and when we are in Parliament, we are a family. What we discuss here is for our country to develop. We want our constituencies to develop as well. With these few words, I want to thank you Madam Speaker for giving me this opportunity to talk about Hon. Chikomba.
I never had an opportunity of exchanging harsh words with him. So, all I want to say is - may his soul rest in eternal peace. It is said that the dead do not know their good works but those who are alive can give tribute and talk about the goodness of one when he is gone. With these few words, I thank you Madam Speaker.
*HON. CHITURA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to add a few words on the life of Hon. Chikomba. Hon. Chikomba was a good man, a man full of love and we cannot say because he is gone it is okay - he was a good man. He loved everyone and he talked to everyone despite age. He used to greet you despite being younger or older. When he passed on, everyone knew who he was. When others pass away, people ask which one is that and they request for that person’s photo to see who that person is but not with Hon. Chikomba.
Hon. Chikomba was a Christian and I am sure when we all went to Gokwe, we saw the Roman Catholic Church there. He always used to say to me, when you see me in church, you will not know that it is Hon. Chikomba. I asked him, “with your weight is that possible?” He told me that when they went to China, the Chinese called him the big man.
We went to his home area. I do not think there is an Hon. Member who did not attend his funeral. We were amazed by what we saw. Most people say that they have a lot of developments at their homes but we were amazed by what we saw at his homestead. He built a beautiful home such that he was not embarrassed when people visited. Those of us who are still alive, I pray that we have love among us, work together and also develop our homes.
Hon. Chikomba was full of love; he loved his people. Most people were mourning the loss of their hero. I have realised that if I do not add my voice to Hon. Chikomba’s tribute, I would remain indebted. With these few words, I would want to say may his soul rest in eternal peace. I thank you.
(v) *HON. NYOKANHETE: My deepest condolences on the loss of Hon. Chikomba. Hon. Chikomba was a man who was in very good books with all Hon. Members. He looked after us where we stay. He was a free man and very jovial. If you did not greet him first, he greeted you and he was always sociable. It would not have been surprising for him to be a Chairperson of a Committee or a Deputy Minister. There are some people who have been elevated to higher positions and ended up not greeting people. It is surprising how people forget their counterparts once they have become Ministers. Hon. Chikomba was not like that. He was able to even talk to MPs from the opposition. He was not a person with pride. Some people, once elevated, are seized with pride and do not talk to others. As Hon. Members, we should have good moral values reflecting that “ubuntu” in us.
Let us not forget the people because we have been promoted. This is because in politics, you can rise today and tomorrow you will fall from that high position. For you to be able to fit into the society where you ignored people, it will be difficult. What I want to say is that once elevated, remember to greet others. You do not lose anything by greeting others. That is how Hon. Chikomba was. He was very humble. With these few words Madam Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity that you have given me.
*HON. SAMSON: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am for the opportunity that you have given me to speak on the motion on the death of Hon. Chikomba. What I want to say about him is that from the time I got to know him, I realised that he was someone who was very sociable and could fit into any situation. Those who are poor and those who are rich, he saw them all the same as people. What I learnt was that, he did not hate anyone or discriminate against anyone.
When we went to his home for his funeral, I learnt a lot from there. His homestead is close to Chitekete Business Centre. We saw the whole community giving testimonies on how they learnt business ideas from Hon. Chikomba. I also noticed that Hon. Chikomba was a farmer. When you got to his homestead, you could tell that he was a farmer. However, I was deeply disturbed when we went to the accident scene and realised that he was very close to his homestead. That is how life is. I think those who attended his funeral learnt something from there. There are testimonies that are given because a person is no longer there but mourners gave concrete and true testimonies of what happened in their area. People in that area revealed that they were left like sheep without a shepherd. They were not sure whether they will have a leader or an MP who will represent them in the way that Hon. Chikomba represented them.
As a farmer, people in that area gave testimonies that the widows in Gokwe would get school fees from working on his farms. He would not say that because I have given you money for the work that you have done, that is it, but he would also give each one a bucket of grain to go and feed their children. Those that want to learn should take a leaf from Hon. Chikomba so that on such a day that we leave this earth, people will be able to give testimonies of the good work we would have done.
I also want to thank you for the opportunity to debate this motion. I worked with Hon. Chikomba a lot, especially in the Committee on Mines and Energy. We travelled together during our work as a Committee. With these few words, I want to say Hon. Chikomba, may your soul rest in eternal peace and hope to see you in the life to come. I thank you.
(v)*HON. JAJA: Let me start by saying that Hon. Chikomba was a good person and he never looked down upon anyone. He was always there to comfort you in good and bad times. He told me to look for a job or something to do in life so that I could earn a good living after I leave this place. He told me that he had scotch carts to hire in his constituency and he advised me to copy that as business in my constituency.
There is no one in this Parliament who was in bad books with Hon. Chikomba. I am very grateful and I would like to say may his soul rest in eternal peace.
(v)*HON. RAIDZA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am for giving me the opportunity to add my voice on the demise of Hon. Chikomba. I worked with Hon. Chikomba since 2018 when we met here at Parliament. I discovered that he was a good man who knew what he wanted. He was a person with great integrity and who imparted words of wisdom to us young parliamentarians.
I have a lot of things that I learnt from Hon. Chikomba. A lot has already been said by others who spoke before me. I learnt from him how to execute my representative role. He told me that I needed to go back to my constituency and hear what the people had to say so that I could represent them well here in Parliament. This helped me a lot since I was a young Member of Parliament. Likewise I had a lot to contribute towards debates in this House due to the help given to me by Hon. Chikomba.
I also learnt about good values from Hon. Chikomba. He taught me to respect and work with everyone so as to create good relations because we as leaders needed to leave a good legacy behind. Hon. Chikomba was free to everyone and could listen to every problem. Hon. Chikomba had no grudge with anyone. With these few words, I would like to say may his soul rest in eternal peace.
(v)*HON. CHIMBAIRA: Thank Madam Speaker for giving me the opportunity to add my voice on Hon. Chikomba’s history. I am not going to repeat what has already been said by others. What I want to say is that I met Hon. Chikomba in 2005 when I first came to Parliament. During that period, we worked together hand-in-hand and there was nothing that could trigger animosity between us.
He was not worried about anyone’s status in life. We are greatly hurt by his death because he was not sick; he just died because of the accident. This is so painful. We saw a lot of developments in his homestead which greatly showed us that he was an organised man. I just wanted to give background information of the period 2005 to 2008 when we worked together.
Hon. Chikomba was a forthright person whom you could not find fault in his ways. With those few words, I would like to say may his soul rest in peace. I thank you.
HON. DZUMA: I would like to add my voice on the motion raised by Hon. Ngwenya and seconded by Hon. Moyo. I am one of the people who went to attend the burial in Chitekete. Most of the times, I would call him uncle because he belonged to the shumba totem. A lot of people would respect him because he was well mannered.
All the Hon. Members in the Mines Committee respected him because he owned a transport and logistics business. When I attended the burial in his rural area, I discovered that all that is being said by Members of Parliament is testimony to the good works of the fallen giant. If Parliament could understand and give us personal drivers, I think it will help us because the road was good without potholes but fatigue contributed to the death of Hon. Chikomba as the journey was long. We are kindly asking for drivers from the Parliament of Zimbabwe. We have not yet come to terms with his death and we wish one day we could see him entering the House. I do not think I will have a homestead like Hon. Chikomba’s. We met him here as he was already a Member and he inducted us on how to conduct Parliament business and what was expected of us. The 10th Parliament which is coming next year will not be enjoyable in his absence but I greatly appreciate the attendance of MPs and Cabinet Ministers, Hon July Moyo among them and Mr. Zvamada. This shows that Hon. Chikomba was a well respected man. Only a few people have the opportunity to be visited at their homesteads by His Excellency. It was a bad day caused by the death of Hon. Chikomba because if God had not taken him away, we would not have seen all that we saw at his homestead. Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am.
(v)*HON. SEREMWE: Madam Speaker, I am very hurt by the passing on of Hon. Chikomba. He was a well respected man who taught us values and expectations of Parliament. If all Members of Parliament could behave like Hon. Chikomba did, it would be very nice. We went to Zuva Filling Station one day and he never showed any signs of being an Hon. Member. He was very humble and I think we have a long way to go to behave like him. As we celebrate his life, we need to also change our values and to respect everyone just like Hon. Chikomba did. I thank you.
(v)*HON. PRISCILLA MOYO: Madam Speaker, I would also like to add my voice to the debate on Hon. Chikomba. He was a good man as mentioned by many Hon. Members. He approached me when he heard that I come from Mwenezi and said you are from my rural area. I was also very happy to know that there was someone from my constituency at Parliament. As Mwenezi Constituency, we had a child who represented Gokwe-Kabuyuni Constituency. Most of the people in Mwenezi could not attend the funeral but we really felt pained by his death. He was a good man and we served in the same Foreign Affairs Committee. The last time we attended the meeting together, he was very well but I was surprised to hear of his death. It is so painful how we lost him. It is unfortunate that you cannot bid farewell to a person who dies in a road accident because you just receive a death message. We say may his soul rest in peace. We will meet again. I thank you.
(v)*HON. P. ZHOU: I would also like to add my voice on the motion moved by Hon. Ngwenya, seconded by Hon. Moyo from the Midlands Province. I am very hurt by the death of Hon. Chikomba. We used to sit at the same bench and he would assist me on how to ask questions. He taught me the proceedings of the House so well. He was a humble man though he was very rich. He told me to work hard and go back to the constituency and listen to my people’s problems. He also taught me how to lead the constituency. His homestead was well-built and really showed that he was a good man who knew what he wanted. He motivated people on what to do. He loved his family and wife so much. He was so proud of his wife and children. A lot of Members of Parliament just talk and do not praise their wives but Hon. Chikomba was different.
Hon. Chikomba also gave me a seat even though I am a proportional representative Member of Parliament. You could feel comfortable with him. The Kabuyini Constituency is a nice place. A lot of activities were led by him in his Constituency. He also offered us accommodation. The Midlands Province and the country at large lost a son in Hon. Chikomba.
I would also like to thank everyone who attended the burial of Hon. Leonard Chikomba and everything went on well. I wish he could wake up and see how hurt we are. I would also like to thank all those who contributed and urge everyone that what we did for Hon. Chikomba must not end there. We must do that to everyone. I thank you Madam Speaker and may his soul rest in peace.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 27th July, 2022.
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 5 on Today’s Order Paper.
Motion put and agreed to
SECOND READING
PRIVATE VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS AMENDMENT BILL [H. B.10, 2021]
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Second Reading of the Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Bill.
Question again proposed.
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Let me start by thanking all Hon. Members who made contributions to the Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Bill. The contributions were extensive and were useful. We responded as extensively as the Members had contributed and most of their concerns were taken into consideration with the amendments that were submitted. I am happy with the Bill as it stands at the moment.
Madam Speaker, this is a Bill that will bring order into the PVO sector. It will make sure that there is clarity on how PVOs are registered, are supposed to operate, the specific mandates and geographical areas, the level in our country at which they are supposed to operate, be it at district, provincial or national level. The necessary partnerships with Government agencies and departments, everything is clearly outlined.
There is also clear indication of the coordination mechanism that Government will use in order to coordinate the activities of PVOs. There is also clarity and adequate safeguards against money-laundering and the proliferation of terrorism which is an international requirement and which we had to abide by as Zimbabwe. So, I am very happy with the Bill Madam Speaker as well as the amendments that we have proffered. It is on this basis that I propose that the Bill be now read a second time.
Motion put and agreed to.
Bill read a second time.
Committee Stage: With leave, forthwith.
COMMITTEE STAGE
PRIVATE VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS AMENDMENT BILL [H. B. 10, 2021]
House in Committee.
Clause 1 put and agreed to.
On Clause 2:
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair. I move the amendments standing in my name that in paragraph (a) (i) before the definition of “funds or other assets” to insert the following –
“Financial Intelligence Unit” or Unit means the financial intelligence unit referred to in section 6A of the Money Laundering an Proceeds of Crime Act [Chapter 9:24];
“Office” refers to the Office of the Registrar of Private Voluntary Organisations;
- In paragraph (b), by the deletion of sub-clauses (4) – (7).
Amendments to Clause 2 put and agreed to.
Clause 2, as amended, put and agreed to.
On Clause 3:
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair. I move the amendments standing in my name that on page 3 of the Bill, by the deletion of Clause 3 and substitution of the clause as follows –
“New Parts substituted for Part 11 of Cap. 17:15”
Part 11 of the principal Act is repealed and the following is substituted –
Part 11
OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR OF PRIVATE VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS
- Office of the Registrar of Private Voluntary Organisations
(1) 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.
(2) The Office shall be headed by a Registrar 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.
(3) Subject to this Act, the Registrar shall –
(a) Consider and determine every application for registration and every proposed cancellation or amendment of a certificate of
registration; and
(b) hear representations by any association, organisation or institution claiming entitlement to be registered as a private voluntary organisation; and
(c) 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
(d) to promote and encourage the co-ordination of the activities of registered private voluntary organisations having similar or related objects; and
(e) to submit to the Minister, an annual report concerning the administration and operation of this Act; and
(f) 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 constitutions as he or she required to enter. By or in terms of this Act or any other enactment or decision of the court;
Amendments to Clause 3 put and agreed to.
Clause 3, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 3A:
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVCIE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): I move to propose a new Clause 3A, on page 4 of the Bill, by insertion after Clause 3 of the following Clause –
“3A Amendment of Section 7 Cap. 17:05
Section 7 (“Partial exemptions of private voluntary organisations” is amended –
- In subsections (1), by deletion of “and after consultations with the Board”,
- In subsections (2), by deletion of “in consultation with the Board”
- In subsection (4), by deletion of “level three” and substitution of ”level five”
Amendments to new Clause 3A, put and agreed to.
New Clause 3A as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 3B:
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVCIE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): I move to propose the inclusion of a New Clause 3B that on page 4 of the Bill, by the insertion after Clause 3A of the following clause –
“3B Amendment of Section 8 of Cap. 17:05
Section 8 (“Temporary Authority to collect contributions”) is amended
in subsection (1) by the deletion of “after consultation with the chairman of the Board”
Amendments to New Clause 3B put and agreed to.
New Clause 3B, as amended put and agreed to.
On New Clause 3C:
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVCIE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): I move to propose new Clause 3C. On page 4 of the Bill, by the insertion after Clause 3B of the following –
‘3C New Section substituted for section 6 of Cap. 17:15
Section 6 (“Private Voluntary Organisations to be registered”) of the principal Act is repealed and the following is substituted –
Private Voluntary Organisation to be registered
- (1) In this section –
“sanctionable trust” means a trust that may be dealt with by the Registrar in terms of subsection (7) on the basis that it is reasonably suspected of being in violation of subsection 2.
(2) No trust, body or association of persons corporate or unincorporate or any institution –
- Whose objects or any of them include any of the objects specified in paragraph (a) to (h) of the definition of “private voluntary organisation”, and
- Is not exempted by virtue of any of the sub-paragraphs (i) – (x) of the definition of “private voluntary organisations”,
Shall to the extent that it does not exclusively use its own funds or assets (that is to say, funds or assets generated by its own investments or other gainful activities carried on by itself) but instead –
(c) seeks or obtain financial assistance from any source within or outside Zimbabwe; or
(d) Collects contributions from the public, for the fulfillment or purported fulfillment of those objects:
Shall commence or continue to carry on its activities unless it has been registered in terms of this Act (even if it is a trust registered with the High Court referred to in sub- paragraph (iii) of the definition of “private voluntary organisations” in section 2).
(3) No person shall collect contributions from the public except in terms of this Act.
(4) No person (other than a trustee of a sanctionable trust in respect of which no action by the Registrar in terms of subsection (7) has yet been taken), shall in any manner take part in the management or control private voluntary organisations, knowing that the organisation is contravening subsection (2).
(5) Any person (other than a trustee of a sanctionable trust referred to in subsection (4) who contravenes subsection (2), (3) or (4) shall be guilty of an offense and liable –
(a) in the case of a contravention of subsection (2), to a fine not exceeding level 12 or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or to both such fine and such imprisonment;
(b) in the case of a contravention of subsection (3), to a fine not exceeding level 12 or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding one or both such fine and imprisonment
(c) in the case of contravention of subsection (4), to a fine not exceeding level 12 or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years or to both such fins and such imprisonment.
(6) No unregistered private voluntary organisation shall be entitled to receive a grant from the State.
(7) The Registrar may in respect of any sanctionale trust, dispatch the trustee or any of trustees of the trust in question, a written notice setting forth the basis on which the Registrar reasonably suspects the trust of being in violation of subsection (2) and requiring that the trustee commences within thirty (30) days of the registration of the trust as a private voluntary organisation in terms of the Act.
(8) Any trustee who having received a notice in terms of subsection (7) fails to comply with such notice shall, together with any other person who is a joint trustee of that trust in question, be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level 10, or both such fine and such imprisonment and the trust in question shall (even if not trustee is prosecuted under this subsection) be guilty of an offence in terms of subsection (2), and depending on the circumstance, subsection (3) and (4).
(9) Notwithstanding the common law, a trust together with its trustees can be charged jointly in respect of any offence alleged to have been committed by it and its trustees against subsection (2), (3) or (4).
(10) A trustee served with a notice under subsection (7) shall have a right within fourteen days of the date when the notice was dispatched to make written representations to the Registrar to have the notice withdrawn on the basis that the notice was made in error and if the Registrar –
(a) accepts such representations, the Registrar shall notify to the trustee in writing, of the withdrawal of the notice; or
(b) rejects such representations the Registrar shall notify the trustee in writing accordingly and the thirty (30) day period within which the trustee must commence from the date of the notification of such rejection.”
Amendments to New Clause 3C put and agreed to
New Clause 3C, as amended put and agreed to
On Clause 4:
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVCIE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): I move the amendments standing in my name that Amendment of Section 9 of Cap 17:05, Section 9 (“Registration”) of the principal Act is amended –
- In section 9 (1) by insertion of “and prescribed fee.” After “constitution of the organisation.”
- By insertion of the following new subsection
(“1) (a) In addition to the requirements in subsection (1), the Registrar shall require particulars as shall be prescribed, including information related to beneficial owner and persons in control of the private voluntary organisation”.
(c) in subsection (3), by the deletion of “submit any such objection to the board for consideration” and subsection of – “submit any such objection to the board for consideration” and substitution of “take such objection into consideration.”
- By repeal of subsection (5) and substitution as follows –
- Where the Registrar is satisfied that the requirements referred to in subsections (1), (2), (3) and (4) have been complied with, he or she shall consider the application, together with the constitution of the organisation, any objection to the grant of the application and any further information supplied in connection with the application may –
- After considering the application, grant it and issue to the organisation concerned, a certificate of registration subject to such conditions as he or she may impose; or
- Reject the application if it appears to his or her that:
- The organisation is not bona fide operating in furtherance of the objects mentioned in its application for registration; or
- The organisation does not, in respect of its constitution or management or any other information required to be provided by the Registrar, comply with the provisions of this Act,”
(c ) in subsection (6), by deletion of “Board” and substitution of “Registrar”.
Amendments to Clause 4 put and agreed to.
Clause 4, as amended, put and agreed to.
On Clause 5:
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE,
LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON.
PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair. I move
the amendment standing in my name that in Clause 5; “5 Amendment of Section 10 of Cap. 17:05
Section 10 (Cancellation or amendment of certificate”)
of the principal Act is amended as follows—
(a) in subsection (1) by the deletion of “Board” and the substitution of “Registrar”;
(b) in subsection (1)(a) by the repeal of paragraph (a) and substitution as follows—
“(a) on any ground, other than a ground referred to in Section 9(5)(b)(i) or (ii) upon which he could have rejected an application for registration by the organisation concerned; or”;
(c) in paragraph (f)(ii) by the deletion of “three” and substitution of “one”;
- in subsection (2) in the chapeaux by the deletion of
“Board may at any time direct the Registrar” and substitution of “Registrar may at any time”;
- in subsection (2)(b) by the deletion of “Board” and the substitution of “Registrar”;
- in subsection (4) by the deletion of “three” and the substitution of “twenty- one days”;”
Amendment to Clause 5 put and agreed to.
Clause 5, as amended, put and agreed to.
On Clause 6:
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE,
LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF.
MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair. I move
the amendment standing in my name that in Clause 6; “6A New section substituted for section 14 of Cap. 17:15
Section 14 (“Appeals”) of the principal Act is repealed and the following section is substituted—
“14 Appeals
- Any private voluntary organisation which is aggrieved by any decision of the Registrar relating to the rejection, either wholly or in part, of an application for registration or exemption or to the cancellation, amendment, surrender or restoration of a certificate of registration or exemption, may appeal against that decision to the
- Upon an appeal the Minister may––
- uphold the decision of the Registrar; or
- refer the decision back to the Registrar for re-consideration; (whether with or without directions on how the decision is to be reconsidered) on any one or more of the following grounds—
- allowing extraneous or irrelevant considerations to affect the decision; or
- failure to take into account relevant considerations in arriving at the decision; or
- any material mistake of fact or law that tainted the decision; or
- interest in the cause, bias, malice or corruption on the part of any person involved in making or contributing to the decision;
- gross irregularity in the proceedings or the decision of any person involved in making or contributing to the ”.
(v)HON. MUSHORIWA: Excuse me, Mr. Chairman, we have a technical problem. Which Bill are we debating? I am experiencing some technical glitches.
THE HON. CHAIRPERSON: It is the Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Bill… - [HON. ZIYAMBI: Muudzei awuye kuHouse.] - Can you come to the House please Hon. Member? – [(v)HON. MUSHORIWA: Mr. Chairman on a point of order, I am still having an outstanding …]
Amendment to new Clause 6A put and agreed to.
New Clause 6A, as amended, put and agreed to.
On new Clause 6B:
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE
LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair, I move the amendment standing in my name that in new Clause 6(b); “6B Amendment of section 18 of Cap. 17:05
The principal Act is amended in Section 18 (“Branches not controlled by private voluntary organisations”) by the deletion of “after consultation with the Board”.
Amendment to new Clause 6B put and agreed to.
New Clause 6B, as amended, put and agreed to.
On new Clause 6C:
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE
LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair, I move the amendment standing in my name that in new Clause 6C; “6C Amendment of section 19 Cap. 17:05
The principal Act is amended in section 19 (“Audit of
accounts”) in the proviso by the deletion of “Board” and
substitution of “Registrar”.
Amendment to new Clause 6C put and agreed to.
New Clause 6C, as amended, put and agreed to.
On new Clause 6 D:
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE
LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair, I move the amendment standing in my name that in new Clause 6(d); “6D Amendment of Section 20 of Cap. 17:05
The principal Act is amended in section 20 (“Inspections and examination of accounts”) by the deletion of the chapeaux in subsection (1) with the substitution of the following—
(1) The Registrar, or any of the Office’s inspectors shall be empowered—”
Amendment to new Clause 6D put and agreed to.
New Clause 6D, as amended, put and agreed to.
On Clause 6E:
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE
LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF.
MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair, I move
the amendment standing in my name that in new Clause 6E; “6E Insertion of New Part in Cap.17:05
The principal Act is amended by the insertion of a new Part after Part III as follows—
PART IIIA
CONDUCT OF PRIVATE VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS
20A Principles governing private voluntary organisations
(1) Every private voluntary organisation shall endeavour to conduct itself and its operations in accordance with the following principles namely that—
(a) to ascertain the identity of donors and the sources of donations:
Provided that if the donor is anonymous, the private voluntary organisation must satisfy itself by other means that the donor is acting in good faith within the law and that the donation is made in good faith without intent to evade the law;
- to refuse donations from illegitimate or immoral sources and to report to the Registrar and the appropriate authorities any such donation of which it becomes aware;
- to ensure that its resources and every donation is used for the charitable objects for which the private voluntary organisation is registered;
- to account transparently to its stakeholders including its donors and beneficiaries for the manner in which it distributes its funds and implements its programmes;
- to use formal channels (that is to say registered banking institutions or other financial intermediaries regulated in Zimbabwe or in any other State) for the transmission of its funds at every point from source to destination;
not to discriminate between beneficiaries on the grounds of nationality, race, colour, tribe, place of birth, ethnic or social origin, language, class, religious belief, political affiliation, opinion, custom, culture, sex, gender, marital status, age, pregnancy, disability or economic or social status, or whether they were born in or out of wedlock:
Provided that it shall not be deemed to be discriminatory for a private voluntary organisations to favour beneficiaries of a particular group if its express object or one of its express objects is to benefit any disadvantaged group or members of such group of a particular description in terms of ethnicity, social origin, language, class, religious belief, custom, culture, sex, gender, marital status, age, pregnancy, disability, economic or social status, or persons born out of wedlock;
- not to conduct themselves in any politically partisan manner whether by using its resources to benefit members of a particular affiliation or making any test of the political allegiance of its beneficiaries;
- to be sensitive generally to the cultural values and norms of the community in the area where they will be primarily operating;
- to economically and socially benefit the community in the area where they will be operating;
- in as far as possible to employ personnel who are Zimbabwean citizens or permanent residents as members of their staff;
the implementation of fair and safe labour practices;”.
Amendment to new Clause 6E put and agreed to.
New Clause 6 E, as amended, put and agreed to.
Clauses 7 and 8 put and agreed to.
On new Clause 9 A:
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair, I submit the new Clause 9A,
“9A New section inserted in Cap. 17:15
The principal Act is amended by the insertion after section 22A of the following sections—
22B Co-operation with foreign counterpart authorities
- The President or the Minister with the
President’s authority, may enter into agreements with the Government of any other country or territory with a view to the rendering of reciprocal assistance in any or all of the following—
(a) the registration of private voluntary organisations and the exchange of information related thereto;
- the exchange of information and the rendering of mutual assistance related to the combating of the transnational abuse of private voluntary organisations form for criminal purposes, the monitoring of the quality of the assistance given and the keeping of records of requests for information or assistance and of the responses thereto;
- the administration of any office or offices that are a counterpart to the Office of the Registrar of Private Voluntary Organisations, including the mutual secondment and training of the staff of the Office and such
- In particular, an agreement referred to in subsection (1) may empower the Registrar or the financial intelligence unit of the Reserve Bank, on his or her or its own behalf or on behalf of any law enforcement agency, to seek beneficial ownership or other information in respect of any company from the foreign counterpart, and, likewise, may provide beneficial ownership or other information in respect of any company to the foreign
- The President may at any time revoke any such proclamation by a further proclamation in the Gazette, and the agreement shall cease to have effect upon the date fixed in such latter proclamation, but the revocation of any proclamation shall not affect the validity of anything previously done
- Any agreement referred to in subsection (1) may be made with retrospective effect if the President considers it expedient to do so.
22C Information sharing on private voluntary organisations of concern with foreign counterpart authorities
- In this section—
“private voluntary organisation of concern” means a private voluntary organisation suspected of terrorist financing or involvement in other forms of terrorist support.
- The FIU, may in consultation with the Registrar enter into agreements with a counterpart agency of another Government of any other country or territory with a view to the exchange of information and the rendering of mutual assistance related to the combating of the transnational abuse of private voluntary organisations form for criminal purposes, the monitoring of the quality of the assistance given and the keeping of records of requests for information or assistance and of the responses
- In particular, an agreement referred to in subsection (1) may empower the Registrar or the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Reserve Bank, on his or her or its own behalf or on behalf of any law enforcement agency, to seek beneficial ownership or other information in respect of any private voluntary organisation from the foreign counterpart, and, likewise, may provide beneficial ownership or other information in respect of any company to the foreign
- Any agreement referred to in subsection (1) may be made with retrospective effect.
- For the avoidance of doubt, the FIU shall be the point of contact to respond to international requests relating to private voluntary organisations of
22D Minister may give policy directions to Registrar
- Subject to subsection (2), the Minister may give the Registrar such general directions relating to the policy the Registrar is to observe in the exercise of his or her functions as the Minister considers to be necessary in the national interest, which policy directions must—
- not be inconsistent with any provision of this Act; and
- be issued in good faith, apply prospectively and not retrospectively, and be of general applicability; in particular, the policy directions—
- must not be issued in relation to any particular application or appeal pending before the Registrar and must not apply so as to influence or direct the Registrar on the outcome of any particular application, appeal or other matter that is being considered by the Registrar immediately before the directions are issued, or
- must not prejudice the application of the rules of natural justice by the Registrar in the exercise of his or her quasi-judicial functions;
- clearly delimit the scope of their application and must otherwise not be vague or ambiguous in their terms; and
- clearly express the national interest at stake;
- must be clear (whether expressly or by necessary implication) that they apply or are in force for a fixed or indefinite period, or that they expire on the happening of any
- Before giving the Registrar any policy direction, the Minister shall inform the Registrar, in writing, of the proposed direction and the Registrar shall, within thirty days or such further period as the Minister may allow, submit to the Minister, in writing, his or her views on the
- The Registrar shall take all necessary steps to comply with any direction given to it in terms of subsection (1).
When any direction has been given to the Registrar in terms of subsection (1), the Registrar shall ensure that the direction and any views the Registrar has expressed on it in terms of subsection (2) are set out in the Registrar’s annual report.”
Amendment to new Clause 9A put and agreed to.
New Clause 9A, as amended, put and agreed to.
On Clause 9B:
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): I move the amendment standing in my name that on the Insertion of New Clause 9 (b), on page 10 of the Bill, insert a new clause as follows—
9B Amendment of section 23 of Cap. 17:05
The principal Act is amended in section 23 (“General offences and penalties’) by the insertion of the following subsection after subsection (3) as follows—
“(4) Any private voluntary organisation—
- that supports or opposes any political party or candidate in a presidential, parliamentary or local government election; or
- is a party to any breach of Part III of the Political Parties (Finance) Act [Chapter 2:12] as a contributor of funds to a political party or candidate or otherwise; or
- wilfully denies any beneficiary assistance in furtherance of its charitable objects solely on the basis of that beneficiary’s political affiliation, or wilfully makes such assistance conditional upon that beneficiary’s political affiliation; or shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of level twelve or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year, or both such fine or such imprisonment.
(5) Subsection 4 shall not apply to a private voluntary organisation which assists members of disadvantaged groups to become candidates for election to Parliament or any local authority:
“Provided that such assistance must be afforded in a strictly non-partisan manner.”
Amendment to New Clause 9B put and agreed to.
New Clause 9B, as amended, put and agreed to.
On Clause 10:
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): I move the amendment standing in my name that on the Insertion of New Clause on page 10 of the Bill, insert a new clause as follows—
Amendment of section 28 of Cap. 17:05
Section 28 (“Regulations”) of the principal Act is amended—
(a) by the insertion after paragraph (e) of the following—
“(e) (1) requirements to be submitted when applying for registration;
(e) (2) increased monitoring and supervision measures for private voluntary organisations found to be high risk;
(e) (3) measures of systems that private voluntary organisations can use in order to self regulate and prevent being misused in terms of section 22;
(e) (4) the disclosures of sources of funding from outside Zimbabwe whether in the application, the audit report or both;
(e) (5) any other matter of concern to assist in the combating money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing in the area of private voluntary organisations;
(e) (6) any other measures that promote accountability, integrity and public confidence in the administration and management of private voluntary organisations;
(e) (7) any other measures in addition to provisions in the law and the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act or any other enactment to ensure effective coordination and information sharing to the extent possible among all levels of appropriate authorities or organisations that hold relevant information on private voluntary organisations;
(e) (8) any other matter of concern to ensure efficient regulation of private voluntary organisations.
(b) by the amendment in subsection (2) of “fine of level four” and the substitution of “fine of level.
Amendment to New Clause 10 put and agreed to.
New Clause 10, as amended, put and agreed to.
On Clause 11:
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (PROF. MAVIMA): I move the amendment in my name that on page 11 of the Bill, by the deletion of Clause 11 and substitution of the clause as follows—
“11 Schedule inserted in Cap. 17:05
The principal Act is amended by the insertion of the following Schedule —
CIVIL PENALTY ORDERS
ARRANGEMENT OF PARAGRAPHS
Section
- Interpretation in Schedule.
- Power of Registrar to issue civil penalty orders.
- Limitation on issuance and enforcement of civil penalty orders.
- Service and enforcement of civil penalties and destination of proceeds thereof.
- When hearings on question whether to serve civil penalty orders may be held
- Evidentiary provisions in connection with civil penalty orders.
- Designated officers.
Interpretation in Schedule
- In this Schedule, unless the context otherwise requires—
“citation clause”, in relation to a civil penalty order, is the part of the order in which the Registrar names the defaulter and cites the provision of this Act in respect of which the default was made or is alleged, together with (if necessary) a brief statement of the facts constituting the default;
“date of issuance”, in relation to the service of a civil penalty order, means the date on which it is served in any of the ways specified in paragraph 3(1);
“defaulter” means the person on account of whose default a civil penalty order is served, and includes an alleged defaulter;
“designated officer” means an officer of the Registry or other person designated and authorised by the Registrar to undertake duties in connection with the implementation of this Schedule;
“penalty clause”, in relation to a civil penalty order, is the part of the order that fixes the penalty to be paid by the defaulter, and “fixed penalty clause” and “cumulative penalty clause” shall be construed accordingly;
“remediation clause” in relation to a civil penalty order, is the part of the order that stipulates the remedial action to be taken by the defaulter;
“show cause clause” in relation to a civil penalty order is the part of the order that requires the defaulter to show cause why the civil penalty order should not have been served or should be withdrawn.
Power of Registrar to issue civil penalty orders
- (1) Where default is made in complying with any provision of this Act or of regulations or orders made under this Act for which a civil penalty is specified in this Act and Schedule to be leviable, the Registrar may, in addition to, and without derogating from, any criminal or non-criminal penalty that may be imposed by this Act or any other law for the conduct constituting the default, serve upon the defaulter a civil penalty order of the appropriate description specified in this paragraph.
Specified Civil default
- (1) A registered private voluntary organisation shall be guilty of a civil default if there is well founded information available to the Registrar indicating that it has received any donation from an illegitimate or immoral source.
(2) Upon receipt of the information referred to in paragraph (1), the Registrar shall serve upon the defaulter a civil penalty order providing for—
- the taking by the PVO of the remedial action specified in the order to enable the PVO to ascertain the legitimacy of the source of future donations received by it;
- the suspension of the penalty for a specified period not exceeding fourteen days, by the end of which the PVO must satisfy the Registrar that it is in a position to be compliant in the future;
- upon the civil penalty becoming operative because of non-compliance with the requested remedial action, a penalty of one hundred united states dollars (or the equivalent at the auction rate of exchange ruling on the date of issuance of the order) for each day not exceeding ninety days during which the PVO is non-compliant;
- the suspension of the operation of the civil penalty order for a period of 48 hours from the date of its issuance to enable the alleged defaulter to show cause to the Registrar why the order should not have been issued, that is to say, to show that the order was issued in error:
Provided that—
- if no such cause is shown within that period the order shall be deemed to have been issued with effect from the beginning of such period;
- if within that period it is shown that the order was issued in error, the designated officer shall withdraw the order and make the appropriate notation of withdrawal in the civil penalty register.
- A registered private voluntary organisation shall be guilty of a civil default if there is well founded information available to the Registrar indicating that it has not used formal channels (that is to say registered banking institutions or other financial intermediaries regulated in Zimbabwe or in any other state) for the transmission of its funds at every point from source to destination.
- Upon receipt of the information referred to in paragraph (1), the Registrar shall serve upon the defaulter, a civil penalty order providing for— (a) a combination of—
- a fixed penalty of the amount of one thousand united States Dollars dollars(or the equivalent at the auction rate of exchange ruling on the date of issuance of the order);
- a cumulative penalty over a period not exceeding ninety days of five per centum of the outstanding amount of the fixed penalty for each day (beginning on the day after the service of a civil penalty order) that the fixed penalty or any outstanding amount thereof remains unpaid by the defaulter;
- the opening (within a period not exceeding fourteen days) by the PVO of a banking account with a registered banking institution or other regulated financial intermediary and
- upon the civil penalty referred to in paragraph (b) becoming operative because of non-compliance with the requested remedial action, a penalty of one hundred united states dollars (or the equivalent at the auction rate of exchange ruling on the date of issuance of the order) for each day not exceeding ninety days during which the PVO is non-compliant;
- the suspension of the operation of the civil penalty order for a period of 48 hours from the date of its issuance to enable the alleged defaulter to show cause to the designated officer why the order should not have been issued, that is to say, to show that the order was issued in error: Provided that—
- if no such cause is shown within that period, the order shall be deemed to have been issued with effect from the beginning of such period;
- if within that period it is shown that the order was issued in error, the designated officer shall withdraw the order and make the appropriate notation of withdrawal in the civil penalty
Limitation on issuance and enforcement of civil penalty orders
- (1) No civil penalty order may be issued more than twelve months from the date when the default or alleged default occurred or ceased to occur.
(2) A single civil penalty order may be served in respect of two or more defaults committed by the defaulter within a single period not exceeding six months, but if the aggregate of such defaults results in the defaulter becoming liable (either immediately or within seven days from the service of the civil penalty order) to a penalty or combined penalties in excess of the equivalent to more than twice the highest monetary penalty for which that person is liable in respect of any of those civil defaults, the Registrar may select one or any combination of those defaults which will not result in the defaulter becoming so liable, while reserving the right to serve a second or further additional civil penalty orders in respect of the defaults not so selected if the defaulter does not comply with the first civil penalty order.
Service and enforcement of civil penalties and destination of proceeds thereof
4.(1) References to the Registrar serving upon a defaulter any civil penalty order in terms of this Schedule, are to be interpreted as requiring the Registrar to serve such order in writing to the defaulter concerned—
- by hand delivery to the defaulter or his or her director, manager, secretary or accounting officer in person, or to a responsible individual at the place of business of the defaulter; or
- by delivery through a commercial courier service to the defaulter’s place of business or his or her principal office in Zimbabwe or other place of business of the defaulter; or
- by electronic mail to the defaulter whose electronic mail address is known to the Registrar:
- The Registrar officer shall not extend the period specified in a civil penalty order for compliance therewith except upon good cause shown to him or her by the defaulter, and any extension of time so granted (not exceeding in any case 30 days) shall be noted by the Registrar in the civil penalty register.
- The Registrar may, if the defaulter is a corporate defaulter—
- in the same civil penalty order, name the corporate defaulter and every officer of the company, syndicate, other corporate person or partnership concerned as being so liable separately, or issue separate civil penalty orders in respect of the defaulter and each of the officers concerned;
- choose to serve the order only upon the corporate defaulter without naming the officers if, in his or her opinion (which opinion the Registrar shall note in the civil penalty register), there
may be a substantial dispute of fact about the identity of the particular officer or officers who may be in default:
Provided that nothing in this subparagraph affects the default liability of officers of the defaulter mentioned in subparagraph (6).
(4) The Registrar may, in the citation clause of a single civil penalty order, cite two or more defaults relating to different provisions of this Schedule if the defaults in question —
- occurred concurrently or within a period not exceeding six months from the first default or defaults to the last default or defaults; or
- arose in connection with the same set of facts.
(5) Where in this Act the same acts or omissions are liable to both criminal and civil penalty proceedings, the Registrar may serve a civil penalty order at any time before the commencement of the criminal proceedings in relation to that default, that is to say at any time before— (a) summons is issued to the accused person for the prosecution of the offence; or
- a statement of the charge is lodged with the clerk of the magistrates court before which the accused is to be tried, where the offence is to be tried summarily; or
- an indictment has been served upon the accused person, where the person is to be tried before the High Court; as the case may be, but may not serve any civil penalty order after the commencement of the criminal proceedings until after those proceedings are concluded (the criminal proceedings are deemed for this purpose to be concluded if they result in a conviction or acquittal, even if they are appealed or taken on review). (For the avoidance of doubt, it is declared that the acquittal of an alleged defaulter in criminal proceedings does not excuse the defaulter from liability for civil penalty proceedings).
- Every officer of a corporate defaulter mentioned in the civil penalty order by name or by office, is deemed to be in default and any one of them can, on the basis of joint and several liability, be made by the Registrar to pay the civil penalty in the event that the defaulter does not pay.
- Upon the expiry of the ninety-day period within which any civil penalty order of any category must be paid or complied with, the defaulter shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level six or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or to both (in the case of a corporate defaulter, every one of its officers is liable to the penalty of imprisonment, and to the fine if the corporate defaulter fails to pay it).
- The amount of any civil penalty shall—
- be payable to the Registrar and shall form part of the Consolidated Revenue Fund or if a
retention fund for the Office is established in terms of section 18 of the Public Finance Management Act [Chapter 22:19] shall form the funds of that retention fund; and
- be a debt due to the Consolidated Revenue Fund or retention fund referred to in paragraph (a) and shall be sued for by the Registrar on behalf of the Consolidated Revenue Fund or the Registrar in any proceedings in the name of the Consolidated Revenue Fund or the Registrar in any court of competent civil jurisdiction:
Provided that for this purpose, the court of the magistrate in the district where the defaulter has his or her principal place of business shall be deemed to have jurisdiction to hear the suit even if the monetary amount sought would otherwise exceed its prescribed jurisdiction.
- Proceedings in a court for the recovery of a civil penalty shall be deemed to be proceedings for the recovery of a debt as if the defaulter had acknowledged the debt in writing.
- If the designated officer in terms of subparagraph (8) (b) desires to institute proceedings to recover the amounts of two or more civil penalties in any court of competent civil jurisdiction, the designated officer may, after notice to all interested parties, bring a single action in relation to the recovery of those penalties if the orders relating to those penalties —
- were all served within the period of twelve months preceding the institution of the proceedings; and
- were served—
- on the same defaulter; or
- in relation to the same default or set of defaults, whether committed by the same defaulter or different defaulters; or
- on two or more defaulters whose registered offices are in the same area of jurisdiction of the court before which the proceedings are instituted.
(11) Unless the Registrar has earlier recovered in civil court the amount outstanding under a civil penalty order, a court convicting a person of an offence against subparagraph (7), may on its own motion or on the application of the prosecutor and in addition to any penalty which it may impose give summary judgement in favour of the designated officer for the amount of any outstanding civil penalty due from the convicted defaulter.
When hearings on question whether to serve civil penalty orders may be held
- (1) If, in response to a show cause clause, an alleged defaulter satisfies the designated officer, that it is not possible within 48 hours to demonstrate that the civil penalty order was issued in error due to a material dispute of fact, or because the alleged default in question was not wilful or was due to circumstances beyond the alleged defaulter’s control, the designated officer shall afford the alleged defaulter an opportunity to be heard by making oral representations to the designated officer, for which purpose—
- no later than 96 hours after the issuance of the civil penalty order, the alleged defaulter must furnish to the designated officer an affidavit sworn by him or her giving reasons to show that the civil penalty order was issued in error due to a material dispute of fact, or because the alleged default in question was not willful or was due to circumstances beyond the alleged defaulter’s control;
- within a reasonable period from the receipt of an affidavit referred to in paragraph (a), the designated officer may serve copies of the affidavit on any person who, in the designated officer’s opinion, is affected by or may be a party to the default, together with an invitation to the parties to attend at a meeting to be presided over by the designated officer (giving particulars of its time and venue) to enable the parties to make oral and written representations at that meeting on the question, whether the civil penalty order was issued in error to the alleged defaulter and whether it should be issued to some other person or not issued at all; and
Provided that in such invitation or at the meeting, the designated officer may restrict the parties to submitting written representations only, before or no later than 48 hours after the conclusion of the meeting.
(2) The following provisions apply to every meeting convened under this paragraph in connection with the issuance of a civil penalty order—
- if the alleged defaulter fails to attend at the meeting the designated officer may proceed to issue the civil penalty order;
- the alleged defaulter bears the burden of showing on a balance of probabilities that the civil penalty order was issued in error due to a material dispute of fact, or because the alleged default in question was not willful or was due to circumstances beyond the alleged defaulter’s control;
- at the conclusion of the meeting the designated officer may—
- in the presence of the parties (if any) at the meeting announce his or her decision verbally whether or not to issue a civil penalty order, and, if so to upon whom, and if the designated officer decides to issue the civil penalty order the designated officer shall do so within twenty-four hours;
- cancel the civil penalty order or re-issue it with effect from the date of his or her decision on the same or another defaulter, or re-issue it with effect from the date on which it was initially issued if the designated officer finds that the defaulter’s objections to its issuance were baseless, vexatious or frivolous:
Provided that the designated officer may defer making a decision by no more than 48 hours after the conclusion of the meeting and give notice of his or her decision, and the reasons for it (together with the civil penalty order, if any), to the alleged defaulter or any other person found to be liable for the civil penalty.
Evidentiary provisions in connection with civil penalty orders
- (1) For the purposes of this Schedule, the designated officer shall keep a civil penalty register wherein shall be recorded—
- the date of service of every civil penalty order, the name and the physical or registered office address of the person upon whom it was served, the civil penalty provision in relation to which the defaulter was in default, and the date on which the civil penalty order was complied with or the penalty thereunder was recovered as the case may be;
- if the alleged defaulter responded to the show cause clause in the civil penalty order with the result that—
- the order was cancelled because it was issued in error, the fact and the date of such cancellation; or
- a meeting was held in accordance with paragraph 5, then—
- a record or an adequate summary of any representations made at the hearing by way of an entry or cross-reference in, or annexure to, the register (and if recorded by way of annexure or cross-reference, the representations must be preserved for a period of at least six years from the date when they were made to the designated officer);
- a record of the outcome of the hearing, that is to say, whether or not the civil penalty order was cancelled, and if not the date from which it was to have effect and whether a different defaulter was served with it.
(2) A copy of—
(a) any entry in the civil penalty register, and of any annexure thereto or record cross-referenced therein, authenticated by the designated officer as a true copy of the original, shall on its mere production in any civil or criminal proceedings by any person, be prima facie proof of the contents therein; or
(b) any civil penalty order that has been served in terms of this Act, authenticated by the designated officer as a true copy of the original, shall on its mere production in any civil or criminal proceedings by any person, be prima facie proof of the service of the order on the date stated therein upon the defaulter named therein, and of the contents of the order.
Designated officers
- (1) Any reference to the Registrar in this Schedule shall be construed as a reference to a designated officer.
- The Registrar shall furnish each designated officer with a certificate signed by or on behalf of the Registrar stating that he or she has been appointed as a designated officer for the purpose of this Schedule.
- A designated officer shall, on demand by any person affected by the exercise of the powers conferred upon the Registrar under this Schedule, exhibit the certificate issued to him or her in terms of subsection (2).”.
INSERTION OF NEW CLAUSES
On page 17 of the Bill, insert a new clause after Clause 11 as follows—
“PART II
CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS
MONEY LAUNDERING AND PROCEEDS OF CRIME ACT [CHAPTER 09:24]
Amendment to New Clause 11 put and agreed to.
New Clause 11, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 12:
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): I move the amendment standing in my name that;
Amendment of section 2 of Cap. 9:24
The Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act [Chapter 9:24] (hereinafter in this Part called the “principal Act”) is amended in section 2 (“Interpretation”) by—
- in the chapeaux of the definition of “competent authorities”
- the insertion of the following definition after the definition of “proceeds” —
“ proliferation financing” means any offence referred to in section 9A;”
- by the insertion of the following paragraph in the definition of “serious offence”— “(c) (1) a proliferation financing offence;”
Amendment to New Clause 12 put and agreed to.
New Clause 12, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 13:
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (PROF. MAVIMA): I move the amendment standing in my name that: -
Amendment of section 3 of Cap. 9:24
The principal Act is amended in section 3 (“Unit and competent supervisory authorities to cooperate in securing compliance with this Act”) in subsection (3) (a) by the deletion of the words “and terrorist financing” and substitution of “, terrorist financing and proliferation financing”.
Amendment to New Clause 13 put and agreed to.
New Clause 13, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 14:
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): I move the amendment standing in my name that on
Amendment of section 6B of Cap. 9:24
The principal Act is amended in section 6B (“Functions of Unit”) in subsection (1) (c) by the deletion of the words “and terrorist financing” and substitution of “, terrorist financing and proliferation financing” .
Amendment to New Clause 14 put and agreed to.
New Clause 14, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 15:
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): I move the amendment standing in my name that on: -
Amendment of section 6C of Cap. 9:24
The principal Act is amended in section 6C (“Further provisions on the Director-General, staff, agents and inspectors of Unit”) in subsection (1) by the deletion of the words “and terrorist financing” and substitution of “terrorist financing and proliferation financing”.
Amendment to New Clause 15 put and agreed to.
New Clause 15, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 16:
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): I move the amendment standing in my name that on
Amendment of section 6E of Cap.9: 24
The principal Act is amended in section 6E (“Unit to have access to information”) in—
- subsection (3) (b) by the deletion of “Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act [Chapter 10:27] and the substitution of “Freedom of Information Act [Chapter 10:33], Cyber and Data Protection Act [Chapter 12:07].
- In subsection (6) (d) (3) (b) by the deletion of “Access to Information and
Protection of Privacy Act [Chapter 10:27] and the substitution of “Freedom of Information Act [Chapter 10:33], Cyber and Data Protection Act [Chapter 12:07].
Amendment to New Clause 16 put and agreed to.
New Clause 16, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 17:
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): I move the motion standing in my name that on New section inserted in Cap. 9:24 , The principal Act is amended by the insertion after section 9 of the following section— 9A Proliferation Financing
- In this section—
“proliferation financing” means the act of providing funds or financial services which are used, in whole or in part, for the manufacture, acquisition, possession, development, export, transhipment, brokering, transport, transfer, stockpiling or use of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their means of delivery and related materials (including both technologies and dual-use goods used for non-legitimate purposes), in contravention of national laws or, where applicable, international obligations;
- Any person who by any means directly or indirectly wilfully provides or collects funds, provides financial services or makes such services available to persons, or attempts to do so, with the intention or in the knowledge that such funds are to be used in whole or in part—
- to manufacture, develop, produce or participate in the development or production of a nuclear biological or chemical weapon for use in terrorist acts or
- to distribute or supply a nuclear, biological or chemical weapon to carry out a terrorist act or
- to train persons or groups of persons to develop or produce or participate in the development or production of nuclear biological or chemical weapon for use by a terrorist or by a terrorist organization for any purpose (d) to carry out any other act--
- that has a purpose by its nature or context, to intimidate the public or to compel a government or an international organization to do or refrain from doing any act; and
- that is intended to cause—
- death or serious bodily harm to a civilian or in a situation of armed conflict to any person not taking an active part in the hostilities; or
- the risk, damage interference or disruption of any of the following kinds—
- serious risk to the health or safety of the public or any section of the public; or
- substantial property damage whether to public or private property involving a serious to the health or safety of the public or any section of the public;
- serious interference with or serious disruption of an essential service, facility or system whether private or public not being an interference resulting from lawful advocacy or from protest dissent or stoppage of work.
Commits the offence of financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and shall be liable to a fine not exceeding twenty-five million United States dollars and imprisonment for a term not less that thirty-five years imprisonment.
(2) An offence under subsection (1) is committed regardless of whether—
- the funds are actually used to manufacture, develop or produce nuclear biological or chemical weapons to commit or attempt to commit a terrorist act;
- the funds are actually used to distribute or supply a nuclear biological chemical weapon to carry out a terrorist act;
- the person alleged to have committed the offence is in the same country or a different country from the one in which the nuclear, biological or terrorist act occurred or will occur.
- a director or person in charge of a legal entity who commits an offence under this section is liable to a fine not exceeding twenty five million united states dollars and imprisonment for a term not less that thirty-five years imprisonment.
- Where a body corporate or its director, manager, secretary or other similar officer concerned with the management of a body corporate has been convicted of an offence under this section, the court shall have power—
- to revoke business licences;
- to order the body corporate to be wound up ; or
- to forfeit the assets of the body corporate to the recovered assets fund;
- prohibit the body corporate from performing any further activities.
- The taking of propriety steps including but not limited to requiring material or participating in the planning of an offence under this section shall be an offence and the person who commits such an offence is liable to the same penalty as provided for in the offence.
Amendment to New Clause 17 put and agreed to.
New Clause 17, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 17:
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERIVCE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair. I submit Clause 17, being new section inserted in Chapter 9.24, that;
The principal Act is amended by the insertion after Section 9 of the following section— 9A Proliferation Financing
- In this section—
“proliferation financing” means the act of providing funds or financial services which are used, in whole or in part, for the manufacture, acquisition, possession, development, export, transshipment, brokering, transport, transfer, stockpiling or use of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their means of delivery and related materials (including both technologies and dual-use goods used for non-legitimate purposes), in contravention of national laws or, where applicable, international obligations;
- Any person who by any means directly or indirectly willfully provides or collects funds, provides financial services or makes such services available to persons, or attempts to do so, with the intention or in the knowledge that such funds are to be used in whole or in part—
- to manufacture, develop, produce or participate in the development or production of a nuclear biological or chemical weapon for use in terrorist acts or
- to distribute or supply a nuclear, biological or chemical weapon to carry out a terrorist act or
- to train persons or groups of persons to develop or produce or participate in the development or production of nuclear biological or chemical weapon for use by a terrorist or by a terrorist organization for any purpose (d) to carry out any other act--
- that has a purpose by its nature or context, to intimidate the public or to compel a government or an international organization to do or refrain from doing any act; and
- that is intended to cause—
- death or serious bodily harm to a civilian or in a situation of armed conflict to any person not taking an active part in the hostilities; or
- the risk, damage interference or disruption of any of the following kinds—
- serious risk to the health or safety of the public or any section of the public; or
- substantial property damage whether to public or private property involving a serious to the health or safety of the public or any section of the public;
- serious interference with or serious disruption of an essential service, facility or system whether private or public not being an interference resulting from lawful advocacy or from protest dissent or stoppage of work.
commits the offence of financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and shall be liable to a fine not exceeding twenty-five million united states dollars and imprisonment for a term not less that thirty-five years imprisonment.
(2) An offence under subsection (1) is committed regardless of whether—
- the funds are actually used to manufacture, develop or produce nuclear biological or chemical weapons to commit or attempt to commit a terrorist act;
- the funds are actually used to distribute or supply a nuclear biological chemical weapon to carry out a terrorist act;
- the person alleged to have committed the offence is in the same country or a different country from the one in which the nuclear, biological or terrorist act occurred or will occur.
- a director or person in charge of a legal entity who commits an offence under this section is liable to a fine not exceeding twenty-five million united states dollars and imprisonment for a term not less that thirty-five years imprisonment.
- Where a body corporate or its director, manager, secretary or other similar officer concerned with the management of a body corporate has been convicted of an offence under this section, the court shall have power—
- to revole business licences;
- to order the body corporate to be wound up; or
- to forfeit the assets of the body corporate to the recovered assets fund;
- Prohibit the body corporate from performing any further activities.
(5) The taking of propriety steps including but not limited to requiring material or participating in the planning of an offence under this section shall be an offence and the person who commits such an offence is liable to the same penalty as provided for in the offence.
The principal Act is amended by the insertion after section 9 of the following section— 9A Proliferation Financing
- In this section—
“proliferation financing” means the act of providing funds or financial services which are used, in whole or in part, for the manufacture, acquisition, possession, development, export, transshipment, brokering, transport, transfer, stockpiling or use of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their means of delivery and related materials (including both technologies and dual-use goods used for non-legitimate purposes), in contravention of national laws or, where applicable, international obligations;
- Any person who by any means directly or indirectly willfully provides or collects funds, provides financial services or makes such services available to persons, or attempts to do so, with the intention or in the knowledge that such funds are to be used in whole or in part—
- to manufacture, develop, produce or participate in the development or production of a nuclear biological or chemical weapon for use in terrorist acts or
- to distribute or supply a nuclear, biological or chemical weapon to carry out a terrorist act or
- to train persons or groups of persons to develop or produce or participate in the development or production of nuclear biological or chemical weapon for use by a terrorist or by a terrorist organization for any purpose (d) to carry out any other act-
- that has a purpose by its nature or context, to intimidate the public or to compel a government or an international organization to do or refrain from doing any act; and
- that is intended to cause—
- death or serious bodily harm to a civilian or in a situation of armed conflict to any person not taking an active part in the hostilities; or
- the risk, damage interference or disruption of any of the following kinds—
-
-
-
- serious risk to the health or safety of the public or any section of the public; or
- substantial property damage whether to public or private property involving a serious to the health or safety of the public or any section of the public;
-
-
- serious interference with or serious disruption of an essential service, facility or system whether private or public not being an interference resulting from lawful advocacy or from protest dissent or stoppage of work.
commits the offence of financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and shall be liable to a fine not exceeding twenty-five million united states dollars and imprisonment for a term not less that thirty-five years imprisonment.
(2) An offence under subsection (1) is committed regardless of whether—
- the funds are actually used to manufacture, develop or produce nuclear biological or chemical weapons to commit or attempt to commit a terrorist act;
- the funds are actually used to distribute or supply a nuclear biological chemical weapon to carry out a terrorist act;
- the person alleged to have committed the offence is in the same country or a different country from the one in which the nuclear, biological or terrorist act occurred or will occur.
- a director or person in charge of a legal entity who commits an offence under this section is liable to a fine not exceeding twenty-five million united states dollars and imprisonment for a term not less that thirty-five years imprisonment.
- Where a body corporate or its director, manager, secretary or other similar officer concerned with the management of a body corporate has been convicted of an offence under this section, the court shall have power—
- to revoke business licences;
- to order the body corporate to be wound up; or
- to forfeit the assets of the body corporate to the recovered assets fund;
- prohibit the body corporate from performing any further activities.
- The taking of propriety steps including but not limited to requiring material or participating in the planning of an offence under this section shall be an offence and the person who commits such an offence is liable to the same penalty as provided for in the offence. I thank you.
Amendments to New Clause 17 put and agreed to.
New Clause 17, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause18:
Amendment of section 12A of Cap. 9:24
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERIVCE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF.. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair. I submit New Clause 18, being new section inserted in Chapter 9.24, that;
The principal Act is amended in Section 12A (National Money laundering and terrorist financing risk assessment and risk mitigation)—
- in subsection (1), by the deletion of the words “and terrorist financing” and substitution of, “terrorist financing and proliferation financing”;
- in subsection (2), by the deletion of the words “and terrorist financing” and substitution of, “terrorist financing and proliferation financing”;
- in subsection (3) (a), by the deletion of the words “and terrorist financing” and substitution of “terrorist financing and proliferation financing” in subsection (3) (b) by the insertion after the words “terrorist financing” of “and proliferation financing”;
- by the insertion of a new paragraph in subsection (3) as follows—
“(c) identify and assess the money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing risks that may arise in relation to virtual asset activities or operations of virtual asset service providers.”
- in subsection (7), by the deletion the words “and anti- financing of terrorism” and substitution of “anti- financing of terrorism and anti-proliferation financing”;
Amendment to New Clause 18 put and agreed to.
New Clause 18, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 19:
Amendment of section 12B of Cap. 9:24
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair. I submit Clause 19, being new section inserted in Chapter 9.24, that;
The principal Act is amended in Section 12B (Assessing risks and implementing risk-based approach by financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses and professions)—
- in subsection (1), by the deletion of the words “and terrorist financing” and substitution of “, terrorist financing and proliferation financing”;
- in subsection (4), by deletion of the words “and terrorist financing” and substitution of “, terrorist financing and proliferation financing”;
Amendment to New Clause 19 put and agreed to.
New Clause 19, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 20:
Amendment of Section 12C of Cap. 9:24
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair. I submit New Clause 20, being amendment of Section 12C of Chapter 9.24, that;
The principal Act is amended in section 12C (“Establishment of National Anti-Money
Laundering Advisory Committee”) in subsection (1) by the deletion of the words “and terrorist financing” and substitution of “terrorist financing and proliferation financing”;
Amendment to New Clause 20 put and agreed to.
New Clause 20, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 21:
Amendment of Section 12D of Cap. 9:24
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair. I submit New Clause 21, being amendment of Section 12D of Chapter 9.24, that;
The principal Act is amended in Section 12D (“Establishment of National Taskforce on Anti-
Money Laundering and combating of Financing of Terrorism”)—
- in the section head by the repeal of the section head and substitution as “Establishment of National Taskforce on Anti-Money Laundering, combating of Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation Financing”;
- in subsection (1), by the deletion of the words “and combating terrorist financing” and substitution of “combating terrorist financing and proliferation financing”;
- in subsection (2), by the deletion of the words “and terrorist financing” and substitution of “terrorist financing and proliferation financing”;
- in subsection (4), by the deletion of “anti-financing of terrorism” and substitution of “anti financing of terrorism and anti-proliferation financing”;
- by the insertion of new subsections after subsection (4) as follows—
“(5) The national taskforce shall come up a Charter in which it may outline matters of concern including processes and procedures of cooperation and coordination within the country in terms of combating moneylaundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing;
- The Minister responsible for finance may cause the Charter referred to in subsection (5) to be gazetted.”
Amendment to New Clause 21 put and agreed to.
New Clause 21, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 22:
Amendment of Section 15 of Cap. 9:24
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair. I submit New Clause 22, being amendment of Section 15 of Chapter 9.24 that;
The principal Act is amended in Section 15 (“Customer Identification Requirements”)—
- in subsection (1) (e), by the insertion after “financing of terrorism” of “or proliferation financing”;
- in subsection (2), by the insertion after “financing of terrorism” of “or proliferation financing”;
Amendment to New Clause 22 put and agreed to.
New Clause 22, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 23:
Amendment of section 16 of Cap. 9:24
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair. I submit New Clause 23, being amendment of Section 16 of Chapter 9.24, that;
The principal Act is amended in section 16 (“Timing of customer identification and verification”)—
- in the chapeaux of subsection (1), by the insertion after “financing of terrorism” of “or proliferation financing”;
- in subsection (1) (b), by the deletion of “and terrorist financing” with substitution of “terrorist financing and proliferation risk”.
Amendment to New Clause 23 put and agreed to.
New Clause 23, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 24:
Amendment of -Section 18 of Cap. 9:24
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair. I submit New Clause 24, being amendment of Section 18 of Chapter 9.24, that;
The principal Act is amended in Section 18 (“Reliance on customer identification by third parties”) in subsection (1) (a) by the insertion after “financing of terrorism” of “or proliferation financing”.
Amendment to New Clause 24 put and agreed to.
New Clause 24, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 25;
Amendment of Section 19 of Cap. 9:24
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair. I submit New Clause 25, being amendment of Section 18 of Chapter 9.24, that
The principal Act is amended in section 19 (“Customers not physically present”) in subsection (1) (a), by the deletion of “and financing of terrorism” of “financing of terrorism and proliferation financing”.
Amendments to New Clause 25 put and agreed to.
New Clause 25, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 26:
Amendment of section 20 of Cap. 9:24
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair. I submit New Clause 26, being Amendment of Section 20 of Cap. 9:24 as follows:
The principal Act is amended in section 20 (“High risk customers and politically exposed persons”)—
- in subsection (1) (a) by the deletion of the words “and financing of terrorism” and substitution of “financing of terrorism and proliferation financing”;
- in subsection (3) by the deletion of “and terrorist financing” and substitution of “terrorist financing and proliferation financing”.
Amendment to New Clause 26 put and agreed to.
New Clause 26, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 27 (Amendment of section 21 of Cap. 9:24):
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair. I submit New Clause 27, being Amendment of Section 21 of Cap. 9:24 as follows:
The principal Act is amended in section 21 (“Customer Identification and account opening for cross-border”)—
- in subsection (e) by the insertion after the words “financing of terrorism” of “and proliferation financing”;
- in subsection (f) by the insertion after the words “financing of terrorism” of “and proliferation financing”.
Amendment to New Clause 27 put and agreed to.
New Clause 27, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 28 (Amendment of section 25 of Cap. 9:24):
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair. I submit New Clause 28, being amendment of Section 25 of Cap. 9:24 as follows:
The principal Act is amended in section 25 (“Internal programmes to combat money laundering and terrorist financing”)—
- in the section head by the deletion of the words “and financing of terrorism” and substitution of “financing of terrorism and proliferation financing”;
- in subsection (1) by the deletion of the words “and financing of terrorism” and substitution of “terrorist financing and proliferation financing”;
- in subsection (1)(c)—
- in the second line by the insertion after the words “financing of terrorism” of “and proliferation financing”;
- in the third line by the insertion after the words “financing of terrorism” of “or proliferation financing”;
- in subsection (4)—
- in the chapeaux by the deletion of “and terrorist financing” and substitution of “terrorist financing and proliferation financing”;
- in paragraph (b) by the deletion of “and terrorist financing” and substitution of “terrorist financing and proliferation financing”.
Amendment to New Clause 28 put and agreed to.
New Clause 28, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 29 (Amendment of section 26A of Cap. 9:24):
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair. I submit New Clause 29, being amendment of Section 26A of Cap. 9:24 as follows:
The principal Act is amended in section 26A (“Higher risk countries”) is amended in subsection (3) by the deletion of “and terrorist financing” and substitution of “terrorist financing and proliferation financing”;
Amendment to New Clause 29 put and agreed to.
New Clause 29, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 30 (Amendment of section 30 of Cap. 9:24):
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair. I submit New Clause 30, being amendment of Section 30 of Cap. 9:24 as follows:
The principal Act is amended in section 30 (“Obligation to report suspicious transactions”)—
- is amended in (1)(b) by the insertion after “finance terrorism” of “and proliferation”;
- in subsection (4) by the insertion after “terrorist financing” of “or proliferation financing”
Amendment to New Clause 30 put and agreed to.
New Clause 30, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 31, Amendment of section 31 of Cap. 9:24;
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair. I submit New Clause 31, being amendment of Section 31 of Cap. 9:24 as follows:
The principal Act is amended in section 31 (“Inapplicability of confidential provisions and prohibition against tipping-off”) is amended—
- in subsection (2) in the third line by the insertion after “financing of terrorism” of “or proliferation financing”;
- in subsection (2) in the fourth line by the insertion after “financing of terrorism” of “or proliferation financing”.
Amendment to New Clause 31 put and agreed to.
New Clause 31, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 32, Amendment of section 37 of Cap. 9:24;
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA: Thank you Hon. Chair. I submit New Clause 32, being amendment of Section 37 of Cap. 9:24 as follows:
The principal Act is amended in section 37 (“Sharing of information with foreign counterparts”) in subsection (2) by the insertion in the chapeaux after “financing of terrorism” of or proliferation financing or potential proliferation financing”.
Amendment to New Clause 32 put and agreed to.
New Clause 32, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 33, Amendment of section 103 of Cap. 9:24
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA: Thank you Hon. Chair. I submit New Clause 33, being amendment of Section 103 of Cap. 9:24 as follows:
Section 103 (“Regulations”) is amended in subsection (2) by the insertion of the following paragraph—
“(e) any requirements or issues related to the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions as may be required to be prescribed.”
Amendment to New Clause 33 put and agreed to.
New Clause 33, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause 34, Amendment of Section 24 of Cap. 9:06:
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair. I submit New Clause 34, being amendment of Section 2A of Cap. 9:06 as follows:
The Criminal Matters (Mutual Assistance) Act is amended in section 2A (“Purpose of Act and powers and responsibilities of Prosecutor-General”) in subsection (1) by the deletion of “and financing of terrorism” with the substitution of “financing of terrorism and proliferation financing”.
Amendment to New Clause 34 put and agreed to.
New Clause 34, as amended, put and agreed to.
On Clause 35:
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): I move the amendment standing in my name that: - Amendment of section 6 of Cap. 9:06:
The Criminal Matters (Mutual Assistance) Act is amended in section 6 (“Refusal of Assistance”) in subsection (3) by the deletion of “and financing of terrorism” and the substitution of “financing of terrorism and proliferation financing”.
Amendment to new Clause 35 put and agreed to.
New Clause 35, as amended, put and agreed to.
House resumed.
Bill reported with amendments.
Bill referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON INFORMATION, MEDIA AND BROADCASTING SERVICES ON A BENCHMARKING VISIT TO KENYA ON THE LEGISLATION AND OPERATIONALISATION OF COMMUNITY RADIO STATIONS
HON. MOKONE: I move the motion standing in my name that this House takes note of the Report of the Portfolio Committee on Information, Media and Broadcasting Services on the benchmarking visit to Kenya on the Legislation and Operationalisation of Community Radio Stations.
HON TEKESHE: I second.
HON. MOKONE:
1.0 Introduction
Community radios are an effective tool of communication due to their affordability and ability to reach a large audience in the community, even to the poorest population in the remotest part of the world with inadequate infrastructure. The Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe recently licensed 14 Community Radio Stations which are yet to be fully operational. This prompted the Portfolio Committee on Information, Media and Broadcasting Services to conduct a benchmarking visit to the Parliament of Kenya so as to share best practices and experiences with regards to the legislation and operationalisation of Community Radio Stations in Zimbabwe. The benchmarking visit was scheduled for 13 to 20 November 2021, with a delegation of five Members of the Committee and two support staff. To that end, this report provides highlights of the Committee’s findings, observations and recommendations with respect to the legislation and operationalisation of Community Radio Stations.
1.1 Composition of the delegation
The delegation to Kenya comprised the following Members of Parliament and staff:
- Hon. Mokone, Sipho (Leader of the Delegation)
- Hon Hamauswa, Shakespear
- Hon. Masiya, Denford
- Hon. Nguluvhe, Albert
- Hon. Sithole, Josiah
- Ms. Maria Hlasera(Secretary to the Committee)
- Mrs. Betty Munowenyu (Researcher to the Committee)
2.0 Objectives of the benchmark visit
2.1The principal objectives of the visit were as follows:
2.1.1. To enhance Members of the Committee's understanding of the broadcasting laws governing the operationalisation of Community Radio Stations in Kenya with the view of adopting and recommending best practices in Zimbabwe.
2.1.2. To accord the Members of the Committee an opportunity to discuss challenges faced in the operationalisation of Community Radio Stations and measures which were put in place to curb the challenges.
3.0 Background to the study visit
3.1 Media monopoly has been a bone of contention in the media sector throughout the years hence the opening up of the airwaves in 2020 came at an opportune time, with the introduction of Community Radio Stations. Community Radio Stations can provide a valuable service to members of the town, city, or municipality in which it serves. In addition, a community radio can easily keep listeners abreast of important news at the local level. In Zimbabwe, the Broadcasting Services Act of 2001 provides for the implementation of community broadcasting. Article 7, (2) (b) of the BSA states that ‘the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe shall authorise the licensing of a community broadcasting service’. Presently, a host of other African countries now have operational community radio stations. A tour by all or some of the Members of the Committee gave Members an appreciation of how they were introduced and an insight on how they are being operated.
3.2 After realising the fact that Kenya has a vibrant radio sector made up of public, community, faith based, international, private and pan-regional radio stations, the Committee resolved that a tour by the Members of the Committee to Kenya was crucial for experience and best practices purposes. With a population of about 47 million in Kenya, the Committee was impressed by the fact that access to radio is regarded very high for both urban and rural populations, with 95% of rural and 94% of urban respondents having access in the home. Of note, over 50% of Kenyans get their news from the radio, especially in the rural areas. Having gathered this crucial information, the Committee felt that Kenya was the ideal country to conduct a benchmarking visit on.
4.0 Summary of the Study Visit Programme
4.1 The Committee attended the National Assembly Liaison Committee meeting where it met with the Speaker of the National Assembly. In his welcome remarks, the Speaker submitted that the Liaison Committee was established under the provisions of Standing Order No. 217 and consists of the Deputy Speaker as the chairperson, a member of the Speaker’s Panel who is also the First Chairperson of Committees who is the Vice-Chairperson and the Chairpersons of all Committees of the House. The delegation observed that the composition of the Liaison Committee in Kenya differs with that in Zimbabwe which comprises of all Committee Chairpersons, Party Whips and their Deputies, the Chairperson and Vice- Chairperson of the Women’s Caucus. The Speaker highlighted measures that were implemented with regards to the discharge of Committee Business amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. These included amendment of the Standing Rules and Orders to provide for hybrid meetings, integration of video conferencing facilities with the existing system and the launch of live broadcast to notify citizens of the proceedings.
Figure 1: The delegation posing at the National Assembly of Kenya’s Liaison Committee
4.2 The Committee had an engagement with its counterparts from the Departmental Committee on Communication, Information and Innovation. The delegation learnt that the Committee was established under Standing Order No. 216 and it oversees communication, information, media and broadcasting, Information Communications Technology (ICT) development and modernisation of production strategies. The Chairperson of the Committee on Communication, Information and Innovation indicated that Community Radio Stations were growing rapidly and extensively. He also stated that they provided an important platform for communities to engage on issues affecting their communities.
4.3 The delegation met with the Select Committee on Parliamentary Broadcasting and Library in Kenya. It was observed that the Select Committee oversees broadcasting of Parliamentary proceedings. Whilst Zimbabwe broadcasts Parliamentary proceedings on the public broadcaster, namely the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, the delegation learnt that the Select Committee had adopted a report on the formulation of Parliamentary Broadcasting channel that will broadcast Parliament House issues and Committee business on a twenty-four-hour basis.
4.4 The Committee also had the privilege to engage with the Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) at their offices, where they were informed that CAK is mandated to license broadcasting operators, content regulation, and to implement and review broadcasting policies. It was also further submitted that the Authority also deals with stakeholder complaints, managing and assigning frequency spectrum and issuing industry regulations, codes of practice and handling violations. The delegation observed that the mandates of the CAK were similar with that of the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe. During the meeting, the delegation learnt that Kenya has 186 FM radio stations of which 42 were Community Radio Stations. The 42 Community radio Stations were licensed according to their local languages and dialects as broadcasts were held in the local languages and their dialects. In comparison, Zimbabwe recently licensed 14 Community Radio Stations and these were licensed according to the sixteen officially recognised languages provided for in the Constitution and the stations are not yet fully operational.
Figure 2: The delegation interacting with officials from the Communication Authority of Kenya
4.5 The delegation visited the Daystar University Community Radio Station where they learnt that the station was managed by students guided by their lecturers. The studios at Daystar were operating at a radius of 30 kilometers airing programmes related to issues of drug abuse, mental health, sexual reproductive health, COVID-19 and other community related issues. In Zimbabwe, we also have Great Zimbabwe University Campus Radio Station, (Varsity Radio of Choice), which is Zimbabwe’s first campus radio station established by Great Zimbabwe University in 2020. The signal reaches across the Masvingo metropolitan area.
4.6 The Committee had an opportunity to meet with the United States International University Africa (USIU) Community Radio Station. The delegation learnt that proper research and planning were essential for starting and operationalising Community Radio Stations. The Deputy Director of USIU highlighted that they were guided by the national broadcasting legislation for their operations. The Committee also learnt that the university offered technical courses on transmitters and equipment for studios, amongst others. The Deputy Director also pointed out that the Community Radio Station came up with a programme policy that ensured the maximum community and student access and participation. The delegation observed that in Zimbabwe, the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe licensed seven campus radio stations which were managed by students and only one was operational.
4.7 The Committee engaged with the Centre for Parliamentary Studies and Training wherein they were informed that the centre conducts courses for the exposition and enhancement of knowledge, skills and experience of Members of Parliament and staff.
5.0 Findings
5.1 It was illuminated to the delegation that the Constitution of Kenya (2010) provides that broadcasting and other electronic media have freedom of establishment. This is subject only to licensing procedures that are necessary to regulate the airwaves and other forms of signal distribution; and are independent of control by government, political interests or commercial interests. The Committee observed that Kenya and Zimbabwe have the same provisions in their constitutions which provides for the freedom of establishment of the broadcasting and the electronic media.
5.2 In Kenya, Community Radio Stations are also licensed guided by the Kenya Communication Act (1998). The delegation learnt that the Act led to the establishment of the Communication Commission of Kenya which is currently named Communication Authority of Kenya. The Act highlights that the Ministry is responsible for issuing broadcasting licenses, whilst CAK provides technical regulation of broadcasting services in as far as management of the broadcasting spectrum resources is concerned. In Zimbabwe, the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe is established in terms of the Broadcasting Services Act (Chapter 12:06). Whilst in Kenya broadcasting licenses are issued by the Ministry, in Zimbabwe they are issued by the Authority.
5.3 The Committee was apprised that the Communications Act was amended in 2008, the amendments made in 2008 resulted in the Kenya Information and Communications Act of 2009
(KICA 2009). The KICA of 2009 recognises broadcasting as a distinct sector, and distinguishes between public broadcasting, private broadcasting, and community broadcasting. The Committee learnt that the KICA outlines the legal parameters of what it considers as community, community media, and the conditions under which community media are allowed to operate. The KICA defines a community and community broadcasting as follows:
- “community” includes a geographically founded community or any group of persons or sector of the public having a specific, ascertainable common interest;
- “community broadcasting service” means a broadcasting service which meets all the following requirements—
- is fully controlled by a non-profit entity and carried on for non-profitable purposes;
- serves a particular community;
- encourages members of the community served by it or persons associated with or promoting the interests of such community to participate in the selection and provision of programmes to be broadcast in the course of such broadcasting service; and
- may be funded by donations, grants, sponsorships or membership.
- The delegation learnt that this definition gives an opportunity for community radio stations to be owned or controlled by non- profit organisations or management board making decisions with the community interests at heart. This scenario raises questions regarding the independence of the community radio stations and it also leaves them open to the interpretation on how to ensure that the station is actually being run for the good of the community.
- In Zimbabwe, community means a group of people bound together geographically, with shared norms, values and tradition whose control is domiciled in members of that geographical space.
- The Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe further defines a “Community broadcasting service” as follows: “a free to air (radio or television) broadcasting service not operated for profit or as part of a profit-making enterprise which provides programmes that-
- Are for community purposes
- Are capable of being received by commonly available equipment; and
- Do not broadcast programmes or advertisements on behalf of any political party”.
5.7 The Committee was apprised that the amended Act guided the Authority in granting community radio licenses. It was explained that in granting the licenses, the Authority considered the following:
- The community of interests of the persons applying for the licence;
- Whether a significant proportion of the community have consented to the application;
- The source of funding for the broadcasting service;
- Whether the broadcasting service to be established is not-for profit, and
- The manner in which members of the community will participate in the selection and provision of programmes to be broadcast.
- In Zimbabwe, licensing and operationalisation of Community Radio Stations is provided for in the Broadcasting Services Act (Chapter 12:06) which is yet to be amended and the Statutory Instrument (S.I) 39 of 2020. The Statutory Instrument provides factors to be considered when granting licenses for Community Radio Stations and these are similar to that in Kenya except that in Zimbabwe, Community Radio Stations are required to provide source and proof of funding of the broadcasting Services.
- The Committee learnt that Section 6 (Part c) of the KICA (2009), encourages selection and provision of programmes to be broadcasted by not only community members but also ‘persons associated with or promoting the interests of such community. The persons by implication, may not necessarily be bona fide community members, but are involved in promoting the interests of the community.
- Apart from the regulation of community broadcasters as institutions, in Kenya there is also legislation in place to regulate the professional conduct of the individuals in the media industry as a whole, and not just in community broadcasting. Key among these is the Media Council Act, most recently updated in 2013. The delegation was informed that the Act instituted the Media Council of Kenya (MCK). The council is mandated with upholding professional standards in media practice through the accreditation of journalists, monitoring media organisations for compliance with content and conduct requirements, while upholding the freedom of the media. The council is also tasked with conflict resolution in case of any complaints against a media house by members of the public. Zimbabwe is yet to come up with the relevant piece of legislation to support the establishment of the Media Council of Zimbabwe. Currently, the Zimbabwe Media Commission oversees the upholding of professional standards, accreditation of journalists and upholding of the freedom of the media, among others.
- The delegation was informed that non-spectrum-based licenses were awarded on a first come first served basis whereas spectrum-based licenses were awarded based on the availability of spectrum and competitive selection. It was further submitted that in Kenya, communities apply for broadcasting licenses by downloading the application forms from their website and filling in the required information. The delegation was informed that they provided a platform of online application using smart phones and that the internet services were affordable. It also emerged that the CAK licenses community radios for marginalised groups such as youths, women and people living with disabilities who can be concentrated in a specific geographic area.
- In Zimbabwe, the BAZ used a phased approach in licensing community radio stations and in the first phase they identified areas that were traditionally underserved in terms of coverage. Additionally, in the second phase, BAZ identified officially recognized languages spoken in Zimbabwe according to Section 6 of the Constitution and they considered areas with languages that had limited expression on the currently licensed broadcasters. Further, in Zimbabwe licenses were not issued to the marginalized groups such as youths under the circumstances that the radio frequency spectrum was a limited resource.
- The delegation learnt that in Kenya they license Free-to-Air Community Radio Stations for a period of 10 years and they pay an application fee of nine United States dollars (USD), initial license fee of USD132 and an annual operation fee of USD132. It was further highlighted that they also have Free-to-air community televisions which pay an application, initial license and annual operation fees of nine and 263 United States dollars respectively. The delegation was informed that they benchmarked the fees with other countries and their fees were very low and affordable to the licensee as they were paid on an annual basis.
- Community Radio Stations in Zimbabwe pay an application fee of USD321, a basic licensee fee of USD646 per annum and a monthly frequency fee of USD26 per month.
- The delegation learnt that in a majority of cases, the funding for Community Radio Stations in Kenya came from outside sources in the forms of grants and donations, as opposed to membership fees contributed by the community. The Committee also learnt that the Commission monitors community broadcasters to ensure that the funds generated from operations of a community broadcasting station are re-invested in activities benefiting the community.
- In Zimbabwe, only foreign donations and contributions are prohibited and any funding model is permissible. In most cases, funding comes from the community through membership fees and donations. However, the regulations permit Community Radio licensees to come up with sponsored programmes for the sustenance of the Radio Station.
6.0 Challenges faced in operationalising and regularising the FM Community Radio Stations
6.1 Misconceptions of a definition of a Community FM station was the main challenge in Kenya. It was submitted that others defined a community station as a low power station. However, the CAK came up with a definition that was aligned to the UNESCO Community Radio Handbook, 2001 so as to clear the misconceptions. UNESCO defined Community broadcasters as those which are independent, not for-profit, and governed by and in the service of the communities they serve.
6.2 The delegation was informed that the Community FM station faced a challenge of airing of unverified news and information and biased reporting especially in representation of different groups and interests in the community. It was submitted that another challenge faced by community FM stations was of participation in politics, ownership by private entities under the guise of the community and poor management. The CAK official highlighted that they were yet to come up with solutions to some of the challenges encountered. However, the delegation was apprised that they have a Media Council which provides code of practice for journalists to deal with issues of biased reporting. Further, it was submitted that they ensure that every broadcaster has an editorial policy so as to reduce the airing of unverified news and they also have a monitoring system that monitors the information broadcasted in line with the code of conduct.
6.3 Misappropriation of funding from donations, grants, membership fees, sponsorship or advertising, and non-inclusion of minority and marginalised groups were some of the challenges faced by community radio stations. The delegation was informed that to deal with the issue of misappropriation of funds, they continuously conduct stakeholder engagement whereby the community stations provide quarterly returns to the Authority showing how much funds were disbursed and utilised. The CAK in conjunction with the Media Council, provides training to the stations so as to equip them with knowledge on journalism, reporting and management of funds.
6.4 The Committee learnt that Community Radios have been facing high turnover of personnel as stations cannot afford to pay staff. In this regard, they use volunteers who use the stations as stepping stones to better jobs.
7.0 Key observations by the Committee
7.1The delegation noted that the legal definition of community in the Kenyan broadcast legislation is flexible and allows for various groups of people to apply for a community media license as long as they can demonstrate shared interests. Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe’s current definition of a community was determined solely by geography, yet within a specific geography there are multiple communities with different interests.
7.2 The delegation observed that in Kenya, any persons associated with or promoting the interests of such community can broadcast the programme at Community radio stations. It was noted with concern that this may create the possibility of different or external agendas being played out in community stations. For instance, conflict could arise between community members and these other associated persons, in the case where the two groups have different priorities. The delegation highlighted that these ‘associated persons’ could manage the daily affairs and the programming of a community broadcaster in the name of promoting the interests of the community, without having gained the consent of bona fide community members. In Zimbabwe, broadcasting is done by the community and for the community.
7.3 The Committee noted that Kenya had a Media Council that observes and supervises the operations of Community Radio Stations to ensure that they are not broadcasting unverified news and information and inciting hate speech. Zimbabwe is yet to establish a Media Council despite the introduction of the proposed Media Practitioner Bill which is yet to be gazetted.
7.4 The Committee noted with great concern that the license fees for Community Radio Stations in Zimbabwe are very exorbitant as compared to those paid in Kenya. This was evidenced by late payment of application fees by the licensees within the initial deadline given by the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe.
7.5 CAK licenses community radios for marginalized groups such as youths, women and people living with disabilities who can be concentrated in a specific geographic area. In Zimbabwe, there is an outcry that the BAZ was not licensing marginalized groups such as youths.
7.6 In Zimbabwe, Community radio stations were licensed in accordance with the sixteen official languages recognised in the Constitution of Zimbabwe. It was noted that the 42 Community radio stations in Kenya were licensed in accordance with their local languages as well as their dialects.
7.7 Whilst the Communication Authority of Kenya provides a platform of online application using smart phones, Broadcasting Services Authority requests that application be submitted physically to their offices.
7.8 The delegation noted that funding of Kenyan community radio stations through grants and foreign donations has some negative impact on their operation. The community will not be in control of the financial aspect of the community radio station. It was further noted that this limits the station’s ability to truly be community-owned and run, because final decisions at the station would be made in consideration of the funder’s requirements rather than community preferences.
7.9 It was further observed that setting up community radios were made easier by the fact that Kenya was fully digitized.
8.0 Committee Resolutions
8.1 The Committee recommends the following:
8.1.1 That the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services should review the Broadcasting Services Act to include a provision that outlines the legal parameters for source of funding of Community Radio Stations by December 2022;
8.1.2 That the BAZ should consider the community of interests of the persons applying for the licence when licensing Community Radio Stations by October 2022;
8.1.3 That the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services should establish a Media Council that will provide a code of conduct for community radio journalists to deal with issues of biased reporting by Community Radio Stations by December 2022;
8.1.4 That the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe should lower the fees for licenses to ease the financial burden for applicants in community broadcasting by October 2022;
8.1.5 That the BAZ should provide a platform of online application for Community Broadcasting licensing by November 2022;
8.1.6 That through the Broadcasting Fund, the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services should provide financial and technical support to Community Radio Stations by September 2022;
8.1.7 That the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe should put in place effective mechanisms to monitor Community Radio Stations and ensure that funds generated from the operations are reinvested in activities benefiting the community by November 2022;
8.1.8 Additionally, that the Ministry should come up with laws that will discourage interference on ownership and programming by these organisations by December 2022; and
8.1.9 That the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services should come up with laws that discourages broadcasting of hate speech by December 2022.
9.0 Conclusion
9.1 Kenya is one of the countries that is growing rapidly and extensively with regards to the licensing and operationalisation of Community Radio Stations. Their Community Radio Stations are not only run by, but serves the interests of the community, thus the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services should adopt the best practices of the Parliament of Kenya and the Communication Authority of Kenya. I thank you.
HON. HAMAUSWA: Thank you Madam Speaker Sir. I rise to second the motion moved by Hon. Mokone on the report on a fact finding visit done by the Portfolio Committee on Media. Madam Speaker Maam, I want to emphasize that in Kenya it was a worthwhile visit because as Zimbabwe we are a bit behind and Kenya has been ahead or is ahead of us in terms of establishment of community radio stations.
One thing that I have learnt from Kenya is that the country is more diverse in terms of the tribal groups that are there. Kenya has also gone through political disturbances; yet in terms of establishment of the community radio stations, Kenya has shown maturity and wisdom. As a result, community radio stations in Kenya are being used as a vehicle to unify the community. It is also our belief as a committee that the way in which community radio stations are going to be implemented in Zimbabwe will also unify Zimbabweans.
In Kenya, through our discussions with the Parliamentarians, we discovered that all the Parliamentarians we met were united. You could not identify them by the political parties they represented, something that I also recommend to Zimbabwe that whatever programme we are implementing, it is important to find a common ground where we should be able to speak with one voice on the issues that are meant to develop our country. In Kenya, we realised that it is more important when people from one nation are untied - as a result they can implement and play a key oversight role.
The other thing that I also discovered in Kenya is the support that is given to Parliamentarians. Although we were focusing on community radio stations, it was also important that we also went to a centre which trains Parliamentarians in Kenya and they play an important role. In that regard of supporting Parliamentarians, the Kenyan Parliament has adopted a mixed approach; they have moved a bit from the British system of separation of powers and fused it with the American system to the point that their separation of powers does not cripple the Parliament. The Kenyan Parliament now plays its oversight role without the interference from the Executive. It is something that all the reports that we bring, the benchmarking visits, if we are not going to strengthen our system, these good reports will gather dust because the Parliament will not be independent.
We learnt in Kenya that their Parliament is independent because it has gone through certain reforms, especially in terms of establishing a centre that trains Parliamentarians. They are trained, they are equipped, and they can do or enroll on certain short course programmes, which is something that as Zimbabwean Parliament we can copy.
In terms of practice, although they say community radio stations are not for advertising and publishing political news, in Kenya they even said politicians are allowed to establish a community radio station. They said what is more important is to put in place a strong legislation which says if someone published hate speech then their licences can be cancelled. So they said you do not need to fear in terms of getting donor funding even from outside because our system does not allow community radio stations from receiving donations especially from outside the country. In Kenya, there is nothing to fear because you had the power to come up with legislation which then controls and those who are not able to comply; they can have their licenses cancelled.
It is something that we also want to urge the responsible ministries and the Government to reconsider the issue of support through donor funding especially where it says foreign funding. Over three million Zimbabweans are now living in the diaspora and by the provision which says donor funding is not allowed, it means we are excluding those Zimbabweans who are bona fide citizens of this country who are in the Diaspora and have free funds to support their community radio stations yet they are not allowed by the law. So the law has to be clarified, it has to be amended to allow support from donations, even allowing community radio stations to advertise because this is where they can get funding. It is not easy to run community radio stations. In other areas where we visited here in Zimbabwe, we had some people saying they donate goats and chicken. You cannot run a community radio station like that but it is important to look at the model of funding. Yes, we know the fears that when you allow funding from donors, there might be opportunities for detractors of this country to come in and fulfill the orders that they wish, the ones who pay the piper will determine the tune.
What is important, as I said before, is coming with a legislation which is fair, just and also that can be implement and as long as there is stakeholder consultation, with those running community radio station, I think we can also be like Kenya where we are going to be proud of having community radio stations even publicizing political issues. In my view, politics is also part of development. The moment we still say we cannot air or publicize messages, it means we are not yet developed politically. It is my call that we should consider that as a failure, if we put something in a law to say community radio stations should not discuss politics. Politics should be discussed; we should be able to say as Zimbabweans, what nature of political practice do we want. How can we be united politically, how can we say those who differ in terms of political ideology can sit at the same table. Here in Parliament, we sit together with different political parties; we have a Parliament composed of different political parties, they discuss political issues. The same should happen even at community level; people should be able to exchange ideas without resorting to violence. The community radio stations can also be the engines of enlightening people, bringing political consciousness to the people but because we are also limiting them in terms of access to information, if they are told that a certain leader of a political party is half black and half white, they will believe that because they do not have access to information.
These are some of the things that we can learn from those who have developed. Of course it cannot happen overnight but I am encouraging open debate about our politics. Sometimes we are where we are because of dirty politics. We are where we are because we are not allowing each other to discuss freely, to make our people united; they share different views and at the end of the day we all love Zimbabwe and these community radio stations really play a key role in terms of development; in terms of inculcating a culture of peace, tolerance and they need support. I call upon even the Ministry of Finance to really consider supporting the digitisation programme because it will open up more opportunities for more community radio stations. One day I hope we will also be allowed to open up community radio stations that will also support and enhance development within our country.
I also support the recommendations by our Committee that BAZ should consider the community of interests of the persons applying for the licence when licencing community radio stations. It is important to have a broader definition of a community radio station because there are also other players. Let us say in terms of soccer, sports – there might be a community of sports persons, they must also be considered in terms of having a community radio station so that our definition is not confined to geographical limitations. We can also consider a community of interest to say they are interested people who have common interests and they have interest in establishing a community radio station. It can be also a community of farmers where their main focus of the farmers is to share news about news; share news about their trade. So it is important to have such a broader view of community radio stations.
It is our hope that what we discovered in Kenya through the Committee and also support of the Ministry, we are going to realise, may be amendments to the laws that govern community radio stations in Zimbabwe. We hope that we are going to see more community radio stations coming on board, especially when the fees are going to be reconsidered. In most communities where we said people are selling their goats to support community radio stations, it is something that we say is actually an anomaly. It is actually against the idea of establishing those community radio stations.
If the Government says they cannot receive donations, the Government should be able to support through buying equipment for those community radio stations. Also, they should support them may be through a kind of an incubation system, whereby they are supported for say five years and they are weaned once they can stand on their own. To say on one hand, you are not allowed to look for funding then on the other hand the Government is not able to provide the required funding, I think it is actually contradictory and it is against the principle and idea of establishing those community radio stations.
So, it is our hope that the Ministry of Information and also the Ministry of Finance will consider to provide more funding to community radio stations and also reducing the licence fees so that our communities will also be able to establish those community radio stations. I am happy that something that is happening in Zimbabwe is also happening in Kenya, for example, the establishment of community radio stations at higher and tertiary institutions. In Zimbabwe, we have community radio stations at learning institutions, something that is also there in Kenya. It gives our students who are doing media studies to have a practical experience of how radio stations…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MAVETERA): Hon. Hamauswa, you are left with five minutes.
HON. HAMAUSWA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. As you can see, I am about to conclude. I will conclude by noting that even when we went to Kenya, we also applaud the Zimbabwean system though we say it can do better by also adopting something that is happening in other countries. We are not at zero but our call is to say, can we join the league of the number ones so that we are also at the top in terms of opening up and freeing the airwaves.
I was saying in Zimbabwe; we have campus radio stations; those community radio stations established at our learning institutions. It is something that is commendable. It gives our students who are studying media and broadcasting issues to have practical experiences in terms of broadcasting. It is something that is not found may be in other programmes but this establishment gives our students an experience. You know in Zimbabwe, when you are looking for employment they tell you to produce evidence that you have five years experience and now we have this opportunity for our students. Also, here comes the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, talking of Education 5.0. We encourage that whilst they have community campus radio stations, it is also going to be good if those students are also taught how to manage the community radio stations such that when they come out of the university, they can be instrumental in the implementation of community radio stations in our communities.
I want to thank you Madam Speaker and also thank the Parliament of Zimbabwe that allowed us to go to Kenya. The information that we got from there; the lessons that we learnt from Kenya, we hope they are going to help us as Zimbabweans, especially Madam Speaker, I want to reiterate the need for capacitation of Parliamentarians. When you sent us abroad, if we are not capacitated, we are not equipped enough to play oversight role on the Executive; these reports will gather dust and will not see the light of the day. So we call upon for establishment of a centre which trains Parliamentarians where we can even do some short courses online so that our roles are actually capacitated and effective. I thank you.
HON. BITI: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I would like to add my voice to the report on the Portfolio Committee on Media on their visit to the Republic of Kenya to study the issue of community radio stations. The right to freedom of information is enshrined in Section 61 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. So the Constitution of Zimbabwe protects the right to freedom of expression. It protects the right of the public to receive information. So the receipt of information in our country is actually a constitutional right. Beyond the right to receive information and the right to express yourself which is guaranteed in terms of Section 61, the Constitution of Zimbabwe has another unique provision in Section 60. In Section 60 of the Constitution, the Constitution actually recognises the freedom of the media.
So we have two separate provisions, Section 61 that deals with the right to protect freedom of information and the right to receive information from anyone and any public board. You have as a separate right, the freedom of the media. The freedom of the media includes three different categories of the media. One is the public broadcaster; the public broadcaster is covered under Section 60, and its duty and obligation is to give information impartially, fairly and to treat everyone fairly and equally, and to allow everyone to have the right of access to the public broadcaster fairly and equally without being bound by politics. Regrettably Mr. Speaker Sir, in Zimbabwe we have a public broadcaster that is subjective, a public broadcaster that has failed to treat every Zimbabwean equally and fairly.
The second category of the media is, of course, the private media. Whether it is newspapers, technology communications, social media platforms, private radio stations, private television stations and again Mr. Speaker, it is regrettable that 42 years after Independence, we do not have a truly independent alternative to the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC).
The third category Mr. Speaker, are the Community Radio Stations which were the subject of this visit. Mr. Speaker, Community Radio Stations means that they must be serving a community, must be owned by a community. A community can be defined as a grouping of citizens with common interest. You heard from the Chairperson of the Committee that they visited universities that run community radio stations – that is a community. In Zimbabwe, we have Community Radio Stations in places like Kariba, covering that community. So it is important Hon. Speaker that we codify, in our law, and we support the Constitution. We harmonise the Constitution with our laws by giving communities the right to speak for themselves through their Community Radio Stations.
Why should there not be a Community Radio Station for the Tongas and Bingas, for the Hlengwe, Shangani communities in Chiredzi, Chilunga. Why should there not be a Community Radio Station for the Budyas and Shumbas of Mutoko, the Nehorekas of Mutoko? Why should there not be a Community Radio Station for the Ndaus of Chipinge to articulate their community issues? Why should there not be a Community Radio Station for the Nambyas in Hwange, Matabeleland North? Why should there also not be Community Radio Stations for special interest groups?
In Zimbabwe, many people support Highlanders Football Club. Why can we not have a Community Radio Station for Highlanders Football Club, for Dynamos Football Club? I support a poor team called Black Rhinos Football Club, a Community Radio Station for Black Rhinos. We have churches Hon. Speaker; many of them are huge constituencies, the Catholic Church, the Anglican church, the Pentecostals: AFM and so forth. In these other countries and in Kenya where they went to visit, these communities have a right to establish those community stations as their voices.
It is important Hon. Speaker Sir, to allow people to speak. Part of the problem of Zimbabwe is that for 42 years, we have not spoken; for 42 years, we have hijacked ourselves under the labels that we give ourselves, whether the labels of political parties, tribe or region and that is not good enough Mr. Speaker Sir, because it fertilizes conflict and division. Part of the problem Mr. Speaker is the way we name our provinces. Why should we name our provinces Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Matabeleland? Why can we not say Northern Region, South Western region and so forth? Why do we create portals of division? If you look at our national identity cards Mr. Speaker Sir, I am an R47 because I come from Murewa. Others like Rusty Markham are zero zero. Why should we be identified by the suffixes of our national identification cards? If you are a 63, it means something else, and if you are 52, it means something else.
So continuously Hon. Speaker, we have created these portals, foundations of division but the thing that divides us most is politics. Politics, in Zimbabwe, is suffocating because it is politics of intolerance, durawalls and division. Where you have such corrosive politics Mr. Speaker Sir, it is difficult to come up with a common division. It is politics of hatred, exclusion, intolerance, and regrettably Hon. Speaker Sir, 42 years after Independence, that politics is entrenched.
One of the things you will see in Kenya confirmed by the report and by Hon. Hamauswa; they have their divisions, politics, political parties, and electoral coalitions which change every year Mr. Speaker. Who would have thought, Mr. Speaker, that in the last election, Raila Amolo Odinga fought President Uhuru Kenyatta but in 2022, President Uhuru Kenyatta is backing Raila Amolo Odinga against his own deputy, William Ruto? It is because their politics Mr. Speaker has transcended a certain level. They are able to speak the language of unified Kenya of one Kenya, one vision. We are not able to do that because we have never had forces that unite us as Zimbabweans and there is conflict and conflict.
If you look at the hatred on social media Mr. Speaker Sir, if you look at some of the things that are said in this Parliament – the language of hatred is so entrenched. We are not very far from Rwanda in 1994. Mr. Speaker Sir, you know what happened in Rwanda in 1994. In April, 1994 a million Tutsis were killed in Rwanda, and what was central to that genocide was actually a Community Radio Station. A Community Radio Station run by the Hutus which treated the Tutsis as cockroaches. The language we use in our society Mr. Speaker Sir, the language that we use in our country is not language of love. It is not language of solidarity.
So I submit Mr. Speaker Sir, that we need to re-calibrate our mindset, social and moral fabric, we need to restore a new social contract, a new consensus that we can see each other as Zimbabweans. It does not matter whether you are ZANU PF or not, it does not matter whether you are CCC or not, we learn to put Zimbabwe first but that has to start into communities that we live in, that has to start in the communities and villages that we stay – whether you are in Guruve, Dotito, Mukumbura, Chendambuya, Tsholotsho, Binga, Tjolotjolo – it has to start with that.
So I urge the following and accept and support the Committee’s recommendations. Let us have a clear legislative provision, harmonised with the Constitution that recognises that establishing of Community Radio Stations and it is a constitutional right. Let us remove red tape, bureaucracy in the establishment of Community Radio Stations. Secondly, let us remove barriers to the establishment of Community Radio Stations. The biggest barrier that is used is, of course, the entry requirements, the capital requirements of establishing a Community Radio Station. You heard from the Chairperson of the Committee that it only requires a licencing fee of USD9.00 per year to establish and register a community licence, we need that.
Thirdly, Hon. Speaker, let us deal with hate speech. Hate speech is already proscribed in terms of the Constitution. What is hate speech Hon. Speaker Sir? Hate speech is that speech that is not connected to anything that is objective. So it could be language of a tribal nature, attacks the way you look, where you come from, your disability, your medical condition and so forth. All those things constitute hate speech, your race and the colour of your skin. Our Constitution, like most constitutions in the world, recognises that hate speech is not part of freedom of speech and it is not part of freedom of expression. One can plead that I have got freedom of expression and I want to say something that is hateful. Let us also make sure that just like we have universities in every region, we have a National University of Science and Technology in Matabeleland, we have a University in Lupane, it is so important that we have universities in every district or province in this country.
It is also important that we have community radio stations, particularly community radio stations that are concomitant with the 14 languages that are spoken and spelt out in our Constitution. Setting up a community radio station Mr. Speaker Sir now is very cheap - all you need is a computer. The actual establishment of a radio station is not the problem. What is the biggest problem in Zimbabwe is the legal environment, it is the registration legal requirements that can be dealt with if our broadcasting laws are hamornised with the Constitution and so far, that has not happened. When we established these community radio stations, we must make sure that they are community radio stations, we must not allow them to be hijacked by political interests. They must speak the languages of the communities and we know what is affecting our communities. What is affecting our communities are community issues like drought, community issues such as the fact that for instance I was in my own rural home recently, people are concerned by the fact that cotton was bought but it has not been paid for, for two years. The little payment that has been received has been payment in groceries, you do not need groceries when you are a farmer; you need money to buy inputs for the following season.
Mr. Speaker, people are concerned by the fact that they are delivering grain to the GMB but the GMB is not paying and when it pays, it pays 75 000 dollars. Community radio stations must speak to community issues - that is the relevance. Community radio stations must speak to the issues that are affecting people. What are the issues that are affecting our people - it is unemployment, it is the rate that is now at 1 200, it is being paid in bond notes when everything else is expressed in US dollars. People are being paid late by the GMB when the agricultural season has started.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I hope the Executive will listen and I hope the Executive will harmonise our laws so that the right to freedom of expression and the right of the media is codified and protected under Section 60 and Section 61 of our Constitution becomes a reality and is actualised. I thank you very much Mr. Speaker.
HON. MOKONE: I would like to thank Hon. Members who debated on this important report. I move that the report be withdrawn from the Order Paper.
Motion, with leave, withdrawn.
MOTION
BUSINESS 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 has been disposed of.
HON. MPARIWA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE 66TH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN
HON. BHUDA-MASARA: I move the motion standing in my name that this House takes note of the Report of the 66th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women from 14th to 25th March, 2022.
HON. MADIWA: I second.
HON. BHUDA-MASARA:
1.0 INTRODUCTION
UN Women convenes the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) annually. The CSW’s mandate is, among other things, to receive State Parties reports, consider and prepare recommendations on promoting women's rights in political, economic and civil, and social rights. It is also an advocacy platform where calls are made to member states to address the challenges faced by women in all walks of life. This is in compliance with the provision of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of 1995. The 66th Session was held in a hybrid format from March 14 - 25, 2022 under the theme, “Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes.” This report provides a summary of major outcomes of the presentations and deliberations of side events attended by the Parliament delegation.
1.1 Zimbabwe Delegation
- The head of delegation- President of the Senate. Hon M. Chinomona,
- Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (ZWPC) - Hon G. Kwaramba
- Vice Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (ZWPC) - Hon S. Budha-Masara.
- Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Women Affairs, Community and SMEs Development - Hon C. Madiwa
- Parliament Secretariat, Deputy Clerk, Ms H. B Dingani, Director in Madam President of the Senate’s Office, Mr. K, Guvi, ZWPC Desk Officer, Mrs F Chidongo and Aide to Madam President, Ms. C. Makeke.
2.0 OFFICIAL OPENING CEREMONY
The Zimbabwe delegation was unable to attend the Official Opening due to the delay in arrival. However, the Zimbabwe ambassador to the United Nations and his officers attended and briefed the delegation on issues that had been highlighted. Besides the delegation from Parliament and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Zimbabwe had representatives from the Zimbabwe Gender Commission, the Women’s Bank, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water Climate and Rural Resettlement, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Ministry of Energy and Power Development and Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
4.0 Side Events Hosted by Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe held two side events. The first one on 17 March 2022 was co-hosted by the Permanent Zimbabwe Mission to the UN together with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The purpose of this event was to highlight the contribution of science and technology towards agriculture. It featured specific projects implemented in Zimbabwe involving crop mutation breeding whilst exploring some of the myths around nuclear techniques and how farmers, scientists and policy makers can cooperate to support the achievements of government’s development priorities in agriculture. Nuclear technologies help to preserve soil and fresh water sources and support climate smart agriculture and enable development of more resilient crops to improve food security and adaptation to climate change. This is a tool for empowering women and girls, ensuring food security and sustainability, reducing poverty and ultimately enhancing development which has been used to produce new, mutant, drought and post resilient cow peas variant in Zimbabwe, resulting in higher crop yields for women farmers which has increased yields by 10-20% with support from the IAEA and UN Food and Agriculture Organisation.
The second side event held on Wednesday 23 March 2022 was spearheaded and coordinated by the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development together with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Ministry of Energy and Power Development, Parliament and UN Women in Zimbabwe. The President of the Senate gave the opening remarks whilst setting the tone of the event. The purpose of the event was to demonstrate gender responsive interventions being done to mitigate against climate change in terms of policies and programmes and the need to increase gender integration into climate change.
A documentary was showcased on three interventions on climate change. The first was a case study of the Pfumvudza project in agriculture, a panacea for empowering women in Zimbabwe and ensuring food security. The second was the success story of the Mashaba Solar Mini grid project addressing both productive and consumptive needs of women and men through renewable energy supply. The third was the famous tsotso stove which uses twigs for cooking fuel than logs hence reducing deforestation. The documentary highlighted the training of women in setting up biogas digesters and also the usefulness of nutritional gardens.
5.0 OUTCOMES FROM SIDE EVENTS DELIBERATIONS
The triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution poses a threat to the lives, livelihoods, economies, culture and health of communities and societies worldwide. Its human rights impacts are compounded by gender-based discrimination and disproportionately affects women.
5.1 Climate Change and Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR)
The climate crisis directly and disproportionately impacts women and girls’ lives and well-being and deepens gender inequality. This impact can be felt acutely as regards SRHR. Addressing the interconnections between gender equality, the environment and sustainable development is crucial for SRHR and elevating the voices of women is central. An often overlooked aspect of the climate crisis is how it intersects with sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). There are a range of devastating impacts including increased levels of sexual and gender-based violence, reduced or unavailable services in areas affected by climate-related disasters, meaning access to services like contraception, safe abortion care, and STI testing, and treatment is blocked as well as impacts on menstrual health and hygiene. Through a diverse panel of speakers from UN organizations, civil society and governments, these linkages highlighted the importance of promoting women’s leadership. A good example was that of Cyclone Idai where infrastructure was destroyed and women had no access to SRHR. There is need for extensive analysis of SRHR evidence and to consider the transferability of promising approaches and lessons on gender programming from the SRHR space to strategies and interventions aimed at mitigating and responding to climate change.
5.2 Women, Climate Change and Clean Fuels
Much is known about the disastrous impact of traditional cooking fuels and technologies on the health and productivity of the 2.8 billion people – for the most part women – who lack access to clean cooking. Focus on the virtuous cycle clean cooking can trigger for women: better health, better economic opportunities, increased participation in community affairs, leadership due to reduced unpaid care work and overall better gender equality. The voices of both the private sector and the public shared encouraging stories about women’s ability to transition to clean cooking and to enhance gender equality through specific interventions in the clean cooking area. The government should therefore tap into PPPs to invest in clean energy in light of empowerment of women and mitigate against climate change.
5.3 Women, Climate Change and Health
The events were a continuation of a long term agenda to incorporate women’s life course healthcare into the UN agenda with a focus on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) especially in context of the greatest burdens of global diseases. These include the major non-communicable diseases (NCDs), specifically cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, respiratory illnesses and mental health conditions. With the challenges of COVID-19, NCDs have taken centre stage in relevance to healthcare. With the increasing concerns of the consequences of the impact of climate change, and the major role of women in family health, and providing frontline community healthcare, the importance of UHC and women’s health must be addressed in a systematic and cohesive manner.
The UN Friends of Vision also hosted and discussed the intersection between vision, gender and climate change, and called for the urgent need to dismantle structural and socio-cultural barriers that contribute to keeping women and girls trapped in poverty and disproportionately vulnerable to vision impairment and climate change. Climate change and eye health are linked in a cause-and-effect cycle that threatens to undo decades of progress in global health and leave vulnerable populations of women and girls at risk of being left behind. The economic, social, and cultural norms that make women and girls in low and middle-income countries more susceptible to poverty are the same factors that put them at greater risk of vision impairment and climate change related events especially using unclean fuels. Conversely, the impacts of climate change and vision impairment perpetuate the cycle of socio-economic marginalization of women and girls and impede progress towards gender equality. A call is made to the executive to provide adequate funding to the Ministry of Health and Child Care to address the raised health concerns.
- Women and ICT Solutions to Environmental Disasters Risks and Climate Change and Technology
Telecommunication infrastructure, technology, services, and standards are fundamental in both reducing the risk of disasters and in responding to disasters that occur as a result of natural hazards. Information communication technologies (ICTs) can help to map hazards and risks, provide early warning of disaster events, maintain lines of communication for affected people as well as national and international responders, and ensure access to vital information in the aftermath of disasters. While the potential of ICTs to save lives has been clearly demonstrated over the past decades, there remains a fundamental gender inequality in digital access that can have deadly consequences. Emergency telecommunications response experiences in the past have shown that “...the timely receipt, understanding and acting on life saving information during disasters is proportional to the access to, and use of, voice and data connectivity.” Globally women are 12.5% less likely to use the internet and this digital gender divide reaches up to 33% in least developed countries. Gender-based gaps in the access to, and usage of ICTs and to the corresponding digital opportunities mean that not only are women prevented from accessing life saving information in crisis situations, endangering entire communities, but also from equal participation in the societal level responses and long-term resilience building processes. Women’s perspectives, skills, and experiences are not equally represented, developed, or utilized in disaster risk management. It is vital that they are included in the design of policies and programmes to ensure existing social inequalities are not further entrenched. When it comes to developing risk reduction policies and programmes, a woman’s ability to access, use and engage with ICTs has a direct impact not only on her own survival but on the resilience and safety of her whole community
5.4 Women, Climate Change and Livelihoods
The impacts of climate change compound economic, political, social and environmental pressures which can lead to the loss of livelihoods, increased competition over resources or displacement and migration, as well as volatile food prices and provisions, among others. These risks can undermine relationships, social cohesion, peace and security, as well as reverse gains made to development. However, gender dynamics are still generally lacking in climate-security policy-making and practice to date. Women in developing countries like Tanzania, have their livelihood dependence on land and natural resources.
Reports have shown that land use activities contributes to the total carbon emission but on other hand, land-based solutions which engage women contribute to overcoming challenges of climate change, food insecurity and land degradation. The Land Use Planning Framework in Tanzania guides communities to plan, use, govern and manage land and land uses. Holistic implementation of the framework guarantees women’s land and other related rights, but also contributes to the fight against climate change. Reports have shown that land use activities contributes to the total carbon emission but on the other hand, land-based solutions which engage women contribute to overcoming challenges of climate change, food insecurity and land degradation. Holistic implementation of the framework would guarantee women’s land rights and other related rights, but also contribute to the fight against climate change. Zimbabwe could take a leaf from the Land Use Planning Framework in Tanzania.
5.5 Women, Religious Actors and Local partners as Front Liners of Climate Change
Women and girls in all their diversity are on the frontline of the climate emergency. In communities experiencing climate-induced crises, women, religious actors and local partners are frequently first responders advocating for policy changes, and transforming social norms. Religious actors play an important role in the formation of people’s values, norms of acceptable behaviour and life roles. Consequently, religious actors occupy a unique position to make trans- formational and sustained progress towards gender equality and empowerment and local partners are critical stakeholders in achieving gender equality and climate justice. Women also have a unique perspective to develop creative and effective solutions. The relevance of integrating women’s leadership and gender equality into climate policies and action is acknowledged internationally. At COP26 for instance, it was recognized “that the full, meaningful and equal participation and leadership of women in all aspects of the UNFCCC process and in national and local level climate policy and action is vital for achieving long term climate goals”. Women have also proven to be crucial agents of change in the areas of resource sustainability and driving forces behind the shift to a well-being economy.
The necessary responses to climate change will have to include a broad social and economic transformation. Recognizing the need to first collect relevant gender-sensitive and disaggregated data calls for capacity building for gender-transformative and inclusive strategies and policy approaches to climate change.
5.6 Climate Finance and Gender Justice
The climate emergency demands urgent and gender-transformative action. Structural and systemic gender inequalities shape the climate emergency. Unequal participation in formal economies and decision-making processes, limited access to finance and information, and greater domestic responsibilities compounds gender inequalities. The power of gender-responsive finance is needed to turn words into action.
In practice, gender is still not fully integrated in many climate adaptation policies, plans and programmes. Implementation of and funding for gender responsive climate adaptation remains a challenge.
6.0 ACTION PLAN BY THE DELEGATION
6.1 The delegation recommends that the Zimbabwe Women’s Parliamentary Caucus and Parliament should;
Item |
Action |
Responsibility |
Timeline
|
1.Call for adequate resources to be availed towards ministries dealing with climate change issues,
|
- Exercise their role in the budget making process - Advocacy on adequate budget allocations for climate change programming - Oral evidence from Ministry of Agriculture on Nuclear Technology in fighting climate change and empowering women |
Portfolio Committees:
1.Portfolio Comm on Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, 2. Portfolio Comm on Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry. 3 Portfolio Comm on Energy and Power Development, ZWPC |
Work plans to be determined by Committees
Pre- budget Seminar 2022 |
2. Conduct outreach activities to rural communities on Climate change |
-Raise awareness in rural communities on the need for women to be actively involved in climate change committees at local level - Partner with relevant ministries to go on tours of climate change adaptation and mitigation projects eg. Tsotso project Mashaba Solar grid project and the Biogas digesters |
1. Zimbabwe Women’s Parliamentary Caucus 2. Portfolio Committee on Environment, Climate and Tourism |
Work plan to be determined by the portfolio Committee
September 2022 |
3.Increased women participation in mitigation and adaptation to climate change national strategy |
- Exercising its oversight function Parliament must call on the Ministry ensure the national strategy on Climate change mitigation and adaptation provides for full and effective participation of women - Advocacy work by the ZWPC through engagement of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism - Lobby for the updating of the Climate change policy |
1. Portfolio Committee on Environment and Tourism 2. Thematic and Portfolio Committee on Women Affairs Gender and Development
3. Women Caucus |
Work plan to be determined by the Portfolio Committee December 2022 ZWPC to engage Ministry by September 2022 |
4.Engage Private sector on the need for women active participation in Climate change mitigation and adaptation |
-Oversight - Engage mobile networks to assess their role in mobile communication networks and partnerships in disaster risk management programmes -Advocacy by the ZWPC on Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in funding Climate change |
1. Portfolio Committees on ICT, Postal and Courier Services, Women Affairs CSMED, Thematic Committee on Gender and Development 2. ZWPC
|
Work plan to be determined by the committees
ZWPC Work Plan September 2022 |
5.Legislative analysis |
- Legislative function- Ensure the Climate Change Bill is gender inclusive and sensitive. - Conduct a Bill analysis –identify gaps and present amendments - Advocacy role of the ZWPC – roll out the 50/50 position composition in all boards relating to Climate change - Work with Women’s Rights Organisations WROs on climate change issues especially on SRHR. - Legislative/ representative functions on National Health Insurance in line with NDS1 - Advocate for a National Health Insurance in line with NDS1 |
Portfolio Committees; 1. Women Affairs, Community Small and Medium Enterprises Development 2. Labour and Social Services 3. Health and Child care 4. Thematic Committee on Gender and Development
5. Women’s Caucus
|
Work plans to be determined by relevant portfolio committees
December 2022 |
4.0 Conclusion
When climate adaptation plans, policies and programmes are gender responsive or transformative, they address important barriers to equitable adaptation and resilience strengthening such as gender and social inequalities or differences in vulnerability. Robust gender analysis is key to understand and integrate indigenous knowledge and expertise. Women’s meaningful participation and leadership in climate action and climate diplomacy ensure the inclusion of priorities of women, girls and other marginalised groups. Women’s meaningful participation and leadership in climate action and climate diplomacy ensure the inclusion of priorities of women, girls and other marginalised groups. I thank you.
HON MADIWA: I want to second the report tabled by Hon. Masara on the 66th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women whose theme was - Achieving Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women and Girls in the context of Climate Change, Environmental and Disaster Risk Reduction, Policies and Programmes.
To start with, I want to thank the Government of Zimbabwe for availing resources for the delegation to attend the CSW. Zimbabwe is a signatory to various protocols on women. This is a step in the right direction as we talk of women advancement and empowerment. Let me say Zimbabwe has ratified a lot of international protocols and declarations, for example the Beijing Platform of Action and CEDAW. At continental level we have the Maputo Protocol and at regional level we have SADC Gender Protocol. At local level, a lot has been done by our Government, for example our Constitution which is the supreme law of the land promotes gender equality by stating that men and women are equal. All these are efforts by our Government to make sure that everyone is taken on board as we talk of developmental issues. As we talk about discrimination, at continental level, Zimbabwe has been seen as one country that has driven the gender agenda very well. I want to thank our Government for that.
The CSW is a platform whereby UN member states come together to showcase what they are doing or to give reports on what they have been doing in terms of implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action. No wonder why I am thanking our Government because every year Zimbabwe sends a delegation so that it shows the whole world what is being done when we talk of women empowerment and advancement.
The CSW is a principal global inter-governmental body dedicated to gender equality and empowerment of women and it is a functional commission of ECOSOC, the Economic Commission of the Economic and Social Council which was established in 1946. Nations come together to exchange ideas and report on what they are doing in terms of implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action. Every year there is a theme and this time we are talking of women and climate change. Every year there is a special theme that is given a priority that is discussed and this year it was on climate change.
I am glad that the Zimbabwe delegation had a lot to showcase at the CSW. We have a lot of good practices when you talk of women and climate change. Let me say women are increasingly being vulnerable than men when we talk of the impact of climate change because of the levels of poverty. As we talk of climate change and poverty, we cannot really underestimate that poverty and its impact on climate change. When we talk about this country’s population, we are talking of a population that is almost 15 million according to the recent census. More than 52% of this population are women. We have been marginalised and failing to get access to a lot of resources and means of production that can improve our welfare.
I want to thank our Government for the interventions that have been put in place to make sure that women advance economically. On the same note, if we talk of women and poverty, we cannot run away from the fact that the majority of these women that we are talking about in our country live in the rural areas and they depend on threatened natural resources. We talk of firewood which is a major source of energy for our rural women. The majority of the 52% that we are talking about, more than 70% of this majority lives in the rural areas and they depend on our natural resources. So as a country, we cannot run away from coming up with very sensible interventions to ensure that we deal with climate change. I think we have all witnessed the impact of climate change, the Cyclone Idai, the droughts and the general change in weather patterns. Another expert actually highlighted that more than 55 million of the world’s population were displaced in 2020 or 2021 because of the effects of climate change. We also experienced this displacement when we experienced Cyclone Idai. A lot happens when people are displaced Mr. Speaker Sir. We talk of cases of gender based violence when people are displaced and put in camps. We talk of violence and in essence, we are saying there is a lot that we can do as a country to make sure that we curb effects of climate change.
Like I have already alluded to, a lot was showcased. We talk of the documentary on Pfumvudza that was showcased at the CSW, the tsotso stove, side events that were showcased by the Ministry of Agriculture on crop rotation. All these are an effort to deal with the issues of climate change. A lot has been done but we can still come up with a lot of interventions to make sure that as we talk of women and climate change, the country is coming up with other interventions. We applaud our Government for having a lot of programmes for the advancement of women. We talk of our popular women’s bank which is there to make sure that women do not remain poor and have access to capital to do any type of business that will empower them. We thank our Government for that. However, we will still ask our Government to do more, for example increased capitalisation of the Women’s Bank so that whoever wants to borrow from the Women’s Bank from the rural areas, there is enough capital in the Women’s Bank for our women to borrow.
We also want to have our women in most of the committees or fora where climate change issues are discussed, for example in the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Environment, etcetera, let us see women being part and parcel of the process of curbing effects of climate change.
At the moment, if we look at the number of women in decision making positions, they are very minimal and this has some impact when we talk of decisions being made on their behalf yet we are saying women are the majority of our people. We therefore appeal to our Government to make sure that there is inclusive participation of women in everything that has to do with climate change. There is also need to realise that the people on the ground have a lot of energy and expertise in curbing climate change effects. So, as we go to rural areas or wherever we go, let us not see these people as requiring hand-outs or some donations in the form of money or having civil society organisations asking for money to give to our people. These people need to be capacitated so that they can manage these disasters on their own. Imagine a disaster comes into their area and people do not even know what to do especially women who we are saying they are the majority of people in the rural areas. They do not want these hand-outs but our communities should learn to adapt and use what they already have. They want to be agile and turn disaster into progress.
All I am saying is that we want to bank on our people and not give them hand-outs when we face disasters, especially our women. Let us utilise the energy they already have so that they will be able to cope with any disaster that they may face. We can also not under estimate the role of information to our people. In the report, a lot has been said in terms of access to information by our people. Like I have said, our women are the majority that have been marginalised in terms of their literacy levels and access to resources. Let us use the right media so that as we drive our information to the grassroots, all people, even those who cannot read and write are in a position to access any information that can be availed on climate change. There is a lot that we can do such as participation in the mitigation and adaptation to climate change should include women. As long as we do not include them, they will bear the brunt of climate change. We want to make sure that we are all prepared and our women also are well prepared. I thank you.
HON. MPARIWA: Let me begin by thanking Hon. Masara and Hon. Madiwa for presenting the CSW66 of the Zimbabwe Women’s Parliamentary Caucus. CSW66 means 66 times women going there to gather and meeting with various Parliamentarians and stakeholders speaking on these issues and I want to believe and associate myself with what the report speaks to and the issues that they have picked up as problem areas where we need improvement and there is need to actually empower women in terms of every other aspect.
Madam Speaker, I will start with the very first paragraph where there was mention in terms of the introduction on the delay of arrival of our delegation in New York. To those who know, it is a long and lengthy flight and my plea is that there is need for us as Parliament, to have proper logistical arrangements, timing and planning in terms of the departure so that our delegation benefits from the very first day so that we do not belabour our Ambassador in New York in attending these meetings when the delegation has not yet landed in New York. We can do better I know, it is merely a plea. Whatever the reason behind the delays, it is fine but I think we need to improve in terms of all our delegations. Arrivals should be timeous so that they get to relax, get accommodation and refresh themselves before they attend meetings.
I will move on to the several issues that have been mentioned in the report. I will go to climate change in terms of fuel where women end up being the people that are actually affected when there is no fuel or energy. Women end up getting firewood in terms of cooking - I hope and trust that we will, as a country be able to learn the processes where we can actually lighten the burden on women so that there is enough fuel or energy for women to migrate from firewood to actually using gases and modern technologies in dealing with cooking.
The other issue marrying with that is also on the land rights and food insecurity but in order for us to attain food security, we need to use new technologies, devise new technologies so that we lighten the burden on women in terms of farming. You take Pfumvudza for example, where people use hoes to plough and plant maize or any other product in terms of farming. We need to give or provide technologies that fasten and lighten the burden on women. This applies to all the women globally because 70% of the food we consume comes from the hands of a woman. By now we should be ready to provide those technologies that lighten the burden on women because they are the majority. We are now 54% and we proudly speak as women that when the majority is not freed or is suppressed, then we may not be able to speak proudly about the progress that Zimbabwe has done in terms of promoting women’s empowerment.
Limited access to resources Madam Speaker, yes we have the Women’s Bank as Zimbabwe as a success story but as we move forward, we need something that leverages the capacity of women to access even the normal banks where we are not locked up in the Women’s Bank. There are women who can actually access resources who have the capacity to apply either at CBZ, ZB or any other commercial bank but they are actually locked out of the Women’s Bank. Then we leave those who are locked out because they are not able to access in commercial banks. What I mean to say here is if we continue to say the Women’s Bank is just for women, I think something is wrong. We need women who can compete with men to go to the commercial banks in order to access resources.
The other one is on the ICT gap in terms of gadgets and cost of data. The mode of communication at the moment for the basic woman in the rural areas is the kambudzi because it stays long with power or battery, communicates easily as the network connectivity is easy. I think we can do better as a country as well in order for us to have those gadgets that are able to connect and empower the rural woman to be on Whatsapp as well like my colleague Hon. Togarepi is doing. We need women in the rural areas to also access Whatsapp so that the communication gap is also avoided.
The other one is women’s health, GBV. Madam Speaker, you will see that when the women were speaking at the CSW66 in terms of gender based violence, it is a global problem and it has picked up even during the time of COVID-19. At the peak of COVID-19, you would hear from every other part of the world that GBV has increased and I hope and trust that we will be able to deal with GBV. We understand in some parts of our country, GBV has actually increased and we need to deal with this scourge so that at the end of it all, when we go to CSW67, we will be telling a different story.
The final points that I have are implementation, monitoring and evaluation. On the implementation, when all has been said and done, the recommendations, conclusions, observations and our success stories on what we actually displayed as a country, we need the various ministries to actually implement the recommendations and what we have learnt from other countries and stakeholders at the CSW year in, year out. The lead Ministry will be the Women’s Affairs but I would want to believe that when we talk about the health issues, the Health Ministry comes in. When we talk about agriculture, the Ministry of Agriculture comes in and when we talk about resources, the Ministry of Finance comes in, so it is every other Ministry. We need implementation of the recommendations that have been drawn by the Caucus so that they get implemented.
We need also to monitor the progress in terms of what has happened from the CSW1 to the CSW66 one. Then evaluation, what has been the outcome in terms of resource usage, what has been the outcome in terms of every other aspect that has been implemented. What you cannot monitor, you cannot evaluate. So, we need to be hands on in terms of these recommendations, the gatherings that we attend and monitoring and evaluation becomes key because we cannot do without them. Thank you.
HON. BHUDHA-MASARA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. TEKESHE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 27th July, 2022.
On the motion of HON. TOGAREPI, seconded by HON. TEKESHE, the House adjourned at Twenty-Eight Minutes past Six o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 21st July, 2022.
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
PETITIONS RECEIVED FROM MR. O. ZVAVAMWE, COMMUNICATIONS AND ALLIED INDUSTRY PENSION FUND AND MRS. P. MOYO
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that on Monday 18th July, 2022 Parliament received the following petitions:
- Petition from Mr. O. Zvavamwe beseeching Parliament to exercise its legislative and oversight roles on the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and Zimbabwe Republic Police so that they carry out investigations in a transparent manner.
The petition was deemed inadmissible as the petitioner’s prayer is not within the mandate of Parliament.
- Petition from the Communications and Allied Industry Pension Fund (CAIPF) Ad hoc Committee imploring the Pension Fund Management and Board of Trustees to make adjustments to pension payouts as recommended by the Justice Smith Commission.
The petition was deemed inadmissible as the petition does not contain a prayer to Parliament that is within its mandate and the petitioners have been advised accordingly.
- Petition from Mrs. P. Moyo expressing concern on the plight of pensioners not being considered by Parliament. The petition was deemed inadmissible as the petitioner did not meet statutory requirements and the petitioner has been advised accordingly.
I have six requests for statements on matters of national interest. Political parties should coordinate because the maximum we can take is only four.
HON. T. MOYO: Good afternoon Hon. Speaker Sir. I rise on a matter of national importance which arises from the late disbursement of funds for the payment of school fees under the BEAM facility and the grant in aide. Mr. Speaker Sir …
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, you had Ministers yesterday present both the Minister of Public Service Labour and Social Services and the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. These matters should have been raised.
HON. T. MOYO: We had a meeting in the morning and we agreed as a Committee that this …
THE HON. SPEAKER: Meeting of who?
HON. T. MOYO: We had a Portfolio Committee meeting and we agreed as a team that we need to raise these issues.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I think raise it as a question because that statement begs for a response. It really begs for a response if there is that anomaly. Please do that either orally or by written way.
HON. MASENDA: Thank you Hon Speaker Sir. Good afternoon. My point of national interest is based on the production and sale - [Technical glitch] -
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, we cannot hear you. Your network is very poor, next time come to the House.
HON. MASENDA: Can I continue to give my presentation Mr. Speaker Sir?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Your connectivity is poor, come to the House next week or if you are nearby, you may come to the House. We cannot follow you.
HON. MADZIMURE: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My point of national interest is as follows: three weeks ago, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe increased interest rate to 200% from 8%. The increase would appear to be good to the banks. However, companies and manufacturers seeking loans to fund production will struggle to pay back the loans. The RBZ’s move followed a sharp rise in annual inflation from 131.7% in May to 191.6 this month, this is Africa’s if not the world’s highest rate. The bank said it raised the interest rates to discourage arbitrage through abuse of currency that is from the auction market.
Along with the inflation surges, Zimbabwe’s manufacturers, traders and consumers have been further hit by a rocketing black market exchange rate from where they get foreign currency to pay for goods and services. The manufactures and consumers were last week paying up to ZWL800 to USD1. In January last year, ZWL120 would buy USD1. The cocktail of interest rates policy intervention and galloping parallel exchange rate will obviously result in hyper inflation and product shortage.
While the introduction of gold coins is moot, I say this because the consultations have not been done wide enough to see the impact of the gold coins. Meanwhile, there has been no announcement of measures to support industry to access reasonably priced funds to produce fairly priced products.
Secondly, no measures have been put in place to support the workers who are the producers of goods and services who still earn their salaries and wages in ZWL.
Thirdly, there are no measures to ensure that the citizens who are the consumers of the product and services are protected.
Therefore, can the Minister of industry and Commerce come to the House and give a Ministerial Statement explaining the following:-
- The 200% interest rate is prohibitive for production borrowing, what measures does the Minister have in place to save industry?
- Hyperinflation is a result of high production cost of goods and services, what is the Hon. Minister doing to keep production cost low and protect the consumers against inflation?
- What is the Minister doing to ensure that well meaning companies are able to access currency from the auction market? What is she doing to make sure that they continue getting it and not to suffer because some are selling the money outside the market?
- How will the introduction of the gold coin worth approximately 1800 USD help the poor citizens in the rural areas to preserve value? I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Your statement is a mouthful of economic matters. I thought you should have dealt with this yesterday.
HON. MADZIMURE: They appear to be matters of economics but their effect has got a direct impact on manufacturers so there is a disconnection between the Ministry of Finance and the Minister of Industry. So what I expect is for the Minister of Industry and Commerce to say how she is going to ensure that we serve the manufactures at the same time protecting the consumers which fall under her purview.
THE HON. SPEAEKR: Hon. Biti as former Minister of Finance and Economic Development would really agree with me that the source of the problem is the Ministry of Finance and the Exchange rate regime. I think put it as a question for next week, you cannot make a statement like that and then call for a Ministerial Statement. The Minister of Industry and Commerce is a consumer of the policy.
HON. MADZIMURE: Thank you Mr. Speaker, if you could give me the opportunity to ask the question next week.
HON. MARKHAM: My issue is more of a point of priviledge and it is current. The City of Harare issues licences to businesses through their health department. A week ago, the City stopped issuing licences or processing them for people with citizenship numbers ending in 00, which are basically Whites, Colourds and Indians. My concern is if there is a problem, people should be warned – they were not warned.
When people went to their offices - which I physically did yesterday, I was embarrassed to the extent where the department personnel moved away and the Chamber Secretary as of now is still unavailable. Hon. Speaker, I need to be guided accordingly; should I approach the Minister of Justice to give us a statement as whether I am indigenous or not because my ID ends in 00 or am I still, 42 years after independence, an alien?
Secondly, there is a major issue here - why did the City of Harare, if they had stopped processing on those grounds not inform the public?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Again, very good statement which begs a response in the national interest, can you bring it next week?
HON. MARKHAM: The guidance I am seeking is also on my citizenship and some of the people I represent. My question is how the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs views the people with 00 at the end of their identity cards.
I only got involved yesterday just before Parliament, so, my issue is this current issue is stopping businesses from running legally.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Again that matter is very urgent; we should have cleared that yesterday with the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. The other element of your question requires a response from the Minister of Local Government and Public Works.
* HON. NYABANI: Mr. Speaker, first I would like to thank His. Excellency the President for the good job that he is doing: distributing farming inputs and implements, construction of dams and ensuring food security but let me say that all these things can be very successful if our farmers are given fertilisers and inputs at a cheaper price. For instance, some are getting bags of fertilisers and seed maize. My request is that GMB depots should be filled to capacity. The Portfolio Committee on Agriculture should sit down to determine what should be done so that our farmers have enough inputs.
HON. HAMAUSWA: My point of national interest concerns the low rate of voter registration. If we check the current levels of the people who are registering to vote, it is really worrisome. As we move towards 2023 elections, I do not think it will be a good thing to keep quiet as if things are okay. This is why I am raising this issue in this august House so that the Minister of Justice may call upon ZEC to do another Voter Registration blitz similar to what happened in the first quarter of this year. During the first quarter, Voter Registration Programme came before the mobile issuance of identification documents, yet the I.Ds are a prerequisite of voter registration. As a result, when we were mobilising people to vote, they faced the challenge that they had no I.Ds. Therefore Mr. Speaker Sir, I am humbly requesting that the Minister of Justice considers and ensures that ZEC do again another voter registration blitz so that Zimbabweans will be able to register to vote and exercise their right and duty to vote next year. Thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Again, that is a much compounded question. I would have been very pleased if you asked that question yesterday because it is urgent. Raise it next week so that we get some response.
HON. TEKESHE: Yes Mr. Speaker, they were on the list but they did not get the chance to ask questions.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Because you asked too many supplementary questions. All is not lost. Next week is next. Can you make sure that through your Chief Whip, you are number one and are able to ask the question. The same with Hon. Markham, Hon. T. Moyo and Hon. Madzimure.
HON. T. MOYO: Hon. Speaker, I seek clarification. If you, as Chair, may rule on the number of supplementary questions to a maximum of three, I think that will ensure that people who will be on the list will be given a chance to ask questions. Thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: You want me to use Standing Order No. 215?
HON. T. MOYO: Yes.
THE HON. SPEAKER: You will notice that in some cases, I refuse supplementary questions because the responses from the Hon. Ministers were quite pointed but I get your suggestions, definitely.
HON. NDUNA: I rise on a point of order, it is that would it please the Hon. Speaker insofar as it relates to operation of Committees to adhere to Section 18 (2) of the Standing Rules and Orders. I am encouraged by your previous ruling, or rather point and section. Would it please you to adhere to the ethos and values of Section 18 (2) that speak to the composition and leadership of the Committees insofar as it relates to interest and expertise to enhance the expeditious, efficient and effective operation of the same?
THE HON. SPEAKER: In Ndebele, Shona and I think in Tonga, when a male dog is giving you its back, you cannot ask whether it is female or not. The quoted sections are misdirected and have nothing to do with what you have said. This issue must be raised with the Chief Whips and in your caucuses because it is the political parties that nominate and appoint leadership to the Committees from the parties. So, tell each other the truth during caucuses and reform accordingly. This applies to all political parties.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. MUTAMBISI: Good afternoon Hon. Speaker Sir. I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 7 be stood over until Order of the Day Number 8 has been disposed of.
HON. TEKESHE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
SECOND READING
LABOUR AMENDMENT BILL [H. B. 14, 2021]
Eighth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Second Reading of the Labour Amendment Bill [H. B.14, 2021].
Question again proposed.
HON. E NCUBE: Thank you Hon. Speaker, I rise to present a report of the Portfolio Committee on Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare and the report is on public consultations on the Labour Amendment Bill [H. B. 14, 2021].
INTRODUCTION
The Labour Amendment Bill which was gazetted on 19 November 2021 seeks to align the Labour Act [Chapter 28:01] to Section 65 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions. It addresses emerging issues such as labour broking,
violence and harassment at the work place with a view to close the gaps in existing legislation. At independence, the Government of Zimbabwe introduced social reforms to placate the masses who were aggrieved by the debilitating effects of colonialism. The Constitution recognised
Roman-Dutch common law as a source of law in Zimbabwe, thus allowing courts to protect individual labour rights based on constitutionalism. In June 1980, Zimbabwe joined the International Labour Organisation (ILO), whose membership meant that the state undertook the obligation to protect all labour rights, including individual labour rights. Indeed, based on these obligations, the state enacted Minimum Wages Act of 1980 and the Employment Act 13
of 1980. For all this progress, however, the fact that these rights were not constitutionally protected but included in several statutes resulted in the fragmentation of labour laws, which made it difficult to effectively protect individual labour rights.
The enactment of a new Constitution in 2013 culminated in guaranteed several protections for individual labour rights. It is against this background that the amendment seeks to align the Labour Act to the
Constitution and to promote the ease of doing business through streamlining and promoting timely conclusion of processes, particularly the labour dispute settlement and retrenchment processes.
2.0 METHODOLOGY
Parliament Administration, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Silveira House, organised a workshop to unpack the Labour Amendment Bill for the Portfolio Committee on Public Service Labour and Social Welfare from 20 to 23 May 2022 in Nyanga. This workshop enabled the Committee to understand the technical provisions of Bill. Thereafter, the Committee conducted public hearings on the Labour Amendment Bill in line with Section 141 (2) of the Constitution which makes it mandatory for Parliament to involve members of the public in the legislative process. To this end, the Committee split into two groups which conducted public hearings in all the ten provinces of the country and were conducted from 30 May to 4 June 2022. In addition, the Committee received and considered written submissions on the Bill from stakeholders such as the Employers’ Confederation of Zimbabwe (EMCOZ), Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), PAAWUZ and Deaf Zimbabwe Trust, amongst others.
3.0 SUBMISSIONS AND FINDINGS ON THE LABOUR AMENDMENT BILL
3.1 Clause 1: Short Title
There were no comments from members of the public on this clause on the short title of the Act.
3.2 Clause 2: Definitions of Gender Based Violence and Harassment
The public raised concern that Clause 2 of the Bill failed to properly define sexual harassment and its various forms to avoid ambiguity, misinterpretation and abuse of the Clause. It was noted that the definition of harassment should be in line with the framework of the ILO Convention No. 111 and according to the General Observation of the ILO Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (ILO Committee of Experts). Emphasis was also made on the need to insert a provision outlining the prosecution
procedure of perpetrators of gender-based violence and sexual harassment. The public further recommended that the clause includes whistleblower protection for those who report gender based violence and sexual harassment. Additionally, members of the public stressed the need to add a provision for the reinstatement of victims of sexual harassment in the event of an unfair dismissal. Finally, the public also appealed to the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social
Welfare to expedite the ratification and implementation of the ILO Convention No. 190 so as to shape the future of work based on principles of dignity, respect and freedom from violence and harassment. The ILO Convention 190 provides an international definition of violence and harassment in the world of work, including gender-based violence and harassment.
3.3 Clause 3: Definition of Forced Labour
This Clause exempts any work that is done as part of communal work or services from forced labour. No comments were made by stakeholders and members of the public on this clause.
3.4 Clause 4: Protection of Employees Against Discrimination
The Public welcomed the provisions of this Clause in strengthening laws against discrimination and harassment as it will create a conducive and safe environment within work spaces. Although commending the intention of the provision, the public noted with concern that the
clause failed to protect the rights of persons with disabilities, in particular the right to reasonable accommodation, disability friendly infrastructure and equal pay. It was noted that the law should clearly articulate the rights of persons with disabilities considering their plight
on issues relating to inclusivity and workplace accessibility.
A recommendation was also made to provide for a mandatory 15 percent employment quota of persons with disabilities in both public and private sector organisations in line with the National Disability Policy of 2021. This could go a long way in protecting persons with disabilities from discrimination when they seek for employment.
3.5 Clause 5: Protection of Employee’s Right to Fair Labour Standards
The public supported the proposed amendment which prohibits violence and harassment in the work place which was deemed to be an advancement of the country’s labour laws to comply with international best practices. However, the public proposed a raft of fair labour standards that the clause should comply with in terms of section 65 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. The public recommended that the Bill should include the following employee rights:
- Right to fair and safe labour practices and standards and to be
paid a fair and reasonable wage that ensures a dignified life and satisfies the basic needs of livelihood of every worker and their family consistent with the breadbasket or poverty datum line.
- The right to participate in collective job action including the right to strike, sit in and labour withdrawal.
iii. The right to engage in collective bargaining and freedom of association without fear of being victimised.
- The right of employees from forced labour, in particular, being forced to work overtime.
Clause 6: Amendment of Section 8 of the Labour Act
The Committee did not receive any comments on this Clause which amends section 8 of the Labour Act by including the actions by employers who engage in actions that amount to violence and harassment as an unfair labour practice.
3.7 Clause 7: Employment of Young Persons
The public applauded this provision which outlaws the labour of persons under the age of 18 years and increasing the penalty of persons found guilty of conducting child labour from 2 years to 10 years. However, concerns were raised regarding the blanket cover of the clause on child labour which failed to set out exceptions for holiday work done by school going children to contribute to their school related expenses. On this note, the public recommended that exceptions should be made on holiday work for school going children considering the different
social and economic structures within the society. It was also suggested that the Government allows a 16-year-old to work since he /she would normally have finished the Ordinary level of education.
3.8 Clause 8: Duration and Termination of Employment Contract
The public welcomed Clause 8 mainly on the basis of its intent to address the rampant casualisation of work. However, the public noted that there should be clarity on whether the 12 months defined in the Clause includes the 3-month probation period to avoid scenarios where
an employer finds a loophole in the provision. Furthermore, the public suggested that a provision should be made in the Bill on the conversion of fixed term contracts of the Bill after 12 months. It was further noted that, there is need to put to an end to casualisation of labour, there should be a law put in place, governing the duration of how long one should be on fixed term contract or maintain the one in the labour act which says that if one works for 6 consecutive weeks in 4 consecutive months, he/she should be deemed a permanent employee.
3.9 Clause 9: Retrenchment and Compensation for Loss of Employment
Members of the public registered their concern at the amendment’s failure to review the minimum retrenchment package of which currently stands at one months’ wages for every two years served in terms of the Labour Amendment Act of 2015. In this regard, a proposal was made to make the retrenchment package 3 months’ pay for each year of completed service. Further suggestions from the public were to the effect that the 60-day period slated as the timeline for the payment of retrenchment package be reduced to 30 days bearing in mind the
volatility of the current economic environment. Although the public welcomed the provision for an agreement on an enhanced retrenchment package between the employer and employee representatives, it however expounded on the need for in-depth consultations to be done with
employee representatives in the event that an employer sought to retrench 5 or more employees. The public also indicated that loss of employment does not change whether an individual has lost their job in whatever manner they still have to be compensated.
3.10 Clause 10: Non-Payment of Retrenchment Packages
The public supported the amendment and emphasised that no exemptions should be made on the payment of retrenchment packages.
3.11 Clause 11: Maternity Leave
There was general consensus with the proposal to remove all qualifying periods for maternity leave. Members of the public further proposed that the 3-months maternity period should be flexible to allow extension in cases of birth complications, caesarean operations and still birth. Additionally, the public called for the introduction of paternity leave for a period ranging between 14 and 30 days. It was also suggested that the Clause provides for interval leave days for pregnant women separate from the stipulated maternity leave.
3.12 Clause 12: Contracts for Hourly Work
The public applauded the new provision on labour broking, emphasising that it will ensure that there is equality in the workplace and that employees engaged through a labour broker have the same benefits as other employees. Nonetheless, the public expressed reservations on the Clause’s regulations which were left open ended with no time restrictions. On this note the public suggested that the Bill should ensure that labour brokers meet a certain criterion in order to allow employees to recover damages that may arise from an Employment contract. Secondly, the public recommended that the clause should provide the conversion of maximum caps on period and Frequency of labour broking arrangements.
3.13 Clause 16 and 17: Formation and Registration of a Trade Union
Members of the public welcomed clause 16 and 17 but proposed an insertion of paragraph (h) which reads ‘the name of the applicant or its shortened form may not so closely resemble the full name of the shortened form of an already existing trade union or employer’s organisation’. This was emphasised as critical in addressing confusion in the registration of trade unions. Furthermore, submissions from the public proposed that a provision be made in the clause to outline 1000 members as a minimum requirement for a trade union to be registered to avoid the mushrooming of incompetent trade unions.
3.14 Clause 18: Application for Registration of Trade Union
The public opposed the provision of this clause, indicating that it warrants too much interference on the affairs of Trade Unions or employers organisations by the Minister. This concern was cited to be in contravention of the freedom of association and the right to organise.
3.15 Clause 19: Considerations Relating to Variation, Suspension or Rescission of Registration of Trade Unions or Employers Organisations
On clause 19, the public argued that the removal of the word ‘registration’ from section 45 of the Labour Act fails to abate the fear of infringement into the rights and freedom of trade unions and employers’ organisations. The requirement to consider the representation of multiple
stakeholders was deemed to be too wide and could result in the infringement on the affairs of trade unions.
3.16 Clause 20: Supervision of Election Officers
Concern was raised on section 51(1) under clause 20 which gives right to any person directly involved in a trade union or employers’ organisation election to complain to the Minister about the conduct of the election on grounds of fraud, coercion or unfairness. An argument was made to the effect that subjecting election disputes of Trade Unions or employers’ organisations to the Minister or Registrar amounts to interference in the affairs of a trade unions which is a violation of Article 3 of C87 of the ILO Convention. In this regard, Clause 20 was opposed by the public.
3.17 Clause 21: Collection of Union Dues
The amendment to repeal subsections 2, 3, 4 and 5 of section 54 of the Labour Act was supported by members of the public. However, specific concern was raised on the need to repeal subsection 5 of section 54 as it was an appeal against the Minister’s decision arising from the repealed subsection 4 of section 54.
3.18 Clauses 22: Regulation of Union Fees
Members of the public had no objection on this clause which repeals the Minister’s power to regulate union fees.
3.19 Clause 23: Formation of Employment Councils
Members of the public supported this Clause which seeks to ensure that all employment councils are governed as statutory employment councils. On a different note, some stakeholders called for the repeal of Part VIII of the Labour Act on Employment Councils citing that they were no longer serving their mandate or duties according to section 62 of the
Act. It was highlighted that NECS were only bleeding the already struggling workers of their hard-earned salaries by forcing every worker to contribute and failing to serve the interests of workers i.e. to negotiate Collective Bargaining Agreements and resolve labour disputes in their
sectors. NECS were noted to be negotiating salaries that are way below poverty datum line. Instead, a recommendation was made that collective bargaining be done at Ministry level under the supervision of Labour Officers, for instance, the Ministry of Mines and Mining
Development should necessitate meetings between employers’ organisations and trade unions in the sector to negotiate working conditions for employees.
3.20 Clause 24: Constitution of National Employment Councils
This clause was noted to be progressive, particularly the provision of bringing together unions for bargaining. In so doing, this provision grants workers under the National Employment Council (NEC) a powerful collective voice. However, the public suggested that guidelines for admission to the NEC be provided by the Clause. Furthermore, the public suggested that paragraph (g) of section 58 under this Clause be repealed and substituted by the following provision; “The NEC Board shall determine the minimum threshold for admission into the
NEC”. This was highlighted to be fundamental in curtailing briefcase unions and the multiplicity of unions.
3.21 Clause 25: Designated Agents of Employment Councils
The public was of the view that Designated Agents in Labour Offices should have the power of the Labour Officer to expedite the process of labour disputes. Furthermore, the public recommended that designated agents of Employment Councils be decentralised in order to address the backlog of labour disputes. However, some stakeholders highlighted that the Designated Agents of NECs were failing to finalise labour disputes on time due to corruption. Thus, a proposal was made to disband the Designated Agents and leave the labour dispute resolution role to Disciplinary Committees at shop floor level while appeals would be directed to the Labour Court or Labour Officers. In this regard, the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare should ensure that every organisation have a properly constituted Disciplinary Committee.
3.22 Clause 26: Scope of Collective Bargaining Agreements
The public were of the view that the proposed amendment omitted the right to collective bargaining.
3.23 Clause 27: Submission of Collective Bargaining Agreements for Approval or Registration
On this clause the public raised concern over the amendment’s substitution and repetition of the same provision that requires the Minister to specify the public interest concerned that would have caused the refusal to register a collective bargaining agreement. Concern was specifically raised on section 79(2)(a), (b) and (c) which provide provisions for interference with the rights of parties to free collective bargaining. In highlighting these concerns the public argues that the discretionary power of the authorities to approve collective agreements through this section was contrary to the principle of voluntary bargaining enshrined in article 4 of the Convention.
In this regard the public proposed the repealing of section 79(2)(b) of the proposed amendment and 79(2)(c) of the Labour Act.
3.24 Clause 28: Amendment of Collective Bargaining Agreements by the Minister
The public called for the repeal of section 81(1) of the labour Act and its substitution with, ‘Where a collective bargaining agreement which has been registered contains any provision which is or has become inconsistent with this Act or any other enactment, the Minister may direct the parties to the agreement to negotiate within such period as he may specify for the amendment of the agreement in such manner or to such extent as he may specify.” However, the public proposed the removal of the phrase ‘or any other enactment’ in the proposed amendment to make sure that the amendment is in line with the Labour Act.
3.25 Clause 29: Binding Nature of Registered Collective Bargaining Agreements
The public acknowledged this clause and proposed an addition of paragraph (c) to section 82 that provides the following; ‘any portion of a collective bargaining agreement which has been ratified by the parties thereto shall be binding on the parties notwithstanding that any other portion of the agreement has not been ratified.’
3.26 Clause 30: Powers of the Labour Officer
The public welcomed the provisions of this Clause which replaces section 93 of the current Act to allow for registration with a Court a dispute or unfair labour practice settlement and for the labour officer to issue a certificate of settlement which will have the effect of a civil judgment.
3.27 Clause 31: Compulsory Arbitration
The Clause was criticised for failing to strengthen the Labour Court’s functions, powers and enforcement of decisions. Reference was made to section 98(13) and (14) which still recognise the Magistrate’s Court and the High Court in enforcing the decisions of the labour court and the arbitrator. This was raised as a serious concern that will be detrimental to the enforcement of decisions of the Labour Court in common law administered courts and worst still prolong the dispute resolution process and cause congestion in other courts. In this regard the public recommended the substitution of the phrases ‘magistrate court’, ‘high court’ and ‘appropriate court’ with labour court in section 98 (13) and (14) in order to accord the labour court with the prerogative and power in decisively dealing with all labour related cases.
3.28 Cause 33: Liability of Persons Engaged in Unlawful Collective Action
Vast submissions were made on this clause which seeks to enforce criminal charges and penalties on those involved in unlawful job action by workers in essential services and other services. The public argued that the proposed amendment was ultra-vires to section 65(3) of the Constitution which provides for the right to collective action to every employee except for the security forces. Further arguments pointed out that the amendment fell short in decriminalising legitimate strikes. The public expressed concern over the amendment’s failure to recognise that the right to strike is an intrinsic corollary of the right to organise protected by Convention No. 87 of the ILO. The public further voiced out that the provisions of this clause infringed on the rights of the people alluding to the fact that;
➢ Workers’ rights should be prioritised and strengthened
➢ Reprisal for collective job action be regarded as an infringement on workers’ rights
➢ The Bill should be cognizant of the rights of workers for collective action
Concern was further raised on this clause’s discriminatory approach to those working in essential services, highlighting that the Clause appears to be a targeted piece of legislation to those working in the essential services such as in health and education sectors.
➢ The public proposed for the amendment of sections 107, 109, and 112 of the Labour Act to remove excessive penalties in the case of an unlawful collective job action.
➢ Secondly, the public proposed for clear provisions to be set out in the Bill that protect workers and their representatives against anti-union discrimination.
➢ Thirdly the public proposed that penal sanctions be imposed only in the event of a strike causing violence against persons or damage to property.
3.29 Clause 36: Investigation of Trade Unions and Employers Organisations
The public opposed the provision of this clause, indicating that it warrants too much interference on the affairs of Trade Unions or employers organisations by the Minister. The public was of the opinion that outside control of workers organisations and employer’s organisations should only take place in exceptional cases.
3.30 Clause 37: Schedule of Minor Amendments
There were no comments from members of the public and stakeholders on this clause.
3.31 Application of the Labour Act
The public expressed their concern on the application of the Labour Act arguing that, Section 3(2) Labour Act provides that Act does not apply to Public Service. The Bill is silent on this matter and there is need to amend the clause to allow Labour Act to apply to public servants so as to achieve harmonisation of labour laws between public and private sectors. Public Service workers constitute a very large proportion of formal employees, hence there is need to ensure all persons are equal before the law and have the right to equal protection and benefit of the law according to section 56(1) of the Constitution.
3.32 Age of Retirement
Members of the public bemoaned that the retirement age of 65 years was too high in view of the low life expectancy in Zimbabwe. This resulted in most people passing on before enjoying their retirement or pension benefits. A proposal was therefore, made to review the retirement age to 50 years.
4.0 COMMITTEE OBSERVATIONS
4.1 There was generally low attendance of the public hearings by members of the public which can be attributed to lack of awareness of the activity due to poor publication.
4.2 In terms of international best practice, fathers are granted paternity leave to support mothers and their families upon child birth and Zimbabwe is lagging behind in this regard.
4.3 Child labour is still rampantly practiced in some parts of the country, especially in agricultural plantation areas which can be partly attributed to lack of Government support for vulnerable children such as orphans and child headed families.
4.4 Persons with disabilities generally experience extreme difficulties when seeking employment in Zimbabwe.
4.5 It is commendable that Clause 2 of the Bill covers sexual harassment which is an issue affecting people in the work place across the country however, the Clause does not penalise the perpetrator of this vice or provide counselling services for the survivor.
4.6 The life expectancy of Zimbabweans has declined over the years to an extent that a majority of people pass on before attaining 65 years of age. According to the World Health Organisation
(2020), the life expectancy of Zimbabweans stands at 57.7 years for males and 63.6 years for females which translates to an average of 60.7 years.
4.7 Employers were noted to be in the habit of stripping their organisations of assets before declaring bankruptcy in order to avoid paying workers’ retrenchment packages.
4.8 According to the Labour Amendment Act (2015), the retrenchment package is a paltry one months’ worth salary per every two years.
5.0 RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 The Management of Parliament should revamp the institutional public relations strategy, particularly public awareness methods of activities such as public hearings in line with modern means of communication.
5.2 The Bill should provide for paternity leave for a period of 1 month upon the birth of a child to enable the father to take care of the mother during recovery, newly born baby and family. This right to paternity leave should only be granted to a father in respect of children born to the same mother.
5.3 The Committee strongly supports Clause 7 which provides stiffer penalties for perpetrators of child labour from level 7 or 2 years to level 12 or 10-years imprisonment. In this regard, the
Committee calls upon the government to provide adequate support for vulnerable children.
5.4 The Bill should provide for a 15 percent employment quota for persons with disabilities in both public and private sector organisations in line with the National Disability Policy of 2021.
5.5 Clause 2 of the Bill should stipulate stiffer penalties for perpetrators of sexual harassment with a maximum of 10-years imprisonment and prosecution should even apply to persons who
committed offences before retirement.
5.6 In addition, the Bill should provide for counselling services to survivors of sexual harassment through the Police Service’s Victim Friendly Unit.
5.7 The Bill should reduce the voluntary retirement age from 60 to 55 years to afford pensioners time to enjoy their benefits. This should also be the age at which retirees start accessing their pension benefits.
5.8 Provision should be made for the government to investigate companies that retrench workers due to bankruptcy in order to safeguard the interests of the workers
6.0 CONCLUSION
The Bill is a progressive piece of legislation as it seeks to sanitise the labour sector and align the country’s labour laws with the Constitution and international best practices. Although the
Bill has noble proposals, several grey areas that need special attention were observed by the Members of the Portfolio Committee on Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, stakeholders and member of the public. The Committee implores the House and the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare that all raised observations and recommendations
therein be given due diligence so that we transform Zimbabwe’s labour sector towards the achievement of National Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Agenda. I thank you.
HON. BITI: Hon. Speaker, with your indulgence, may I suggest that we adjourn debate to Tuesday so that we have sight of the report of the Committee which is very comprehensive and makes very interesting suggestions by members of the public on some of the clauses so that we have a rich debate. We are ready to debate but our debate will be incomplete without taking into account what members of the public have said.
HON. T. MLISWA: I object. My objection is that I will not be around on Tuesday, so I would have wanted to debate. I am flying out, so I agree with Hon. Biti, I was sitting here and taking notes. You know I am very attentive to such issues, so if I could be allowed to debate and then the debate can be adjourned.
HON. T. MOYO: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir. My point of order arises from the issue raised by Hon. Mliswa. If he is flying out this weekend, he can still contribute virtually. So I think we need to adjourn then debate on Tuesday.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Mliswa and Hon. Moyo, please approach the Chair.
HON. T. MLISWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for that magnificent overruling. I want to appreciate the motion by Hon. Ncube in terms of the Labour Amendment Bill, which is quite critical according to Section 141 (2) of our Constitution. Firstly, the concerning bit is the public engagements that we are having, the hearings. I do not know how effective they are and who we are calling because I see that on Clause 1, the Short Title, nothing was said; gender and then forced labour, nothing was also said, yet it is quite a topical issue. So it would be good next time to get figures of those who attended each session so that we appreciate that it involved many. Of late, public hearings are not well attended and I think the issue has been brought up to conscientise the Members of Parliament to be in the forefront of doing that but the Members of Parliament are also under resourced, so I do not know how they will do it. So the exercise becomes questionable in terms of its credence and information given.
Despite those comments, I will add my voice to the Labour Amendment Bill. I want to talk about the issue of forced labour and the definition of it, which I think must be elaborated. I am a farmer and I want my children to understand farming. We also talk about age, child labour. I want my son to know how to operate a tractor at the age of 10 years because I also believe you must catch them while they young so that they can understand how the farm works. The question now is, is that forced labour; is that child labour? We need to be very careful because today’s lack of us being keen – the success of the former white farmers in agriculture was that they taught the children whilst they were young. We need to be very careful because we also say we must catch them while they are young so that they can understand the operations of any business. We invest in a lot as people in our businesses and the challenge is always the management of the business is premised on a lot. I have got some of my children who are not academically gifted and yet from a manual point of view they are quite handy. You would want them to also play their role and be successful in that regard. How do we handle that because it is not clear? I gave an example of a parent who says to his son or daughter - even the mothers use their daughters to wash plates and cook. Is that also child labour Mr. Speaker?
We need to understand there is also culture, tradition and heritage. Are we now all going to do away with our tradition because we need to deal with these labour issues? It is quite contentious because our culture and tradition believes in you teaching these people and they are one. We had our sisters cooking for us when they were 12 years old. How do you define that? We must be pretty clear because if we do not do that, a lot of parents will go to jail unintentionally. We are trying to build a law here, and not only that but those children will use it against us the same way we grew up being whipped. Today if your child decides to go and report to the police that you beat them up, you are put in jail. We need to be very clear. There is no clarity on this issue and it has to be looked into because at the end of the day we will all end up in prison. The young people who are growing up know their rights. They understand social media and they read. They are well vested in SDGs and so forth. Clarity is sought on that and I think we need to zero on it.
The sexual abuse of women is worrying because it has become a norm and it has reduced the integrity, credibility and dignity of women because they have no choice. I saw that in times of the penalties. It was prescribed that they want 10 years which I am saying at the end of the day; we must be very clear. Ten years with appeal or without appeal or what so that when the law is enacted, it must be clear. The problem why we are having problems with so many laws and sections of the Constitution is because there is no clarity. We must be able to take corrective measures and seize on this opportunity to be very clear and specific that there shall be no appeal and no amnesty on this. It has to be fast-tracked because you would have injured a person. You go to report and that person is taken to court and is given and comes back to the company again. They victimize that person for reporting them. How are you protecting them? So, first there is no appeal, no bail given, fast-track straight to prison because if they go back to work the person who had reported will forever be victimized and it becomes difficult. That is why women who are sexually abused keep quiet because they know the boss will come back. How are we ring-fencing that making sure this does not happen? The whole point of the law is not crime to consistently happen. We must prevent it. We must stop it. Somebody must think twice that if I am going to sexually harass a woman I am going in for 10 years with no bail, no amnesty and no appeal. To me, that has got to be very clear.
No wonder why from a political point of view – there is sexual harassment. No wonder why most women do not want to go into politics because it is tainted. They already stigmatise other women in politics that aaah, munodanana nemashefu. That is why I also said to the women, why do you also like being given free seats when you are 55% of the voters? Why are you not voting for yourselves? Why are you asking for 60 seats for free? They do not come for free. You have the numbers to vote, go and get your votes through voting. Get into office through the votes of the people who are the majority. It will continue. No wonder why there are not many women in politics. It is because of that. No man wants his wife to go into politics, most men rather. Those who are in, I like it; you have men who understand and there is trust between the wife and the husband but they always think once they go there that is it. The easiest way to destroy another woman when they are contesting is to say ari kurara nanhingi. Zvosvika kunababa kumba uko vomubvisa mupolitics. I am talking about reality. They smear campaign each other. If you look at Hon. Ncube, the Chairperson of the Committee, she has integrity. You can see that and these are the women that we want but the people’s assumption is that any woman who is involved in politics would have been sexually harassed and it is a favour. My plea to women is - stop these seats because they do not at all help other women from coming through. Other women will say I am not going to try it.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Mliswa, would you mind if you can address the Chair.
HON. T. MLISWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. So to me we need to be very clear on that. No wonder why we are constantly coming with affirmative action for women, we extent the term, 30% councillors should be women or a quota for women. There must be no quota for anyone – forty years after independence – quota for what? If women in their culture do not want to be leaders, allow that to happen and let us continue. We cannot force them to lead Mr. Speaker Sir.
I want to also talk about the issue of school going children. I am on a farm. I have a got a school and the responsible authority. There is agriculture happening and at times you will more or less have to say when our parents grew up they would go and herd cattle so that they get school fees because the parents do not have it. Is it bad to allow a person to volunteer themselves to work for the purpose of their education? The problem is, if you do not allow them to work voluntarily for their education even if they are 10 years old Mr. Speaker Sir, when a parent dies they become orphans. If you are an orphan even if you are 10 years old, you will have to look after the young ones.
There are those who took care of their siblings at the age of 10 when their parents died. Now if we are not careful, tradition and families will suffer because the law will be restricting them from doing what they have to do. I am very much worried that we are not dissecting and being very clear in terms of this law and so forth. My father will tell you that baba namai vakafa ndikachengeta vanin’ina vangu ndine 11 years. Now the parents have died and there is an 11 year old who wants to work for them to survive. How then does it sustain the family? Our culture and tradition must be observed when we are passing the laws all the time and we must separate issues.
I then go to the liberation struggle of this country; people like Perrance Shiri and a lot of others went to war when they were 9, 10, 11, and 14 - which is illegal. So we then allowed people to go to the struggle, there was no age limit - they were liberating the country and had no choice but to go there. What about if there is another opportunity for people to liberate their country, how will certain generations do it at the end of the day?
The late Perrance Shiri will tell you that he was a commander at the age of 16, 19 years but it was for this country and many others. So we will destroy ourselves and we will not be able to defend some of these issues.
The issue of stiffer penalties, the Committee zeroed in on sexual harassment but on others you did, they were not specific. We need to be specific on these penalties. What happens to companies which are known, today no wonder why other foreign companies, the Chinese and many others are abusing our people because the labour law does not protect our people? There is no law to say once you abuse people: _
- One is compensated for so much
- So much is taken from the company and
- You leave the country.
Why are we not coming with such laws, we know the bad labour practices that our own people are going through but we are now giving an opportunity for us to come up with stiffer measures that will talk so that when investors come in, they are aware.
Zimbabwe is open for business indeed, but now it is open for abuse by foreigners on our people because we have no laws that protect our people who work. Let us be specific on the laws, we make the laws, why are you afraid to make laws.
I want to talk about the stiffer penalty which has been mentioned. We need to have a country that will protect its people, today our people are in South Africa or Dubai working, they work left, right and centre overtime. Overtime is very important. What is the definition of overtime? We must be very clear because there are times when there are power cuts, people do not work, you then wake them up to work. Hon. Matangira will agree with me being a farmer that you have got irrigation going on, you have people changing pipes and sprinklers and then suddenly electricity goes. You are forced to stop operations and the workers must come back. On my farm, they have to wake up even at 12 midnight because that is what gets the farm going.
So we need to also understand the industry sector, may we be very clear in defining that in agriculture, what sort of labour practice, industry, civil servants, that is the reason why at times there is no work ethics. We constantly say at times the civil servants know when to have tea yet there is a queue of people, lunch they will have, four o’clock they will be going yet they are leaving queues. We must be able to be very clear that would they have used a quality time in ensuring that there is service delivery at the end of the day. In an economy where things are difficult like this, you take extra ordinary measures from a labour point of view to sustain the economy.
We must also be able to have a provisional for emergencies; after the emergency, the law will apply in this regard so that at the end of the day, there are no people losing in terms of cases in courts.
The other issue is that there are difficult conditions and what I would like to also look at is we have learnt the lesson that no matter what goes on, inflation has totally made workers and production weaker and not motivated; it is not their fault. So, what do we do? Our workers need to go to hospitals but with inflation, they cannot afford. We now need to come up with a way of seeing how we can support all this so that production happens because right now production is not happening, workers are sticking to their rights. There cannot be moral persuasion; it got to be the law that talks to how we move forward and all that.
Mr. Speaker Sir, this country has got to come up with its own laws which are conducive to the environment; that is why as legislators, we must change the laws from time to time to accommodate what is prevailing on the ground. Without that, it will become a problem. Investors must know that when you are coming to Zimbabwe, the worker must be respected. There should be a law which guides investors in coming here. Before they leave their countries, they must read. How are workers in Zimbabwe going to be treated?
We respect their laws especially the Chinese and everybody else. One of the things that Chinese have said is that we do what we do because your laws are weak. When we are in China, no one can do what they want to do, they abide by their laws and the only thing that they can keep a country going is when you have laws which are clear, specific, laws which are not discriminatory, laws which enhance the future of the country, which fit into the bigger vision of the country.
The 2030 middle income economy we are talking about will not happen if the workers are not well remunerated and if they do not know what is in it for them. This is the time to come up with laws that will give them that motivation to say indeed a middle income economy can only happen when there are laws which talk to that. This Bill is critical that it looks into that and remain specific.
I want to conclude by saying that we as a nation, have suffered historically of abuse but the late Tongogara talks about a Zimbabwe which he wants to see young men and women play with each other whether white or black but that is the Zimbabwe that we want. We want a Zimbabwe where the labour movements are not seen to be against the Government but working with the Government because of the situation; being tough means everybody is an enemy. Within political parties, everyone is an enemy, within the country everybody is an enemy yet they are advocating for the rights of the people.
The labour movements that we have today must also focus on labor issue and less politics at the end of the day. May the politicians allow them to practice and to stand for the workers not just say to them they are there to go against the Government. There was the issue of collective action amongst workers, they have a right and when it is enshrined in the Act and the Constitution that they have a right for a collective protest, it is allowed. It is sending a signal to the authorities. When workers are marching, probably the President does not know. In most countries they march in the road that they know the President uses and as he is driven, he is able to ask ‘who are those workers and what are they doing’. Then it gets to him and he is told ‘these are workers who have not been paid or who are being abused from a labour point of view’. It gets to the Head of State and action is taken.
It is the desire of every child to be heard by the father. The father of this nation is the President. So when they are protesting or when there is collective action, kuda kunzwikwa na baba. Hakusi kuti vari kushora baba kuti aiwa baba zvinhu hazvisi kufamba zvakanaka chimbotionai pano and so forth, but it must be done peacefully in accordance with the law and so on. The liberation struggle was about economic emancipation and for as long as we do not understand that economic emancipation is what the liberation struggle was about, we will not leave a legacy which will make us be known as leaders that represented and were for the people and the country. The aspect of name-dropping and makuhwa is unnecessary.
There was the issue of many labour organisations coming through, yet what they are fighting for is one thing. They must put their heads together. It is like the many churches which are there. It is only one God we pray to though they are many. There is only one issue they are fighting for. So, let there be an umbrella body at the end of the day which politicians like because we are all divisive and our strategy is divide and rule. We also take this to other organisations so that they can always be divided. At times, we do not have to divide and rule. We need to unite so that there can be collective action for the good of the country.
I want to thank you Mr. Speaker for affording me this opportunity, indulging me and like I said, I am travelling and I was taking notes. You have allowed me to do that and I really want to thank you because it is a very critical issue and I want to thank Hon. Ncube for bringing it up. I have no doubt that other members will contribute and exhaust this whole debate and let it reach a logical conclusion which is good for our country. Thank you.
(v)*HON. JOSIAH SITHOLE: I also want to add my voice to this report by the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Hon. Ncube. Being one of the participants in the public hearing, we were actually put off by one issue which has to do with the rights of persons with disabilities. It was quite outstanding in the Amendment Bill that there was no talk of persons with disabilities and how they were going to be catered for in the employment sector.
Mr. Speaker, you will understand that at places of work that is where we normally see a lot of barriers to inclusion where we find our people who are disabled or living with disabilities are unable to cope with situations. This Bill could have come up with a number of areas where they could have also identified how they will deal with persons with disabilities. For example, at the moment we have got only two sign language court interpreters in this country. It is a wonder why we have gone two yet we have a lot of sign language interpreters in our own nation. Such people are not employed but we only have two. It means we are not doing justice to persons with disabilities.
Secondly, the respondents were also suggesting that even our security services can also employ persons with disabilities considering the technology that we have today. They can also do some work in the office and they need to be considered. I want to say that area really left a gap in terms of this Bill.
Mr. Speaker, the right of person to job action was talked about but my proposal is, those who are going to intervene and end up destroying property, stealing and so forth should be given punitive measures so that they do not disturb those who are actually carrying out the industrial action. This is their right yes, to go and show that the job action is going on but those who will be coming to disturb the peaceful demonstration must be punished accordingly. Even those who are on industrial action should participate in identifying such criminals that will get into their procession.
On the issue of the Employment Council, it became very apparent that a number of our employment councils are no longer interested in representing the people but in fattening their pockets. As a result, I feel it is good that when we continue with these employment councils, we are supposed to monitor the way they are carrying out their activities so that they do not disadvantage the people they represent. At times people end up going on strike, not because they will be doing it deliberately but because they are not properly catered for. They do not have the voice that is supposed to speak on their behalf.
I also wanted to say something about attendance at these public hearings because this has been mentioned. I want to say one of our challenges is the publicity that is given and we do not even have a situation where people know who should attend. Those who are giving information at that level must be explicit and consistent because last week we visited a place in my constituency and before people got there, I went to the venue and I was told that only children were supposed to attend. When I asked the Chairperson who happens to be the Chairperson of this Committee, she indicated that it was wrong. I want to say it is good that we give correct information to people.
In addition to that, we are supposed to vary our venues because if you continuously go to one venue, those people will get fed up because today there is a committee and tomorrow another one, all going to the same venue. We must make sure we vary these places and make sure that we cover the constituencies that we have. Specifically, I want to narrow down to Triangle Gibo Stadium where we thought if we go to children we will see workers from Mkwasine, Chiredzi Town, Hippo Valley and Triangle but what we saw there were about 20 people from the management only and no workers. When we tried to delve into the Labour Amendment Bill, they did not even respond or talk. So what we got there was only a prayer and I feel there should be something wrong happening there in terms of labour issues.
HON. MUTAMBISI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. TEKESHE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 26th July, 2022.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. MUTAMBISI: I move that all Orders of the Day be stood over until Order of the Day No. 15 has been disposed of.
HON. TEKESHE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
CONDOLENCES ON THE DEATH OF HON. LEONARD CHIKOMBA
HON. NGWENYA: I move the motion standing in my name that this House-
EXPRESSES its profound sorrow on the passing on of the late Member of Parliament for Gokwe-Kabuyuni, Hon Leonard Chikomba, on Saturday, 28 May, 2022;
PLACES on record its appreciation for the services which the late Hon. Member rendered to Parliament and the nation at large;
RESOLVES that its profound sympathies be conveyed to the Chikomba family, relatives and the entire Nation for the loss of the Hon. Member.
HON. T. MOYO : I second.
HON. NGWENYA: Mr. Speaker Sir, it is with a heavy heart that I rise on the sad occasion of the passing on of Hon. Member of Parliament for Gokwe-Kabuyuni and member of the ZANU-PF, Hon Leonard Chikomba. He was a man, not only of vision and leadership but also of firm belief and solid unwavering dedication to his work which he showed as he served the Portfolio Committees on Mines and Mining Development and that of Foreign Affairs and International Trade from 2013 up to his untimely death. A highly regarded hero and veteran of the liberation struggle for freedom and democracy as shown by his works. He was an astute businessman whose interests were mainly vested in cotton and maize farming, transport, chain of supermarkets, butcheries and hardware stores that he owned. He was an active member of the ruling party ZANU-PF and also a member of the Central Committee where he played a great role. In 2005, he was elected Member of Parliament and he served in the Transport, Media and Communication Development Committee, where he ascertained that the transport concerns of his constituency were duly heard and attended to. He served selflessly in his representative role in Parliament with unbridled passion, focus, determination and uncompromising loyalty to his constituency and the nation at large. He has hence been referred to as being an unorthodox cadre who followed his conscience and spoke from his heart.
Hon. Members, we gather here today, not only to grieve but also to celebrate the life, achievements and dedication of Hon. Leonard Chikomba. He was loved by his family, the people that he served and helped and also by the people who worked alongside him. He remains an exemplary role model in whose footsteps we should aspire to follow. In conclusion, I would like to express my sincere condolences to his dear wife Margaret, his son Edward, his two grand children and the whole Chikomba family on this sad loss. This son of the soil will be missed dearly. He is gone but not forgotten for his words will be forever remembered. The entire nation salutes and thanks him for the great work and service that he delivered, not only to his constituents but to the whole nation as well. I thank you.
*HON. T. MOYO: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I would like to support the motion raised by Hon. Ngwenya. Mr. Speaker Sir, we were so much troubled by the passing on of our colleague Hon. Chikomba in May. Hon. Chikomba was a friend to everyone. He did not discriminate against anyone. In this House, he would befriend people from both your right and left sides, regardless of their political affiliation. He did his job well so much that we inherit a lot from his hard work. He was nicknamed Bhudhi because of his hard work. Bhudhi means brother and may also mean someone who is willing to assist if you are in trouble. It may also mean someone who can stand with people in times of need. He could stand solidly with his constituents in Gokwe-Kabuyuni. There are several ethnic groups in that constituency but he did not discriminate regardless of whether the person is Tonga, Korekore or Ndebele. He used to work with all of them without discrimination. From the time I knew Bhudhi, some 10 years ago, he used to be a Member of Parliament of some of the areas under my constituency, areas like Jirivanda, Tengwe, Chireya, Nyemba. When he passed on, all the people in Gokwe North mourned and were troubled that we have lost one of us, a reliable person that we would go to in times of need. Bhudhi was a hard worker. At one time he got more than 20 bales of cotton whilst I had only harvested five. After comparing five and 20 that he got, that shows he was a hard worker.
There was a time when people were disgruntled by the cotton prices but he managed to buy a brand new tractor. Bhudhi was well known not only in Zimbabwe. He was someone who was popular in an area and was able to travel out of the country. He would go to watch Manchester United. He used to communicate with Sir Alex Ferguson. He used to be well received by Sir Alex Ferguson in the United Kingdom. If Manchester United loses a match, he would directly communicate with Sir Alex Ferguson to find out what the problem was if Manchester United lost. Considering how popular he was out there in the United Kingdom, he never showed it but was a down to earth person. When I got an opportunity to go to the United Kingdom, I did not even get the opportunity to get close to Sir Alex Ferguson but for him, it was just a phone call away. He would travel on Friday to the United Kingdom to watch Manchester and came back on Sunday after that match. If you look closely at how he started, he had humble beginnings. He did not consider his background but he worked hard. He started off as a bus driver and was very popular with people.
He used to play Chitekete, a song by Leonard Dembo. Going to Gokwe from Mberengwa after he started his businesses at a place he named Chitekete. Even if you go today, you will find a place called Chitekete and a lot of his businesses - including butcheries, nightclubs, restaurants and lodges. He did not have a wish to build in Borrowdale because his house at Chitekete is as good as mansions you find in Borrowdale or Mt. Pleasant. He is one of the Members who would travel back home every weekend to meet his people. He would celebrate each of his successes and invite people to celebrate with him and would slaughter a cow. Even when he lost elections in 2008, he did not give up and managed to come back in 2013. That shows that he, unlike other people, did not give up and he would have simply retired. That showed how hard working he was. He also had businesses in Siakobvu. There is a time when we travelled for the Education Amendment Bill in Siakobvu. We found a lot of businesses and restaurants where you would refresh. He also had businesses in Binga and that showed that he built quite a big legacy. Without wasting time for other Members, I would like to express my deepest sorrow over the loss of Hon. Chikomba or Bhudhi. I wish his son Edie will take over his empire and businesses. He liked his family so much that he named his grandson after him, Leonard Chikomba, without giving him another name. I wish all MPs would love our families just like he used to. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
(v)HON. NDEBELE: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
(v)HON. NDEBELE: Thank you for your indulgency Mr. Speaker. Could I kindly request that your good office as well as the mover and seconder and of this motion, to leave it on the table for the next two weeks. Some of us are away traveling but we will be most grateful for an opportunity to contribute to this motion.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you very much for that important request, it will be honoured.
*HON. MATAMISA: I would like to thank you Hon. Speaker for the opportunity you have given me to contribute to the motion that has been raised by Hon. Ngwenya and seconded by Hon. Moyo with regards to mourning one of our colleagues, Hon. Leonard Chikomba.
I am one of those who had the opportunity to meet Hon. Chikomba the very day he met his fate; it was around 1100hrs before he went back to his constituency. Hon. Chikomba was someone who would laugh before he started talking. Whenever we met he never addressed me as a Member of Parliament but regarded me as a mother. He was well known for the love that he had to so many people. He was always in a jovial mood whenever you met him.
His love for the people followed him even on the day of his burial - there were thousands and thousands of mourners in attendance. Staying in Gokwe was because of the nature of his work and this only proves that he was someone who could stay with other people very well, because of that was given a place to build a homestead in an area where he was not born. He originally came from Mwenezi and the people of Mwenezi also came for his burial.
I knew him in 2002, in the provincial office within our political party, ZANU PF. He was not glued on lower levels of party politics only. He decided to go and assist the people in communities. Around 2003/4, we thought he was joking when he started campaigning for a parliamentary post and we were shocked in 2005 when we saw him in Parliament.
Given the way we lived together with Hon. Chikomba and worked well with him even within the political party, his passing away is a great loss. However, we accept God’s will on his departure. May his soul rest in peace.
HON. NDIWENI: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to thank Hon. Ngwenya for moving this motion which was seconded by Hon. C. Moyo on condolence message to our late Member of Parliament and friend, Hon. L. Chikomba.
Hon. Chikomba was a friend, a brother and colleague to me; I knew him as man of integrity when I was very young in my early 30’s. Some people might not be aware of his beginnings; the Hon. Member came from humble beginnings, I think Hon. Moyo alluded to the fact that he started off as a bus driver. He used to drive omnibuses that we now call ZUPCO that was in the first deployment and I knew him at that time. My mother knew him and she is the one who first introduced me to Hon. Chikomba because he happened to be a friend of my brother as well.
Hon. Chikomba, up to the time when he left us, people would have thought he is a rich somebody who must have been born with a silver spoon in his mouth but the man worked from humble beginnings. Some people might not be aware, I will give an example of how organised he was. We have plenty of indigenous farmers that do farming and they think that you can be a farm manager and a Member of Parliament at the same time. Hon. Chikomba was one person that when I talked to, he also shared with me information to say he does not want to go farming and mess up; he wanted to get somebody professional to help him.
So, he was one person that would always look for managers, he had a manager at his farm, somebody professionally trained to help. He was a well organised person; he would deploy professional people around him.
I admired the way he carried on. By that time I was finishing college, he was a businessman and by the way, I originally came from Midlands; this is how I came to know Hon. Chikomba and that is why I called him a brother.
It was not only on his business life and his interaction with people; he was also a family man. Previous speakers have alluded to the fact that he loved his family and I want to emphasize that fact. Each time they would come to visit me in Karoi, he would come with his wife and family, and they would pass through going to Kariba. He was one of those men that each time there was a holiday, they would decide to take their families, which some of us even if we have money at times we just go to the bottle store and drink but Hon. Chikomba was a family man; he would take his family to Kariba, Mauritius, London, so many places. So, I really appreciated and valued his family values.
For business people, it is not very common; they are hardly seen with their families when they move in public but with Hon. Chikomba, it was the exact opposite.
Touching on his personality as well, he had an exceptionally good personality; he was a lovable person, and seldom would you find him angry. If he got angry, it was because somebody would have angered him. Seldom would he anger people. So, he was a man that interacted very well. There is evidence even in the Parliament that we are in, Hon. Chikomba was friendly to almost everyone and it was evident again when we went to bury him in Gokwe-Chitekete there. I do not think any late Hon. Member has been buried by as many Hon. Members as they were available in Gokwe when we buried Hon. Chikomba. I applaud Hon. Members for taking their time to come and share our grief with the people of Gokwe – Kabuyuni. The people that were there as well were evident to the man’s personality like he was affectionately called ‘bhudhi’.
I asked one of the elders in our part to say how they managed to control the crowds that came in here. I was told we had to limit, top five in every district and branch. If they had left it open to everyone, I do think there was going to be commotion at that burial. They actually had to try and limit to say it should be top five in the districts or branches, so there would be order. So, he was really a man of the people. We worked very well and I think the nation has lost a very valuable member of this society. I pray that God gives friends to his family, wife and the son that they continue with the legacy that Hon. Chikomba left. I will conclude by saying I wish and pray that his soul does rest in peace.
(v)*HON. C. MOYO: I want to pay my tribute to the mover of the motion, Hon. S. Ngwenya who was Hon. Chikomba’s friend, seconded by Hon. T. Moyo. This is a great loss to us. I did not call him ‘bhudhi’ as others called him. When we met, he would call me sekuru, he respected me as his uncle. Our relationship was that of an uncle and nephew. I remember very well when we went on public hearings; we would hear phone calls coming through. We asked him why he never taught his sons to drive. He introduced me to one of his sons at Crowne Plaza which was one of his favourite places where he wanted to stay whenever he was in Harare. We were together in the Foreign Affairs Committee where we did our work serving the nation.
He was someone who was reserved and did not speak all the time but whenever he spoke or made a contribution, you would acknowledge that something meaningful or factual has been said. To those from Gokwe-Kabuyuni, you have lost a great person in Hon. Chikomba. We all say it is God’s will and time that we get to depart as people. He is someone who served the nation wholeheartedly.
At one of the occasions we met, he actually persuaded me to buy balls for games in my constituency because he was also doing the same. The idea was to have a tournament in the community. He forced me to buy four balls and even gave me the number of the person who was selling these balls. He was someone who socialised with everyone despite political affiliation. I bought those balls after having been persuaded by Hon. Chikomba and this was a lesson to all of us that if you have a network or contact, do not just keep them to yourself but share with others. It is actually a network for us.
He was not self-centred; he talked to everyone across the political divide. Secondly, as I mourn Hon. Chikomba, I remember I was on my way to Kariba and was passing through Chitekete. I contacted Hon. Chikomba as I could not proceed because I was tired. I understand he had a place there and he assisted me with accommodation for the night. I saw him when I came back from Kariba in Harare.
I was in Binga when I heard about his demise. I travelled from Binga straight to Gokwe and caught up with the burial proceedings. I was shown the accident scene. I encourage you to be strong and I say my nephew is gone. Very few are like him who would respect me just like he did. This was a great loss to me. I would like to say, may your soul rest in peace my nephew. Thank you.
(v)HON. S. BANDA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this debate. The way I knew Hon. Chikomba was another way round. When I was growing up, I grew up next to the district of Chikomba. So, in my mind when I heard that there is Hon. Chikomba, I thought he was from around Chikomba and that maybe we use the same road wezhira Masvingo Road to Chikomba. So when I then realised that he was not from there, it still did not affect me a lot because he was a man who was prepared to embrace everyone. For your own information Hon. Speaker, there are certain MPs who consider that they come from a certain party and then there are MPs who do not care which party you are from. They associate with anyone. A number of times, I would go into the dining and I would be sitting there taking my cokes and he would say you cannot pay for that while I am here. So he would buy rounds for everybody who was inside. That is the Hon. Chikomba that I knew. There were times when we were sort of nonsensical and being a nuisance and he would call me and say Hon. Banda, that is not the way an Hon. Member debates. You need to behave like this and that and that is something that Hon. Chikomba left us with.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I am imploring the Hon. Minister of Finance that when we go to a funeral to mourn one of us we would have lost, we really need to go with our hearts and not to go and look for coupons. I think the welfare of MPs and staff of Parliament has to be revisited in a way that does not make MPs stoop so low as to go to a funeral just for coupons and not necessarily to mourn the deceased. I am glad I went there and many Members that I know went there because they were genuinely going to mourn the loss of a wonderful Hon. Member. I think that has to be looked into.
Hon Chikomba, among other MPs, has been taken by the Lord without being given some of the things that were supposed to be given to him. Is Hon. Chikomba’s stand going to be given to him and that other car that is being discussed in the corridor, is it going to be given to him? Nobody really knows. So Mr. Speaker Sir, your MPs are now like paupers and their welfare needs to be looked into, especially those that are going to come after 2023 should not face what the current generation of MPs is facing.
With that Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to wish our brother Hon. Chikomba peaceful rest in the heavenly realm. May the Lord bless him, make him rest in peace and be with his family and everything and everyone he has left behind. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. MUSAKWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would also like to add my voice to the motion raised by Hon. Ngwenya, seconded by Hon. T. Moyo on the sad demise of Hon. Leonard Chikomba. Mr. Speaker Sir, Hon Chikomba was an embodiment of a lot of unique attributes that are enviable by people at large. When I first met him here at Parliament, he came to me and said ah, you look wise; it seems you are my brother. I asked what he meant and he said ah zvinongoitwa nevayerashoko and I said indeed you are right.
From there, he would always call me young man and whenever we moved with the Mines Committee, he would say mukanya do not go on the bus, come with me so that when I feel tired you are the only one who can drive me because there is nothing you can do to me, you are my brother. So, we bonded that way and each time we moved around on Committee business, he would always teach me the importance of patriotism, loyalty to one’s party, to the people and leadership. He was an embodiment of all those things. He would teach me that wherever we were, our families are important. He would always ask if I had left my family well and everything in order. He would put family first and from such a person, you would just see a loving father.
He was a man who loved his constituency. Most of the time he would say, this week even if we come from committee business work late, I will have to go home because I have spent the whole week without seeing the people of Gokwe. I will go even if it is just for a day and come back. He loved his constituency and you would see a man who loved his work.
There is a time when he was really down when people peddled some unfounded accusations against him. He came to me and said my young brother, at my age, can I go and ask for some money from someone or be looked after by someone. That is not me and it has pained me. I could see that it really affected him. Most of the times, you would see that he was a man who cherished hard work and he would always say let us work because we can only improve the lives of the people if we work. We can only improve our own families if we work. So, he believed in working hard and producing and everything would be alright. He would even say that all these things that are being increased in prices, if we produce them, who will then increase the prices because we will have them in abundance. He valued production and working and I believe that the best recognition we can give to him is to emulate his good value system of working hard for Zimbabwe and the people, the value of honesty, integrity and friendship. He would always smile and he was a friend of everyone. You would see that most people in this Parliament all held him in high esteem.
So, I would say to mukoma, maita shoko bvudzijena, maita makwiramiti, mahomuhomu; Vanopona nekuba, vamushamba negore; Hekani shoko, vana vapfumojena vakabva guruswa, shoko mbire yesvosve vanobva Hwedza, vapfuri vemhangura, vekumatonjeni vanaisi vemvura; Zvaitwa matarira, mumabwe, mhanimhani tonodya svosve, tinobvira maita zvenyu rudzi rukuru, matanga kugara; Vakawana ushe neuchenjeri, vakufumba, hujeukidza kwakabva tagerwe rinengova jemedzanwa; Kugara hukwenyakwenya, vari mawere, maramba kurimba, vanazvikongonyadza kufamba hukanya; Zvibwe zvitedza zvinoteedzera vari kure asi vari pedyo vachitamba nazvo. Zvaitwa mukanya, rudzi rusina chiramwa; Maita vari makoromokwa, mugara ndaguta. Aiwa zvaonekwa vhudzijena. I thank you.
*HON. BHUDHA-MASARA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for the opportunity you have afforded me to debate on the motion on the death of Hon. Chikomba. I had known Hon. Chikomba since 2013 when he was a Member of Parliament. We knew each other from the Mines Committee. He was someone who would stand for anyone. We were both new to Parliament and I had no light of leadership and by that time I had no transport. I got into his car but I was not very free because of our different political affiliation and we did not trust each other. I paid for my transportation and he refused my offer. I was afraid but I did not know that I was afraid of someone who was very open and humble to everyone. He was someone who so much loved his family and was dedicated to his political party. He knew my husband before I knew his wife. We started knowing each other at Hwange Safari Lodge when we were together with the Mines Committee. At one time, he proposed to visit me at my hotel room but I was shocked why he wanted to follow me to my room at the Safari Lodge. I later knew that it was a prank with my husband; he wanted me to know that they already knew each other and were friends. I was shocked to know that my husband knew Hon. Chikomba. They were always in Victoria Falls together.
Hon. Chikomba was a businessman and whenever he was on the phone, he would be talking of business. Hon. Chikomba was focused on his family and it is very rare to come across a businessman with so much wealth to be loyal to his family. I only knew his wife and no other women in his life since 2014. He was not known for any other miscellaneous activities in his political party. He was someone who could give you advice, not to be glued on your role as an MP and tell yourself that you are going to die as an MP. He would advise us that as MPs we were supposed to look at other avenues of income. He advised us to embark on sustainable projects so that when we leave Parliament we would be able to have something to rely on.
Hon. Chikomba left behind good legacy and we remember your words that when you are in Parliament, it is not an opportunity for you to find a death haven. You should look for other revenue income opportunities in life. I say to the family, may you be comforted by the Lord. Hon. Chikomba was a hero. He fought a good fight. May his soul rest in peace. I thank you Mr. Speaker.
*HON. TEKESHE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would like to thank the mover of the motion Hon. Ngwenya, seconded by Hon. Moyo. When I had shops in Gokwe that was when I knew him. He was into transport business. He was one of the people who made me feel at home in the august House. When we met as MPs, he would always call me Tekeshe throughout, even at Crown Plaza where we were staying. He was one of those MPs who did not dwell much on political affiliation. He interacted with everyone across the political divide. There are other MPs who do not even communicate with one another in this House. He was not selective and would always emphasise on life after politics. He could separate politics from business. Despite the fact that we were from different political parties, he would still love and communicate with everyone. Hon. Chikomba would easily interact with everyone regardless of their political affiliation. May Hon. Chikomba’s soul rest in peace and may his family be comforted by the Lord. Thank you.
(v)HON. MOLOKELA-TSIYE: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I would like to join in debating the motion as raised by Hon. Ngwenya and seconded by Hon. Moyo. I am so sad to play my part in expressing my sympathy and condolences to the Chikomba family. I was shocked to hear that Hon. Chikomba had passed on, remembering that he had passed on in a car accident.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Go ahead Hon. Molokela. You are cut off Honourable.
(v)HON. MOLOKELA-TSIYE: I went to Gokwe – Kabuyuni to say goodbye to Hon. Chikomba.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Go ahead Honourable. I think there must be something wrong with your connection. While you look for a stable connection, I can move on to Hon. Nyathi.
(v)HON. MOLOKELA-TSIYE: I can hear you clearly Hon. Speaker. I do not know whether you can hear me clearly?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Now, I can hear you.
(v)HON. MOLOKELA-TSIYE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I was one of the people who were at Gokwe – Kabuyuni. I was able to go there because I knew this man personally. When I joined Parliament, he was already a Parliamentarian. He is the one who approached me first. He greeted me and told me that he heard that I am the MP for the Colliery. He said he has asked around to be shown the Member of Parliament for Hwange. He looked for me and he was a very friendly person. He was not from my political party but he said he wanted to meet the Member of Parliament for the Colliery. From that day onwards, I became free with him since he had shown that he was free with me. For the past few years, at any given opportunity when I saw him, I would be able to chat with him freely. I was not from his party but he was able to relate with me even though I was from a different political divide. He was a man who loved people, a man who loved humanity, a man who did not care which background one came from but a man who was happy and comfortable among people.
When I went to Kabuyuni, that was the message that I heard. Mourner after mourner, tribute after tribute, they highlighted the fact that he was a man of the people. Originally, he was not from Kabuyuni but he went there because of work related reasons. If you go there today, that place is now called Chitekete in honour of his favourite song by the late Leonard Dembo. He was Mr. Chitekete himself. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Chikomba’s family for such a powerful son that they gave to the nation of Zimbabwe. He was a patriot, a man who loved his country, and a man who was willing to see Zimbabwe move forward. He was willing to work with everyone from every political party. We will miss his leadership, warm heart, friendship, generous and kind heart. May he rest in peace. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
(v)*HON. R. R. NYATHI: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir, for granting me an opportunity to add my voice to the motion that has been raised by Hon. Ngwenya, seconded by Hon. Moyo. Hon. Speaker Sir, I would like to thank all Hon. Members who joined us in mourning Hon. Chikomba. It shows that he related well with people. He is one person who would properly give advice without embarrassing anyone. He was also a senior member in the Parliament of Zimbabwe. In other words, the Parliament of Zimbabwe lost a very important person.
In the Midlands Province, he was a Member of Parliament representing Gokwe – Kabuyuni. We did quite a number of programmes together with the late Hon. Member. We also lost a principled and hard working man who worked for his country, the party, as well as his family. He was also a businessman. The late Hon. Chikomba was a prosperous business-man but he was very humble and would relate well with everyone, be it higher people in society or the low. I believe fellow Hon. Members can learn from the conduct of the late Hon. Leonard Chikomba.
He was also a Central Committee Member in ZANU PF. He rose through the ranks from the juniors up to the province to the Central Committee. We also used to see his reports and it shows that he contributed to the development of this country. As youths, we lost a very important person. Midlands Province and the country at large have also lost an important person. Even the President, His Excellency Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa would visit the late Hon. Chikomba’s homestead whenever he visited Gokwe and would drink and eat there. At his homestead, there were rooms where the leadership would sleep. Even his widow is different from other women. She would receive people very well. She is very hospitable.
Hon. Chikomba’s death came very untimely because he died in a road traffic accident. We also see the President calling for the repair of roads because we have lost a lot of heroes through road accidents. It does not mean that rural roads should not be tarred. Through the New Dispensation, the ideal situation is all the roads must be tarred, including rural areas because if the roads are good, it shows that peoples’ lives will be protected. We keep on calling upon the Minister of Transport to continue looking on the roads, be it in the rural areas or highways so that they preserve peoples’ lives. Mr. Speaker, there are certain things that we do not have control over. I would like to say to the Zimbabweans, whilst we mourn the late Hon. Chikomba, there are certain things that are beyond your control. You cannot choose where to be born, you cannot choose parents and you cannot choose the number of years to live. The onus is upon us to live each day as if it is the last day. Which means you need to relate very well with other people as well as God because anytime you can go even without preparing just like how Hon. Chikomba died without even falling sick after attending a very important meeting, we only got to learn that he had died.
Hon. Speaker, we cannot choose the age at which to die. We have no control over the future so I would like to say, God is the giver and the taker of life. For those who read the Bible, Job, Chapter 8 verse 11, you can come all the way from wherever you are coming from but where the demarcation is put, you cannot cross beyond that - be it in the middle of enjoying life or in an aeroplane or wherever, when the time comes for you to die, you cannot go beyond that time. Some die whilst very sick and some die after living very well. What I would like to say to Hon. Members and the Chikomba family is we mourn with you, we lived well with him. For me he was my nephew, he used to call other Hon. Members and ask them to greet me as his uncle. So we will never get to hear that voice again. We are in deep sorrow because we know where he used to sit in Parliament and we are aware that he will no longer be with us. Let us live our lives to the fullest and work well without any blemishes, just like how this man lived. To Zimbabwe as a country and the whole family, let us mourn with hope of meeting him again. I thank you Mr. Speaker.
*HON. MADHUKU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for giving me this opportunity to debate on our colleague who left us. Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to appreciate the time we had together with Hon. Chikomba. When we joined him in 2018 as new MPs, we were told that he is a very senior member in this august House. When we joined as new Members, we did not know anything about Parliament. We worked with him in the Mines Committee. We really felt welcome because of how he used to conduct himself. We get consolation from the word of our Lord, Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 verse 2, that says, there is a time for everything, ‘a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted’. We get consolation from these words because God gave us those words that indeed we are going to die. So, everything has its own time and we assume that he died and he will arise. During the time we worked with him, we realised that he was a humble person who conducted himself very well.
We heard from the Hon. Members who raised this motion, they said a lot of good things that he did through his hard work. We heard that he had transport business that used to carry all sorts of goods from the Grain Marketing Board as well as timber. He was a Member of Parliament as well as a Central Committee Member in ZANU PF. It is a very high post that is why he was given accolade by the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe because of the work he did in ZANU PF as well as the whole country.
He was also involved in the fuel business, butcheries, general dealer and he was also a farmer. If we scrutinise all the work that he did, it was quite a lot. He was very humble, despite all that. He used to bring himself down to the level of some of us who have nothing. For some people who are so prosperous, it is as if they will not greet you through a handshake but through an elbow as if they wipe their hands after greeting you.
Mr. Speaker Sir, we shared the same totem so as we enter the Chamber, we would recite our totems and enjoyed together with fellow Hon. Members whom we share the same totem with. There are quite a number of us, including Hon. Musakwa who is here, we had a good time with the late Hon. Chikomba. We remember him for all that as well as other things. When we used to sit in the Mines Committee, he would call to find out where the meeting would be, or to ask me whether the meeting would take place and I would tell him that indeed, the meeting was there on virtual. He would say, let me use your gadget since I would be having the link for the meeting. He would say, do not put that link on his phone but on Hon Ngwenya’s phone.
I really had a good time with the late Hon. Chikomba. We learnt a lot from him. He would tell us that he is a business-person who is into transportation of maize and would invite us that if ever we needed maize for campaign, he would provide us. I was expecting that I would receive maize for me to campaign but now I lost a lot because the person who promised me that is no more.
I am really grateful for the time we had. Let us not lose hope as we mourn. I would like to thank God for the life he had. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
(v)*HON GOZHO: I would like to thank Hon. Ngwenya for moving the motion and Hon. Moyo for seconding. They have raised a very important motion. This is a very touching issue to us as Hon. Members. I came to know Hon. Chikomba in 1999. I regarded him as my father. He supported ZANU PF and I was supporting MDC. After going for a campaign for my party, I would sleep at his lodge. He would invite his wife to meet me and we would laugh and enjoy each other’s company. He did not matter that I was from the opposition. He was someone who had love.
I do not forget this other year when Hon. Chikomba saved me from political violence. He hid me in a certain place for safety. He taught me that we should love each other despite political affiliation. It was so shocking to me when I heard the news of his demise. He is someone who knew my husband and family. They were good friends with my husband. I would like to express my condolences to his wife and family. It is very painful to me and to the children of this nation. It is my desire that the constituency gets a Member of Parliament who is of the same calibre as that of the late Hon. Chikomba. He was someone who cared for everyone. He even gave food to his constituents. He would even feed members from the opposition. This is something that some Members of Parliament today cannot do.
Let us love each other. With time we will leave all that we have around us. I would like to thank the Hon. Member who moved this motion. It is very painful when I hear people talking and giving testimonies on this particular Hon. Member because he was someone who had love. I thank you.
(v)*HON. MIRANZI: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. Just like what everyone was saying about Hon. Chikomba, he was someone for the people. He did not segregate or look down upon other individuals. He was someone with a good personality different from others. He did not consider people because of political affiliation. He interacted with everyone from across the political divide.
If we went to Kabuyuni, we would sleep there at his lodge. He would explain to his workers that there are people who are coming there. He would actually laugh at us despite us campaigning for the opposition. We would work in his constituency freely. We would not expect any violence or intimidation because we knew we were in safe hands despite being from the opposition. On his funeral people from all political parties were there to mourn him. He was someone who did not segregate people because he mingled with everyone hence you saw the crowd that was at his burial.
Looking at the work that he engaged in this country, he actually did a very splendid job. Each and everyone has his own time but God knows why he took him away from us. I would like to say to the Chikomba family; we are mourning with you and we sympathise with you following the loss of your beloved one. I would like to say, may his soul rest in peace, a hero to us all.
(v)*HON. GANDAWA: I would want to contribute a few words with regard to the demise of the Hon. Member. He was a father to us. Growing up, he was friends with my father. Whenever I saw the two, I would call him my own just like I called my own father. We used to meet with him in Gweru when we were growing up and later we met him in Gokwe.
His death was something that was very painful to me. He is someone who supported me in my business. The first time I got a business contract, it was Hon Chikomba who assisted me, it was not easy given my age to embark on a business those years from Hwange, and from Gokwe carrying coal; it was not easy but he is one of those people who assisted me. Looking at my business today, he is one of those people who supported and gave me advice just like a father. I would like to say, may his soul continue to rest in peace. I thank you.
HON. NGWENYA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. TEKESHE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 26th July, 2022.
On the motion of HON. MATAMISA seconded by HON. TEKESHE, the House adjourned at Twenty Three Minutes to Six o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 26th July, 2022.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 21st July, 2022
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
APOLOGIGES RECEIVED FROM MINISTERS
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have with me here apologies received from Ministers who are not able to come today as follows:
Hon. C. D. G. N Chiwenga, Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care;
Hon. O. C. Z. Muchinguri-Kashiri, Minister of Defence and War Veterans;
Hon. Sen. M. Mutsvangwa, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services;
Hon. Dr. J. Mangwiro, Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care;
Hon. M. N. Ndlovu, Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality Industry;
Hon. J. G. Moyo, Minister of Local Government and Public Works;
Hon. F. M. Shava, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade;
Hon. Dr. J. M. Gumbo, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs in Charge of Implementation and Monitoring;
Hon. S. G. Nyoni, Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development;
Hon. B. Rwodzi, Deputy Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality Industry;
Hon. R. Maboyi-Mavhungu, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage;
Hon. R. Machingura, Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development;
Hon. C. Chiduwa, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Development.
Ministers who are present in the Chamber are as follows:
Hon. F. Mhona, Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development;
Hon. D. Garwe, Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
*HON. SEN. CHIEF MAKUMBE: Thank you Mr. President for affording me the opportunity to ask the question about an issue close to my heart. My question is directed to the Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities. What plans does Government have in terms of the construction of houses in areas that recently acquired town status such as Murambinda and other areas so that people can have decent accommodation with bias towards high rise buildings? Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF NATIONAL HOUSING AND SOCIAL AMENITIES (HON. GARWE): Thank you Hon. President of Senate. I would want to thank Hon. Sen. Chief Makumbe for asking a pertinent question. We have a programme of building houses in the rural areas with a view towards rural district councils and the new towns that have come on board. First and foremost, what we are doing in conjunction with the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works is to do physical planning to come up with layouts of master plans for houses. Zimbabwe has got land that is not infinity. So, as we do our construction, we are now working on these programmes. I am going to officially launch the programme next week at Mutawatawa Growth Point in UMP. Thereafter, it would cascade throughout the country to cover areas such as Buhera and Murambinda. In Murambinda, we are waiting for council to give us land. We have written to them and they are yet to respond.
In other areas such as Gokwe, they have responded, same applies to Plumtree and other several places. Government does not want haphazard construction or what we would call single storey buildings because we will end up eroding into the land that is meant for agriculture. At the end, we will have a lot of houses that we want but we will then be importing food because we would have used agricultural land. The President has advised that there should be a new look. It is a national human settlement policy and it wants people to build high rise buildings whenever we are carrying out construction work, 40% of all the areas that are to be built should be flats. In cities such as Harare, we are urging whoever has four or six acres and the house just covers half an acre to subdivide, build a lot of flats or cluster houses in those areas. We have a backlog of 1.2 million houses nationwide. We are looking forward to eradicate it by the year 2010, in line with the President’s vision 2030 of being an upper middle class economy. Shortage of houses by 2030 shall be a thing of the past. We have steps that we have put in place to reach our goal. The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development came through the President in line with National Development Strategy 1 to say that we should be constructing 220 000 houses by 2025. We are going to construct these houses in several ways, including the houses that the Chief has mentioned because Government workers that are in rural areas also need to be allocated houses. That is the programme that we have. Thank you.
*HON. SEN. G. MOYO: Thank you Mr. President. My question is directed to the Minister of Transport on the road construction programme, those that are constructing these roads are using gravel. This gravel upon inspection should be compacted once it has been laid. In our area, they did not have a water bowser to enable the ramming on this gravel. Why is it that those in the Ministry of Transport are working in that way? Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): I want to thank Hon. Sen. Moyo for the question that she has raised. The question that has been posed is that there is a specific place where she knows that work was shoddily done. It is my plea once again to this august House that as people representatives, whenever we see that work has been shoddily done, it is our right as Hon. Members to come before this august House and inform the House that work is not being done properly. If roads are being constructed in such a manner, we all know that my Ministry has different types of road construction but she has mentioned that if gravel has been applied, one would also expect that gravel should be compacted. It is not good to leave gravel without being compacted. As people that are in charge of the place, it is important that you inform us so that we do not give tenders to such people. My plea to Hon. Moyo is if she can inform me where this occurred, we can carry out investigations and correct any anomalies. Thank you.
HON. SEN. CHIEF CHIKWAKA: Thank you Mr. President, my question is directed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development. First of all, I want to thank the Minister for the good work that he is doing in constructing our roads, especially our town roads and major roads that leave Harare and those that are mostly congested are now being well constructed. The problem that we have in the areas where we come is what Government is doing with regards to the roads that were destroyed by the rains, especially in the communal lands. Our councils are unable to rehabilitate these roads - graders at times are getting stuck in the mud because the gravel has been swept away. What is Government policy to ensure that our roads can be accessible and also the type of bridges that were destroyed by Cyclone Idai because we still have challenges? Thank you.
HON. MHONA: I want to thank Hon. Sen. Chief Chikwaka, he has raised a very important question. I also represent a rural constituency and it is true that our roads for a long time have been destroyed. That is why His Excellency the President declared roads as a national disaster, which meant that the Ministry had to intervene in certain areas such as DDF areas and council areas, especially those that were operating in the areas that the Chief has made reference to. We are now putting our heads together to ensure that we rehabilitate or reconstruct that road. As a Ministry, we were mainly concerned with the major roads and we were not going into communal lands. We are now going into these communal lands to assist DDF and rural district councils. We are going further to see how best we can also come up with better methods to ensure that we construct roads that last for a long time. We want our gravel roads to be durable. It is true that when the Minister of Finance and Economic Development comes to this House, we should also plead with him that we be given an additional budget to be able to construct our roads. Yes, we draw our funding from the national purse but in other countries, the national purse is even insufficient. We would also want to borrow using concessionary loans but we are not getting any at the moment. When the Minister of Finance comes next week, we should ask that we be given additional funding. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: My good Minister has said things that are practicable. There is an issue that you did not address. With the funding that you currently have, are there any funds being disbursed to Rural District Councils, because it is mostly urban roads that are being looked into? What is being done concerning our roads in rural areas, is there a portion of the budget that has been given to your Ministry to attend to rural roads? Are you making reference to the supplementary budget or to the national budget for 2023? I thank you.
*HON. MHONA: Let me congratulate Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira on his appointment as President of PAP. The question that has been posed does not mean that we have not constructed or rehabilitated any roads in the communal lands. As a result of the damage that has occurred, I would liken the situation to that of cancer. When cancer is all over the body, you would want to treat the entire body. So there are certain areas in our communal areas where we are reaching these places but because of the damage to numerous roads in the area, that may not be noticeable.
What I can promise the august House is for us to bring provincial analysis that shows the roads that we have attended to in each of these provinces and in the rural areas. As a Ministry, we are lagging behind. We have too many roads but maybe it is because our publicity is not high enough. I want to believe that where we come from, some of the road construction and rehabilitation is self evident. I would be grateful to give you roads that were constructed in Masvingo by us inclusive of DDF and Department of Roads.
When I was talking about the budget, I was talking about the supplementary budget so that in the supplementary budget, we will be allocated more funding as to be able to achieve our objectives.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: The most important issue is that our roads were destroyed by the rains. The rains are almost upon us again. The gullies are going to be deeper and it will be expensive to correct these gullies. It is what I was urging you to look into so that you would come up with a list of these roads that were constructed. I am from Masvingo Province and if I look at all the roads, I cannot even see a single one that was said to have been constructed or rehabilitated. Maybe because of funding, you may say that it is Gutu or other areas. I thank you.
HON. MHONA: As I said earlier on that each road authority has a certain amount of funds allocated to it. If we look at the types of roads from our areas where we live in, we do that as a result of consultation with residents of the specific areas. They are the ones that prioritise. I cannot say off the cuff I am going to reconstruct a, b, c roads in Masvingo. The various Ministers of State are the ones that give us a list of the roads that need to be repaired in conjunction with their own committees. We cannot construct all these roads because of inadequate funding. We only prioritise what we need to be constructing. We are going to look at that issue so that the various departments or road authorities utilise the funds allocated to them. DDF has a certain amount of funds that has been allocated to it to maintain or rehabilitate roads. I promise this House that no place is going to be left behind and no place is more important than the other. Whether the roads are urban or rural, they are equally important. I thank you
*HON SEN. CHIMBUDZI: Let me start by congratulating Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira on your appointment as President of PAP. When you award tenders Hon. Minister, are you also awarding these tenders to women engineers so that they are involved in the development of this country. I thank you.
HON. MHONA: I am most grateful Hon. Sen. Chimbudzi that your question has depth. I feel hurt that when I look at my section, there are very few female road engineers. Let me also inform this august House that it is our wish that we see companies that are headed by women so that we can also give them a chance to also participate, companies that are led by women that will then become household names. The same would be extended to the youths so that when they have their own quotas as women and youths, they can then shine in that particular sector. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF NTABENI: I would like to start by congratulating you Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira for your appointment as President of PAP. We are solidly behind you, son of the soil.
My question is directed to the Minister of Industry and Commerce. It has been a long time when we have been talking about ZISCO Steel, Lancashire Steel. Do we have plans to resuscitate these particular companies? Technology is now way far ahead of what we have at ZISCO Steel. Are we going to resuscitate ZISCO Steel, a major player in the turnaround of this economy?
THE MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE (HON. DR. KANHUTU-NZENZA): Thank you Mr. President. I would like to congratulate you on becoming President of the PAP. It pleases us as Zimbabweans.
Thank you for the question. It has come at the right time. I say so because I have not been given an update on the state of affairs at ZISCO Steel. It took us 12 months for us to get the right investor with the right expertise. I would like to inform this House that we have identified through diligence process, Kuvimba as the company that will resuscitate ZISCO. This was approved in Cabinet around February / March. Since then, there has been a lot of activity where this company has carried out its due diligence at ZISCO, working together with the management at ZISCO. Already, we have a draft MOU that needs to be finalised in working with the different legal frameworks from the investor, as well as, from the ZISCO team.
We are also looking at the latest technology like you said. We have already looked at the latest technology that focuses on green energy from companies in Germany to the extent that some of these companies we have identified, do not know much about ZISCO but do have the expertise in making steel. They are visiting Zimbabwe on Sunday and they are going to be at ZISCO on Monday. That shows progress. Thank you Mr. President.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF NTABENI: Thank you Mr. President. Hon. Minister, you spoke very well. Can you tell us when the investors are coming? I want to go back to Kwekwe and tell people that now the company is going to start. Thank you.
HON. DR. KANHUTU-NZENZA: I would want to thank the Hon. Chief once again. As I have said, we have an MOU. The people we are partnering with are a company with renowned expertise. They are also cognizant of the fact that they need latest technology and they were talking with a company in Germany. Their representatives will be visiting our mining companies in this country on Sunday and on Monday they will be at ZISCO Steel. So, we are doing it step by step but we are going to get there. This is what I can assure you right now. Thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHIKWAKA: Thank you Mr. President. Let me reiterate that as the chiefs, we are happy that in Africa today we are the rulers. We are presiding over Africa and we would want to thank you for the work that you did. May God bless you as you continue in discharging the highest office that you have attained.
I do not know who is in charge of Government Business today. I wanted to pose my question to the Minister of Energy and Power Development. In the absence of the Minister of Energy, who is the Leader of Government Business?
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE (HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA): They say there is no dedicated Leader of Government Business today, unless there is an Hon. Minister who feels that he may respond to the question. We are proud of you Hon. Ministers. The Minister of Transport can respond to the question. Go ahead and pose the question.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHIKWAKA: Thank you Mr. President. My question is directed to the Minister of Energy and Power Development. At the moment, we know that our economy can only be jump-started by agriculture. As a country, we are crying over the war between Russia and Ukraine which is affecting us. During this winter, farmers have planted wheat all over the country. What measures has Government put in place in order to assist farmers so that they have uninterrupted electricity? There is load shedding every day and it is affecting the winter crop. Does the Government have the farmers at heart?
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Hon. President of the Senate. I also want to thank Hon. Sen. Chief Chikwaka. He has raised a very important question which is about self-sustenance. There is need to have surplus in terms of wheat production. Yes, it is true that there is load shedding. We are aware that Hwange 7 and 8 is being expanded and it is going to bring on to the grid a lot of energy that will alleviate our problem. Because machinery is now too old, sometimes it may not perform according to expectations; hence we will have power shortages. It is my plea that farmers should be given a chance and they should not be affected by load shedding. Once you see load shedding happening, it means that the machinery will not be able to sustain the demand. I will however take the message to the relevant Minister that winter wheat is now being affected by load shedding so that he can come up with measures to alleviate our plight as regards shortage of wheat. I thank you.
HON. SEN. ENG. MUDZURI: Before I put my point of order, I would also want to congratulate you as the head of Pan-African Parliament. We appreciate that and we are proud of you.
My point of order is that it is unfortunate that the Deputy President of Senate has gone away. Last week we were promised that the Minister of Finance and Economic Development was going to come here to tell us about the gold coins, but today there are no Ministers. Can you be proud to run a House with four Ministers, answering questions on a Thursday when the economy is so down? My point of order is when are we going to get Ministers to come and answer questions and properly represented by the Leader of the House?.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE (HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA): Having been absent last week, I will have a partial answer. I am not sure about other Ministers, we have a list of those that have sent in apologies but with respect to the Minister of Finance, I am going to read his letter to the President of the Senate. I proceed, it is dated 19th July, 2022. It says:-
We acknowledge receiving communication that the Minister of Finance and Economic Development Hon. Prof. Ncube is required to address the Senate on issues to do with the prevailing macro-economic environment
The Minister is currently presenting the Mid-Term Budget Review, of which it has already been presented to the Cabinet Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs. He is presenting to Cabinet today. [That was on the 19th July, 2022]. The presentation to Parliament is on 28 July, 2022. Madam President, we are therefore kindly requesting your permission if Senate can indulge the Minister to present the Mid-Term Budget Review to Parliament first and then attend to the issues raised by Senate. The Hon. Minister, fully appreciates the importance, urgency and the need to address the issues raised by the Senate. Please accept Madam President, the assurances of my highest consideration by the Minister’s Office.
I think this sounds clear.
HON. SEN. ENG. MUDZURI: From what he wrote, we are supposed to get a Mid-Term Budget without understanding the meaning of certain terms around the same budget. I thought the Minister is supposed to explain to us so that we will be able to listen to him and understand what he is trying to do. It will be like revision where after the Budget, that is when he will be trying to explain and we will try to recall what was there. To me, it was necessary that the Minister comes here to explain what is exactly happening. How can we have a Mid-Term Budget when we do not even understand what the fundamentals around are? That will not make us an august House. I think the Minister should come to this House even Tuesday next week so that we understand the fundamentals or he can send another Minister.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank you Hon. Mudzuri for that. I think Ministers of Finance, when they intend to present anything to do with the budget, whether it is mid-term or not, usually they come up with some economic policies, surprises or otherwise - probably he is trying to avoid preempting what he is going to present next week on Thursday. Probably the issue of gold coins, I believe he is getting information from the public. I have confidence that he will explain if there is confusion around those gold coins. If he does not, as is always the procedure, we as Parliamentarians will have the opportunity to raise questions. We will have an opportunity to follow-up on that mid-term budget presentation. We are likely to get all the clarifications. For now, let us give the benefit of the doubt that his intentions are good and sound and he is going to achieve what we desire to get from him next Thursday. Short of that, Parliament will still raise questions for clarification.
The issue of course, was of decline in numbers of Ministers on Thursday afternoons in this Chamber to respond to questions. I believe this issue was raised last week and I believe letters have been written to various Ministers. We had a long list of apologies, fortunately the Clerk of Parliament is here, he is also listening - we will assist each other to raise this issue. Thank you.
HON. SEN. ENG. MUDZURI: To me I think it is the responsibility of the President of Senate, I am sure that she can write to the President to ensure that Ministers come to the House. I do not think the Clerk can go that far. He can only write a formal letter and the whole meaning of this is to make sure that we present questions to different Ministers has no meaning anymore because we have complained and nothing has happened, unless the Government has decided to be dysfunctional. Without ministers, the Government is dysfunctional. So if we cannot ask questions and continue to give excuses to say let so and so speak – it is the President of Senate who should be able to take this up with the Speaker and ensure that the Ministers are there.
I want to put it to you that it is your responsibility to ensure that the Ministers attend.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Indeed, for now I am the Acting President of Senate. Whenever you say the President of Senate should do this, you are actually requesting me to proceed accordingly and I want to underline accordingly. When I refer to the Clerk, I am saying my support staff is also here so that this matter will not end in this Chamber. I thank you
It is ten minutes before our time is up and I request Senators to be very brief and straight to the point in their questions. Please make sure your gadgets are connected.
HON. SEN. CHINAKE: I want to congratulate you for the position that you have acquired, may the good Lord look after you. My question is directed to the Minister of Industry and Commerce. We manufacture cement in this country and it costs between US$10 to US$12 but the same cement in Zambia is about US$3.50. Why are we not behaving like the Zambians? People will end up going to Zambia to buy cheaper cement.
THE MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE (HON. DR. KANHUTU-NZENZA): Cement is a key product in construction, infrastructure and housing. The prices that you have made reference to are true. In Zambia, it varies from US$3.50 to US$6. There are differences on the cement that is manufactured in Zambia and the one that we have in Zimbabwe. The differences are in quality and standards. I have a report that came from the Consumer Protection Council and they have highlighted that the cement from Zambia does not set very well when you apply it on the floor and if you use it on the wall, that wall may collapse. As the custodians of quality and standards in this country, we do not want to see that happening.
In Zimbabwe, we have three companies that manufacture cement such as PPC, La Farge and SinoZim. SinoZim is mass producing cement. This particular cement has been used in the construction of new Parliament building and it is the same cement that is being used on the major roads like the one from Beitbridge to Chirundu. It is a strong type of cement. Be that as it may, I urge that as Zimbabweans, we should look at the durability of this product because such type of cement will last a long time. As a Ministry, we will talk to those that produce cement so that they can reduce their price so that it can be affordable to the majority of the people. I thank you.
*HON. S. NDLOVU: Thank you Mr. President for affording me the opportunity to ask my question. First and foremost, I would want to congratulate you on being elected President of PAP. As Zimbabweans, we are very happy for you.
My question is directed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Development. Are you aware that there is a serious backlog of driver licences? There are some people that acquired provisional licences in 2019 and to date, they have not received their metal licences. Some have torn paper driver’s licence of competence and some of these have been obliterated. When they go to their local offices, they are told that they should come to Harare. When they come to Harare, they are told that the licences have not been processed and they go back. What is causing this delay? Why are drivers licences produced after five years after road test?
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT (HON MHONA): That is a good question that she has asked and it has also given me a chance to explain to the majority of Zimbabweans that it is true that when one acquires their certificate of competence, they would be holding on to the paper document. When we go back to the production of the metal discs, the machines that produce licences have been in existence for more than 40 years and they are no longer coping with demand. Some of the chemicals that are required to produce that particular licence are imported and at times we would not be having adequate foreign currency to be able to produce.
I am grateful that we are now able to produce new licences since 2018. Up to now we can get to 2023 while we are still looking into this issue of backlog. We are going even further because we know that in the SADC region, we are supposed to have a standard licence so that these licences are acceptable regionally. My Ministry is busy ensuring that the Zimbabwean driver, once he gets into Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique, when they produce their drivers licence, it is recognised. I believe that by the end of the year, we will have produced a recognisable drivers license which is recognised. I believe that by the end of the year, we will have produced a drivers’ licence which is recognised in the SADC region. It will also enable us to look into this issue and come up with solutions.
We were assisting these people and others took advantage and became involved in corrupt activities. So we would want to know the people who are doing that so that we can fight corruption. Those with licences from 2018 to 2019 should be in a position to access their licences without being corruptly asked to offer a bribe. I will also be in a position to go and research so as to find out if this is what is happening. Those that are in the bracket that I have mentioned should be in a position to receive metal drivers’ licences. We are going to deal with part of the 2020 licences. I believe once we are done with our research on the standards that we must follow, we will now move away from producing metal discs. We will start producing licences that are recognised in the SADC region. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. D. M. NDLOVU: Thank you Mr. President. The Hon. Minister spoke about drivers going to other countries. My question stemmed from there because there are some people who are cross-borders and have paper licences. When they are in some countries, they are told these are not licences, it is a forged document. As a result, they are inconvenienced. The authorities would suspect that the licences have been ill-gotten but if it is a disc, no one can tamper with it. That is where the problem is. There are others who are corruptly getting licences. Where are they getting these licences because you said the chemicals are not there?
*HON. MHONA: Thank you Mr. President. I would want to thank Hon. Sen. Ndlovu. It is true that others are corruptly getting these licences as you have said. Of course, we are fighting against corruption. Others are told that licences cannot be made available but those who pay bribes can have their licences. This is corruption and the cancer that we are fighting. We do not want people to be doing that. It is true that those with paper licences, when they go into other countries, are inconvenienced. We are moving towards the era where we have acceptable licences. These are not paper licences and are not prone to forgery. It is true, a lot of people have suffered by not accessing the metal discs. It is the Government’s vision that we should, as quickly as possible, ensure that all drivers have their metal licence discs. Thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF MAKUMBE: Thank you Mr. President. I move that time for Questions without Notice be extended by 10 minutes. Thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHISOROCHENGWE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
*HON. SEN. MUPFUMIRA: Thank you Mr. President. First and foremost, I congratulate you on being elected PAP President. I wish you well. Good things come to those who wait. My question is directed to the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare. There is a problem that is getting worse on a daily basis as regards street kids and abuse of drugs and alcohol. As a Ministry, what measures are you taking to either alleviate or eliminate this problem? Do we have a national policy on street kids? How many street kids do we have in this country at the moment? I thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. MATUKE): First and foremost, I would want to congratulate you Hon. President for being elected President of the Pan-African Parliament. You are our very own Zimbabwean son. We would want to honour and thank you for that.
I would want to thank Hon. Sen. Mupfumira for the pertinent question that she has paused concerning street kids. We have several places where we can take these street kids to so that they can be looked after and be supported. Recently we had a lot that were attended to by the First Lady in Chiredzi and some other areas. They were taken by the Ministry but the challenge that we face is that we are unable to quantify them. They are always on the streets. They have reasons as regards to places where they come from. Some are orphaned and they will be living with foster parents who ill-treat them and as a result they run away from these guardians or foster parents.
Some will have committed offences and they run away from these families so they will run into the streets. It is not possible for us to come with the specific figure as to how many are in the streets. The point is Government is trying as much as possible to rehabilitate but may not be able to completely eradicate the problem. In all countries, we do find such people. What is needed is whenever we see that the numbers have increased, they are sent back to their homes or families.
You also made reference to substance abuse, Government at the moment is using non-governmental organisations, they are trying to educate these children and also the Government itself has a Department that is under Social Welfare. The drug is crystal meth. They look for such children so that they carry awareness campaigns so they can quit drug abuse.
Last year the President launched the Anti Drug Abuse Campaign at the Robert Mugabe Square to condemn the issue of drug abuse by children that are detrimental to both health and the mind. As Government, we are doing as much as we can through the Ministry of Education to educate people about the need to stay away from drugs. Thank you.
HON. SEN. GWESHE: The road which is near the tollgate is the road that leads to Mhondoro, have you attended to that road, ever since I was in Sub-A, that road has not been attended to. It is a strip road, please attend to that road.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Hon. President and I want to thank Hon. Sen. Gweshe. The road is also a road that leads to the school that I attended. It is called the Skyline Road, I went there for Form 1. My department is working on that to see that the road is attended to. Thank you Senator, I believe that the road needs to be attended to because that one is an important road, it leads to Mhondoro-Mubayira and after Hunyani River it also goes past several schools, clinics and hospital. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHISOROCHENGWE: First and foremost, I congratulate you on your appointment. My question is directed to the Minister responsible for women and gender. What policies do they have to look into the plight of women? Thank you.
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF WOMEN’S AFFAIRS, COMMUNITY, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHLANGA): Thank you Mr. President. I also join hands in congratulating you on your election. I also want to thank the Hon. Senator who has posed this pertinent question. We have different funds. The first one is the Women Development Fund. Once the monies come from Government, it is send to the provinces so that women are able to work and sustain themselves. The second one is the Zimbabwe Community Development Fund. It also deals with projects that are good in communities. We no longer have a bias towards men but in that fund, women have the majority share. We also have the Women’s Bank, a bank for women which is not too strict on collateral security so that our women can come and work together so that the issue of collateral can be removed. The bank is also giving funding for them to acquire assets so that women can be able to use these assets as collateral so that they can get loans.
SMEDCO at this moment in time, it is one of our parastatals that has tailor made projects for our women. We have development partners like International Labour Organisation and OFID, we do that with a view to uplift the work of women. I thank you.
HON. SEN. CHIEF MAKUMBE: I would like to congratulate you on your appointment as PAP President. I would want to say that Africa is being ruled by its own people.
My question is directed to the Minister of Industry and Commerce. What policies does the Ministry have in terms of constructing industries to newly built residential areas at growth points so that the people may be empowered?
THE MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE (HON. DR. KANHUTU-NZENZA): He has asked a very significant and profound question which is linking to the rural industrialisation programme. We have ten provinces in the country and under my Ministry, each province now has a director whose main responsibility is to look at each province and determine what kind of industry can be prioritised. For example, in the Midlands Province, we are looking at leather production, dairy, mining and we also have SinoZim. Under the mining sector, we are looking at beneficiation. This is the strategic framework in which we are working. Zoning into a province, identifying the key priorities and then develop a rural industrialisation programme.
We are not doing this on our own. We are working closely with the Ministry of Housing and Rural Amenities, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Agriculture. For example, speaking on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture, he is launching a borehole programme linked to a horticulture programme in each province and he has already started doing that. Under that, we are looking at agro processing because we can produce a lot of crops in this country. Our new industrialisation strategy is now focusing on agro processing for local consumption and export. That way we are creating jobs right across all the ten provinces.
*HON. SEN. CHIFAMBA: I want to congratulate you on the election as PAP President.
My question is directed to the Minister of Energy and in his absence to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Development. We now have a problem with power outages. People’s gadgets are being damaged, what is ZESA going to do about the damage that is being caused by the power outages?
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT (HON MHONA) on behalf of THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT: I would like to thank Hon. Sen. Chifamba for her pertinent question. It is a problem that Zimbabwean citizens are facing. We know that when there is a power outage, it could be happening to a few or the majority. What I know is that when there is something amiss, it is the right of Zimbabweans to go to the courts and litigate. Even in the Ministry of Transport when someone has their leg fractured through negligence of road works, they can sue. Let me hasten to say that I will take the message to my colleague so that he is aware of these challenges.
Questions without Notice were interrupted by the TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in terms of Standing Order No. 67.
WRITTEN SUBMISSION TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
AVAILABILITY OF BUSES THAT ARE USER FRIENDLY AND ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
- HON. SEN. MANYAU asked the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Development to inform the House;
- the efforts that have been made to ensure availability of buses that are user friendly and accessible to people with disabilities in the country,
- the measures being put in place to ensure that private players import buses that are user friendly to people with disabilities.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT (HON MHONA): According to the 2013 National Survey on Living Conditions among Persons with Disabilities, as well as the Forgotten Tribe, People with Disabilities in Zimbabwe 2016 Report, there are close to 1.4 million persons with disability in the country. Despite these two published reports, Zimbabwe’s latest National Disability Policy (June 2021) approximates 2.2 million persons with disability, using statistics deduced from the UN indices. In 1992, Government adopted the Disability Act and went on to join the United National Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. My Ministry is currently working on a policy which seeks to promote safe and accessible transport for people with disabilities.
Among other things under consideration the policy seeks:
- to reintroduce and regularise reservation for the first front seats on passenger carrying vehicles for people with disabilities;
- wheelchair bays/carriers to be provided in passenger carrying vehicles;
- provision of wheelchair ramps at bus terminus; and
- proper and adequate signage to reserve front seats for the disabled and priority boarding for them.
Cabinet has approved duty-free importation of passenger carrying vehicles. My Ministry will advocate for importation of passenger carrying vehicles with the requisite accessibility mechanisms for the physically challenged passengers (the above policy interventions are under considerations).
For the benefit of the House and in an effort to recognise inclusivity of the disabled, my Ministry is already allowing the physically challenged persons to access driving tests by allowing them to use automatic adaptable vehicles on doctors recommendation. In cases where a doctor has not recommended driving, my Ministry, in conjunction with other agencies, always recommends that they be chauffer driver to enjoy duty exemptions.
Another intervention my Ministry is prioritising is the translation of the highway code and learner’s licence test to Braille to cater for the visually impaired people so that they are not marginalised. I thank you
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA), the Senate adjourned at One Minute to Four o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 16th August 2022.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 20th July, 2022.
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
PETITIONS RECEIVED FROM ZISCO STEEL PENSIONERS, MANDLA TSHUMA AND LULU HARRIS, MISS V. A. INGHAM-THORPE AND HONDE VALLEY SMALL HOLDER TEA PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that on Monday 18th July, 2022 Parliament received the following petitions:
- Petition from ZISCO Steel pensioners beseeching Parliament to exercise its oversight over the Executive in order for the Executive to ensure that ZISCO Steel pensions are paid out fairly with value retention without prejudice.
The petition has since been referred to the Portfolio Committee on Budget Finance and Economic Development.
- Petition from Mandla Tshuma and Lulu Harris beseeching Parliament to amend Section 73 of the Electoral Act to include journalists among persons who qualify for postal voting ahead of the 2023 harmonised elections.
The petition has since been referred to the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.
- Petition from Miss V. A. Ingham-Thorpe of Veritas, beseeching Parliament to take the necessary steps to become part to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment, to ensure that the convention and the protocol are incorporated into Zimbabwean law and enact legislation in accordance with the draft prohibition of torture Bill.
The petition has since been referred to the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs; and
- Petition from Honde Valley Small Holder Tea Producers Association beseeching Parliament to further the economic growth of the population of Hauna, in Honde Valley by establishing processing plants at growth points to market their produce.
The petition was deemed inadmissible as the petitioners did not meet statutory requirements and the petitioners have been advised accordingly.
APOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM MINISTERS
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have received a list of apologies from the Executive: the Hon. C. D. G. N. Chiwenga, Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care; Hon. O. C. Z. Muchinguri-Kashiri, Minister of Defence and War Veterans Affairs; Hon. Sen. M. Mutsvangwa, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services; Hon. Dr. J. Mangwiro – The Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care; Hon. Kazembe – Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage; Hon. M. M. Ndlovu, Minister of Environment, Water, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality Industry; Hon. Dr. S. Kanhutu-Nzenza, Minister of Industry and Commerce; Hon. J. Moyo, Minister of Local Government and Public Works; Hon. W. Chitando, Minister of Mines and Mining Development; Hon. Kambamura, Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development; Hon. Dr. F. M. Shava, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Hon. J. M. Gumbo, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs in Charge of Implementation and Monitoring; Hon. S. G. G. Nyoni, Minister of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development; Hon. J. Haritatos – Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Settlement; Hon. B. Rwodzi, Deputy Minister of Environment Climate Change and Hospitality Industry; Hon. R. Maboyi, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage and Hon. J. Mhlanga, Deputy Minister of Women’s Affairs, Community and SME’s Development.
HON. GONESE: On a point of clarification! My point of clarification emanates from the long list of apologies which you have set out. Is there any limit to the number of times that one seeks leave of absence because we have seen for example, the Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care, the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Mines, Hon. Minister July Moyo are never here.
So if we have a scenario where week in, week out, ad infinitum, certain Hon. Ministers are always seeking leave of absence, will they ever be in attendance? My belief is that when you are seeking leave of absence, it should be for a specific day when one has a specific commitment, not a situation where you are perpetually on leave of absence. Today, it is particularly poignant because the list is long. Perhaps it should have been preferable for the Hon. Speaker simply to mention those who are there. We cannot have a situation where those who are not there heavily outnumber those who are present; to me it does not make any sense.
I know that there is no quorum for Hon. Ministers in terms of Question time but we cannot have a situation where more than half, if not 80% are absent even if it is on leave, otherwise that is the point which I seek clarity on, is it not something which needs to be addressed.
THE HON. SPEAKER: The ball is in your court because the Standing Orders do not give any limit at all. I think once I have even said the Standing Orders do not demand even the reason for absent. The ball is in your court Members of this august House to amend the Standing Orders accordingly so that your concerns can be satisfied.
I disagree with you that it would make sense to identify the Hon. Ministers who are here. It does not make sense because it is against the Standing Orders. The Standing Orders say you mention those who have tendered their apologies, so that one I do not take.
Having said that, I have been advised that there is a very important function at Cyber City where a huge investment is going to take place and there is a ground breaking ceremony. Some Ministers - of Mines for example, Small to Medium Enterprises are in Bulawayo for the mining exposition, they are there to take care of their stands. It so happens that they have these commitments that have taken place.
Permanent absenteeism - the ball is in your court to tighten up the Standing Orders.
HON. T. MLISWA: On a point of order! There was a motion moved on the late Hon. Chikomba. I am a bit disturbed that it has not been debated. It went through and at times it would be overtaken by events when other Members have passed on and so forth.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Check on your Order Paper, item number 4.
HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Agriculture. We are aware that there is shortage of wheat. When wheat germinates, then it becomes national. What is the Government policy regarding the operations of ZINWA which is disconnecting water whereas they are aware that wheat is one of our staple foods? Is the Ministry able to rectify this challenge so that wheat crop farmers are not affected by water cuts? I thank you.
* THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): Government announced that there should be collaboration between farmers and Government in the production of wheat. During this cropping season, the wheat that we have produced as a nation has surpassed what has been planted in the past. There are things that are needed for a good harvest. We need water, electricity and machinery. Regarding water, this is a pertinent question which is very specific to a farm in a specific area. They should write to the Ministry so that we address this. However, to the general populace, Government has a policy that there should be a stop order that when they take their wheat to GMB, they are given money for electricity, water and other overheads. If that has not been done, farmers are urged to do that so that we have good harvests.
*HON. MATANGIRA: I thank the Minister for the response that he has given. In Hosea, we are told that “my people perish because of lack of knowledge”. If possible, it is important that this is communicated to the people. We are sending our maize to the GMB and we have not been paid. We have to do maintenance work and electricity needs to be paid in USD. How best can we help the nation? Can we go and put stop orders? They are refusing at GMB, are you aware of that Hon. Minister?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order that is a new question altogether. You were asking about water supply from irrigation and the Hon. Minister explained that stop order arrangements can be made so that there is no disruption to the supply of water for irrigation purposes.
*HON. MUNENGAMI: My supplementary question to the response by the Hon. Minister that farmers should make stop orders is the purpose of our agricultural programme, which is what our fathers and grandparents went to war for is that people have access to land as Zimbabweans...
THE HON. SPEAKER: Please, go straight to the question.
*HON. MUNENGAMI: I want to contextualise my question so that the Minister understands that land belongs to us as the black populace. My question is that...
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Who does not know and understand the purpose of the struggle as Zimbabweans? Just go straight to the question Hon. Member.
*HON. MUNENGAMI: My question to the Minister after having said what I said is the reason why our parents went to war and the repossessing of land is how then does the purpose – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, this is not the time to educate each other about the liberation struggle but this is a Question and Answer segment only. So ask your question Hon. Member.
*HON. MUNENGAMI: Sorry Mr. Speaker Sir for the words and for straying but my question is that the purpose of our Government regarding what we fought for; will it be successful if the people who are empowered with land are told to make arrangements for stop orders? Is this not going to sabotage why we went to war? I thank you.
HON. DR. MASUKA: I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the history lesson that we got. Indeed; what we did is that we know that farmers who planted their wheat through the Presidential Input Scheme and other schemes were empowered with implements and inputs for free. The second part of farmers who also went through the Government Guarantee Scheme were given guarantees from CBZ and AFC. The third programme is of the wheat farmers which is for contractors and those who bake bread and millers. All these people we know that eventually they will be paid when they surrender or handover their wheat to GMB. That is why we are saying that these issues should be addressed so that they have water and they can get their payments after harvesting. Thank you.
HON. T. MLISWA: My supplementary question to the Hon. Minister is what measures has Government put in place to ensure that farmers keep farming in spite of the inflationary environment because the money for maize would have lost value and they cannot pay for electricity? Now they have put a wheat crop and that crop cannot see the end of the day because electricity has been cut down because they owe money. What is Government doing to subsidize all that so that agriculture can continue in spite of inflation because the Zim dollar has no value and we are not paid in US dollars in terms of the crops that we grow?
HON. DR. MASUKA: So Government is already cognizant of the suffering that Zimbabweans are going through and has put this framework to cushion farmers for the effort. The stop order facilities that we are talking about are payable in Zim dollars for water and electricity and this is the environment that we are creating to ensure that farming can be sustained. I thank you.
HON. NDUNA: Mr. Speaker, my supplementary is based on the timelines. Could the Hon. Minister, if it pleases him, with immediate effect implement the stop order system so that the water that has been terminated can be restored immediately and we do not unnecessarily lose the winter wheat and the other crop that is in the field, if it pleases the Hon. Minister?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Nduna, when you have been assisted by your friend, you should show appreciation. How can you leave the gadget half way to its owner? - [Laughter.] -
HON. NDUNA: I did show my appreciation, Sir.
HON. DR. MASUKA: I thank the Hon. Member for the question and the advice that we send a directive to ZINWA. In fact, every Thursday at 7am, I have a meeting with ZINWA, ZESA, PETROTRADE, RBZ, Treasury and Farmers’ Unions on wheat issues and this issue unfortunately never arose on that platform. We will send a signal tomorrow through Agritex and Members, if this happens, please alert us. We have a dedicated WhatsApp group for water cutoff, electricity interruptions and a further WhatsApp group and command centre for quelea control. So let us utilise these facilities so that we can secure the harvest. I thank you.
HON. MURAI: My question to the Minister is that he said a tonne is costing US$90 plus ZW$76000. I have seen from the retailers that a bag of fertilizer is costing the same. What is the rationale for a bag of fertilizer being equivalent to the price of one tonne of maize?
HON. DR. MASUKA: I thank the Hon. Member for the question. The price of fertilizer in US dollars ranges from US$25 to US$65. In Zim dollars, the price of a bag of fertilizer is from about ZW$26000 to ZW$50000 and these are the price monitoring surveys information that is collected every week by the Agricultural Marketing Authority. We can share with the Hon. Members the outlets that are competitive so that we can grow the crops profitably. It is in our interest to ensure that because farming is a business, farmers make profit and so we must share this information. We are willing to avail this if Members can also access the Agricultural Marketing Authority website so that they can get information about where to purchase competitively priced products and services.
HON. MURAI: On a point of clarity Hon Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order Hon Murai, seek your clarification with dignity. What is your point of clarity?
HON. MURAI: My point of clarity is that he is saying a bag of fertilizer is costing US$25. We need to know whether it is a 5kg or 50kg bag of fertilizer. I was talking about a 50kg bag of fertilizer of Ammonium nitrate which costs US$76. I am well aware of that because I am also the Minister of Agriculture.
THE HON. SPEAKER: - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order Hon members. Hon. Hwende, order, someone has asked a question, let us hear the response. Hon. Murai sought clarification and the price structure he has mentioned is US$76 per 50kg of fertilizer.
HON. DR. MASUKA: Mr. Speaker Sir, I thank the Hon. Member but he is not asking a question but advising me that where he went, he saw a bag selling at US$76. Thank you for the information. Can you avail more information on outlets such as these so that collectively, we can find a way forward? I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I think Hon. Members, if you come across such price structures, the Hon. Minister says bring it to his attention. You have been invited to submit your observations and rightly so that the Hon. Minister is informed accordingly and action can be taken accordingly. Thank you – [HON. T. MLISWA: Inaudible interjection.] – Go and see him. Can you share with the Hon. Minister?
HON. T. MLISWA: This is so that the Minister can be guided. This is the current price from Farm and City: Urea 50kgs is USD91, Compound D is USD56, Seed 659 5kg is USD34 and Ammonium Nitrate is USD89. These are the current prices from Farm and City. It is important therefore for Government to go to Farm and City and look at these prices. Like Hon. Zwizwai said, there are people who abused inputs from the Command and Presidential Input Schemes and you tend to find them cheaper. This is the current price and the argument is that the farmer cannot go back to the field with such a price. What measures is Government taking to mitigate, to come up with a subsidy so that we keep farming?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Mliswa for that information. I think it will be in good state for the Hon. Minister to go beyond Farm and City and have a quick survey and find out what is exactly happening.
(v)*HON. T. ZHOU: Mr. Speaker Sir, Section 219 of the Constitution speaks about the police reforms from force to police service. My question to the Minister is why is that police officers are still using force numbers instead of police service numbers as stated in the reforms, according to Section 219 of the Constitution?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. In this august House, there is the Police Service Act which I think the Hon. Member can go through and bring in his issue during the debate on the Bill so that it is addressed.
HON. T. MOYO: Mr. Speaker Sir, my question is directed to the Minister of Local Government and Public Works. May I know Government policy that provides and governs the appointment of village heads? Thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC WORKS (HON. CHOMBO): Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you Hon. T. Moyo for the question. The village heads are appointed through the Traditional Leaders Act. Thank you.
Hon. T. Moyo having stood for a supplementary question
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order. Hon. Moyo, I do not see a supplementary question arising. Go to the Traditional Leaders Act and you will be guided accordingly.
*HON. CHIBAYA: My question is directed to the Leader of the House, Hon. Ziyambi. Is it Government policy to victimize workers’ representatives so that they fail to discharge their duties?
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Which workers?
*HON. CHIBAYA: Worker representatives, the trade unionists such as Trust Holdings.
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. MATUKE): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. It is not Government policy to victimize workers’ representatives. If there is a specific case, can we have the details so that we make follow up.
THE HON. SPEAKER: That question verges on written question because it seems to be quite specific. I would ask the Hon. Member to put it in writing so that specific situations are indicated accordingly and the Hon. Minister will answer accordingly.
HON. I. NYONI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Health and Child Care, in his absence, leader of the House. Most Government hospitals in general are incapacitated in terms of essential medicines such that when citizens go for services in these hospitals, they are being asked to go and buy these essential medicines on their own. A good example is United Bulawayo Hospital whereby anesthetic drugs are not available resulting in the hospital not doing surgery. What is Government policy in ensuring that hospitals are capacitated so that there is adequate medication all the time?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Every year, this House passes a budget and we have a Committee that sits to monitor the disbursement - that is the Portfolio Committee on Health. I implore the Members that when the Minister comes, be it with a supplementary budget or the actual budget, to ensure that our health facilities are allocated sufficient resources to last the financial year. This is a very important question but I believe that we as Hon. Members also have a part to play to ensure that our health facilities are adequately funded.
HON. CHIDAKWA: Is the Minister aware that as Parliament, we always pass this budget but the problem is when the Minister of Finance and Economic Development disburses funds to the Ministry of Health and Child Care. May we ask how much was disbursed against that which we voted for in this august House?
THE HON. SPEAKER: That seems to be a specific question relating to a specific observation. I think the Hon. Minister of Health will be coming to give a Ministerial Statement, so if you could ask that question accordingly.
HON. T. MLISWA: On a point of order! I want to concur with Hon. Ziyambi that the Portfolio Committees are supposed to get monthly, quarterly, yearly reports from the ministries to see if the money is coming through.
The Minister is correct, the Portfolio Committees are not working in your Parliament, they are sleeping on duty; that then supervises whether the money is coming or not and then they can call the Minister to come through. The Public Financial Management Act is not being adhered to; monthly, quarterly and yearly reports should be coming in so that you have a case to say the money is not coming through.
Portfolio Committees are not working, you have to whip the Portfolio Chairpersons. They are sleeping on duty and the Public Accounts Committee in Nyanga also came up with that recommendation. They must wake up and the Government Chief Whip must remove certain Members. Do not put them as friends, you need competent people. They are failures and they are making us look stupid, reshuffle them.
THE HON. SPEAKER: What the Hon. Leader of Government Business has stated buttressed by what Hon. Mliswa has clarified, the onus is on us to demand the monthly, quarterly and yearly reports. In the process, you should discover the anomalies. Thank you.
HON. HAMAUSWA: On a point of order! I wanted to add on the incapacity of the budget office of Parliament…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order! Sit down Hon. Hamauswa. It has nothing to do with the Budget Office; it is to do with committee work. Let us all wake up and do our committees work as informed by our Standing Orders and the Public Finance Management Act and the Constitution.
HON. TEKESHE: A lot of school pupils are not going to school; they have been chased away because of non-payment of schools fees. I would like to know from the Minister why schools are not complying with the ruling by the High Court Judge Hon. Cheda that school pupils should not be sent back home for non-payment of school fees?
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. E. NDLOVU): I have prepared a statement because yesterday, I was made aware of that there is a question from Hon. Tekeshe. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have the copy of the Ministerial Statement which covers the issues being raised. So, kindly wait for that ministerial statement.
Hon. P. D. Sibanda, in future when you want to ask a question, go through your Chief Whip so that you are registered accordingly.
(v) HON. P. D. SIBANDA: Thank you Hon. Speaker for your indulgence. I was not aware that when you are on the virtual platform you have to go through the chief whip. However, Hon. Speaker, my question goes to the Hon. Minister of Home. Affairs…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, can you withdraw your statement. I am trying to be helpful to you and you want to make a case.
(v)HON. P. D. SIBANDA: I withdraw Hon. Speaker. My question goes to the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage and in his absence, the Leader of Government Business. Looking at the fact that we have graves in some parts of this country of victims of Gukurahundi -and we have heard a lot from Government about exhumations and reburials, some of the relatives of the victims are also getting aged at this stage and they would want to see their affairs sorted and having their matters brought to closure. What is Government’s policy with regards to ensuring that relatives of victims of Gukurahundi are given permission to exhume and bury their loved ones in terms of their culture in order to bring closure to their matters?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Mr. Speaker, each chief is the custodian of the culture of that particular area and the President engages the chiefs in areas concerned. So, I would kindly refer the Hon. Member to his chief for information on what is happening. I thank you.
(v)HON. P. D. SIBANDA: The Hon. Minister might want to know that currently most chiefs have been referring the relatives of the victims to the NPRC which also refers the relatives of the victims to the President to an extent that last week, I had an opportunity to interact with three relatives that were travelling to Harare to handover their documents to the Office of the President. What it means is that the policy that the Hon. Minister refers to in the House is not existent on the ground. What is the Government doing to make sure that policy is actually implemented on the ground?
HON. ZIYAMBI: If he can kindly furnish me the name of the Chief who indicated that he is not aware of what is supposed to happen, then I will be able to help him. It is now very specific. What I alluded to is the general direction that the country is taking in terms of solving that issue but if there are specific areas where a chief is feigning ignorance of what they are supposed to do, perhaps he can bring forward that so that the necessary deliberations can be done.
THE HON. SPEAKER: The Hon. Minister has indicated that where there is problem with specific areas and the Chief does not appear to be aware of the policy and so on, can the Hon. Minister be advised accordingly so that appropriate action is taken.
HON. BITI: Mr. Speaker, it is an offence in our law for anyone to simply dig up a grave. Therefore, the communities in Matebeleland that were victims of Gukurahundi, no chief or family has the power to simply dig up a grave. So, the logical thing for the authorities and the Government is to come up with an Act of Parliament that clarifies and deals with the issues once and for all; that codifies the policy that empowers traditional leaders and families to deal with the issue. I ask the Minister of Justice why there is no Act of Parliament that deals with the issue once and for all. Remember, there is the issue of children without birth certificates because the death of their parents due to Gukurahundi was not recognised. This Act of Parliament could deal with all these issues. I thank you.
HON. ZIYAMBI: Firstly, it is not correct that we do not have an Act that allows exhumations. I put it to you that he is not saying the truth that we do not have an Act in that regard. Secondly, I did not say the traditional leaders will perform the ritual alone. They are in charge because each particular traditional leader is in charge of the customs and traditions in their own area. They are the custodians of our culture and leaders in our communities. Naturally, His Excellency then gave them the power to lead the process. So, if they have any difficulties in leading the process and ensuring that the issue comes to close, then they know where to go. Mr. Speaker, the processes are ongoing. If he wants me to show him the law he may come to my office and I will show him.
HON. BITI: My point of order is that my learned friend Hon. Speaker, is as a lawyer, the major differences between lawyers and journalists is that we cite authority. Can my good friend cite the Act and Chapter he is referring to? I thank you.
HON. ZIYAMBI: When we come to Parliament, we interrogate policy. I am not in a court of law to be citing all the laws. We are not here to be regurgitating Acts of Parliament – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order! Order! Order! Order Hon. Members. I thought the Hon. Minister and Leader of Government Business said he can favour whosoever wants with that specific Act. What is important here is we are discussing Government policy and if you want, the Hon Minister has been indulgent enough, he can favour us with that Act of Parliament. Order Hon. Members. Hon Gonese, I have not recognised you. Please sit down. I close this matter by asking the Hon. Minister to give us the proper citation at our next meeting. I thank you.
HON. T. MLISWA: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. The onus is on Members of Parliament to also know the law. It is not one sided but it is both sides. Moving forward, my question is directed to the Minister of Labour. In terms of the unfair labour practice being meted on the citizens of this country by most foreign companies, especially the Chinese, for example the Chinese factory in Norton which I am happy you did visit and there are some findings you came up with. However, the issue has escalated to a point where 20 people have been disabled and fired. At the new Lithium Company in Buhera, Manicaland; our people are being whipped by the Chinese again. So there is great abuse of our own people. What is the Ministry doing to ensure that there is fair labour practice upon our people in this country because they are suffering at the hands of foreign investors, especially the Chinese in the two institutions The Buhera Lithium Project and the Norton Tile Company?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. MATUKE): I think the Hon. MP is quite aware that we responded to one of those issues which were reported to our office. Now that he is mentioning two other cases, I am sure we will take them on board and make thorough investigations.
HON. T. MLISWA: Mr. Speaker Sir, there has been no action and I have said things have become worse. I do not know what monitoring or evaluation system the Ministry has to ensure there is compliance and really what I want to say from the bottom of my heart is that our ancestors are not happy because their people are being abused by foreigners. We are a spiritual country and people are not happy. Why are we making our own people second class citizens?
HON. MATUKE: Thank you. Once again, I want to comment on the companies. They are just like any other foreign investors. The Hon. Speaker is aware that Zimbabwe is open for business and we have attracted quite a number of investors coming from different nations and China is one of them. However, when you present an issue like what you did Hon. Member; we will follow up and ensure that we investigate the issues which are reported but not to single out the Chinese as our enemy. I think there are different investors with different behaviour. We will get to the bottom of what you reported Hon. Member and make sure that we come up with a solution.
HON. MUSAKWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Finance. What are the policy measures in place to capacitate members of critical ministries in districts to carry out their supervision work in terms of transport, in particular the Ministry of Health and child Care? In my constituency, you have a DMO using the only ambulance available in the district to do her monitoring. The Ministry of Education does not even have transport for the DSIs and the schools’ inspectors. They rely on well wishers.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. Speaker, I do not think I quite got what he wanted to ask. Is it a question of resources being availed to the respective clinics or whatever...
THE HON. SPEAKER: To the respective Ministries, particularly at provincial and district levels, transport.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Mr. Speaker, again my earlier response covers what he is asking to indicate that we have Budget, we have Committees that are supposed to be ensuring that they have an oversight and interrogate the respective Ministers to say this is the scenario that is obtaining. You requested this budget. I am not sure what exactly he is asking from me.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Very sure, Hon. Minister you have covered it.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you very much Mr. Speaker.
An Hon. Member having insisted on posing a supplementary question
THE HON. SPEAKER: Engage your colleagues in the relevant Committees. They must do their work.
HON. MURAI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question goes to the Minister of Energy, Hon. Soda. As citizens of Zimbabwe, we are experiencing a lot of inconsistence in load shedding. For the past two weeks, we have experienced the worst load shedding ever. May you clarify if you have got any plans to provide consistent supply of electricity to the citizens?
THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. SODA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. It is true that last week we experienced the worst in terms of load shedding. That was occasioned by the failure of one of our units at Kariba Power Station. Unit 6 went out of the grid last week which produces about 125 megawatts. We also had problems with generation from Hwange Power Station where for the major part of last week, the station was running on two units but by the end of last week, two units had been recovered from Hwange Power station. By yesterday, the generation had risen to 407 megawatts from Hwange Power Station.
The last part of the question from the Hon. Member was what efforts are there to ensure that there is adequacy in the supply of electricity. Mr. Speaker, I think the Hon. Members are aware that the Government has undertaken the process of upgrading generation from Hwange Power Station. By way of expanding the power station, there are two units which will be coming through; one by the end of this year, that is unit 7 which will be producing 300 megawatts. We will also be having another unit, unit 8 coming through in the first quarter of 2023. That is among other interventions that are being done. We will also see the rehabilitation of Hwange power station which is now very old. The intention is to bring it back to its installed capacity of 900 megawatts. All those are efforts that the Government is making to ensure that we get to self-sufficiency in terms of energy generation.
Mr. Speaker Sir, we also have the private sector which is participating. Yesterday alone, we presented in Cabinet that Blanket Mine is almost through with their plant in Gwanda which will produce 12 megawatts which will be fed into the grid. Also, there are discussions to add supply from Eskom and HCB of Mozambique. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. MURAI: My supplementary question to the Minister is yes, you have highlighted that you are having a lot of intervention. Can you give the timeframe as to when the load shedding issue will be improved? In your interventions, have you ever considered going into green energy?
HON. SODA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I am happy that the Hon. Member has acknowledged that there are some interventions which are being made. Mr. Speaker Sir,...
Hon. Musakwa having stood when another Member was still holding the floor
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order. Hon. Musakwa, you have one Member up standing there, you cannot be up standing as well. Take your seat. Sorry Hon. Minister.
HON. SODA: Mr. Speaker Sir, like I indicated, we have one unit at Kariba Power Station which went out of the grid and some work is being undertaken on that unit. Already the bearing which had faulted was taken to South Africa and is expected to be brought back by the 12th of August. That is to do with Kariba Power Station.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the other question was when should we expect load shedding to end? We would not know these interventions because currently we are working on aged equipment. We can only give assurance when Hwange Power Station is up and running, that is Unit 7 and Unit 8. That is when we will have self sufficiency from internal generation. Thank you Mr. Speaker.
HON. MAHLANGU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My supplementary question to the Minister is as much as we appreciate you are doing something, out there, there is an outcry by the citizens. It is nearly a month you have been doing that load shedding. Part of the areas, the electricity goes from 0500hrs until 1200hrs. So what are you going to do with the billing system, not all the houses use metre system but are doing direct payments?
HON. SODA: With regards to billing, it is one thing we would want to correct. We have realised that there are a lot for inefficiencies which are coming from the old metres which are post paid. We are installing new metres which are prepaid metres.
Billing only happens when there is consumption, when there is no consumption, no one will be billed for something that has not been consumed. I thank you.
HON. MARKHAM: Mr. Speaker, before I ask my question, I would like to remind the Minister, he promised us over a month ago the detail of the taxes being asked against fuel and he was going to bring it to Parliament but until today we have heard nothing.
My question is very simple; we should have a load shedding schedule that is equal and equitable to everybody. Some people are getting 12-hour power cuts, some 18 hours and some nothing. Can the Minister not organise a load shedding schedule?
HON. SODA: The schedule can be produced but what we said was at the moment, there are some works that are being carried out to ensure that some of the units that went out are restored back on to the grid. Until that time when ZESA would have failed to bring back those units, that is when we can issue a load shedding schedule.
HON. MARKHAM: The first part of my question was to remind the Minister that we still require from him the components on the reasons on the amounts for the tax that is charged on fuel in this country.
HON. SODA: Mr. Speaker Sir, this question seems not to be related to the first question which was asked. For the benefit of this august House, the issues of taxes are in the purview of the Minister of Finance and Economic Development.
HON. T. MLISWA: On a point of order! My point of order is to get the Minister to come with a Ministerial Statement because the issue of power is important. You could see that there were a lot of Members who wanted to contribute.
First of all, how far have we gone in increasing the capacity of power from the Hwange-Kariba and so forth including alternative energy as well because there has been a talk? Can we come up with a fair billing system and what are you doing to ensure that the farmers are not also affected because there has been a question where the farmers have wheat being cut off at this time yet it does not make sense. So, that Ministerial Statement must cover all these issues so that there is a position.
Not only that, why do you cut off electricity from people when you know that there will be no industrialization going on, you expect them to pay for non-payment. We in fact must be suing the ZESA for not supplying energy because they are losing business. So what can you do to ensure that there is a win/win situation so that the citizenry does not sue ZESA because it only takes one citizen to sue ZESA for cutting off electricity yet they are losing business because of ZESA?
Therefore, may the Ministerial statement cover all these issues including the issue of transformers as well? There are a lot of transformers which are being stolen which have not been replaced; as a result, what measures are you taking to ensure that they are replaced and they are not stolen.
HON. GONESE: On a point of order! I would like the Hon. Minister to also include issues relating to fairness in terms of the load shedding. From the people whom we represent, I am looking at areas like Sakubva and other high density suburbs; it looks like the load shedding is skewed against the poor. So, if the Hon. Minister in his Ministerial Statement could clearly indicate whether there is fairness in terms of the load shedding or not.
In addition, the Hon. Minister to state whether they have also explored other avenues of power sources as well as explains issue of policy inconsistencies. There was a time when the Ministry of Energy and Power Development indicated that they were going to discourage the use of electrical geysers for example, but as a matter of fact, there seems to be a back tracking on that. So, on all the previous undertakings, promises which ZESA had promised to do which have not been undertaken, may the Hon. Minister address that to explain to the nation as to why some of those measures have not been implemented.
HON. SODA: Mr. Speaker Sir, with your indulgence, I want to make certain issues straight in this Parliament – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]-
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order!
HON. SODA: The point I wanted to be clear about is the issue of provision of electricity to farmers. I think you heard from the response that was given by the Minister of Agriculture. Farmers are not being disconnected. They are encouraged to make some arrangements with ZETDC, knowing that they only have one pay day in a year. When they sell their produce, they enter into a stop-order arrangement with ZETDC and supplies will not be disconnected. This is what I wanted to clarify and that is the policy of Government.
With regards to the issue of electricity geysers, we are not backtracking Mr. Speaker. We are saying for all new housing units and new installations, ZESA will not allow and will not pass that facility if it has an electricity geyser installed on it. One has to have a solar geyser in order for that facility to pass and for the connection to be enabled. The statement that has been requested will be provided.
(v)HON. SVUURE: My question to the Hon. Minister of Agriculture is who does the selection or identification criterion of where the boreholes should be drilled?
THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): I thank the Hon. Member for the important question regarding the selection of sites for the drilling programme. With your concurrence Mr. Speaker, you could allow me to contextualize the Presidential Rural Development Programme which envisages drilling of a borehole in each of the 35 000 villages throughout the country? So far, we have received and distributed eight drilling rigs, one per each of the rural provinces. The selection for now is that two villages per ward will have a borehole drilled. That is the same selection committee that distributes inputs with the councillor, representative of the chief and Agritex as the Secretary. The Committee that distributes inputs selects the two villages per ward.
ZINWA as the technical arm will come and do the hydrological survey and will see whether it is feasible to drill on the chosen site and whether we can get some water. In some instances, I think ZINWA may decline to drill at a particular portion for reasons that it will be a dry well, but the general concept is that we will start with these two villages per ward and when we get more rigs as we will next month, 30 more additional rigs we will be able to deploy a rig in each district. We will continue to drill in these districts until every village has a borehole.
HON. MADZIMURE: My supplementary to the Hon. Minister is that has the drilling already started and if it has, how many have been drilled. Are they also consulting Members of Parliament to help in the identification of suitable areas?
HON. DR. MASUKA: Let me start by referring to the involvement of Hon. Members of Parliament, the suggestion is that they be involved in the identification of these sites. The drilling has started and we have launched in all the eight provinces. The President launched the Presidential Rural Development Programme in December 2021 in Mangwe and we did our last provincial launch on Saturday in Mashonaland East. Yes, over a 100 boreholes have been drilled to date and I expect that 5 000 boreholes, that is 5 000 villages will be covered before 31st December, 2022 resources permitting. Thank you.
+HON. M. M. MPOFU: My question is directed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development. What is the Government’s position in making fuel available to those working on the roads who are handicapped in terms of their work due to lack of fuel? For example, the road from Kwekwe-Lupane-Nkayi which is at a standstill because they have no fuel and they are saying they are failing to get fuel from CMED. So, what measures are you taking to ensure they have fuel considering that soon it will be rainy season?
*THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): The question pertains to the Kwekwe – Lupane – Nkayi Road, saying CMED does not have diesel. It is true that at times CMED will not have diesel, but at times they will have it. That is why I asked how I can assist outside this august House since it is a question which should be put in writing to enable me to give a comprehensive response.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. M. M. Mpofu, may you put your question in writing so that the Minister can give you a comprehensive answer to your question.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Finance but in his absence, I will direct it to the Leader of Government Business. What is Government policy pertaining to companies which are given tenders firstly by Government to do work and their payment is made in RTGs of huge amounts? There is a tendency now of taking the RTGs payment which would have been given to those companies and offload those big amounts on the black market to quickly access US dollars. In that regard, as they dispose the huge amounts of RTGs, they cause a rise in inflation and also inflate the rates on the black market. How is Government going to manage that scenario which is now a daily occurrence? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Mr. Speaker, this issue was addressed by both the Minister of Finance and the Reserve Bank Governor and they indicated that they have now directed the Financial Intelligence Unit to monitor those transactions when those companies have been paid. They are monitoring the movement of the funds with a view to ensuring exactly what he is saying does not happen. I believe that action is being taken into control by the relevant Monetary Authorities. I thank you.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: Hon. Minister, can you clarify if there are any chances of the Minister of Finance coming to this august House and giving a Ministerial Statement so that Hon. Members will debate on the issue because there are a lot of questions which would arise as a result of that. As we speak right now, the huge amounts are being offloaded on the black market and this is done mostly by the so called big companies.
HON. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Indeed, the Minister of Finance is now due to come to this august House to present his Mid-Term Financial Statements and also a Supplementary Budget if he believes he needs a Supplementary Budget and a Finance Bill. During that time, we should be able to debate and interrogate what has been happening. I am not very sure that he will be here tomorrow because of other commitments but next week, he will be making a presentation and thereafter we should be able to interrogate his statement and everything that has been happening with a view of coming up with solutions as Parliament. I thank you.
HON. T. MLISWA: Mr. Speaker Sir, Hon. Mutseyami has come up with a very good question. We are appreciating the infrastructure development which is going on by the Second Republic but it is coming at a cost. The Chinese companies – the whole thrust was to empower the local companies because they did not need foreign currency. If they needed foreign currency, they would go to the auction after being paid by Government in RTGs. Now you have got foreign companies that are coming in and this is where the problem is, the local companies must go to auction. They are being paid especially the Chinese companies, they go on the black market and the inflation goes up and then they externalise that money. So, a lot of money is being externalised as a result of that because they are not interested in the RTGs. Why is Government engaging foreign companies and then paying them in RTGs knowing very well that they are saboteurs in terms of increasing inflation. So, may there be a response in that statement from the Minister which Hon. Ziyambi has alluded to. It is these foreign companies, especially the Chinese companies which are coming with equipment and no money but they then offer a service and they are paid in RTGS. They go on the black market and the rate goes up. That is how they are doing it. There used to be a serious measure taken to curb that. If we decide to go for our local companies, we pay them in RTGs and we can monitor our local companies but we cannot monitor the foreign companies at the end of the day. So, it is important also to appreciate what monitoring mechanisms have been put in place. At the end of the day, Government comes under pressure because the money that they pay to the civil service has no value. So that is important. I thank you.
(v)HON. NDIWENI: My question is directed to the Leader of Government Business. We very much appreciate the issuance of e-passports by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The e-passports are coming out on time and efficiently. My question is on the original Zimbabwean passport, the old one. There are people that have been waiting for these passports for more than a year and are still being told that they are not yet out. What is happening on the issuance of those old passports Mr. Speaker Sir?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. If I got the question correctly, the Hon. Member is making reference to those that applied for the normal passport before we started migrating to the e-passport, whether they can be issued those passports. The policy that I know is going forward, we are now issuing e-passports to comply with international standards. The specific question as to what happens to those that had applied prior, I think the Hon. Member can put that question in writing so that the Minister can specifically respond speaking to the effect that surrounds that scenario.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you very much Minister. Hon. Ndiweni, you are being advised to put your question in writing so that the Minister can answer specifically to the question that you have raised. I thank you.
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by the TEMPORARY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order Number 64.
HON. MARKHAM: Mr. Speaker, I move that the time for Questions Without Notice be extended.
HON. C. MOYO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
*HON. CHIKUNI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question goes to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. What is Government policy on mentally challenged learners who go to school but do not have teachers?
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. DR. E. NDLOVU): I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the question regarding the request for teachers. We are running short of teachers in different schools. Our Ministry is trying its best to secure qualified teachers to augment those that are already in schools. This morning, I engaged the Ministry of Labour regarding this particular situation. We were promised 5000 teachers this year but because of inflation, we have managed to engage a small percentage of the required teachers. So we hope that the supplementary budget will come as a panacea to our problem which will also allow us to look at the issue of salaries, to secure vehicles. The issue of ECD teachers is critical because without elementary level teachers, the child does not have a good foundation because this is the level where the future of any student is cultivated, from Mathematics to other subjects. From ECD to Grade 3, students need strong foundation. I thank you for such a pertinent question.
(v)+HON. MOKONE: My supplementary question Mr. Speaker is the Hon. Minister indicated that there is a shortage of teachers in various schools around the country, I would like to find out where the problem is exactly because we have a lot of graduate teachers who are not employed. These are qualified teachers who are looking for jobs but cannot secure vacancies in schools despite the shortages that the Minister alluded to. In that regard, Hon. Minister, when should we expect the decentralisation of employment of teachers? I thank you.
HON. DR. E. NDLOVU: Thank you Mr. Speaker. The challenge is that our budgeted resources were affected by the hyper inflation, which culminated in Government failing to remunerate teachers. So I would like to request that we be considered during the supplementary budget. The second reason is that this Parliament reversed decentralisation of the recruitment of teachers. This was done in a purported quest to curb corruption and this is really affecting the Ministry. I therefore implore this august House to consider intervening in this issue so that the recruitment of teachers is decentralised. This morning my Ministry was discussing with the Minister of Labour regarding the deployment of teachers to schools in their respective areas of origin. There are a lot of trained teachers all over the country. For instance, if someone comes from Gokwe, then they should be deployed in schools in their local areas. The Ministry is therefore seized with the issue of coming up with a policy to address this anomaly. I therefore request that the Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education should consider reversing the decision on the centralisation of recruitment of teachers.
HON. C. MOYO: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My supplementary question is, do they debate issues of inflation at Cabinet level because the Hon. Minister is highlighting here that inflation has eroded the money that was targeted to be given to our teacher? Do they discuss issues important issue of inflation at Cabinet level? Thank you.
HON. DR. E. NDLOVU: Mr. Speaker Sir, the issue of inflation should be directed to Hon. Prof. Ncube. Parliament must tell the nation that the issue of black market is affecting the performance of our economy, especially in the urban areas. Thank you.
HON. CHITURA: My question is directed to the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement. What is the Government policy on interest by CBZ bank to farmers? Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): Mr. Speaker Sir, I thank the Hon. Member for the question. The question is very specific about an interest rate by a specific institution. I gather it must have some history that the Hon. Member might have. I would appreciate so much if the Hon. Member can avail the specific details so that we can respond fully. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MUTOMBA): Thank you very much. Hon. Chitura, you are being advised to put your question in writing.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
REVAMPING ZESA AS AN ENTITY
- 2. CHIDZIVA asked the Minister of Energy and Power Development to inform the House when the Government will revamp ZESA as an entity to ensure that it timeously responds to electrical faults in this country.
THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. SODA): Thank you Hon. Speaker. Let me thank the Hon. Member for raising the above question. Allow me Mr. Speaker Sir, to respond as follows. The restructuring of ZESA Holdings Group of Companies is now at an advanced stage. A consultant that was engaged to facilitate the process has already submitted his final report with recommendations of an optimal operational and organizational structure. The report is receiving further consultations from key stakeholders, namely; ZESA Holdings Group and the energy regulator, which is ZERA. Upon receiving these inputs, the Hon. Minister will then table the report with recommendations to Cabinet for its considerations, guidance and approval.
I would like to bring to the attention of the House that most of the electrical faults in Zimbabwe are cable faults. In that regard, ZESA has procured cable fault detection equipment which became operational last week. This will go a long way in reducing the turnaround time of attending to electrical faults. Moreso, ZESA introduced a regional call centre where all faults for the region are reported. It has started with Harare as a pilot which has been effectively implemented. They are now extending the services to other regions. This will improve the reaction time as and when one gets in touch with the call centre. Timeous distribution and allocation of the query will be re-routed to the operatives throughout the region. This implies that areas which were difficult to reach are now covered.
I would also like to bring to the attention of this House that in an effort to timeously respond to electrical faults, His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe commissioned 155 operational vehicles last year, which were procured from ZESA’s own resources. This augmented the existing fleet of 719 vehicles. The total requirement to ensure efficient service delivery is 1725 vehicles. This implies that ZESA currently is operating with a fleet which is 40% of its requirements. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
*HON. CHIDZIVA: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. My supplementary question to the Hon. Minister is, at ZESA Harare depots, they complain about shortage of vehicles. You said there are vehicles that were commissioned last year and what it means is the vehicles were not dispatched to the depots. When we report faults, they request residents to provide them with transport. When are you going to dispatch the vehicles to ZESA depots so that they work efficiently?
*HON. SODA: Mr. Speaker Sir, the vehicles that were bought and issued to ZESA depots last year were only 155. It is actually showing that we do not have enough vehicles as yet. We are looking forward to having more vehicles and 1725 vehicles should be availed to all the depots in the country. Before they received the 155 vehicles, they had 719 vehicles. They are actually at 40% capacity looking at the vehicles that they need. The Government is working round the clock to see to it that funds permitting, more vehicles will be bought and channeled towards ZESA. This is one of the problems that we know. There are few vehicles to attend to faults. ZESA has experienced personnel at their depots but in most cases, they do not have transport to attend to faults. It is our desire to equip them with the vehicles they need so that they are able to attend to faults. Thank you.
*HON. MADZIMURE : Thank you Mr. Speaker, what we heard with ZESA, it was said that work was being slowed down because people were not paying their debts but now people have prepaid meters in their homes, what is the problem ?. I think it is easy because people are now paying for their electricity and since it is prepaid, you have no way out but to pay for your electricity. What is happening with ZESA, Mr. Speaker, money is being paid but the situation is not improving at ZESA. What is making them fail to manage funds coming through so that they are able to buy cables or vehicles? Is it corruption that is actually failing them to meet their target or obligations? Thank you.
*HON. SODA: Thank you Hon. Speaker and I want to thank Hon. Madzimure for a very good question. Hon. Speaker Sir, we have so many houses that do not have prepaid meters right now in Zimbabwe but we have a deadline of around end of year, we want to move houses from post paid metering to prepaid metering. This is what we see to be beneficial and brings revenue to ZESA. There are people for many years who have not been paying electricity bills because they have a meter that is not known to the entity. That is why we came up with prepaid meters to say if someone has recharge for electricity, that way he is able to have electricity. We are looking forward to have all houses in the country having prepaid meters including farms and companies. As we move forward, we will be communicating the exact position to people. It is not that it is because of corruption that we are failing to acquire vehicles as alluded to by Hon. Madzimure. If you look at the electricity usage in the country, even the electricity that we are importing from South Africa or Mozambique, we are getting that electricity and importing at 14 cents per kilowatt and farmers are paying 6 cents per kilowatt so if we do not get a subsidy to that, it becomes very difficult for ZESA to supply electricity. That is why we see that ZESA is finding it difficult to acquire vehicles for use on their duties. Thank you Hon. Speaker.
COMPLETION ON INSTALLATION OF POWER LINES TO HATCLIFFE EXTENSION BY ZESA
- HON. MARKHAM asked the Hon. Minister of Energy and Power Development as to when ZESA will complete installing power lines to Hatcliffe Extension and the Consortium.
THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. SODA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. The main power line to Hatcliffe Extension was constructed and it is now complete. What is left are the tee offs to the main line. This is an ongoing project. Extension of the line will depend on the availability of materials which ZESA has now procured. All things being equal, we anticipate that connection for Hatcliffe residents will be done before end of this year. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. MARKHAM: I thank the Minister for the response. What I would like to highlight to the Minister is that in Hatcliffe Extension and the Consortium, there are now 120 000 houses with no electricity. Thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: That was sort of a comment.
PROGRESS MADE TOWARDS CONSTRUCTION OF THULI- MANYANGE DAM
- (v)HON. MOKONE asked the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Resettlement to inform the House on the progress made towards the construction of the Thuli-Manyange Dam in Matabeleland South.
THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER, FISHERIES AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. DR. DR. MASUKA): Thank you Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Hon. Mokone for the question. Thuli-Manyange is a 33 million cubic metre dam currently being constructed with an initial target completion date of December 2022. The current works are centred around the main dam foundation excavations and works on the two saddle dams have been done though not yet completed. However, the coffer dam has been completed so you are able to impound water for the communities to begin to benefit. Overall, the stage of completion of the whole dam stands at 12%. The other dam components include the development of irrigation canals and infield works to support 1600 hectares irrigation in the Guyu, Makokwe Hills area and clear water supply station for Ntepe, Guyuwe and Manama centres.
We are also looking at developing a mini- hydro around Thuli-Manyange. So the rate of progress would have been better had resources been made available on time so it is highly unlikely Mr. Speaker Sir, that this dam will be completed as originally scheduled.
(v)HON. MOKONE: May the Minister kindly avail the projections as to when he thinks the dam will be completed.
HON. DR. MASUKA: Mr. Speaker Sir, I thank again the Hon. Member for that supplementary question. When the Minister of Finance comes to this House, if she can be here and ensure that more resources are directed towards dam construction, then I will be able to indicate to her when this dam is likely going to be completed. I thank you.
HON. MADZIMURE: Can the Minister explain why then have a lot of projects dotted everywhere that they are not able to complete when it would make sense for them to target a few and complete them? You talk of Gwayi-Shangani. It is more than 10 years and they still continue starting on new projects when the correct thing is to target a project at a time and finish it.
HON. DR. MASUKA: May I suggest that I answer the next question and then provide the correct context and an update on all the 12 dams?
PROGRESS MADE ON GWAYI-SHANGANI DAM AND GWAYI-SHANGANI-BULAWAYO PIPELINE
- HON. C. MOYO asked the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development to inform the House the progress made on the following projects
1) Gwayi-Shangani Dam
2) Gwayi-Shangani-Bulawayo Pipeline
MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): The construction of the Lake Gwayi-Shangani (634.3 million m3) which will be the third largest inland reservoir is progressing well. The overall construction progress is at 67.5% complete. The height of the dam is now 33m out of the total height of 72m representing 45.83% stage of completion. The total concrete volume placed to date since inception of the project amount to 111,958.7m3 out of the 274,350.00m3 required, thus 40.80% of requirement.
The project was allocated ZWL3,600,000,000 in the 2022 National Budget. Of the budget allocation about ZWL2,527,022,000 (70.19%) has been disbursed so far. Allocated resources are inadequate to complete the outstanding works on the dam, and more resources are required in order to ensure this project is completed as scheduled.
The project consists of other related components such as water supply, irrigation development, power generation, tourism and fisheries. As we said, the dam is no longer the project but what the water is intended to do. There is an irrigation component for 10000 ha affecting the five districts. There is also a potable water supply arrangement to 16 service centres around Gwayi. There is also fisheries project and we are also generating electricity to be able to supply these communities. Identification of irrigation land in Lupane, Binga and Hwange Districts is in progress. The process of identifying irrigation pumping points and infield work designs for the established 2,160 ha of the first phase of irrigation development was completed on 28 February 2022.
- Gwayi-Shangani – Bulawayo Pipeline
The Phase II of the National Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project kick started this year and the pipeline length from Gwayi to Bulawayo is 252 kilometres with a diameter of 1200mm. The project was awarded to 11 contractors of which 21 kilometres were allocated to each contractor and the site hand over was done on 10 March 2022. To put things into context, we are moving water from Mutare to Harare, that is the distance. To date, all the contractors are on their sites and some have finished clearing their portions while others have since started pipeline excavations. A total length of 139.8km (55.47%) has already been cleared for the pipeline with 8.62 km already excavated. A total of 960 metres of pipes have been received from the supplier.
Progress is being slowed down due to non-payment of claims and collapsing trenches in sandy sections. None of the 11 contractors have been paid to date and the supplier of the pipes has also not been paid.
As dam projects have attracted justified additional public interest, the Zimbabwe National Water Authority published the progress on all the 12 dams being constructed throughout the country which report I need to share with Parliament. To put things into context, we have said when was the project first mooted? For example for Gwayi-Shangani, this project was first mooted in 1912 and then what has happened over the years, we have chronicled this. Gwayi-Shangani only started in 2018 when resources were allocated. Between 2018 and 2022 we have done close to 70% and I think that the President and the Second Republic ought to be given credit where it is due. The Bulawayo-Gwayi-Shagani pipeline also mooted in 1912 and nothing has happened and the Second Republic has now put in 11 contractors on the ground to ensure that this is expedited. We can go through all these dams to indicate the commitment by this Government to ensure that water is a right.
The context is different. We cannot go to one place and complete. Climate change is real and Zimbabwe is predicted to become drier in the decades ahead and therefore we must climate-proof our agriculture which is why we have changed this concept that the dam is not the project but what the dam is intended to do. You already see on 25 August 2022 this concept at Chivhu Dam where we have already conveyanced water to Chivhu town and we are irrigating 120 ha of wheat and this is the Second Republic committing to ensuring that all these projects that were mooted a long time ago are actually brought to fruition so that rural development can happen. It is agricultural development that will lead to rural industrialisation for Vision 2030.
HON. C. MOYO: First and foremost, I do not know whether Hansard is going to capture properly because the Hon. Minister then intertwined Hon. Madzimure’s question and he then answered my question. I hope Hansard will be able to capture properly that it is Hon Charles Moyo who posed the question.
I have got the problem with what the Hon. Minister is highlighting; irrigation and fisheries issues as per his purview but I am concerned about having water in Bulawayo. People are having five days without water. Can we get an assurance, having the 11 contractors on the ground that we may have water in Bulawayo to solve this perennial problem as he indicated that it was mooted in 1912 and more than 100 years now we are still in that difficult stage of not having water. Can we get an assurance to say the contractors are on the ground and by December, we will be having water in Bulawayo? I have got a problem that you are talking of irrigation and fisheries, you may take money now and put it in fisheries and irrigation and forget that we need water in Bulawayo before December 2022. That is my question.
HON. DR. MASUKA: I thank the Hon Member for the supplementary question. Again as the Minister of Finance comes here next week to present a supplementary budget I urge this august House to ensure that adequate resources are availed for these national projects. I thank you.
HON. BRIG. GEN. (RTD.) MAYIHLOME: My question relates to the ownership of the Zambezi water pipeline. You will recall Hon. Minister that the project was started by the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Trust and there are some Members who invested their money into that project. However, when Government took over, there has been no clarity as to what was going to happen to the structure and whether we were going to benefit or not.
HON. DR. MASUKA: This is a matter that is being handled by Minister of Justice as it relates to Government relations with the Trust. My understanding is that there are quite a lot of actors that were involved in this project before it was given to my Ministry as a technical Ministry responsible for the development of water or for national projects.
(v)HON. MOKONE: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. Minister, in response you said that Gwayi-Shangani now has contractors for finishing the project. I would like to find out from you why not also get contractors for Thuli-Manyange Dam so that it does not become like Gwayi-Shangani project that has taken long to be completed?.
HON. DR. MASUKA: I have provided details regarding Thuli-Manyange having been mooted in the 1950s but that only the Second Republic has accelerated this project. I think that the Hon. Member ought to be grateful to this republic for accelerating this project that has been in abeyance for a very long time. Currently, the communities can utilise water around Thuli-Manyange because we had constructed a coffer dam that the communities can utilise. The contractor is only hamstrung by unavailability of financial resources to expedite the completion of this dam and when the Member comes to Parliament next week to support, we will be able to get more resources.
(v *HON. NYABANI: What measures are you going to put in place to ensure that Semwa Dam in Rushinga comes to completion since the contractor has stopped working due to non-availability of funding?
*HON. DR. MASUKA: The Hon. Member is very much aware that we visited the dam together twice. The first time we went to see the dam, progress was at 0% and the second visit was for the purposes of pushing progress and now there is much progress. However, if funds are disbursed, there will be great improvement so may the Hon. Member continue to push so that funding is availed.
HON. MADZIMURE: Even though the Minister did not respond to my previous question where I talked about having dotted projects everywhere, he went on to shower the Second Republic full of old republicans.
Mr. Speaker, of the eleven contractors along the Gwayi-Shangani, how many contractors have been paid, how much has been paid for the Minister to assure this House that by such a period they would have constructed this distance of pipes?
Secondly, the Gwayi Shangani itself, the Minister shares the same Cabinet with the Minister of Finance and Economic Development. Has the Minister of Finance refused to pay or told the Minister that I do not have enough budget that was allocated by Parliament?. If not, why not push his colleague to pay the contractors?
HON. DR. MASUKA: I have read and let me repeat, Gwayi-Shangani was allocated $3, 6 billion. We have spent $3,527 billion of that allocation. That allocation because of the macro-economic environment, is insufficient to enable us to complete the dam – which I have highlighted in the statement that I have just made.
Secondly, 12, we think is a very manageable number and we have made very good progress based on the resources that we have and as Parliament, they can do a value for money assessment on the works that we have done and we welcome that very much. So that is the oversight role of Parliament.
In terms of additional resources – yes, resources will never be enough because they will be prioritised and re-prioritised for other projects. What we are simply asking for Members to do is to understand that with climate change, we need additional resources. Therefore, if in the supplementary budget they can also add their voice so that we can get additional resources for these dams, we would be grateful.
Regarding the specifics of which contractor is where of the 11 and has been paid what and what is outstanding – Mr. Speaker Sir, with all due respect, I do not have those numbers and perhaps we can have that question in writing so that I can then avail the necessary information.
HON. C. MOYO: On a point of Order! Hon. Speaker, my question is being deferred but the Hon. Minister of Local Government was here in this House. I am disappointed that the Hon. Minister disappeared deliberately and citizens of Bulawayo are waiting to hear the feedback from the Hon. Minister.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKR: I have noted the point that you have raised but still your question still remains deferred to next week.
REPAIR OF MALFUNCTIONING TRAFFIC LIGHTS IN CITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY
- HON. TSUURA asked the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development to inform the House the measures that have been put in place by the Ministry to repair malfunctioning traffic lights which are causing road carnage and traffic jams in cities throughout the country.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): With your indulgence Hon. Speaker Sir, that question was supposed to be directed to the Minister of Local Government since the Ministry of Transport does not superintend over traffic lights which is under the purview of local authorities.
MISTERIAL STATEMENT
CHILDREN SENT AWAY FOR NON-PAYMENT OF SCHOOL FEES
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. DR. E. NDLOVU): Mr. Speaker, I was asked to present a Ministerial Statement on children who are sent away for non-payment of school fees. In 2019, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education directed the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education to issue a circular against the chasing away of pupils from school due to their parents and guardians’ failure to pay school fees.
The Secretary’s Circular No. 3 which I have handed a copy to your office dated 15 April 2019 clearly states in Item 5.3.1 that no school aged child shall be denied a place at any registered school or turned away from school on the grounds of failure by the parents or guardians to pay school fees or levies. A copy of the circular is attached to my presentation for ease of reference by Hon. Members regarding the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education’s policy position on the practice of sending away children from school on grounds of non-payment of school fees and levies.
Another illegal practice that the Ministry is dealing with at this time of the year is the insistence of payment of fees arrears before registration for public examinations which may result in some candidates missing the examination deadline. This is illegal and a violation of the right to education for all school going citizens. The most practical way of addressing this illegal practice is for Hon. Members of Parliament and Senate to provide specific details of schools that continue to violate Government policy in this regard so that the corrective administrative processes can follow.
Mr. Speaker, in addition, the general public is encouraged to contact the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education through their nearest provincial and district education offices or on the following Toll Free No. 317.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education would further like to advise its valued stakeholders that non-Government schools who are increasing fees and charging levies without consulting parents or getting permission from the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, will attract severe sanctions. The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education therefore warns all responsible authorities to ensure they charge appropriate fees and levies. Section 21 of the Education Act Chapter 25.04 as amended provides that:
- No responsible authority shall:
- charge any fee or levy;
- increase any fee or levy in respect of any pupil attending a non-Government school unless the fee or levy or increase therein, as the case may be, has been approved by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary education;
The Permanent Secretary shall not approve any increase of fees or levies sought in respect of the next term of the non-Government school concerned unless;
- the increase of such fees or levies are justified by reference to some basic other than the application of the Consumer Price Index;
- the proposal to increase fees or levies has been approved by the majority of the parents at a meeting of the school parents’ assembly attended by not less than 20% of the parents.
From the above quoted sections of the Education Act, any fees and levies charged by all non-Government schools should be approved by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education but non-compliance with this law is a criminal offence as provided for in terms of Section 21(6) which provides that any person who contravenes this section or fails to comply with any notice in terms of Subsection 5 shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine equivalent to the excess amount charged or imprisonment for a period not less than three months or both such fine or such imprisonment.
It is therefore imperative that responsible authorities follow proper procedures highlighted above in increasing fees and levies. Schools that had charged unapproved fees or levies should revert to the approved fees and levies and reimburse parents accordingly.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary education continues to strive to provide quality, relevant, inclusive, equitable and wholesome education for all Zimbabweans. I thank you.
*HON. TEKESHE: I want to thank the Minister for the response on the issue of school fees but what is surprising is that you have been singing the same song that children should not be chased away from school because of non-payment of fees for almost five years. You are saying policy says this and that, meaning judgement has been made but you are not enforcing that policy. Is there anything you can do to make sure that the policy is enforced?
*HON. TOGAREPI: I would like to request the Hon. Minister to explain to us whether the school heads have the right to refuse to collect fees in RTGs and opt for US dollars only? When you have RTGs, they are not accepting payment in that currency. I thank you.
(v)*HON. NYABANI: The question that I want to ask the Minister is where do headmasters derive the mandate to chase children away from school for non-payment of fees? Where is this coming from? Children are being chased away from school in front of the Ministry of Education personnel. Where is the circular to that effect? What are we supposed to do? When parents see their children being chased away from school, what should they do? What measures are you going to put in place as Government to ensure that parents who do not pay fees will do so in time so that their children are not chased away from school?
HON. MADHUKU: I would like to thank the Hon. Minister for giving us a very detailed explanation of what is transpiring in the Ministry. I would however, want to raise a few issues. We are very much aware that Section 75 of the Constitution mandates the right to Free Basic Education by all Zimbabweans. We are also aware that this is a progressive issue because it depends upon the availability of funds by Government but education is a basic human right. You are also aware that schools need to function, they need money but they also have challenges because the Government is not yet capacitated to provide free basic education. Parents are also coming in, in their own way but that should not take away the right to education for learners. We are very much worried because we had the COVID-19 pandemic and learners lost precious education time because of the pandemic. I think this problem is compounded because the system itself has no adequate supervision by the education officers or inspectors. We are seeing it happening in the constituency and we phone them to let them know that learners have been returned home. Even on collection of results, they are denied getting results yet they would have paid the examination fees.
So I think Mr. Speaker Sir, with all due respect,, the Hon. Minister needs to do something in terms of implementation of the policies because we will be forced to think that the education inspectors need that money as they also benefit from the money. If the children do not pay fees, then they also fail to get funds even for movement to supervise the schools. So my point is we request the Hon. Minister to ensure that the good policies that she has talked about are implemented. It does not work to have good policies without implementing them. I thank you.
(v)HON. JOSIAH SITHOLE: I would like to thank the Minister for a very wonderful Ministerial Statement. My response is that we have urged Government and proposed that 1500 children be covered under BEAM but as we speak, a number of those children are already at home. What is the Ministry going to do because these children who are now at home due to non-payment of fees through BEAM will definitely not come back to school because they will not be called back and money is going in the wrong direction because we are paying money for people who will not be there. So, I want clarification from the Minister.
Secondly, our schools, especially in the rural areas are now charging fees using the black market rate. As a result, this is propounding a lot of dropouts because they will not manage to get the money which is supposed to be paid due to the high black market rates. I thank you.
(v)HON. WATSON: Thank you Hon. Speaker for giving me this opportunity. I want to thank the Minister for the statement. Several years ago, in fact when we first started this Parliament, I asked the then Minister Hon. Matema about the piece of legislation which actually governs what we are already talking about which is school development levies. It was redone in 1998, S.I 379. It has never been updated or altered since then. All discussions are saying payment of fees but what we were talking about is where children are not asked to pay Government school fees but school development levies. In fact, that piece of legislation says that Government development levies may only be 50% of Government school fees and this should as well be updated. When is the Ministry going to look at that piece of legislation? Thank you.
(v)HON. I. NYONI: Let me first thank the Hon. Minister for the statement. Can I have clarity on the issue of children who are being chased back home? This issue has been happening for a long time now. Can the Minister give clarity on whether the headmasters and their bosses are aware or not of the relevant legislation or circular that says that children cannot be sent back home because their parents will pay school fees or school levies? If they are aware of that, what measures are being taken also to discipline such leaders in the school? Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. MUNETSI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to seek clarification from the Hon. Minister whether it is now policy that pupils at primary school pay registration fees in Grade 6 and when they are in Grade 7, they pay again? I have been asked that question in some schools. Thank you.
*HON. MADZIMURE: Thank you Mr. Speaker. It is as if there are a lot of challenges in the education sector. The Government is finding difficulties in funding the education sector. There are things that can be done that will be appreciated by people. The announcement has been that next year there will be free education. Is the Government still committed to its call that education will be free? Are they looking for funding to ensure that this is achieved beginning next year?
(v)HON. MOKONE: Thank you Madam Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister on the issue of examination fees. What measures have been taken this year for students who are finding it difficult to raise their examination fees?
*HON. CHIDZIVA: My first question is what measures does the Ministry have in place concerning examination fees because I heard that the payment period is only for a week for people who are making payment in RTGS. Are there no measures that you can put in place to ensure that there is extension and people are able to pay their examination fees be it ‘A’ level, ‘O’ level or Grade 7? Secondly, I would like to find out from the Minister that since people are being chased away from school, do you have any measures as a Ministry to subsidise the fees so that they can be able to operate from the assistance given by Government? We see that the BEAM is no longer functioning as it should. What have you done as Ministry to ensure that children under BEAM continue to receive basic education? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. DR. E. NDLOVU): I want to thank the Members for the response that I got which is very good. They asked why I am not enforcing this circular. The circular was sent to Principal Directors, Head Office Directors, Provincial Education Directors, Head Office Deputy Directors and Deputy Provincial Education Directors. That time they were still deputies but now they are provincial directors. It was sent to the District Schools Inspectors, Schools Inspectors, Education Officers, Heads of Primary Schools, Heads of Secondary schools, all Staff Associations, Associations of Trust schools, responsible authorities in various schools, Church Education Secretaries and Principals of independent colleges. All those in charge of implementation got the circular on 15th April 2019.
Yesterday the secretary resent this circular again to all these people to remind them. We need to have you as Members of Parliament and communities calling on us informing us on what is happening because our staff members do not have transport. The DSIs do not have transport to go and supervise them. Enforcement is very difficult unless you also assist us with the names of schools and the children that have been sent home.
On the question on whether schools are allowed to refuse the local currency, I think there is a circular which went around even today from ZIMSEC warning parents and school heads that anyone who refuses to take local currency will be persecuted. Everyone must adhere to the circular that this is a multicurrency country. The local currency and foreign currency are both accepted in schools. No one is expected to refuse any currency that is allowed in this country. One of the Members questioned whether the circular was sent to headmasters. It was sent to headmasters.
How can we enforce parents to pay school fees? At times, parents will not have the fees. If the headmasters inform us timeously that this parent is unable to pay, the schools are supposed to apply for BEAM to the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare so that the particular child is assisted with payment of school fees by Government.
The schools need money. I agree with you Hon. Member. Schools need money for them to operate. School fees being charged are very low and that makes it difficult to run the schools. Some of the schools do not get Government assistance because their enrolments are high. There is a school in Bulilima that has got more than a thousand children but the parents there do not pay. The school has got difficulties in terms of running the school. I agree that we need to assist the schools to run by having parents paying school fees. I hope that parents will assist us to make sure that we support the schools.
As I said, supervision of the schools in terms of headmasters chasing children away, it is very difficult without transport. We continuously appeal for assistance in terms of transport for our Schools Inspectors so that at least they can be mobile. School development levies need to be updated, I agree with the Hon. Member. When I get back to my office, I will look at that circular to make sure that we update it so that we review the monies that are retained for school development. We are trying our level best to oversee and supervise schools.
On the issue of examination fees, within my paper that I presented, I had written about it but I thought it was not necessary to read it but I have it here. The issue of examination fees has been addressed by ZIMSEC. Even today, there was a publication to try and assist the parents in terms of those that are refusing to accept the fees. The fees are pegged in the following manner: USD33 per year at Grade 6. This is to make sure that the parent starts paying for the examination fees a year before so that they can manage the payment of examination fees. At Grade 6, they are supposed to pay USD33. When the child gets to Grade 7, the parent will then pay USD66. For those at O’ level, it is USD24 per subject and for A’ level it is USD48 per subject with an option to pay over a two-year period before writing the examinations. So there is an allowance for parents to stagger payment within two years in order for them to be able to look for the money and pay.
In Government schools, Government pays 55% of that money for examination fees for the pupils at all public schools. This means that effectively, candidates this year will pay an equivalent of USD15 for those in Grade 6. Those in Grade 7 will pay USD30 to cover subjects written at Grade 7 level. At O’ level, they will pay USD11 per subject. It is reduced and we are paying half the price. Those at ‘A’ level are paying USD22. We are trying to help parents because we are aware of the difficulties that are there in our economy. Those are the figures that we have to try and assist.
Those in private schools, trust schools and churches are paying the examination fees in full because they have got money. If you do not have money, you send your child to a Government school but if you can afford, you can take your child to a private school. So we cannot assist them because they have the money and they have chosen to take their children to private schools. On the deadline for payment of examination fees, it is not indicated in my paper. The reason why you think examination fees is high is because ZIMSEC is underfunded. We introduced six subjects. Children used to write four subjects, so the more the subjects, the higher the cost. It also requires more resources and more markers. With the CALA curriculum that we initiated, it means more money is needed. Those are the issues as it relates to school fees that I would like to share with you.
Those that are unable to pay for their examination fees, last year we had to chip in to pay for some of the pupils. If we are informed on time, we organise with the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to try and pay for those children. Last year, we fully paid school fees for those that were not able to pay. There is need for timeous information coming to our office to make sure that we prepare for those children to be assisted timeously. Thank you Hon. Speaker.
HON. MADZIMURE: Madam Speaker, the Minister did not respond to my question where I said is the Minister sure that next year there will be free education when they are failing to fund BEAM.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. DR. E. NDLOVU): Madam Speaker Ma’am, next year the Head of State and Government has already pronounced respectively that pupils form ECD right up to Grade 7 will be assisted by Government. We are working on a policy to implement the directive that the Head of State has pronounced. That policy is almost ready and is going through the process so that at least our people are relieved of school fees. We are working on that policy to assist our people.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Members, we are going to have another round of questions. I am kindly requesting you to seek points of clarifications that are straight to the point and not start debating.
HON. JAMES SITHOLE: Thank you Madam Speaker. The clarification that I wish to seek from the Minister concerns the payment of fees. It is common knowledge that the payment that children or students are required to make is in two parts, these are tuition and levy. Which exactly between the two that the Government is making a commitment to pay for? Is it both or one of them? It is common knowledge that the levy is more than the fees in most cases. Thank you.
HON. MUNETSI: Thank you Madam Speaker. Let me just find out from the Minister, is it mandatory that people should pay in Grade 6 and 7 for their examinations fees, what about if someone is able to pay once in Grade 7. What is the position?
+HON. MAHLANGU: Thank you Madam Speaker. You said people should be referred to BEAM if they have challenges of payment of fees. If you check, you will realise that BEAM has not paid fees for the first term and there is high inflation so there is a big gap between first and second term. When you make a supplementary budget, are you going to ask for closure to the gap? Our schools are not developing because of the late payments by BEAM.
(v)*HON. NYABANI: Hon. Minister, I want to speak on behalf of my constituents. In Rushinga, there is no water, right now there is drought. As we speak, people are unable to get food and children are being sent home from school. What I want to know is that if children fail to pay the $20 dollars, will they be able to write their Grade 7 examinations considering the fact that we are experiencing drought, poor rainfall? In the event that they fail to pay school fees, are you going to pay for them? They do not have money and they are being sent back home. Once they fail to pay the required examinations fees, what is going to be your next move? I thank you.
(v)HON. I. NYONI: Mine is a follow up, the Minister mentioned that the circular directing that school children should not be send back home was distributed as far back as 2019, however, we see that school children are still being send back home because they have not paid school fees. What are the disciplinary measures being taken by the Minister because it is clear that headmasters and other staff members are disregarding this circular?
(v)HON. MOKONE: Thank you Madam Speaker. Hon. Minister, you said that the education officers do not even have vehicles to move from one point to another. With this free education model that you want to introduce next year, are you going to be able to sustain it or we must just agree that the education sector is in a state of collapse in Zimbabwe. Thank you.
HON. BRIG. GEN. (RTD.) MAYIHLOME: Thank you Madam Speaker, sending a circular and citing the law that sending children back home for non-payment of school fees is illegal is quite very attractive but it is another issue altogether for the schools to survive. I see here Government passing the buck and saying children must not be chased away from school whereas at the same time not protecting the schools administrators on how they are expected to fund the gap. The infrastructure is crumbling; teachers are not being paid or I do not think recruited because there is no money. They need consumables to run the schools. They need consumables for sanitary requirements like for cleaning toilets; textbooks - how are they supposed to survive because there is no remedy that is obvious for the school administration. They do not have money to take legal action against the parent. So, what are they supposed to do? Thank you.
HON. HAMAUSWA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. My point of clarification to the Minister is that together with their Ministry, have they considered the issue that in certain areas such as Warren Park where in Ward 15, we only have one public secondary school. Children are opting for private schools not because they have money but because they have no other option. There are limited public schools in those areas. Therefore, for Government to say we will not support those who are going to private schools because they have money, I think it is really unfair. This is something that the Minister might not have an answer for today but to consider it to say in farming areas, we have many areas where we have limited public schools. I kindly request the Minister to reconsider the position of not supporting students who are going for private schools, especially in terms of examination fees.
She indicated that she supports those who are disadvantaged and if you are informed in time, then your Government supports them with school fees. My suggestion is that is it not a good thing for the Ministry to come up with a formula that then says by such and such a date, schools with disadvantaged children should submit their names for those who need to be supported and also to keep a track record so that even here in Parliament, we know that Government every year is going to support maybe 30% or 10% of examination students. It would be good to have a formula of selecting those who are disadvantaged.
You have talked about disabled students; I suggest they also need to be considered in terms of examination fees. What is Government doing in terms of those who are living with disability? If Government is not having a policy, it is something that really needs to be considered.
*HON. TEKESHE: We have said a lot on this issue Hon. Minister. The situation on the ground is very difficult because children are not going to school. As a Ministry, what are you going to do to tell children in rural and remote areas to go to school because they have not paid their school fees? Some children have stopped going to school because they are only learning how to walk to and from school.
HON. C. MOYO: I did not hear the policy position in terms of using our local currency to pay for examination fees. Maybe if you can clarify on that.
I am worried and disappointed that the Hon. Minister is not aware in terms of the deadline to pay the examination fees. I am of the mind that I propose that the examination fees be paid from 22 July up to 2 August so that those who get their salaries around 31 July are also able to pay the examination fees of their children. I am worried that the Hon. Minister said that she is not aware of the deadline.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. DR. E. NDLOVU):On tuition and levy, we are working on a policy and it is going through Cabinet process. We have not yet finalised for me to comment on it and say we are going to support school fees or we are going to support levy or both. I will need to brief Parliament when the policy has been approved by Cabinet.
It is not mandatory for those that have got money to pay examination fees. They can pay all of it at once. We had suggested splitting because we felt some parents might not be able. This is done to cushion those that are not able to pay. Those with money can pay at once. It will be good for ZIMSEC because there is inflation.
On the issue of BEAM, there are problems. BEAM delays payment of fees depending on the availability of funds from Treasury and this is the reason why they delay payments. You will note that when companies pay their taxes, they pay sometimes quarterly or annually, at the end of the year, that is when most companies pay their taxes enabling the Ministry of Finance to make payments to schools under BEAM. BEAM is meant to relieve vulnerable children. I am under pressure due to inflation on the amount of money that has not been paid.
Hon. Nyabani is worried about Rushinga because there was drought this year and parents cannot afford to pay. Yes, we will assist those children that have parents who are in dire straits but we cannot assist all the children because Government money is also limited. Our cake is very small. We are working with a small cake with a big number of children. So wherever possible and when given the names of the children timeously, we can intervene on time for the child to continue to go to school or to write examinations. I think the Hon. Member can assist us with lists of children that are in dire need. , Of course, we cannot take the whole of Rushinga because there are children throughout the country and the drought has also affected the whole country.
Hon. Nyoni asked on disciplinary measures – the challenge I mentioned is that we need information from the Members of Parliament and the communities so that we can take the relevant measures if we have the information. The problem is that we do not get the information about the misconduct timeously so that we can react and punish those that are going against the circular. As I have said, we sent the circular again yesterday throughout the country so that people understand and appreciate it.
Is free education possible – I think the person who is saying the education system is collapsing in this country is not well informed. Zimbabwe’s education system is alive and I am not sure whether the Hon. Member has got facts. We would like to have those facts, they can submit through Parliament to make sure that we address the collapse which is referred to here.
Hon. Mayihlome, it is true the schools need funding, they need to survive. They need working capital and that working capital comes from levies and school fees. It is really difficult for the headmaster but the headmaster has to adhere to the circular nevertheless and appeal to the parents and Government for assistance. We have funding at the moment for rehabilitation of schools and I think you can assist us by giving us the list of schools that need attention in terms of infrastructure rehabilitation.
We have got funding for new schools, especially satellite schools. You can give us information about those schools so that we can assist with the construction of additional classroom blocks. That programme is going up to 2025 but this year we are attending to 35 schools.
Areas with no public schools – yes, the Hon. Member has appealed to us to put up a school in his constituency to assist. We have considered that request and we will continue to try and get funding probably next year to make sure that they have got additional public schools in Harare.
The deadline for examination fees – I think it is end of this month, I am not sure. The reason why they gave that three day was because within those three days, the value of the exchange rate will not have moved. However, I take note of your proposal; I will approach to see if we can extend the day so that parents can be given more time.
Hon. Tekeshe, I really appreciate the question that you put before the Ministry. The situation on the ground is not rosy and we will really appreciate if Members of Parliament can give us the list of schools that have thrown the children out of school so that we send out teams from head office because the districts and provinces do not have cars. Every child has a right to be in school whether from a poor family or from a rich family, it is constitutional. I thank you.
On the motion of HON. MUTAMBISI seconded by HON. TEKESHE the House adjourned at Sixteen Minutes past Six o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 20th July, 2022
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
DEATH OF HON. SEN. OLIVER MANDISHONA CHIDAWU
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: It is with profound sorrow that I have to inform the Hon. Senators of the sudden and untimely death of Hon. Sen. Oliver Mandishona Chidawu, the Minister of State for Devolution and Provincial Affairs for Harare and Senator for Harare Metropolitan Province on Tuesday, 19th July, 2022. I invite Hon. Senators to rise and observe a minute of silence in respect of the late Hon. Minister.
Hon. Senators stood in silence.
APNODE WORKSHOP
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have to inform the Senate that there will be an APNODE Workshop at Rainbow Towers in Harare on 23rd and 24th July, 2022. All Chairpersons of Thematic Committees and three other Senators from each Thematic Committee are invited to attend. The workshop begins at 0800 hours in the morning on each of these two days. This workshop is meant to enhance Members of Parliament’s oversight role through monitoring and evaluation.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Mr. President Sir, I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 and 2 on today’s Order Paper be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PROVISION OF FUNDS FOR COMPLETION OF DAM CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the need for Government to provide adequate funds for the completion of dam projects.
Question again proposed.
(v)HON. SEN. CHISOROCHENGWE: Thank you Mr. President for the opportunity that you have given me. I want to thank Hon. Sen. Mabika for moving that important motion because the issue of conserving water is very important. If you look at the dams that are there, they need attention so that they can harness water. If you look at everyone in this land as well as animals, they rely on water. Water is vital.
We do have dams that are available and they should be well looked after and maintained. Those dams that are incomplete should be completed to enhance harnessing of water. Farmers were not allowed to farm without firstly putting contours. Those contours were important for trapping water. I think those who are engaged in farming should look into the issue of contours. Dams are built at a particular place but at an individual level, people can harness the water. Few people will be able to access water from the dams.
I think that drilling of boreholes is also vital. We realise that for people to access water in some of the boreholes, they have to pay. If one cannot afford to pay for council water, they should access it from the boreholes. The issue of dams is important because water is vital for everyone. On dams that are already in existence, we need to ensure that the Ministry responsible for water and maintenance of dams does its work well. I want to thank the Hon. Senator for moving the motion.
HON. SEN. MABIKA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. CHINAKE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 20th July, 2022.
MOTION
PARENTING AND EMBRACING A RECEPTIVE CULTURE FOR CHILDREN LIVING IN THE STREETS
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on vulnerable children living in the streets.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MABIKA: Thank you Mr. President, I would like to thank Hon. Sen. Mpofu for this very important motion. I was looking at it and thinking about these streets children that most of them it is not their fault to be on the streets. For some of them, it was caused by poverty, low education, abuse or lack of parenthood, sometimes domestic violence, poor relationship within families and step parents. It is therefore important that Government and partners put in some significant effort at an early stage. It will be important to have some partners who can build rehabilitation centres or some shelter for these children where the shelter would offer some form of therapeutic or developmental recreational programmes. They should also have social workers who help in the shelters to estimate the individual basic needs of food and clothing. They should also look at the psychosocial nature where the street kids will be offered an accustomed consultation. They also need to find out what stage of development the children have reached and they listen to the events that led these children to leave in the streets.
We also need to focus on the family backgrounds of the street kids and make sure these children in the homes or the shelter are taught various skills. At these shelters, we will definitely need tight security because these children have a tendency of going back to the streets even if something good is being done for them or to them. At some point, we will reach a turning point where they realise that it is good for us to do things for ourselves and they realise that those people suffering from destructive lives will eventually come to a turning point. It is not the only solution; we might also have another solution whereby we have visibility in terms of outreach work. Again I come back to the social workers. We have a lot of social workers who have graduated and are not at work, they could be made use of and raise awareness and more social workers will be at work. This also creates employment and help in controlling the push factors and the reasons for children wanting to choose life in the streets, some children might be changed if appropriate approach is used for the children. When it comes to street kids, we have push factors and we also have pull factors. Those factors that draw children to the streets, some include drugs and substance abuse and some of them see it as an opportunity to make money or there is freedom of some sort in the streets. It is up to the social workers and Government to make sure these factors are looked into. Surely something should be done urgently so that children do not continue to live in the streets.
I implore the Government and other partners such as NGOs to look into this issue of how best we can help the street kids than having partners that are meddling into politics, they can help by doing rehabilitation programmes. This will help Government and children to interact with the street kids such that they do not continue to live in the streets. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI: Thank you for affording me the opportunity to add a few words on the very important motion that was brought by Hon. Sen. Mpofu, seconded by Hon. Sen. Chief Makumbe on the issue of street kids. It is a big challenge that the country is facing concerning these streets kids. This started in 1980 when we attained the independence. Mr. President, you know that we, the black people, were not allowed to live in the cities such as Harare - it was reserved for the white man but because of independence, most of us Africans were able to come to the cities. The challenge was that Harare was only meant for a few people. After the war of liberation, most people flocked to the cities through rural-urban migration and expanding the town was not prioritised, that is why we have problems today.
It is not the only challenge of Government but it also comes to us as parents of those children. The challenge we have with children who beg for food on the streets is that most of them will be dirty as they do not bath and they present themselves as children who are not well looked after. As parents, we should take the initiative to ensure that we look after our children and that will alleviate the burden of this challenge on Government.
That is why Government set up Vocational Training Centres and at one time we argued as to whether this was a good initiative or not. For me, it was a good initiative as it teaches children courses to do with skills that can sustain them in life. Some people had a different point of view on this matter. Vocational Training Centres are very important and now we see their importance. I hope that Government will ensure that our children go to Vocational Training Centres so that they get life skills that can sustain them in future.
The challenge is that some children can fall sick whilst on the streets and no one will be able to see that they are sick. Rape cases will increase as well as crime. As you walk around on foot around the city, you will find that these kids are harassing people because that is how they have been brought up in the streets. As parents, we need to do our part and assist Government. We want our children to go to school. We should not leave everything to Government because these children are ours. They grow up without any manners and moral values as well. That is where you find that there is a lot of substance abuse such as Crystal Meth which they start taking at a tender age. As parents, I want to encourage all of us to do our part. Let us request Government to assist us with school fees but at the same time, looking and having custody over our kids.
The challenge that we are facing in town nowadays is that you cannot move freely because of these children and it is affecting people who are going about their normal duties. We as Zimbabwe must talk to our parents that these kids should not be allowed to go into the streets to go and beg. As it is, the food that they get should be considered. It is better that they stay in the rural areas because one can engage in different activities as well as do gardening. With these few words I want to thank you Mr. President.
*HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I want to say a few words on the motion that was brought by Hon. Sen. Mpofu which is a very pertinent motion. This is an issue which is always under discussion and if no action is taken, it is important that we continue to remind each other as to what we can do as a country.
I investigated with the aim of wanting to check the challenges of children on the street whether it is just an African issue or something else. As Africa, we are taken as Third World or under developed countries but the results reflected that the issue of street kids is a global issue. It is not unique to Africa. It is of concern in developed countries like Russia, America, Canada and others. As Zimbabwe, it would be important for us to find a solution as the previous speakers have said that it has become a challenge which requires each and every one of us - maybe starting from this august House, to see what we can do. Do we have any legislation or policy, if it is there, is it being adhered to because the documents that are being written say that globally, there are 100 million children living on the streets.
It sets one to start thinking of how those many people can be assisted and yet they stay amongst other people. My apologies, I was not able to get the number of street children here in Zimbabwe but I will continue to look into it so that I get the statistics. Some of the children who grew up on the streets, it is not their fault that they are on the streets. Going forward as a Government we need to see what is going to happen. Are they not going to increase in number? It is not their fault. Even in other countries, if they decide to revolt against the Government, they will not be able to see the positive impact of these policies. I think it is a challenge that we need to work on in unison.
Furthermore, I think we need to look at the fact that for example when we are here in Zimbabwe, we should not use blanket statements and see everyone as a homogenous group. Probably those in Bulawayo, Mutare and other areas have reasons and challenges. When we have those policies, we need to have consultations with the concerned individuals so that they input into the policy making and solicit their opinions on how this challenge could be addressed. I am sure you know that our roads are congested. Where traffic lights are not working and uncontrolled intersections, you will find these street kids assuming the role of directing traffic.
Currently, I do not know whether we have legislation that pertains to the welfare of street kids. If it is there and it needs amendment, then we can see how it can be amended. I can imagine what the situation will be like 20 to 30 years from now. I thank you Hon. President.
*HON. SEN. NYATHI: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to add my view on this motion brought by Hon. Sen. Mpofu, seconded by Hon. Sen. Chief Makumbe about children living on the streets. This is a very painful issue Mr. President, especially for us mothers because we stay with children. It is true that the Hon. Senator found it fit that we should debate this issue in this august Senate. It is not the first time that we debate this issue. We have talked about it for a long time. This issue to do with children living on the streets has been amongst us for the past 40 years after independence. By now I believe we should have come up with a solution.
If only these things were done a long time ago for us to ensure that we take care of the children. I have noticed something Mr. President. What do we mean when we say street kids? When we talk of kids, we are talking of young ones in age but during evenings, you realise they are no longer kids. I do not know whether we should call them street adults. They are the ones who are stealing from people and harassing people. Are we just grouping them together, the young children and the adult ones? If we look at this issue, this is where the problem of thefts emanates from. They are the ones who snatch people’s bags and steal from people. I believe as Senators, we should be considering these issues seriously. Let us discuss issues, make a follow up and implement it, not just talking. After discussing issues, let us have a situation where those issues are implemented.
As I speak, it is now 40 years and we have been talking about children living on the streets and yet nothing has happened. Sometimes it is other organisations that are dealing with this but here as a country, in Zimbabwe, let us ensure that we empower such organisations and ensure that they are adequate to deal with this problem. Let us not rely on foreigners or other countries but let us solve these problems ourselves.
Mr. President, I do not think all these children living on the streets do not have parents. Sometimes they have parents. So let us ensure that we also make a follow up to see where they come from. Sometimes they come onto the streets but they stay at home and go back later. Let us ensure we make a follow up on where they come from. They come to harass people on the streets and go back home. Even the traditional leaders should also be involved in resolving this issue because they have people who encounter all these problems. Where I come from in Hwange, I have a chief who knows where to find me if I am needed. All I am saying is, we have discussed this issue for a long time. Right now, we need to come up with a solution.
Harare is the capital city but what is happening is not good at all. It is no longer a city, it is something else. If you go to Harare Street, you will find a totally different environment. We talk about attracting tourists. When they come, they will see a lot of unpleasant things down there. As a country, let us resolve our problems. Let us resolve our issues so that at least we restore our dignity as a people. Why are we failing to do that?
Mr. President, we have discussed this issue for a long time. I do not know whether the Minister moves around the streets of Harare, especially in the evening to see the situation so that when they come here, we discuss from the same page. Sometimes the Minister may say we are just waffling. Are they aware of what is transpiring on the streets in the evenings? This issue raised by Hon. Sen. Mpofu is a very important matter. We need to put our heads together and come up with a solution because the Hon. Member is a woman and a mother. With these few words, I thank you Mr. President.
*HON. SEN. MURONZI: Thank you Mr. President for giving me the opportunity to support the motion on street kids. I want to thank Hon. Sen. Mpofu who raised the motion and the seconder, Hon. Sen. Chief Makumbe. Mr. President, I concur with Hon. Sen. Chimbudzi that we are the ones who spoiled these children. Now, it has become a challenge and we are crying foul. It is true that we grew up during the Smith Regime. During that period, you would not even see street kids on the streets. After independence, we acquired too much independence and today it is costing us. Mr. President, what troubles me is that at one time, a very small child came to me at the intersection asking for money. I asked him what he needed the money for but he did not respond, which means the parents will be hiding somewhere in the streets. I do not know how we can address this issue. We can talk about it – yes, but the parents will be there and they will be hiding somewhere nearby. It is different from people with disability who will be in wheelchairs. One small boy came to me and asked for money and I told him I would give him a job as a cattle herder but he ended up shouting at me. So, I do not know how we can assist them Mr. President. If we do not do anything about it, the numbers are going up.
Mr. President, this is a serious issue - it cannot be addressed. Right now the increase of these street kids is alarming. I saw some of them close to the United Methodist Church, it was pathetic, I do not know if it is possible to remove them from the streets completely. Yes, we can talk and we can call upon the Government to address the matter but we will not be able to solve this problem. Why is it that in rural areas Mr. President, in our growth points and townships, we do not find such children? If you go to Madziwa Township, Mount Darwin, you will not find them, they will always rush to these big cities. That is an issue that troubles me. The parents are there, the children who bore these children are there and they are hiding somewhere, sending their children to go and beg. I think their parents must be arrested and this should be a criminal offense. I thank you.
+HON. SEN. D. M. NDLOVU: Thank you Mr. President for affording me this opportunity. I would also like to thank Hon. Mpofu who brought about this motion on children living in the streets. The reasons why these children are in the street are in different forms which is why it has been difficult to solve these problems even though we continue to implore the Government to build rehabilitation centres for these children. Growing up as a young lady, I used to work for non-governmental organisations aligned to churches but what we realised is that if these children think of going to the streets, they change their behaviour and behave like animals. I can give an example of a situation whereby when cooking, you use different mealie meals from maize and sorghum, you then do not have an appropriate name for this kind of mixture. We need to make sure we work hand-in-glove with non-governmental organisations to have rehabilitation centres to assist these children. Some of them come from good homes but they choose to live in the streets. This has become difficult for us to assist them.
Mr. President, the same children are the ones that are taking drugs and abusing substances. They do not listen to anyone. One Hon. Member touched on this issue saying we do not know if we can continue to call these children that are growing up in the streets, street children or street adults. They grow up in the streets and most of them are the ones who are contributing in prostitution, girls who are just using small towels to tie themselves. I once used Mutare Road around 2200 hours and what I saw is unexplainable. They were wrapped in small towels, some were seated and some were standing. When a car approaches, they would just unwrap themselves and when you do not know this, you will scream and fail to understand what is happening. This shows that the indiscipline in our country is just too much. These children turned to behave like animals. They are not scared of their nudity.
Mr. President, nudity is sacred, even for a young child, if you are to let them play without dressing, they show that they are no longer safe around the people that are there. The situation is just unbearable. Some of them become men at a young age for instance a 12-year old. To realise that this child has gone out of his way choosing to be a man when he is still a child is worrisome. Although some of them are orphans, most of them are just choosing to live in the streets just for bad behaviour. If possible we could just have those children rounded up and have them give us their addresses so that we can make follow-ups to where they come from. If you talk to them, some of them get to the point of accepting that the situation that they are in is not okay and they prefer to return to their homes. Some of them are then taken to churches for better standards of living but before the end of two months, some of these children are back in the streets. Some of them even indicated that if they are to be taken back to rehabilitation centres, they will end up burning the centres. All these are examples of people that can no longer be treated who suffer from what we call in English, cancer. It is difficult to treat cancer. What one requires is to say if God has become merciful to me, then I can only survive by treatment. If you do not get treatment, then you are nothing. It is the same with these kind of children who continue to play a blame game but even if Government put in place a place like maybe Khami; some of the children stay there maybe we can manage that they stay there. Like one of the Hon. Members who indicated that it has been 40 years when we have been talking about this issue. All the measures that have been put in place have failed to bear any fruits.
Even if we travel to other countries that are out of Zimbabwe, we have seen the same. I do not know if we are to say we are going through challenges in Zimbabwe. We have realised that the same problem is existing in other countries like those in Europe. We still have street kids not only in Africa but in developed countries. The only difference is that their percentages do differ, but they are there.
My plea to Government is let us try but we need to know that in all our trials, we are doing it for our children. Street children do not care where they sleep or what they eat, no wonder why some of them even open bins and smash cars just because their behaviour has turned into that of an animal.
I therefore thank the mover of the motion Senator Mpofu, and it is my plea that His Excellency should try and make sure that we build rehabilitation institutions for these children. I thank you.
HON. SEN. S. MPOFU: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday 21st July 2022.
MOTION
POLICIES THAT ADDRESS AND PLUG LOOPHOLES RELATED TO TAX EVASION
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on policies that address and plug loopholes on tax evasions, illicit financial flows and corruption.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. CHINAKE: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday 21st July 2022.
On the motion of HON SEN. MUZENDA, seconded by HON. SEN. KAMBIZI, the Senate adjourned at Twenty Five Minutes past Three o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 19th July, 2022.
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
NON-ADVERSE REPORT RECEIVED FROM THE PARLIAMENTARY LEGAL COMMITTEE
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that I have received a non-adverse report from the Parliamentary Legal Committee on all Statutory Instruments published in the Gazette during the month of June 2022.
APPOINTMENT OF CCC PARTY CHIEF WHIP
THE HON. SPEAKER: I also have to inform the House that Hon. Prosper Chapfiwa Mutseyami has been appointed Chief Whip by the Citizen Coalition for Change Party and will be deputised by H on. Sichelesile Mahlangu. By virtue of his appointment as Chief Whip, Hon. Mutseyami becomes a member of the Committee of Standing Rules and Orders. [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] -
HON. T. MLISWA: A very good afternoon to you Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Good afternoon.
HON. T. MLISWA: I do not know if you were here when we did congratulate the Members of Parliament for the victory of Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira being elected to be the PAP President. If you were not around, I would like to extend that to you as well as the leader of the House on how you actually strategised and making sure that we win. I know it was a very contentious issue and a lot had happened and so forth. We want to thank you. I am aware of the number of visits you did to several countries meeting some of the SADC MPs.
With that, I want to thank you and to also congratulate you. You certainly lead by example. I will surely come to you for strategies in the next election – [Laughter.] – Thank you, well done to you Mr. Speaker. I think it is a legacy for us and I hope that all the Hon. Members that made it will represent us well and we become a shining light.
The other issue Mr. Speaker Sir, I seek your guidance in terms of how we conduct it. We are public figures. As such, we must be able to behave appropriately without any doubt. My issue pertains to Hon. Wadyejena who is the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture. They have been allegations in the media of his involvement doing business with Cotton Company of Zimbabwe COTTCO. It could be well for this august House, to come up with some investigations to see if at all he was doing business with the company in question because that very same company is the company that falls under his oversight role as Chairman of the Agriculture Committee. There are a lot of allegation which have come up in terms of COTTCO. Senior management; one would wonder whether they were not invited to the Portfolio Committee because they were in dealings together. Such an inquiry would assist him and Parliament to be cleared so that there is credibility. It becomes very difficult for him to continue chairing a Committee because he will then be compromised. Whether he declared his interest or not in that he was doing business with them is something that we do not know. I seek your indulgency in terms of the way forward. I thank you.
An Hon. Member having stood up to present another point of National interest.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you. I have not pronounced myself on his point of national interest. So if you can indulge me. Thank you.
On the first issue, of the victory by Hon. Sen. Fortune Charumbira as PAP President, that is acknowledged. I am sure the whole country and indeed the Government and the State were proud that he finally made it. I did have some conversation with the Clerk of Parliament and I think a motion will be an appropriate approach to the issue and the Chief Whip will act accordingly in terms of moving that motion most likely tomorrow. Meanwhile, we wish the Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira all the best in his new assignment which is quite honorous indeed.
On the second issue, I will have to have some conversation with the Chairperson of the Lands and Agriculture Committee and find out exactly what facts have emerged apart from the allegations that have been pronounced by the media and from there, I would like to find out what his position is and what has happened there after and then appropriate action will be taken accordingly.
HON. MAVETERA: Hon. Speaker Sir, I rise on a point of national interest. Two weeks ago, we saw the appointment of ZEC Officers, for which as the young people of Zimbabwe, we are very happy. We saw the appointment of three commissioners who are below the age of 40.
We have always spoken about inclusivity, especially for the young people and we are seeing that the Second Republic led by His Excellency, Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa has got a deliberate policy when it comes to the inclusion of young people in positions of authority and influence. Indeed, we really want to applaud and congratulate the Commissioners who, at the age below 40 years, managed to become ZEC Commissioners.
Indeed, this is applaudable and we are saying this has to go on. . As young people of Zimbabwe, we are saying this is a very good move for us and we are happy to have this announcement. We are hoping that more commissioners will be appointed who are below the age of 40.
HON. T. MLISWA: On a point of order! I would want, with your indulgence Mr. Speaker Sir, to say I think it is important for Hon. Mavetera to note that when we say 40 years. it is not ranging with the youths - youth is 16 to 35 years, according to the Constitution. So it does not make sense when she says under 40 years, 40 is not young any more but below 35 years is young because it does fall within the constitutional range of 16 to 35 years. That is my observation.
THE HON. SPEAKER: In terms of some international standards, the youth range from 18 years to 45 years. That is why for example, when you attend IPU Assembly meetings, they have always insisted that anyone who is between 18 years and 45 years is in the young group bracket.
HON. I. NYONI: My point of national interest regards the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) in Bulawayo which also is in my constituency. It is a referral hospital and caters for the health needs for Bulawayo residents. It is also a referral hospital for provinces like Masvingo, Midlands, Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North.
The issue of concern is that UBH has suspended surgical operations with immediate effect due to unavailability of anesthetics, drugs used to induce sleep in patients before a surgical operation is performed.
UBH is also advising patients to buy their own anaesthetic drugs if any operation is to be done due to the current economic situation, few patients can afford to buy these anesthetic drugs. The result is the unnecessary loss of life.
My prayer is that the Ministry of Health and Child Care to urgently ensure that UBH is urgently capacitated with the necessary resources for procurement of the anaesthetic drugs so that there is an efficient health delivery at this particular hospital. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Your statement, I think canvasses a response because of its criticality. So I suggest that you ask the question tomorrow to the appropriate Minister so that we can get clarification on the matter.
*HON. TEKESHE: My point of national interest concerns the dismissal of students because of non-payment of school fees. The responsibility is upon the parents to pay school fees. So the painful part is that you find students being chased away from school.
My request therefore, is that policies should be implemented; if schools are not allowed to chase away students, then they must not do that. When we asked the responsible Minister, he responded that it is not allowed yet this is happening in schools. This is a plight that I believe should be addressed so that students are not chased away from school.
Mr. Speaker Sir, students are not going to school, so I implore the Government to intervene so that our students are able to attend classes. If the Government does not put a ban on this, the poor will remain poor because they will not get a chance to go to school and those who are affluent will be taking their children outside the country, but this is a right that we fought for so that our children have the right to education. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Tekeshe. There is a judgment by Hon. Justice Mathias Cheda which ruled that pupils should not be dismissed from school because of non-payment of school fees. That responsibility lies with the parents. That is what our High Court decided and that decision must be respected. So, I want you to ask the question tomorrow why the schools are defying a High Court Judgment which is very clear indeed.
*HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. The country is facing wheat shortages, our farmers have taken their grain to the Grain Marketing Board and they have not been paid.
ZINWA is also being owed by GMB and at one point ZINWA disconnected water whilst wheat was still in the process of being attended to; it was not ripe when there was water stoppage. My suggestion is that ZINWA was supposed to assess the situation and maybe disconnect after the harvesting of wheat so that farmers could take their wheat after it had matured. Is it not possible to allow such a situation?
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Member, we value your views and I suggest that you ask the responsible Minister during the question and answer session. Thank you.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that all Orders of the Day be stood over until a Report on the Portfolio Committee on Information, Media and Broadcasting Services by Minister has been disposed of.
HON. TEKESHE: I second.
Motion put and agreed.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
RESPONSE TO REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON INFORMATION, MEDIA AND BROADCASTING SERVICES ON THE STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZIMBABWE
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF INFORMATION, MEDIA AND BROADCASTING SERVICES (HON. PARADZA): Let me thank Hon. Mokone, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Information, Media and Broadcasting Services for presenting such an insightful report which speaks to the state of media in Zimbabwe. In addition, let me also thank the Hon. Members who participated in the enquiry as well as those that took part in the subsequent debate here in the House.
The objective of the enquiry was to ascertain the operations of media practitioners in view of the COVID-19 pandemic; to appreciate the measures being taken by the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services in ensuring a conducive environment for media practitioners; to have an understanding of the challenges being faced by media practitioners and lastly, to come up with recommendations for an improved environment for media practitioners.
Hon. Speaker, now let me attend to the findings of the Committee. You will agree with me that the media in this country is operating in a free environment albeit with a few incidences here and there but generally, President Mnangagwa’s administration has allowed media to occupy their spaces. We have promoted the safety of media practitioners while doing their work. We have empowered them by repealing the draconian Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) and replaced it with friendlier pieces of legislation like the Freedom of Information Act and the Zimbabwe Media Commission Act.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Minister, I want to take it this is a Ministerial Statement so that the Hon. Members can seek clarification after your presentation.
HON. PARADZA: Yes. In addition, we are currently seized with a raft of amendments to the Broadcasting Services Act for it to be in sync with international best practices. Not only that, in order to promote sanity within the media industry, this administration is also drafting, together with the relevant stakeholders, the proposed Media Practitioners’ Bill. This Bill is meant to protect professional journalists from chancers, pretenders and impostors’ who have polluted the media landscape masquerading as professional media practitioners.
Having said that Hon. Speaker, it is unfortunate that our media is still toxic. There is rampant polarisation in our media sector and this is affecting our national image as a country. In some instances, professionalism as we know it has gone to the dogs. Professional conduct of some of the practitioners has been compromised due to undue influence from both political and business players, resulting in subjective reporting instead of being objective.
In some cases, our journalists have fallen victims to those with money and have been bribed with khaki envelopes. The Committee also observed a number of challenges within the media sector, ranging from poor or unavailability of tools of trade, lack of funding, general staff welfare in terms of remuneration, issues to do with multiple accreditation, unavailability of an employment council for the media industry, salary disparities and a host of other issues.
Now Hon. Speaker, let me attend to the Committee’s recommendations. Recommendation 6.1.1 that the Ministry of Finance should warehouse ZBC’s legacy debt has already begun –
HON. T. MLISWA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker. My point of order is that you asked the Hon. Deputy Minister if it was a Ministerial Statement but now he is going to the recommendations. I do not know if you could probably read a Ministerial Statement within recommendations referring back to what the Committee did. I do not know where we are. I need clarity on that.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Members, it is a Ministerial Statement which encompasses issues raised also by the Committee so the Hon. Minister can proceed.
HON. PARADZA: Thank you Hon. Speaker for the guidance. According to the Committee, it wants the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to warehouse ZBC legacy debt. The process of warehousing ZBC’s legacy debt has already begun and ZBC recently approved board approval to proceed with debt warehousing. The Ministry also furnished ZBC with the guidelines on how this can be achieved and ZBC is expected to update the Ministry on how far they have gone with the process by the end of July 2022. However, there was a delay in the process due to an external audit process which is currently ongoing at the ZBC and some of the claims also required a verification exercise by the Integrity and Finance Committee of the Board.
We now turn to the Transmedia Corporation, which should facilitate a conducive environment through infrastructure investment by setting up transmitters all over the country by September 2022. Transmitter allocation is mainly being addressed through the digitalisation project which started in 2015. The project scope involved the installation of both television and national radio transmitters. Treasury is availing funding for the projects but the shortage of foreign currency has stalled the project and in the past three years, no transmitters have been purchased. Only the low power transmitters were installed for the community and campus radio station from donor funding and internal resources. The bulk of the funding is supposed to come from Government and the procurement process for the radio and television transmitters was done last year. Funds are yet to be availed. A total of 48 sites have been identified to cover the whole of Zimbabwe. Of these, 18 are already operational on the digital platform. The annual plan for 2022 has a provision for seven FM radio transmitters and 4 digital television transmitters. To date, three radio transmitters for community radio stations have been installed. Procurement is underway for additional radio transmitters and the corporation is optimistic that the target of seven is achievable. In addition, through the ZIM digital project, procurement for four digital television transmitter sites was completed but funds are still to be availed to procure the equipment. The status of four towers identified by the committee as follows: Insiza junction, Murehwa, Kariba. The foundations have been completed and await tower materials while the foundation for Buhera is yet to be completed. The following sites were identified but no work has commenced in Chinhoyi, Rusape, Insiza near Fulabusi, Mberengwa, Piki, Marondera and Bikita.
Now I move to the Zimbabwe Media Commission. The Committee said they should speed up the accreditation and registration process of journalists and media and accreditation cards should reach journalists in areas such as Victoria Falls by April 2022. The new fees were gazetted on April 1, 2022 under S.I 65 of 2022, Access to information and protection of privacy (Registration and Accreditation Levy) Amendment Regulations 2022, No 10 to facilitate the accreditation and registration process. The delay in the approval of the fees had stalled the accreditation and registration process but everything is in order. The accreditation exercise was taken to Bulawayo on the 25th and 26th April 2022 at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair. The Zimbabwe Media Commission also embarked on a nationwide accreditation exercise. For the month of June 2022 they were in Chinhoyi and Kariba. The Commission moved the exercise to Zvishavane, Masvingo and Mutare beginning July 2022. In addition, the Zimbabwe Media Commission currently has an online accreditation platform which is being utilised by those outside Harare. In terms of ZMC strategic plan as part of national development strategy1, the Commission will also have provincial offices as part of its decentralisation programme.
The Committee wanted to find out how the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services should assist ZBC by increasing its collection points for revenue through mandating other parastatals such as ZESA and TELONE to collect licence fees on behalf of the corporation by August 2022. In terms of motor vehicle licences the corporation engaged ZINARA with a model that would see ZINARA demanding and enforcing ZBC radio licences fees from non-compliant motorists upon the renewal of their vehicle road licences. ZINARA has been dragging on the conversation since December 2021 and have not been giving a clear response. ZRP roadblocks – ZBC had meetings with the ZRP for the purpose of conducting blitz roadblocks that are specifically dealing with enforcement of ZBC licences only. They are working hand-in-hand with ZBC compliance officers at the roadblocks. As a result, the corporation realised 76% increase in revenue from the car radio licencing for the month of June as compared to a month on month average of 45% for the month of April and May.
In terms of household and commercial television radio licences the corporation also started a conversation with ZESA with the aim to have ZESA enforcing listeners licence fees on behalf of ZBC. This will be done by way of making it mandatory for ZESA clients who are also in possession of radio and television receivers in their homes and business premises to pay for their licences whenever they will be paying for their electricity tokens. ZESA is still assessing the corporation’s proposal. Online platform, the corporation introduced an online platform which ran into some obstacles related to payment gateways and as a result the corporation was forced to suspend it to allow for further development of the platform. The vendor has since completed the work and it is now ready to go live again as soon as the corporation gets the application programme interface access from the mobile network operators.
New offices in border towns and cities -ZBC opened new offices and are set to deploy compliance officers this July in Victoria Falls, Beitbridge and Chirundu border posts. They have been mainly conducting roadblocks in conjunction with VID and other agencies. On contracts with partners such as ZIMPOST, OK Zimbabwe and TV Sales and Home were maintained and the corporation is working on, including more agencies such as Mohammed Mussa and others.
On recruitment of compliance officers – the move to engage more compliant officers has paid off as witnessed by an increase in revenue collection. Thirty-six compliant officers were recruited in 2021 for the period between January and June 2022. Revenue increased by 429% as compared to the same period in 2021. However, it is also important to note that the compliance rate is still very low. The Committee wanted to know how BAZ should reduce the radio band width to less than 90 km so that it can be accessed by several listeners by May 2022. This recommendation is not clear because band width does not have anything to do with the 90 km. There is need for further clarity to enable us to make an appropriate response.
The Committee also wanted to know what we are doing as a Ministry in terms of establishing a National Employment Council that will deal with the welfare of media practitioners by August 2022. The Ministry is going to explore the feasibility and proceed appropriately. However, the time frame suggested is not practical as there is a lot of consultation with stakeholders and policy and other legal framework need to be put in place. The Committee also wanted the Ministry to, by August 2022, review and align laws that regulate the media environment with the Constitution such as Censorship and Entertainment Control Act, Official Secrecy Act, Sections of the Criminal Law Codification Reform Act, Interception of Communication Act.
Mr. Speaker, the Ministry is currently aligning its media laws with the Constitution and those that fall under its purview. However, the specific pieces of legislation cited do not fall under the purview of the Ministry, hence the need to consult relevant Ministries. The Ministry has no policy influence on when they should be reviewed and aligned to the Constitution because this belongs to other ministries.
Lastly, Mr. Speaker, the Committee wanted the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services to assist media houses in accessing foreign currency to acquire equipment by July 2022. Mr. Speaker, the Ministry is ready to provide supporting letters to the RBZ for media houses to participate on the auction system. However, the bigger role rests with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.
They also wanted to know how media houses should continue adhering to the set regulations and encourage regular testing and vaccination of its members. Mr. Speaker, the Ministry has taken note and will advise all media houses to continue to adhere to the set regulations and encourage regular testing and vaccination of staff. You may be interested to know that the third person to be vaccinated in this country was a journalist. During the COVID period, journalists were classified as essential services and the Ministry was on the forefront to make sure that the journalists were vaccinated.
Zimbabwe Digital Migration Project
Mr. Speaker, as background, the world has since migrated from analogue transmission to digital broadcasting. This changeover was scheduled to have been completed by June 2015.
In our situation, we were required to have completed the process in 2017 but five years down the line, we are still struggling, not having done even half way. Only 18 out of the 48 transmitters are digital compliant. The migration to digital television comes with such advantages as more television channels, high definition picture and audio quality and efficient spectrum utilisation. Mr. Speaker, the objectives or your Committee were as follows:
- To assess progress made towards the completion of the Zimbabwe Digital Migration Project;
- To assess the state of transmission sites in view of the Community Radio Stations and the six television players which are coming on board.
- To have an understanding of the challenges being faced in completion of the project.
- To offer recommendations for speeding up the completion of the project.
Mr. Speaker Sir, on the Kamativi Transmission site the Committee had erroneously noted that gap fillers (these are small low cost transmitters) would cost us $10 million, instead of USD20 thousand if there is an existing tower. The Committee made several critical observations and made a series of recommendations which we have taken on board. I now turn to respond to the Committee’s recommendations and other ancillary matters, as Hon. Biti would say in court.
Mr. Speaker, the Committee wanted the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to timeously disburse the funds to the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services to enable the Ministry to complete the digitization project.
The annual digitization budget vote for every year is always too small to advance the project significantly. Now, considering that we have 30 transmitters to go out of forty eighty (48), at this rate, it will take fifteen (15) years to complete the project. Therefore, I plead with Parliament to ensure that the allocation for digitization be prioritised if we are going to achieve providing television services to all by 2030. Out of the money being currently allocated every year we will continue to engage the Ministry of Finance for timeous disbursement of funds for this project. This is within the purview of the Ministry of Finance. However, the Ministry of Information will continue to engage the Ministry of Finance as it has always been doing, so that it is assisted in accessing foreign currency to acquire digital equipment.
The Committee also wanted the Ministry of Information to, by September 2022, delegate the responsibility of the project management to the engineers that are within ZBC who are already on the payroll and they should report to the Ministry on progress regarding the completion of the project on a monthly basis.
Mr. Speaker, the Ministry of Information has recently established a department of Strategic Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation superintended by a full director who is already in post. Their role includes the responsibility for implementation and monitoring of the digitization project and reporting to the Ministry of leadership who in turn report to Cabinet through the Minister. Mr. Speaker, the Ministry of Information is always grateful for the support being given by the Ministry of Finance. A total of USD2 million was received from Treasury which will be used as follows: USD1.5 million for the purchase and supply of Set-Top-Boxes and USD500 thousand for the upgrade of the National Headend.
From the $1.5 million allocated for the purchase and supply of Set-Top-Boxes, 100 thousand set top boxes will be purchased. They will be offered to the public at a subsidised cost rate of 50%. Mr. Speaker, BAZ has since flighted a tender and it was closed two weeks ago. They are currently seized with adjudication. We should be getting response on that issue.
Your Committee Mr. Speaker wanted the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to waive import duty on set-top-boxes by August 2022 to make them affordable. By the way set-top-boxes are just decoders. The application for waiver of duty was made to the Ministry of Finance on the 17th November 2021 wherein the Ministry recommended that Azan Media Zimbabwe be granted rebate on duty on set-top-boxes under the National Digitization Programme. Treasury wrote back to the Ministry of Information on the 23rd December 2021 rejecting the application on the basis that the cost of the equipment and the operator’s profit were to be borne by subscribers. That is going to be expensive to the consumers.
Mr. Speaker, the Committee also wanted the Ministry to introduce a law that restricts the importation of televisions without a digital tuner that does not comply with the current waves of digitization programme by December 2022. This is already in place through Statutory Instrument, 26 of 2020 the Broadcast Services Act Regulations of 2022 which banned the importation of televisions which are not digitally compliant.
The Committee also wanted Transmedia to ensure that at every site, there are adequate security measures by September, 2022. This was communicated to Transmedia who have raised issues of limited budgetary space which is not robust enough to cover all the 48 sites. They have also cited viability challenges due to low tariffs they are charging to their service users. They are currently in the process of developing a security proposal which they have promised to fund the ministry with once this is done.
Hon. Speaker, the Committee also wanted the Ministry of Energy and Power Development to install solar power plants at all transmission sites as backup in case of power cut by December 2022. Through its own resources, Transmedia installed one pilot project in Kanyemba for a low power single gap filler transmitter. The cost of installing a fully fledged solar power system per site for all the service is close to half a million USD and Transmedia does not have such resources.
Transmedia however, adopted a multi-prolonged approach to address this concern through the following: -
- Engagement with UNSECO, Transmedia had meetings with UNESCO and it is committed to assist some of the community radio stations with solar plants to power studio equipment which did not consume a lot of electricity.
- Proposal on solar which was submitted at Dubai Expo – a proposal for funding from possible development partners; institution was submitted through the Zimbabwean Ambassador in the United Arab Emirates for potential investors in this area at the Dubai Expo. The submitted proposal intends to benefit from climate change mitigation grants. Once a window opens, the corporation will bid for the funds.
Proposal with a local company – the cooperation and the local company are exploring the possibility of sourcing funding from a financial institution and paying back the loan through the metering facility from ZESA. The corporation will feed excess power to the national greed and channel the earnings to pay back invested capital. The success of this model hinges on actual payments from ZESA to be in monetary terms as opposed to barter trade with electricity units. Talks are at an advanced stage and more information will be availed once the discussions are completed. I thank you.
ANNOUNCMENT BY THE HON. SPEAKER
APNODE WORKSHOP
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that there will be an APNODE workshop at Rainbow Towers Harare on the 23rd and 24th of July, 2022. All Chairpersons of Committees and five other Members of Parliament from each Portfolio Committee are invited to attend. The Workshop begins at 0800hrs in the morning on each of these two days and this workshop is to enhance Members of Parliament’s oversight role through monitoring and evaluation.
I want to mention also that the Office of the President and Cabinet will be in attendance so that they can advise, educate the Hon. Members on what Government policy is on monitoring and evaluation as part of the oversight exercise.
HON. T. MOYO: I want to seek clarification from the Hon. Minister. The first area that needs clarification is the issue of the so called brown envelops. May the Hon. Minister clarify the underlying causes of those brown envelops. One would say it is poor remuneration which influences the journalist to accept the so called brown envelops.
What measures have been put in place by the Ministry to deal decisively with that issue, especially the issue of giving them more money so that they do not ask for bribes?
Lastly, the transportation of journalists – we experience a number of difficulties when we want projects covered in the constituencies. They may have vehicles but they do not have fuel, so each time when we ask them to have coverage, they will tell you they do not have fuel. What is the Government going to do to alleviate the plight of the journalists?
HON. MUDARIKWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. It is now 42 years after independence and some industries like domestic workers now have their National Employment Council. At one time even Rank Marshals almost had a NEC but why is it that we do not have an NEC for the media industry? That is why our journalists are heavily underpaid and that is why most of our journalists obliviously move into the direction of corruption.
When you have no money, you easily get tempted so the bone of contention is the Ministry must make sure that there is an NEC for journalists. Journalists are the noise of the society, they did excellent work during the COVID-19 but they do not have an NEC. If other industries have NEC, why is it that journalists do not have an NEC?
The good thing is some of the Ministers were journalists but they are still neglecting other journalists. So it is a case that needs to be looked at even in our Portfolio Committee, we are still going to come back to you to make sure that there is an NEC for the media industry.
HON. BITI: I seek clarification from the esteemed Minister, Hon. K. Paradza why 42 years after independence, we still have one broadcasting house, the ZBC. It is an eyesore and wherever we go, we are asked that question. Why can we not have air waves being liberalised so that there are multiple entrants in broadcasting? Every other country in the region and I know Mr. Speaker, you were in the region thanking fellow parliamentarians for voting for Hon. Chief Charumbira. Countries like Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya and Botswana have multiple broadcasting houses. Surely, Zimbabwe deserves that.
Secondly, when you go to border towns like Dande and Chiredzi, people in Dande actually listen and watch television from Mozambique and as you go towards Kanyemba area, they listen from Zambia, the same applies to mobile networks. Why is it taking so long to ensure that there is infiltration of local broadcasting in those areas?
The migration from analogue to digital, it will take us 100 years to fully migrate from analogue to digital yet digital is also not just about broadcasting but also about education because there has now been convergence of technology and digital migration allows students, schools and universities to actually learn using digital migration. So I urge the Government and the Minister to put resources towards migration because migration converges a lot of interest including education and health.
Lastly, it is Section 60 and 61 of the Constitution. You see the same faces on ZBC at 8 o’clock every day. You see a man and his wife every day from 8 o’clock to 10 o’clock. There must be objectivity so that we see alternative voices, views and faces on ZBC. ZBC is funded by taxpayers and taxpayers deserve to see everyone whether you are red, green or yellow, the current situation of subjectivity and of closure of other voices is unconstitutional and unnecessary. I thank you and seek clarification from Hon. Paradza.
HON. T. MLISWA: My point of clarity is how far have you gone with dealing with the reforms in the media which are critical and have been quite topical in terms of the elections? There seems to be an imbalance in terms of reporting. It is pretty clear there must be two sides of the story and it will also be good from an ethical point of view while the controlled media supports the ruling party to also get the view from the opposition. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that but you cannot have the ruling party person speaking highly of it and also ask another one again from the ruling party. That is not two sides of the story. It is a very simple way of that becoming one-sided. I think it is important that the Ministry responds to that.
What happened to the Iran equipment in terms of Transmedia? Hon. Shamu went to Iran on a bilateral point of view yet Iran had donated some equipment to us. There has been silence on that and how then are we assured support from other nations when we have not even used what we had. It will have been good for that delegation to also report on the progress of the Transmedia to the Iranian Government. I do not know what report they gave when they were asked what happened to the equipment.
The funny one is that we have now reached a stage where polls are critical even for politicians. I do my own polling in my constituency to see whether people want me or not. Based on that poll, I go for an election. Have you done the poll amongst the viewers in terms of ZBC, how many are watching it and why they are or not watching it compared to DStv. From a business point of view, it actually helps you to see whether it is viable to run ZBC or not and to also incorporate other programmes which people like and all that.
The issue of our own culture, tradition, heritage and our own language, I remember one thing all the time when the former Minister of Information Prof. Moyo was at the helm, rambai makashinga. There is nothing that we can associate ourselves with today which is Zimbabwe, the local artisits. They must be able to make money from what they do on ZBC. How are you remunerating them, not for us to have Hon. Mavetera constantly doing a point of privilege to cite one who has died and thank the Government for an assisted funeral. What are you doing to empower them because they are doing something? Those are my points of clarity.
(v)HON. MUSHORIWA: Hon. Minister, you recall that the report that you are referring to where your Ministerial Statement is premised to come from. You have quite a number of indications where we wanted commitment from the Minister of Finance in terms of financing a number of issue but I do not seem to be getting a proper position from you Hon. Minister in terms of clear timelines or commitments that the Minister of Finance has made towards your Ministry in terms of making sure that there is progress at ZBC and all other sectors that you cover.
Secondly, I also want to ask pertaining to ZBC if you read the Auditor- General’s report, you get a picture that ZBC is technically insolvent. I understand that there is some process that is happening but I did not hear the commitment from Treasury in terms of taking over the debt that is hanging on ZBC.
Last one is to do with the possibility of the commercial side of ZBC. You are aware Hon. Minister that the advent of online has taken another avenue where advertisers are now shifting from broadcasting. What measures are there, if any, to increase revenue generation by ZBC through adverts because if you check the ZBC of yesterday and that of today, the adverts have actually drastically gone down.
(v)HON. MOKONE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Can I ask the Minister to provide us with timelines pertaining to the completion of the digitization programme because Zimbabwe is one of the few Southern African countries that has remained behind in as far as digitization is concerned. I thank you.
(v)HON. MOLOKELA-TSIYE: Thank you so much Mr. Speaker Sir. I just wanted to ask the Minister whether there has ever been any serious plan to change the funding model for the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation because there is no way in 2022 the fiscus can manage to sustain such a big institution like ZBC. I would want ZBC to be financed in a different model. There are other public broadcasters in the world where there is a double emphasis on getting revenue outside the State. ZBC cannot be expected to be fully funded by the State in 2022. So I would want the Minister to maybe even do some benchmarking visits and see where the other public broadcasters emphasise more on revenue through advertising and other ways of making money and also to cross over to other forms of broadcasting that are much more cheaper than the old system that they are using. So ZBC cannot be expected at this current state, especially with the economic challenges that we are facing to be funded by taxpayers with the prevailing high unemployment. So I want to encourage the Minister to really take a deep dive in terms of coming up with a sustainable funding model that is a hybrid between expecting funding from the State and also making sure that there is viability commercially. ZBC needs to stop depending entirely on government. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
(v)HON. HAMAUSWA: I would like to thank the Hon. Minister for his response to the report on the Committee on Media. My point of clarity is on digitization. The Minister spoke of S.I 26 of 2022 where he said that Government has banned the importation of televisions without devices that will enable digitization. My question is on the monitoring mechanism of that S.I 26. May the Minister highlight to the House how far they have gone in terms of monitoring that this S.I is being followed through? Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. MARKHAM: Good afternoon Hon. Speaker. I have two questions, the first one is, could the Minister clarify the agreement with ZINARA as to collecting fees given that ZINARA, one of the first PAC things showed that they were receiving a huge proportion of the collected funds. Could the Ministry just confirm how that agreement works? The second issue is: can the Minister also confirm that the budget as approved has been allocated to them both for last year and this year in its fullness as approved by Parliament? I thank you.
HON. MAVETERA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I have two points of clarity. The first one is on content creation, when it comes to media it is very expensive and I think this has limited us as a country in terms of how we are compared with other countries, especially in the Media fraternity. What mechanisms have you put in place to ensure that at least we establish certain studios that can be able to capacitate young people when it comes to being involved in media? The second issue is: I have seen that ZBC is on the DSTV platform but only for local consumption. What is the limitation there for us to be viewed by other countries?
*HON. TEKESHE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would like the Minister to clarify to me on the Constituency Development programme that comes out on ZBC television. I have noticed that only MPs from ZANU-PF feature on those programmes whilst those of us from the opposition cannot be featured; no matter how hard you try, despite it being a national television. Why are we not considered to be seen on this platform also showcasing our constituencies instead of just hearing individuals from one party from the time the programme started to date? I thank you.
HON. NYAMUDEZA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. When the Minister mentioned that ZBC was facing challenges in collecting revenue he mentioned that they were engaging ZESA to enforce payment of television licenses. Can the Minister please further clarify the arrangements? Also, we know that most of the MPs here and other people at home watch DSTV. If you do not pay DSTV you will be cut off. Can the Minister not also consider that as well? That could go a long way in reducing the costs of collecting. Thank you.
HON. I NYONI: My question to the Hon. Minister is that he mentioned the Buhera and Bikita transmitters. Before independence, during the liberation struggle, we used to have the Gwindingwi booster which would cover those areas Bocha, Buhera, Chiredzi and the whole of Chipinge. Freedom fighters could even listen to the radio in the mountains. What happened to that Gwindingwi booster?
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I would like to check with the Minister, we have heard about the expenditure towards the digitization and a lot of effort around that. I think there is no clarity on whether we have capacity or technical capacity to do it. Do we have capacity to run a digitization programme or somewhere in the whole structure of us reaching the digitization that we want to achieve? Why are we failing when we heard a long time ago that we are progressing well? Are we choosing the right partners towards digitization? Do we have people with the capacity or we need to be told the truth? I think funding from Government has been availed many times towards this project and we have not seen anything on the ground. Can we see something or tell us where you are failing and we then find a different root together?
(v)HON. SARUWAKA: Thank you Chair. I wanted to understand from the Minister, what the problem is with ZBC where even on DSTv, the ZBC channel is always displaying with showers compared to other channels? This has a big impact on our people’s desire - especially in Mutare, to pay for a substandard service.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF INFORMATION, PUBLICITY AND BROADCASTING SERVICES (HON. PARADZA): Thank you Mr. Speaker. Let me start with Hon. Moyo about brown envelops. This is now a cancer within the media industry. It is actually sometimes not them who are asking for the brown envelops. It is some of our people who have some ulterior motive, they give bribes to our journalists to write positive stories about them or to write something against their opponents. As a Ministry, we have engaged those media houses to please make sure that this does not happen. However, it is difficult to control something which is done between two people. It is corruption and must be condemned and we condemn that as a Ministry.
HON. T. MLISWA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker. I think Hon. Biti will agree with me. When we talk about these issues, there must be evidence. When you say people are corrupt, let us be clear. Let us not just say people are corrupt. The Minister must get them arrested. If he knows they are corrupt and they are not arrested, then he is also corrupt. He is adding to corruption. As Parliament, let us have the integrity to discuss issues with facts and evidence because we will not get the integrity and dignity that is expected of us. These are allegations and let them use the word allegation. Hon. Paradza is a seasoned journalist. The question will be, show us the evidence that they are corrupt. Allegations of corruption do make us more of a credible institution. I know he is a great editor but I thought I would edit his speech.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Mliswa. Hon. Minister, may you stand guided.
HON. PARADZA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you Hon. Mliswa for editing my script. My answer was based on the correspondence which we have received as a Ministry from some of the journalists themselves mentioning that so and so is getting brown envelops. It is not only journalists at the shop flow level or in newsrooms. They are saying even at editor levels, there are allegations that they are getting brown envelops. We have noticed that some of the people who are issuing brown envelops are receiving positive coverage. We are seized with the matter as Ministry and we are doing more investigations on that one.
The other issue is on the transportation of journalists when they have no fuel and cars. Yes, ZBC has no enough vehicles but they have tendered for about 30 or so vehicles which are coming on stream. Anytime as soon as they get this tender, they will be able to give all terrain vehicles to our bureau chiefs in the provinces.
Hon. Mudarikwa was talking about the lack of NEC. I agree with you. We do not have the National Employment Council for the media industry. This has been like that since independence. We have been clamouring for this. However, the problem we have in this country is the media is sort of disjointed. They wanted to do this and even during my time, we wanted to do it through the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists but you find that sometimes there were no takers. You need to have the employers, the employees and the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists to come together so that they form the NEC. We do not have a grouping NEC for the employers themselves. They are disjointed but I agree with you. This is one of the recommendations which we are going to deal with and see to it that it is implemented.
The media is vast. We have printers and those in the commercial sector and they belong to various employment councils. What we do not have is for the journalists. This is what we are going to cure when we bring the proposed Zimbabwe Media Practitioners Bill. At least they will have somewhere to start on. Hon. Mudarikwa, I am not neglecting my colleagues. It is just because of that aspect I have mentioned. Hon. Biti, why do we have only ZBC? No, we have reformed now. We have given licences to six competitors and two of those private owned national, commercial television stations are on air. We have 3K TV, ZTN News which is on air and we also have another from East Africa which is already on the market here. That is why we have these media reforms and they are working.
On top of the six national commercial radios and television stations, we also have given out licences to 14 community radio stations, 7 campus radio stations and these community radio stations are language based. In other words we have answered what the Constitution wants us to do to say there are 16 official languages and we have satisfied that through the issuance of community licences to our radio stations. If you have been watching television or listening to radio, we have launched more than five, the Ocean, Nyanga, and Chimanimani and very soon we are going to launch six more before the end of the year. We also have campus radio station which is Great Zimbabwe and is on air, other stations are also following.
After we have seen that all these are on air, we are going to give more licences and we are also going to give more community television licences. So, Zimbabwe is going to have a glut of all these as we go.
We need funding Hon. Speaker, in terms of the migration from analogue to digital. We have no choice as a country, we are signatory to the International Telecommunications Union and a decision was made way back in 2006, that the whole world must be digital by 2015. We asked for further two years up to 2017, so by 2017 all of us had this. Therefore, we have no choice as a signatory to ITU, we have to be digital whether we have the money or not.
The other option which collapsed was to sell one of the spectrums to Netone but Netone failed to raise the money so that it was going to cost about 200 million. So, we were going to use this money to fund the projects, so that is one of those issues that we are still on the table to sell a spectrum on that one. This is done by national governance because ZBC is a national broadcaster, so it has to get money from the fiscus and we are appealing to you Parliament to assist us get this funding so that we are done with this project.
Hon. Member, you quoted Section 61 of the Constitution about the varieties of news bulletin and so forth – it is not true to say that only two people monopolize the bulletin. The bulletin is one hour and on that hour we have a variety of news, some of it coming from the provinces and ordinary people. As long as you say something which is news worth, you are covered, if you say something which is possibly hurt speech, you will not expect coverage because we do not promote that. In most of the cases, we have had our journalist especially from the main stream media being chased away or beaten up by some of the political hooligans. So we cannot put our journalists’ lives in danger by assigning them to go where they are beaten up.
Generally, Hon. Speaker, the ZBC is there to cover all citizens…
HON. T. MLISWA: On a point of order! The Hon. Minister must not talk about violence when we have law enforcement agency that arrest. So, he must not say that they are being chased out, they are being kicked out. Equally some of the independent journalists are not allowed at the top there, it is the State owned media; no wonder why we are thankful for twitter and our videos we take here. Infact, we have a bigger following than ZBC anyway, so we do not really need them but we must be very clear in terms of who is beaten up, the independent media people are also not allowed to enter unless you are pro-government.
HON. PARADZA: The good thing is that we now have a variety of outlets. If you are not happy with ZBC there is 3KTV, ZTN and there are online publications that is print media, there is electronic media.
Hon. Mliswa, you want different views on ZBC, it is not only on ZBC, even in newspapers. No one is denied access to ZBC, as a journalist myself it is about the quality of the news, it is what we are calling newsworthy or not newsworthy that is the bottom line. So, if you are shouting and so forth, it is not news and you will not see yourself on television. Hon. Mliswa you have been covered very well in this House and everyone else. This is why we have taken a decision to say every Wednesday and every Thursday, we have a live coverage of this House so no one is complaining. So, come on Wednesday, say something which is newsworthy and you will be covered.
Hon. Mliswa also talked about the Iran deal - yes, there was that deal but because of technological advancement, the equipment now has become obsolete. So, we are now buying new equipment, refurbishing ZBC studios and right now it is being done through this digitalisation project. Not only that, by year end, ZBC will have partnered with another international outlet so that they have state of the art equipment which is coming on stream. This is also why we are asking Parliament to assist in making sure that the budget is released on time and also because we buy this equipment using foreign currency, we are appealing to you as parliamentarians to assist in that regard in telling the Hon. Minister to prioritise the disbursement of foreign currency to ZBC for them to acquire the state of the art equipment, especially now as we go towards 2023 general elections.
As you may be aware Hon. Speaker, that during elections, ZBC actually surrenders to ZEC and all political parties are given free time. Those who want to buy adverts are able to do that. If they do not have content, then it becomes a problem, not the problem of ZBC. They must have credible content so that they are able to be captured.
The other issue about the polls he was talking about, we have what we call ZAMPS in the country which is done every year and ZBC always comes tops. Even through television and radio houses, we now have a variety of national radio stations such as Radio Diamond, ZiFM, StarFM and so forth. These are also winning against ZBC but you must know that ZBC is always ahead of the peck because of the historical factors. ZBC was established way back in the 1930s and because of that, it takes advantage of that legacy issue. We now have a variety of stations and this is a fact. Right now, we have allowed Nyami-nyami FM which was small in Kariba but it now broadcasts across Mashonaland West.
Each province right now has coverage. We do not only have these transmitters but we also want to have a satellite which covers the whole of Zimbabwe so that the whole of Zimbabwe has a national content from within the country. This is why we have given the border lying areas licences to start broadcasting their community radio stations. I have been going around the country and they are setting up. Anytime before the 2023 elections, we will have all these radios in operation broadcasting.
In terms of content, we have engaged content creators including the likes of mai T.T, Madam Boss and others, even those who some people may think are not up to standard but we have engaged all of them here in Harare and Bulawayo. We need local content because our law says 75% should be local content. We need a lot of content creators and because it is going to be a multi-billion business, this is because of the outlets we now have and a variety of outlets will need local and quality content. On top of that, as a Ministry, we have said come to our production centre, we will give you the use of our studios to do your programmes.
Hon. Mushoriwa on commitment of Ministry of Finance, we have engaged them in terms of releasing the monies on time for the digitalisation programme but we are all aware that the country has a problem in terms of getting foreign currency but we are grateful that they have released US$2 million for us to buy Set–Top-boxes. We are going to purchase 100 000 Set-top-boxes boxes which we are going to give out, some for free in the rural lying areas and some will be charged at half price. We are going to launch this project with this. Already, we had 300 Set-top boxes in stock and we launched that in Mashonaland West and also we are also going to Binga. Most of the Chiefs in Binga are on the platform and can now watch ZBC in Binga for the first time in 42 years. We are on that one.
ZBC has legacy debts which it inherited from way back. These debts, we are dealing with. We are requesting the Ministry of Finance to say can they sort of warehouse this debt so that ZBC is on a clean slate but I can assure you that ZBC is now turning a corner. The board at ZBC has put in measures to make sure that ZBC becomes profitable. What they have done is that they have improved their online platforms –
(v)HON. MUSHORIWA: When we were asking questions, Hon. Members stood up to ask questions and the Hon. Minister should just respect Hon. Members by referring to Hon. Members’ questions, question by question rather than just doing the way he is doing. He is a seasoned Member of Parliament and he knows the drill to answer questions individually.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: But he was doing exactly that. I heard him he was referring to Hon. Members.
HON. PARADZA: I mentioned Hon. Mushoriwa. You wanted Government to takeover ZBC debt and that is what I am talking about.
We have been given US$2 million for us to purchase Set-top boxes. The tender is already out and adjudication is in process right now so that we acquire these Set-top boxes so that we launch it at a national scale.
Apart from online channels, ZBC has launched Jive TV and very soon they will launch a historical and 24- hour news channels. All these are revenue streams. These advertisers are going to make use of all these channels so that ZBC is sustainable. I am just mentioning some of the major issues but most of public broadcasters are supported through licence fees. ZBC right now is talking to ZINARA to say can you collect this on our behalf and ZESA to say when one buys a token they must take a fraction of that and send to ZBC as licence fees. These are some of the areas that are being explored and we will be telling Parliament as we go.
Then Hon. Mokone wanted timelines on the allocation but we cannot give timelines because we do not control the finances. These are controlled by the Minister of Finance who has other important issues to deal with. We are just in the queue but we are happy that for now we have been allocated the $2 million I am talking about but more than $1 billion has been allocated to the BAZ to ensure that we continue with the digitalization project. Hon. Molekela, I think I have answered on the funding models for the national broadcaster. I have talked about licencing, advertising and other online platforms. BBC is sustained through licencing. The problem we have in Zimbabwe is that our people do not want to pay for licences and the revenue streams to ZBC become so little because of that. Therefore, we must encourage our people to pay for licences. It is important to give Caesar what belongs to Caesar.
Hon. Hamauswa, asked how we will monitor compliance in terms of the S.I that I have talked about that. We have approached ZIMRA and all the outlets that sell electric gadgets to now import televisions that are digital compliant because we no longer accept any type of television coming into this country. That is being enforced by ZIMRA at our ports of entry. Hon. Markham, as I have said, ZBC has a gentleman’s agreement with ZINARA but we are going to put in place a S.I. to make sure that ZINARA is forced to demand payment for television and radio licences to every motorist renewing their licences. Hon. Mavetera, my response is that whoever wants to use our studios and not only that, we have a film school as well which they can make use of, or they can make use of ZBC studios. They are free to do that but obviously for a fee because ZBC needs to make money.
We need local content Hon. Speaker so that we satisfy the local market. Right now we have international content from outside Zimbabwe flooding our screens because we do not have quality content. As a Ministry, we are however pushing to ensure that we have quality content for this. As I said, this is a multi-billion dollar industry and we need precisely that. Hon Tekeshe, you said there are only ZANU-PF MPs being featured on constituency talk on ZBC. The issue here is that this constituency talk is not a ZBC programme but a private programme from independent producers. So they use ZBC as a platform for their programme and I understand those MPs featuring on that programme pay. So you can also engage them, pay and you will be featured on ZBC. Hon. Nyoni, I think I have clarified your question on ZESA when buying ZESA tokens and like I said, we are still in discussion to fine tune the agreement. Then on cutting off those who are not paying licences, the national broadcaster is a free to air institution. It is not a cable television like DSTV and that is why we need these set-top boxes so that you can see good quality pictures and audios. That is why we are now moving from analogue to digital to cure this. Then the question on the Gwindingwi booster is because of the obsolete equipment. This is one of the transmitters that are still outstanding so that we can have it digital compliant.
Hon. Togarepi wanted to know where we are failing and the answer is on the timely disbursement of funds from Treasury and not personnel. We have qualified engineers who have been running with this project from 2017 to date. Eighteen of these transmitters have been equipped with new technology by our own engineers. What we need is to pay suppliers of this new technology so that we are in compliance with the international best practice. We have standards as SADC, which are in conformity with the European standards. As SADC we have agreed that each country must make sure that it does not broadcast extra territorial and we have allowed a 30km to 60km radius. However, within the SADC we are the only country that is behind and to be precise we are actually five years behind. Now, the danger is that by the time we finish these others the first eighteen may have gone obsolete because of the changes in technology. So we need to finish all of them so that they are operational possibly in the next one or two years. Otherwise we will have to redo it again and that is the danger that we face. Thank you Mr. Speaker and honourables. I think I have done justice to that.
Hon. Saruwaka was talking about poor signals. It is because we are still running on analogue. In those areas where we have transmitters that are digital compliant we have given them. If they are on DSTV platform, they can have ZBC there. Hon. Mavetera has also said why is it you cannot tune in to ZBC when you are outside Zimbabwe. The agreement with Multichoice is they are hosting ZBC for free because it is the national broadcaster. This is why those with DSTV Multichoice dishes are able to have ZBC signal for free even if they are cut off. This is because of the agreement we have had with Multichoice. We have said one of the requirements for you to operate in Zimbabwe is that you must host the national broadcaster. In areas where you do not have DSTV, you now need to have set-top boxes so that you will be able to have quality high definition pictures. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I think I have done justice to the questions.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: On transportation of journalists, the Hon. Member asked about the fuel. I think we have understood you more that very soon you will be getting vehicles that are capable of traversing all the terrain in Zimbabwe but there was not much about the fuel component. According to the Hon. Member who asked, he said that at the moment the cars are there but what is lacking is financing in terms of fuel. What is it that you would want to say to make your Hon. Members happy?
HON. PARADZA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. On the issue of fuel, especially ZBC bureau chiefs and the correspondence that are dotted around the country are given an allocation for example, 500 or 600 litres per week or per month or per two weeks; but because of the terrain, because of the distances they cover, sometimes the fuel runs out before they are given another allocation. This is why they say sometimes to our Hon. MPs, yes I want to come and cover you but I do not have fuel. I am waiting for fuel because my allocation has run out. I am appealing to Hon. Members to, if they have fuel, give them the fuel so that your areas or activities are covered. We need coverage especially from the rural areas. We need stories from the rural. We need MPs to be visible and we need MPs to be active in their constituencies. So please, they can assist in that regard, in providing fuel; not only fuel. There is no harm in even buying them lunch as well because we are trying to manage a situation here Mr. Speaker. I thank you.
(v)HON. NDEBELE: On a point of order Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to point out that it is not up to the Minister to tell us that he has done justice to the questions that have been raised. That is solely your duty and that of the questioners. For instance, I am not happy because he did not speak very well to the question of low morale amongst journalists at ZBC and the poor salaries. The fact that he now says we must buy them lunch shows he does not have the energy to boost their salaries at all. A good journalist must be able to make for his own lunch because you will remember the Commission last time raised issues of the brown envelop. This is where it begins. The Minister should just boost morale especially amongst senior journalists at ZBC and salaries as well.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you very much Hon. Ndebele. Your points have been noted.
HON. PARADZA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I would like to inform Hon. Ndebele that the ZBC board is reviewing the salaries and they are changing them from one platform to the other. Their salaries are now competitive. By the way, they have to pay because if they do not pay, they are going to lose staff to the new players. They were doing the review last week and that is why you saw the Chairman at a Press Conference over the weekend saying they are now going to pay even pensions for the former and current workers who are over the pensionable age. They are doing everything and ZBC is now able to do this on its own. They have never done this in the past and they are doing that. I mentioned about buying lunch and it was just in passing. It is not policy. Thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: May the owner of the following vehicle Ranger AEB4790 Silver go and remove the car. It is blocking others vehicles.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: Mr. Speaker Sir, 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. TEKESHE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
SECOND REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ON THE BENCHMARKING VISIT TO KENYA, ZAMBIA AND GHANA ON EDUCATION FINANCING
HON. T. MOYO: I move the motion standing in my name that this House takes note of the Second Report of the Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education on the Benchmarking visit to Kenya, Zambia and Ghana on education financing.
HON. TEKESHE: I second.
HON. T. MOYO: INTRODUCTION
- The 2013 Constitution has been regarded as progressive particularly Section 75 (1) which states that “every citizen and permanent resident of Zimbabwe has a right to – (a) a basic State-funded education, including adult basic education; and (b) further education, which the State, through reasonable legislative and other measures, must make progressively and accessible”.
- This position is cemented by the Education Amendment Act of 2020, which emphasize the responsibility of the State in providing free basic education. The National Development Strategy (NDS1) looks at broadening access and participation to quality, equitable and inclusive education.
- In line with the Constitution’s thrust for a basic state funded education, the Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education resolved to conduct benchmarking visits, which were sponsored by UNICEF and Parliament.
- The Committee visited Zambia, Kenya and Ghana. The Zambia and Kenya benchmarking visits were undertaken in October 2019 by the Committee in two legs, (i) Parliament of Zambia from 13 to 18 October 2019 and (ii) Parliament of Kenya from 20th to 25th October 2019. The visit to Ghana was conducted from the 21st - 28th November 2021.
The delegations comprised of the following Honourable Members and staff from the Committee, namely;
- ZAMBIA: Hon. P. Misihairambwi-Mushonga (Chair of the Committee); Hon. Matsikenyere N; Hon. Shirichena E; Hon. Mutambisi C; Hon. Murambiwa O; Hon. Sithole J; Mrs. E. Hove (Assistant Counsel to Parliament) and Mr. A.M Kunzwa (Committee Clerk and Secretary to the Delegation).
- KENYA: P. Misihairambwi-Mushonga, Hon. J. Madhuku; Hon. M. Mkandla; Hon. C. Maronge; Hon. G. Chanda; Hon. M. Nkomo; Mrs. E. Hove (Assistant Counsel to Parliament) and Mrs P. S. Mtetwa (Committee Researcher and Secretary to the Delegation).
- GHANA: Moyo Torerayi, (Head of Delegation and Committee Chairperson), Hon. Sanyatwe, Hon. Mathe, Hon. Musiyiwa, Hon. Nyabote, Hon. Dzepasi and Mr. Chiremba (Committee Clerk and Secretary to the Delegation).
The Delegation was also accompanied by other officials as follows; Mr. Mafowera B, Ms B. Wenjere from Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education; Mrs T. Mukurazhizha from Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and Mr. B. Raisi; Mr. T. Chinembiri and Mr. M. Rafomoyo from UNICEF.
- To meet with the respective Parliamentary Committees and exchange ideas on how the Committees operate and relate with the Executive in terms of performing their mandates looking particularly at Education Financing.
- To meet with the Ministry responsible for Primary and Secondary Education to explain the policy issues guiding the educational system in the country, in particular, Education Financing and Inclusive Education and the legislative mechanisms that enable the systems.
- To offer policy recommendations for improvements to our own model of education financing.
CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND
ZAMBIA
- Free basic education was introduced through a policy statement being made in the National Assembly by the Minister of Education. To date it has no legislative backing.
- When the free basic education system began in Zambia it was supported by donors who have now completely pulled out leaving the Government of Zambia in a quandary.
In an effort to reduce the burden on the fiscus, the Government of Zambia has introduced School Feeding Programs which have seen numerous schools engaging in horticulture to feed students and mitigate running costs.
KENYA
- Free basic primary education was introduced in 2003 as part of the fulfilment of a campaign pledge made by the President and in 2008, free education was extended to secondary schools.
- This was later cemented by a new constitution which was adopted in 2010, which mandated the Government to ensure free access to education and training in line with the need to fulfil international and constitutional demands on the right to basic education.
- Education financing occurs at two levels in Kenya, that is, national level and county level. The National level focuses on primary and secondary education financing while at county levels focus is at early childhood education financing.
GHANA
- The element of free basic education existed in the Education Act of 1961 and was partially being implemented in the Northern region leaving the Southern part disadvantaged.
- More effort was put under the Free and Compulsory Universal Basic Education Programme introduced in 1995, promising a universal education by 2005.
(v)HON. NDEBELE: Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of respect for Hon. Moyo as a Chairman but I really do not envy him because parts of his report as he indicated is four years old and I am sure they have lost currency. Things have changed, for instance in Zambia where Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga went on that visit. I therefore suggest that in our Standing Rules, we must put a cap on how long these reports must take to get to Parliament. Certainly, we cannot sit and listen to a four-year old report in certain parts. It has lost its currency.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Ndebele but I tend to think that the years that are in the report are the years for the introduction of free education. The visits that the Hon. Chair is saying were done; I think that was last year and maybe this year as well. Is that not it Hon. Moyo.
HON. T. MOYO: Yes, last year.
(v)HON. NDEBELE: And 2019 as well if I heard him well. He said some of the visits were undertaken under the leadership of Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga. That is what I got and that should be on record.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: On that basis your point of order has been noted.
HON. T. MOYO: I must say the visit to Ghana was conducted last year in November and the other visits were done in 2019 and what is obtaining in Kenya for example is exactly what was observed in 2019. As far as Zambia, there have been some minor changes but basically what is happening is there – [(v)HON. NDEBELE: He is defying what I said, 12 months is so many months too late. He is a renowned educationist and must understand that reports must be given within a reasonable space of time -] –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Ndebele. I think I answered you saying that your point of order has been noted meaning that it is respected. He is only trying to clarify – [(v)HON. NDEBELE: No, he went on to rubbish it. He must not add a ruling above yours.] – Thank you.
HON. T. MOYO: I was on Ghana.
- The programme got its momentum under President Akufo-Addo with a declaration for the full implementation of free basic education, no tuition, admission, library, science centre or computer lab, examination, utility, text books fees including and a meal at school for free.
Legislative Framework in Zambia, Kenya and Ghana
- In Zambia, the government has ensured access to education was a reality to its people through an extensive legislative framework.
- Thus, Section 14(1) of the Education Act (2011) provides that every person has a right to (a) early childhood care, development and education; (b) basic education, including adult literacy education; and (c) high school education. Section 15 plainly states that a child has the right to free basic education which is compulsory since its Government financed and at no cost to the parents.
- Since Independence in 1964 three major education policy documents have been developed that is ‘Educational Reform’ (1977), which highlighted education as an instrument for personal and national development; ‘Focus on Learning’ (1992) which emphasised the need for the mobilisation of resources for the development of schools; and ‘Educating Our Future’ (1996) which stresses the importance of education for all children in primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions.
- Education F Zambia provides free primary education from grades 1-7 financed through grants to schools on a monthly basis.
- Initially provision was done in partnership with a development partner to ensure a sustainable take off and who later pulled out.
- Currently the grants to schools were not enough since the pulling out of the private partner. However, for pupils from grade 1-7 no money is requested from parents. For Grade 8-12, the government also gives grants but since it’s not enough schools are allowed to ask parents to pay government controlled and determined amounts.
- For day schools, parents pay K150 and K1000 for boarding school. Production units have been established in boarding schools to complement grants from the Government.
- Funds are disbursed to district offices but currently working on a system that enables
funds to be transferred direct to each school.
- Government does not provide uniforms and they are not compulsory.
Education Financing: GHANA
- Free basic education is provided from elementary education up to university level.
- It also covers agricultural, vocational and technical institutions. It was stressed that 98% of education financing was from the Government whilst the donor community was providing only 2% earmarked for technical assistance only.
- The education sector draws 6% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 20% of the total budget. Since the introduction of free education, there has been a sharp increase in school enrolment, high school improved from 800 000 pupils to more than 1.2 million learners, which has put a strain on schools’ infrastructure.
- Free basic education covers materials such as textbooks, uniforms, meals, tuition, admission, library, science centre or computer lab, examination, utility, text books fees and a meal at school for free.
- Funds are disbursed directly to the schools on a monthly basis. Sources of funding include; the Consolidated Revenue Fund, social impact mitigation services, statutory funds particularly the Ghana Education Trust Fund, District House of Assembly funds and taxes from the recently discovered petroleum.
- Allocations to schools depend on the school enrolment (per capita grant) and private schools are not included.
School Feeding Programme
- In Kenya, the school feeding programme is not part of basic education since the Government believes that parents have a role to play in the education of their children. The Government only concentrates on the feeding scheme in arid, semi-arid areas and the nomadic tribes where it is known that there is always hunger due to poor climatic conditions. Therefore, the school feeding programme in Kenya is not universal but targeted at specific areas where there is need for the services. Parents play a pivotal role in this model.
- In Zambia, the School Feeding Programme is in place and government provides maize meal and beans.
- In Ghana, the School Feeding Programme is part and parcel of the free basic education provisions, with the government providing one meal per day. The Ministry of Education also employs workers responsible for preparing the food. The programme is implemented throughout the country. It is hailed as a very successful programme, contributing to an increase in school enrolment, particularly in disadvantaged areas.
Quality of Education
- When free basic education was introduced in both Kenya and Zambia, it led to the deterioration of the standards in the education sector. School enrolment increased beyond the available resources, leading to overcrowding in most public schools. The increase in enrolment did not tally with school infrastructure, teachers, teaching and learning materials. There was so much pressure on the few resources hence compromising the quality of education. This in turn led to the sprouting of private schools, which are cheap and do not meet the required standards.
- In Zambia the Industrial Relations Act provides for collective bargaining for educators as well and the union with the highest membership leads the bargaining Civil society organizations also compliment the Ministry of General Education in remote areas by providing teachers through the Zambia Open Schools initiative. They also identify policy gaps and engage government to ensure quality education. They also provide salaries for volunteer community school teachers which are provided by Government.
Re-entry Policy
- All countries (Kenya, Ghana and Zambia) have established re-entry policy. The re-entry policy in both countries has shown an increased in number of girls in schools. The policy allows for girls to return to school after delivery of their babies. In Zambia, the policy is clear as the girls are allowed to take six months leave together with the boyfriend and return after post-natal care. The policy also discourages boys from mischief as they are also requested to take leave with their girlfriends and only allowed back together.
PROVISION OF SANITARY WEAR
- Kenya has a specific budget for the girl child, which aims at meeting the welfare needs of the girl child. For example, provision of sanitary wear to all school going girls as measures to cushion them and ensure that no girl child misses school due to menstruation. In Ghana, sanitary wear is placed at a secure place accessible to girls. Zambia, there is a bill currently before Parliament to ensure provision of free sanitary wear in schools. Government had set aside K40million for provision of sanitary wear.
Constituency Development Fund (CDF)
- In Kenya, the delegation established that the CDF plays a pivotal role in education development. The Members of Parliament are encouraged to commit a certain percentage of their funds towards the education sector, for bursaries for the disadvantaged children at the constituency level and school infrastructure This ensures that more schools are constructed from the various levels of Government, i.e. at national, county and sub-county.
Teaching and Learning Material
- In Ghana, the Government provides all teaching and learning materials for free, such as textbooks, laptops, braille for the blind among others. Furthermore, the government providing non-learning materials such a school uniforms, socks and shoes.
In Kenya the government provides teaching and learning materials. The government has benefited from economies of scale through central procurement of books for all schools and the supplier only distributes to the schools
SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE
- Kenya has a total of about 10 167 schools comprising of 9 050 primary and 1 117 secondary. Given the huge gap between primary schools and secondary schools, transition rate from primary to secondary stands at 50%. Enrolment at primary schools is estimated at 2.8 million and 1.6 million at secondary schools and they have around 110 000 teachers. There is a huge infrastructure deficit and most of children are being forced out of schools once they finish primary school and for those who proceed to secondary level, the completion rate is low, currently at 36%, whilst completion rate at primary school is 77%. Access to teaching and learning materials is low and enrolment at secondary schools is massive with hot sitting to accommodate up to 9 streams per grade.
- Zambia has a total of 31 000 schools comprising of 23 000 primary and 8 800 Enrolment at primary schools is estimated at 10.3 million and 2.7 million at secondary schools and there are more than 350 000 teachers. The country has a policy that all children progress to the next level despite their grades. The country introduced free primary education in 2003 and in 2008 free education was extended to secondary schools.
- In Ghana, the prerogative for schools’ infrastructure falls within the ambit of a parastatal called Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund). The Fund is established through an Act of Parliament (GETFund ACT) of 2000 with clear composition, functions and responsibilities. The GETFund had changed the face of education in Ghana, with an increase in schools infrastructure and enrolment from junior to tertiary education. Much of the money is spent on infrastructural development, research and development, scholarship, faculty development among others. Some of the challenges the Fund faces include Ministerial directive whereby the funds are used for other purposes rather than infrastructure development. In addition, disbursement of funds is erratic dispite that the law recommending for a monthly disbursement.
Role of Parliament
- The delegation met with its counterpart Committees in both Kenya and Zambia to discuss ways to enhance their role as oversight committees particularly with regards to education financing. In their discussions they also spoke about setting up peer review mechanisms.
- In Kenya, there were two parliamentary committees divided in accordance with the bicameral nature of her Parliament. There is the Departmental Committee on Education at a National Level and another in the Senate focusing on the county governments. The delegation established that the Departmental Committee on Education, Research and Technology Education in Kenya plays a pivotal role in providing the checks and balances on the work of the Executive. The mandate of the Committee mainly focuses on Education, Research and Training. The Committee has the power to change the budget of the ministry in relation to its findings and recommendations after undertaking budget consultations. The DC at the Senate level focuses on devolved matters at the county level, and in particular, early childhood development and polytechnic colleges.
- The delegation discovered that Departmental Committees of the Parliament of Kenya are adequately capacitated serviced by at most 7 members of staff; namely, Committee Clerk, Assistant Committee Clerk, Fiscal Analyst, Researcher, Legal Counsel, Sergeant-At-Arms and Media Relations Officer. The Committee has a Committee Chair and vice chair. It was established that the Committee system provides mechanisms for enabling public engagement and legitimisation of the operations of Parliament.
- Zambia has a unicameral system with the Committee on Education, Science and Technology established in terms of Standing Order 157(1) playing an oversight role over the Ministry of Higher Education and the Ministry of General Education. At the beginning of Parliament each Committee selects its own Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson who should be of opposite sex and the meeting is presided over by the First or Second Honourable Deputy Speaker. Parliament of Zambia in 2016 put in place, the Higher Education Loans and Scholarship Act No. 13. The Act established the Higher Education Loans and Scholarship Board and Fund. The shift from grants to loans was aimed to achieve sustainability and ensure that future generations benefit.
- In Ghana, the Committee met the counterpart Education Committee which highlighted that in Ghana the Select Committee on Education oversees the Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Education covers elementary to tertiary education. In addition, the Ministry of Education provides oversight to a total of 19 institutions or parastatals. The Select Committee comprised of 20 Members equally divided among the ruling and opposition parties, headed by a Chairperson and deputised by the Vice Chairperson. The Committee is responsible for consideration of bills and international agreements, exercising oversight and legislative roles. In addition, the Committee is responsible for consideration of petitions and budgetary allocations to the Ministry of Education and other institutions falling within the ambit of the Ministry.
Committee Findings
- Basic Education was introduced in all countries (Kenya, Zambia and Ghana) without adequate planning and is now posing a financial burden on the fiscus.
- That basic education is applied from early childhood to secondary level, whereby government pays for tuition, teaching and learning material for all day scholars. Any child that is enrolled at a boarding school, the parents meet all the requirements.
- There were various models to consider for education financing and the delegation must weigh all the options and settle for the best suitable model to avoid falling into the same trap as is happening in Kenya and Zambia.
- That the Parliamentary Committees on Education should consider establishing a Peer Review Mechanism to enhance monitoring and evaluation of government policies in the education sector.
- On average a teacher earns about 500USD equivalent.
- That accountability of public funds is enhanced through publicising through the local school notice boards how funds received are utilized. At the community level, all parents, guardians and stakeholders are able to appreciate the transparency and accountability exhibited by school authorities in Kenya.
- The Government has been undertaking public awareness campaigns aimed at educating the parents on their role in educating their children and that should not be the responsibility of government alone. Thus, the Harambe concept was developed in Kenya, whereby parents contribute funds toward school infrastructure at community level.
- That Kenya achieved the status of an upper middle income status hence has been weaned off from donor dependence. Currently, Kenya meets 95% of its budget while the 5% is from donors and in Ghana, 98% of the education funds is from the Government.
- That the Government is close to achieving 100% transition from primary to secondary school through the introduction of the Education Transitional Grant, which is allocated to schools for infrastructure development in Kenya.
- In Ghana, there are a number of parastatals that are legally established through an Act of Parliament to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in provision of education services for example the Ghana Education Trust Fund for construction of schools.
- The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education should enact an Education Financing Bill and policy framework to realize section 75 of the Constitution, by end of December 2022.
- The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education should reconsider structural reforms aimed at decentralizing services, such as establishment of a stand-alone department meant for schools construction, by December 2022.
- The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education should expedite the establishment of a Teachers Professional Council, by end of December 2022.
- The Ministry of Finance should identify sources of financing education such as 0.5% of the Value Added Tax (VAT), a percentage from fuel among others and these should be ring-fenced for financing education, by end of December 2022.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education should consider extending the school feeding programme to secondary schools to encourage schools turnout, by December 2022mmittee Recommendations
Conclusion
- In conclusion, the benchmark visit to Kenya, Zambia and Ghana exposed the Committee to the various methods being implemented to realize free basic education.
- Whilst all the three countries have adopted the free basic education, in Zambia the programme commenced with the support of development partners and their withdrawal have raised sustainability issues.
- In Kenya, education financing remains a big challenge.
- Ghana has a far much better experience, not only is the free basic education concept provided for in their Constitution, the Government has enacted the education financing models with clear sources of funds. In addition, the Ghana model is decentralised with a number of Parastals created to assist the sister Ministry as well ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in delivering education services.
- Zimbabwe can learn a lot particularly enacting an education financing Bill to ensure that we realise section 75 of the Constitution. I thank you.
(v) HON. JOSIAH SITHOLE: Thank you Madam Speaker Maam. I would like to add my voice to this report on the benchmarking visit to Kenya, Zambia and Uganda by Hon. Moyo which is a very important report.
I would like to say as Zimbabwe, we have started on the right path towards coming up with free based education using the current BEAM model whereby we are having, with this year for example, 1,5 million learners who are going to school through BEAM.
We are quite excited because our listening President has gone to the extent of trying to make sure that our children are going to be in school and not even one of them will be left behind. We want to applaud His Excellency, the President even for announcing that by 2023, we might be having free basic education for primary school learners.
We learnt a good lesson from Zambia that we should not rely on the donor funding but we are supposed to adopt what the President has always said that nyika inovakwa nevene vayo. As Zimbabweans, we need to make sure we do things on our own because the Zambians are an example, they have shown us that the withdrawal of donors left the education system in a very bad state. When we visited some of their schools, we discovered that there is a lot that has gone down in those schools.
Madam Speaker Maam, my contribution is that Zimbabwe needs to take it up and if any assistance comes from partners, it should not be wholesale but the major part of it, let it come from Zimbabwe itself.
We have seen that as we engage all children and as we say no one must be left behind, we have got some challenges at the moment especially if we look at our BEAM project where we are facing late releases of funding. If we are to make sure that we have this free basic education, then there must be early disbursement of funding so that we are not going to have our education system collapsing.
We have also noted that while we have talked about the inclusive education project, it is taking a very slow pace and we have noticed that very little has been done even the policy itself has not yet come up yet. If we are to have free basic education, it must be a system that involves everyone, those who are disabled, the slow learners and so on. We have to make sure that they are taken on board and the policies thereof should be implemented.
Madam Speaker Maam, in terms of the feeding scheme, it is a very important area where we find our children being given food at school then they are going to attend usually in their good numbers to push their performance and some of our children will be coming from homes where there is inadequate food. I think it is there in the current Education Amendment Act of 2020 that feeding should be provided in our schools. If that is done, we are trying to promote attendance by all our children.
However, it is also very important that if we give food and provide proper things; everyone must be involved in terms of the parents and even our teachers have to be involved in terms of ensuring that children attend school. Currently, it has been observed that a number of children whose funding is done by partners like World Vision or Save the Children, these actually come up with funding for the children but such children usually drop out of school even if there is funding. So, everyone has to be involved in terms of trying to make sure that those who receive the funding are going to get into school.
The re-entry issue is still one issue that must be looked at very seriously as we have already seen in our country when we had COVID- 19. There were a lot of drop outs, especially among the girls due to pregnancies and early marriages. If you go to schools, you find a number of those girls did not even come back to school. Therefore, it implies we have to educate our communities and even our teachers, and the entire system will have a duty to make sure that those who are going to drop out due to pregnancies are going to come into an environment that will be conducive for them to continue learning. I thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. T. MOYO: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. TEKESHE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 20th July, 2022.
On the motion of HON. T. MOYO, seconded by HON. TEKESHE, the House adjourned at Eighteen Minutes past Five o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 19th July, 2022
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE
DEATH OF HON. SEN. WATSON KHUPE
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: It is with profound sorrow that I have to inform the Senate of the death of Hon. Sen. Watson Khupe, Senator representing persons living with disability on Saturday, 16th July, 2022. I therefore invite Hon. Senators to rise and observe a minute of silence in respect of the late Hon. Senator.
Hon. Senators stood in silence.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Thank you Mr. President Sir. I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 and 2 on today’s Order Paper be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. S. MPOFU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PROVISION OF FUNDS FOR COMPLETION OF DAM CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
HON. SEN. MABIKA: Thank you Mr. President. I move the motion standing in my name that;
NOTING with admiration that dams are an essential component/driver for economic development;
APPLAUDING the Government for the momentum gained towards changing people’s economic status, through the provision of opportunities in farming and increased access to potable water by encouraging construction of water bodies;
CONCERNED at the low pace in completion of national dams which have the potential to transform people’s livelihoods countrywide;
FURTHER CONCERNED that some incomplete dams may end up as white elephants, thereby disadvantaging some communities in terms of economic empowerment;
NOW, THEREFORE, calls upon the Government to provide adequate funds for the completion of all outstanding dam construction projects countrywide, among them, Mirror Dam in Chipinge.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: I second.
HON. SEN. MABIKA: I would like to thank you Mr. President for allowing me to present my motion. Indeed, Zimbabwe is known to be the highest dammed country in Africa. Dams deliver multiple benefits to the country and to communities as per, but not limited to the list below:
- A storage of the precious resource;
- Irrigation projects;
- Fresh water supply for domestic use;
- Water supply for industrial use;
- Cheap protein supply from fish and other aqua dishes for improved diet in the country and the communities;
- Potential for tourism;
- Potential for small hydropower generation;
- Ecological benefits for sustaining vegetation and watering animals.
State of the Global Economy
It is now common knowledge that the global economy is on fire as a result of the Russia – Ukraine war which has caused cost-push inflation and supply chain disruptions, especially on food items such as wheat and cooking oil. In addition, the sanctions put on Russia over oil supplies have caused an increase in energy costs at a global scale. As a result, global inflation is growing unabated in response to the demand and supply imbalances.
In response to global inflation and all its related problems, a majority of the countries in the world are following in the footsteps of USA by also increasing interest rates. This makes the cost of money very high. Therefore, global economic growth is going to be slowed down to the extent that a recession is anticipated shortly. Zimbabwe is not spared from all these problems, as part of the global village.
Stagflation
What is most frightening is the prospect of inevitable stagflation. Stagflation is an economic condition where inflation keeps rising while economic growth is going down. This is most visible in labour situations, where workers demand a salary increase at the first instance of inflation. After that, the employers will increase product prices to absorb the increase in labour costs. This in turn, increases inflation and the workers come back for more salary increase. The situation ends up as a wage-inflation spiral where wages and inflation end up chasing each other in an alternating fashion. Meanwhile, governments increase interest rates to dampen inflation, thus slowing down the economy. This combination causes an endless downward spiral of the economy. This is now evident in all countries in the world, Zimbabwe included.
The most visible sign of the fatigue in trying to control stagflation is the resistance by corporates and governments to salary increases. Then social unrest kicks in as the workers get very unhappy in large numbers across all industries. Demonstrations and riots become the order of society. We are witnessing that every day all over the world these days. That is where we are with the global economy.
Generic Remedy
The best way to absorb such shocks as we are experiencing is to have full control of the supply chains of essential goods required by a country. Self sufficiency at both country and local community level is the key to achieving self managed supply chains. This is fundamental. We can see the whole world burning of the interdependence that was developed through globalisation. Now, a war between countries, Russia and Ukraine has brought the whole world to its knees regarding food and energy supplies. Entire sets of global macroeconomic parameters are now upside down.
Food, as one of the most basic requirements of any nation, must be produced in more than sufficient quantities. This fundamentally basic essential requires water, seeds and fertiliser as a minimum. Water is the building block, hence the importance of dams which will also act as a buffer in times of drought.
State of Dams in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe boasts of being one of the highest dammed countries in Africa. Our food production capacity at national level is set to exceed that of any African country in the short to medium term, pending the completion of irrigation and other related agricultural programmes. Commercial scale agriculture is set to benefit from this.
However, with the pace at which global food shortages are set to occur, we need to have all our communities enabled for the future as soon as possible. Every region in the country needs to be self sufficient without entirely depending on other regions for food supply. Therefore, each and every pending project requires to be capitalised and the projects implemented as soon as the country is equally empowered in this regard.
Further to that, water systems for several towns and cities were designed pre-independence, and the dams which were built back then now run away short of current demand. Harare and Bulawayo being the largest cities are both in trouble regarding primary supply of fresh water reservoirs.
It is understood that Kunzvi Dam will be able to take care of the requirements of Harare when complete. For several decades, there has been talk of the dam in the planning stages but is still not in place to this day. We believe that some action has begun to take place, but the important and most critical request is speed. It is moving slowly in relation to the increasing rate of the demand for the resource.
For Bulawayo, the Gwayi-Shangani Dam project with its pipeline is believed to be the starting point of the solution for water supply for the city and some irrigation projects along the way. Other projects in the line-up include Vungu Dam in Midlands, Ziminya Dam in Matebeleland North, Bindura Dam in Mashonaland Central, Dande Dam in Mashonaland Central, Chivhu Dam in Mashonaland East and Thuli-Manyange Dam in Matebeleland South.
In Chipinge, there is a fully planned dam called Mirror Dam whose purpose includes water supply to Chipinge and irrigation of surrounding farms and community plus a mini-hydro power station to supply electricity. Chipinge is a fast growing town whose population has more than trebled in the past 15 years and still going. The dam which was earmarked for providing fresh water to the people of Chipinge can hardly cope with 25% of the population in that town. Chipinge, being an agricultural Region 1 area, has got many farms ranging from coffee, tea, macadamia, maize, ground nuts, madhumbe, sweet potatoes, bananas, pine nuts, avocado et cetera. As expressed in the background, food is a basic necessity for all our communities and the nation at large. The potential of the contribution of Mirror Dam cannot be over emphasised, besides uplifting the livelihood of the entire community where many potential resort areas can also be developed in places like Chirinda Forest. This dam can become a driver for export of food and other Zimbabwean made goods through Espungabera Border Post to Mozambique.
With the now planned railway line project connecting Zimbabwe with Chingoeni through Manicaland from Rutenga, and the highly anticipated dramatic increase in road traffic for moving goods and minerals from Zimbabwe to the deep sea port of Beira, Chipinge can easily transform into a city with self-contained food security, fresh water and flourishing commercial and communal farming. Export of fruit, macadamia, vegetable and other produce can be enhanced by the installation of Mirror Dam.
In conclusion, water provides the foundation of any society or community. Dams are storage for fresh water. It is forecast that the availability of fresh water will be a nightmare globally by 2050 at the latest hence, the need to put up as many of them as possible now.
At this period of global economic downturn, dams play one of the biggest roles in ensuring food security, in the face of global supply chain disruptions particularly regarding food. It is therefore highly recommended to enhance and speed up dam construction and irrigation projects implementation. This will also serve to absorb supply shocks on food prices as we are experiencing with grains and cooking oil. Minimum reliability on import supplies is the agenda.
Mirror Dam is going to be critical for a multitude of community and national activities. Water supply to the fast growing town of Chipinge, enhancing food production by irrigation, local power generation, becoming the central attraction of tourism in the area, attracting logistics companies to settle in the area for the anticipated massive exports of minerals such as coal through the border, making Chipinge the hub of everything, including technology for both the south western regions of Mozambique and southern half of Manicaland. I thank you Mr. President.
HON. SEN. CHIEF MAKUMBE: Thank you Mr. President for giving me an opportunity to debate on a motion raised by Hon. Sen. Mabika which resonates very well with the thrust of our nation where agriculture is pivotal in the development of the nation. Dams are very important resources in as far as this nation building exercise that the country has embarked on is concerned. A lot of money has been spent on dams and it is critical that we have dams scattered around all regions as per the needs assessment done by the Government to alleviate food challenges throughout the country.
The Mirror Dam in Chipinge for instance, will be a huge milestone in as far as the irrigation of that area is concerned. In Chipinge, there is quite a lot of agriculture happening there from growing of macadamia nuts, potatoes, tea, coffee even to dairy farming and all this requires abundant water. It is therefore prudent that this dam gets started in terms of construction and that the resources be channeled towards the construction of this dam.
However, a number of dams in the country also remain unfinished owing to competing needs mainly those of finance and it is my humble submission Mr. President, that Treasury avails money to ensure timeous and speedy completion of this very important infrastructure site. I refer to my own Marovanyati Dam in Buhera where the dam has been completed but the earth side and the spillway remains unfinished two years after it was commissioned. We need these dams commissioned, the irrigation infrastructure done with and in the case of Marovanyati Dam, there is supposed to be 1 400 hectares of irrigation downstream and this will change the lives of the people in Buhera.
Buhera lies under natural region 5 and there is no rainfall. So if the remaining works are completed, the Marovanyathi Dam will be a total game changer for this agriculture starved region. All over the country, we have got a lot of other dams at various stages of construction. We are talking of the Gwayi-Shangani Dam which should be a huge game changer for the people of Matabeleland North Province. Besides just giving us water, there is a lot of scope for mini hydropower station and with the abundant sunlight in that area of Binga in Matabeleland North, there could also be prospects of putting hybrid system where the dam will generate hydropower whilst we will also be able to tap into the sun and get solar energy. The two will give us quite some considerable amount of energy in as far as the requirements of this country are concerned.
You will appreciate Mr. President that at this juncture, power is very difficult to get. Sometimes here around Parliament, we run on a generator. It is through the usage of these resources that we can turn the table in as far as the development metrics of our own country is concerned. We also need to scale up the issue of assisting our engineers. I personally have worked in the dam construction ministry before I became Chief and Senator. What used to happen in the past was the Government at that time used to look for contractors and then would assist the contractors with the procurement of the necessary materials and equipment in order to undertake these jobs. This has been our biggest challenge. We have got universities; University of Zimbabwe churns out hundreds of civil engineers every year so is our NUST.
Mr. President, because of Education 5.0, we now need to walk the talk, we have got the skill but our challenge is the equipment. I am not happy though Mr. President with the way our contracting is being done where a lot of these huge projects are being done by outsiders when here in Zimbabwe, the skill is in abundance. We want to build structures in Zimbabwe by Zimbabweans for Zimbabweans. That is my humble submission.
I want to applaud the Hon. Senator for having brought such a very important motion in this Parliament because without water, there is no life, everything under the universe requires water. We are a 100% agricultural country; we are even under sanctions from our erstwhile colonisers. I am sure if we were able to grow crops using our dams, we can export even regionally. If you look at the COMESA free trade area, there is a lot of scope. It is only in Africa where there is no birth control, so our customers keep on increasing. A lot of our money should be channeled towards the construction of these dams. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: Thank you Mr. President for affording me the opportunity to add my voice on the motion raised by Hon. Sen. Mabika and the seconder. Zimbabwe is an agricultural country but in the past two years because of climate change, the rainfall patterns have changed. Nowadays we get rain very late and that is now affecting our agricultural produce and that is affecting our farming as well as our domestic animals.
Mr. President, a few weeks ago, we were debating on the issue of the low levels of livestock in our country. We are experiencing a lot of challenges because of climate change and that is affecting livelihoods of people as well as animals. This is because of shortage of rain. Before I proceed, I want to thank the Government that is promoting that every district should have dams. I do not want to mention all the dams because my predecessors have mentioned a lot of dams such as the Gwayi-Shangani Dam in Matabeleland. Once we have those dams in the different areas of the country, it will improve our agriculture because we can no longer rely on rainfall because once we have dams, we can harness water and use it for agriculture, it will sustain us. If you look at an area such as Mbire or Dande, there is no rainfall at all. They do not grow maize, they only grow traditional grains but the dam that is built there will be able to take water to Mbire through the irrigation canals and the small dams that they have. They can then sustain themselves. Besides our livelihoods and our livestock, the country itself will benefit.
Currently Mr. President, I am sure you will agree with me, Government is losing a lot of foreign currency as we have to import maize but if Government proceeds carefully with the issue of setting up dams, we will no longer need to import grain but we can actually gain more foreign currency by exporting that. I think dam construction - harnessing water is a positive development that will develop the country. Yes, we have mining and other sectors but still those mines need water.
I want to thank the Government as well as Cabinet because right now they are committed to ensure that every area has a dam for irrigation, then we can grow our crops and engage in farming and we will then regain our status as the breadbasket of SADC. We face the challenge of our livestock dying because of the little rainfall that we were getting but if we are to proceed with the Government initiative of constructing dams, the country will develop, it will not remain the same and we will become the breadbasket. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. MUPFUMIRA: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to this very important debate. Before I go into the debate, I want to extend my condolences to the House on the loss of Hon. Sen. Khupe, may his soul rest in peace. I want to thank the Hon. Sen. Mabika who brought this important issue and Hon. Sen. Kambizi who seconded. The initiative that is there is that we have climate change and can no longer predict when we will get rainfall. Long ago we knew that by the 15th of November, we would have ploughed our land and rain would come. Right now because of climate change, rainfall has become unpredictable. Climate change is here to stay.
When you are flying from Harare to Masvingo, you will be disappointed as you see water bodies that are lying idle. Water in these bodies ends up evaporating without being utilised in farming. The initiative of constructing dams – yes, we do have a lot of dams but we have a lot of water sources that have not been tapped. If this water is tapped, our country will be in a better position in terms of food security. We were once the breadbasket of Africa but the issue of water affected our status and may deter us from becoming the breadbasket again. The Land Reform Programme is upon us but we will not succeed if there is no water. If there are dams, people can engage in irrigation and those programmes will become a source of livelihood and can produce food.
If you look at areas like Mashonaland West which was one of the key breadbasket areas of the country, farmers who got a bumper harvest were the ones who had utilised the irrigation programmes. We are losing a lot of foreign currency because we are importing grain and yet we are very good farmers and can be able to farm our own food. Rural area communities do not have clean, safe water at all; if small dams are constructed, we will be in a better position to harvest that water and ensure people have access to water. If Government and the conversations that are happening in this country come to fruition, I think we will be better placed to be secure in terms of food.
In the past, we knew that our greatest foreign currency earner was mining, followed by agriculture and that ensured our food security in Zimbabwe. Because of climate change, there has been a lot of drought which resulted in hunger and has led us to import grain and virementing funds that could be used to rehabilitate or equip clinics with medicines. Once we have water, we will be able to have enough funds to engage in other programmes that are important in the lives of the people.
I want to thank Hon. Sen. Mabika for the motion that she raised which is very pertinent to all of us.
+HON. SEN. S. MPOFU: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to add my voice on the motion moved by Hon. Sen. Mabika. This is quite an important motion because water is critical in our daily lives. We no longer receive rains as we used to because of climate change. When we receive enough water, we realise that quite a number of sources are losing water due to run off. Government should see to it that more dams are built in our country so that with the little rains that we receive, we have water being tapped. It is recommended that each and every ward has a dam so as to have people engage in irrigation schemes.
Yes, we have quite a number of boreholes but we realise underground water is reducing each and every time because of the number of boreholes that have been sunk. Kariba Dam is also reducing its water level due to the little rains that we receive. In Matabeleland North, we are happy because there is Gwayi-Shangani Dam which is under construction. It is a dam that has been in the pipeline for quite a number of years. Since the advent of the new dispensation, we have realised that this dam is going to be finally built. Right now construction work has surpassed 50% and it is a going to help a lot in the Matabeleland North Province and Bulawayo.
This dam is going to make sure that all the people within the pipeline are going to do some irrigation schemes. Once irrigation schemes are done, a number of people will manage to live better lives. Our local authorities did not realise they are allowed more houses to be built in our country without an efficient water reticulation system. For us to get enough water, there is need to have more dams so that the dwellers and local authorities get enough water for their use. So it is important to see to it that water is collected in each and every way whenever we receive rains.
If we have many dams, we can have people engage in a number of projects like fish farming whereby they can sell fish and if they have a surplus, we can then export it. In cases where we have large dams, we can have tourists coming in. So it is important to have many dams. When one is flying, you realise that there are quite a number of water bodies across the globe, which shows that the building of water sources has been prioritised. As such, with more dams we can have electricity generation. In our country, we have realised that we have less electricity due to lack of water sources. With enough water, we can have electricity generation increasing to assist those communities with big dams. Therefore, it is my plea that our Government should build more dams and teach people to harvest water without letting water run-off to oceans and seas. With these few words Mr. President, I thank you.
(v)HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Mr. President. Before debating, I would like to express my sincere condolences on the death of Hon. Sen. Khupe, may his soul rest in peace. Mr. President, I would like also to thank you for giving me this opportunity to say a few words on this important motion which was moved by Hon. Sen. Mabika and seconded by Hon. Sen. Chief Makumbe.
Mr. President, when we talk about water we are talking about life. There is no life without water. When we talk about dams, we mean the storage of this important element which is water. Mr. President, water is needed for irrigation purposes. Also, our livestock depends on water. People and fisheries need water. Whenever we talk about dam storages, it takes us back to the number of dams that we have. Some of us live in region. Really, if we talk about anything for production, we need water. We need dams because for us to produce crops, we ought to have water for irrigation. For us to have drinking water, we ought to have dams. For our livestock to survive, they need water. Pastures for that livestock need water. Water is a very important component in our country. For food production, we can hardly produce anything because we receive rainfall below average in Region 5. As a result, without supplementary water, it means we can hardly grow any crops. Apart from people needing water in the rural areas, you find that even in our towns, we need water.
Mr. President, I would have not done anything if I do not talk about the Zhove Dam in Beitbridge, which has got a lot of water which is being underutilized. There is need for the green belt that has been earmarked from Zhove Dam to Beitbridge Town, as well as, across our borders to service Messina. I think there is need for that project to start with immediate effect for us to get sufficient water. Without forgetting Thuli Manyange Dam which has also the same pipeline which would assist Gwanda to get sufficient water and also Gwayi-Shangani Dam in Matabeleland North. For these areas that I am talking about, there are areas in Matabeleland whereby we have scarce rainfall and the distribution is not even. So we need water like yesterday. Water would also assist us in getting more energy, for example with dams like Kariba. If we have more dams, we could be having other dams which would supply energy for us.
Mr. President, we have got challenges that we are facing. The challenge that we are facing is that most of these dams that we are talking about as of now, most of them have silted. There is need for rehabilitation of these dams as they have silted and they no longer keep water. They keep water for short periods and during the dry season, they also get dry. There is urgent need for rehabilitation of these dams.
Mr. President, apart from these old dams that we are talking about, there is also need for more dams to be constructed so that water can be found in most places. When we talk about more dams - it means that we are looking at budgets set aside for these dams to be constructed. If we do not have a budget, that means we might end up not having resources for construction of our dams.
Mr. President, let me thank our Government of Zimbabwe led by none other than Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa who has put his effort for the country to have the construction of new dams and where possible, silted dams are being rehabilitated. We thank him so much. Let us support him by also keeping our dams in their proper state so that we do not lose water. With these few words Mr. President, I would like to thank you.
+HON. SEN. A. DUBE: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to add my voice on this motion raised by Hon. Sen. Mabika. Before saying much, I would like to convey my deepest condolences for the loss of our colleague. This is a critical motion because we cannot talk of life without talking of water. For people to survive, there is need for them to have water. Even without food but with water, they can still survive. This motion is critical because water is a challenge in all areas, especially now because of climate change.
Looking at Region 5 where I come from, a person who is said to be rich is the one with cattle but without cattle, one is said to be wallowing in poverty. So now because of water challenges, everyone is now wallowing in poverty because our livestock which we use in the bride price are dying because of lack of water. We have also realised that with these few dams that we have, there is need to desilt them although we are thankful to the Government for the few dams that are being constructed but the ones that exist needs to be desilted.
I would like to thank my fellow Hon. Members who have talked about the Gwayi-Shangani Dam which is bringing happiness to almost everyone in our country because Gwayi-Shangani Dam is going to assist in making sure that towns get water especially Bulawayo. The project has been on the pipeline for quite a number of years most probably 40 years or so. Even before independence, it used to be talked about but now it is work under way. A number of projects continue to be done right now under the Second Republic.
I would also like to give appreciation to the building of the Gariya Dam in Tsholotsho which has not been in use for quite a number of years. It is assisting communities that stay in the greater part of Tsholotsho towards Botswana but right now, this dam is assisting in providing water to these communities even though it is not yet 100% complete. I continue to say this is an important motion brought by Hon. Sen. Mabika and supported by our colleagues. Other Hon. Senators have indicated the importance of water and I cannot continue to hammer on the same.
However, I would like to say dams are a critical component in the provision of water. We realise that even in towns, we are facing water challenges due to reduced amount of water in our dams. Without water, our communities suffer a number of diseases. In rural areas, dams need to be desilted in order to keep water. We need to make sure that our dams harvest more water. We used to have more boreholes in the past and each ward used to have about 15 boreholes but right now, these boreholes are no longer in sync with the increase in population in these areas.
We are happy that the borehole drilling project is going to assist in these ones. Our population continues to increase where in the past each kraal used to have about 15 households but not anymore. Therefore, the same water that used to be used by about 15 households is no longer enough looking at the increasing population. I would like to thank you with these few words and thank you for the opportunity given.
+HON. SEN. NKOMO: Thank you Mr. President for the opportunity given to also add a few words in support of the motion brought about by Hon. Sen. Mabika. Before dwelling on this motion, I would like to convey my deepest condolences following the passing on of Hon. Sen. Khupe. Mr. President, the motion brought about by Hon. Sen. Mabika, supported by Hon. Sen. Chief Makumbe is vital. It is important because it talks of life because water is life. As people, those who know about human beings indicate that the greater percentage that is a human being consists is water, which is why it has been critical for this motion to be brought to this House.
Mr. President, our country has a certain fraction that has always been dry because of the makeup of some of our regions as a country. We have regions that get more water than other regions. I will talk of the region where I come from which is Matabeleland South Province. This is a dry region and when talking about dams and water, it is critical that we look into this issue. This august House which formulates laws should realise that there are other regions that are continuously dry throughout the year.
We are talking of dams looking at Matabeleland South Province, there are dams where there are irrigation schemes that are being carried out like Antelope and Ingwizi. These irrigation schemes need to be assisted by other irrigation schemes within these areas so that people from this region do not suffer from drought. These big dams that I have highlighted like Gwayi-Shangani Dam are quite far from the central Matabeleland South. For this water to get to Matabeleland South, it will take a number of years but we are grateful that the New Dispensation has made it possible for this Dam to have its construction work start. We however want to ask our Government to look into the areas like Matabeleland South so that these areas also get more dams. Other Members have indicated that it is not only a human that needs the water but even our livestock. Looking at times like August - our cattle, donkeys will be coming back home muddy. When we get to September or October, there will only be carcasses in dams due to lack of water. Therefore, our plea to the Government is that even though it has realised that there is need to have big dams that will assist in irrigation schemes, there is need for desilting of the small ones that have always been there. Mr. President, I have spoken about irrigation schemes from these big dams. However, our request is that I do not know what the problem is but I will highlight on the Magwe Irrigation Scheme between Gwanda and Matopo Districts. The irrigation scheme covers a huge area but this irrigation scheme is lying idle. I do not know what is happening.
Mr. President, I therefore ask the Minister responsible for this department of irrigation schemes to look into Magwe Irrigation Scheme because it is critical for people from that community. We have rivers in these communities, I am dwelling more on this area because I know it is better than other areas in Matabeleland South. The other rivers that have water running all up to Limpopo without it being harvested, there is need to look into such River Mr. President and build dams here and there, to harvest this water instead of letting it runoff when it is a critical component of our life.
Looking into the issue raised in this motion Mr. President, yes, we really need water although there are efforts being made like sinking boreholes but at times the exercise does not get to fruition because of lack of water underground. Therefore, there is need to do more research into such as in other instances more monies are spent on boreholes that are left without getting to the point of getting water. One Hon. Member indicated that there is need for Government to look into this or the department responsible for water should look into research activities or seeing to it that each and every ward which has a school has water. We want to have colleges that promote researches that see into it that each and every ward they can sink and get water.
I am grateful for being given this opportunity to air my voice on this motion. Thank you Mr. President.
*HON. SEN. CHINAKE: Thank you Mr. President, I rise to add my voice to this motion that was raised by Hon. Sen. Mabika and seconded by Hon. Sen. Chief Makumbe as well as all the others who have debated. I have very little to say because most things have already been said. The most important thing that I want to say is that as Senators, as the Upper House I think this motion was moved in 2019 and we talked about the issue of water. If only the debates that we have in this House could be addressed in future even after six months, I think our country would be in a better position. I think the way we are debating in this country does not bring any money but when we debate we are supposed to say the truth to ensure that the Government is listening to what we are saying.
The issue of water that has been brought by Hon. Sen. Mabika is a very pertinent issue. For me to be able to stand before you and debate, 60% of my body is made from water. This is a matter that should be addressed as soon as possible. I am sure you heard us talking about the issue of climate change and that has affected our rainfall patterns. We are busy drilling boreholes and soon that underground water will run out. We used to drill 40 or 40 meters and soon we will be drilling as deep as 200 metres. As a country, we need to be prepared. I once mentioned it in this House that if possible as a country, we should harness water from the Zambezi River and probably have tributaries from there that will serve the different places in the country so that when we run out of water from the boreholes, that water will be able to augment the little water available.
The Hansard has a lot of information and when people read it, they ask that we always debate but there is no progress or implementation. We are going to debate for the next five years with nothing being addressed. Let us debate issues that the Government can take seriously. When someone raises a motion, it means that there is a challenge out there. We can take 21 days debating this motion and after it has been debated, it is long gone and forgotten. The question is: what are we doing as a Government and Senate? Has Cabinet taken heed of our motions?
When the report has undergone debate, it is adopted but when it is adopted what then happens? Every motion that is debated in this House means that people have researched and they come here to debate issues that should move the country forward. No motion is useless but what I am saying is that what we debate in this House should be brought into action so that our country can develop. We know that as Parliament, we always have new people coming in and we should be able to point out that when I was in Parliament, this is what we debated on and action was taken on this matter. I may not be here in the next Parliament but I am happy that His Excellency took action on the motion that was raised on road rehabilitation and dams are also being constructed.
On the issue of diverting water from the Zambezi River to some parts of Zimbabwe - this is something that should be taken up. There is a need to make sure that we get that water at all cost. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI: Thank you Mr. President for affording me this opportunity to support this motion that was brought in by Hon. Sen. Mabika. This motion concerns a lot of aspects because construction of dams is very important. There is nothing that troubles people as drought. Drought brings a lot of challenges for the people. It brings in sickness, death for humans and animals because there will be no water. Drought brings violence into the homes. It also results in child marriages because there is hunger in the family.
Let me say that we want to applaud the Government led by His Excellency Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa who had foresight. Initially I did not understand the mantra which says “leaving no place and no one behind” but I see that it is being followed and adhered to as many Hon Members have said that dams are under construction. In Mt. Darwin, we have Semwa Dam, it serves Mt. Darwin and Rushinga which has poor rainfall because, it is in region 5. Semwa Dam will assist the districts in terms of irrigation farming. I want to applaud Government because of the initiative to construct dams for irrigation and not rely on rainfall. The irrigation systems are ideal because any time you can grow any crop you want and it is different from relying on rainfall.
A farmer can plan the number of hectares that he wants to plough and he can buy all the farming inputs such as fertiliser, seed and pesticides but if there is a drought, that farmer will have lost out. The country is also burdened by these challenges because all other programmes are set aside to ensure that there is food security for the people. In my opinion, we need to support the issue of construction of dams. Even the boreholes that are being drilled for water, we want those boreholes because when we look at rural lives, each village cannot have a dam but at least every village should have a borehole.
We want to thank the new dispensation that it has contracted ZINWA and DDF to drill boreholes in this country which will assist us a lot in terms of access to clean reliable water. Most of our clinics require water and this dam construction project is a good initiative and will address the issue of water challenges. We want to thank our Government for that.
I also want to look at the issue of siltation. Siltation has affected our dams because it is being caused by our people who engage in ploughing of gardens. If only our communities could be conscientised and have committees that are responsible for the dams and ensure that the harnessed water is utilised well. Government is us the people and we need to look after our infrastructure as a people. Our people need to be sensitised so that they know that ploughing close to dams is not good and also that getting soil from close to the dams for building purposes is not good.
In my opinion, the Government should put emphasis on the issue of food for work. When siltation takes place, people can then address the challenges by removing the silt from the dam. People should take ownership and have a participatory approach. That is how we can progress. I want to thank the Government for dam construction that is happening in Zimbabwe, province by province. The Gwayi-Shangani Dam construction was planned a long time ago and I am happy that progress is taking place. We see this in the media. So we want to thank the Government because it is fulfilling its commitment on the issue of construction of dams.
Water is vital Mr. President. There is no development in a country without water. I would want to thank Hon. Sen. Mabika for bringing this important motion so that our foresight and commitment should be on dam construction in light of climate change. Climate change is here with us. We were in Masvingo with the Committee and there was a lot of rainfall, yet we are in July which is unusual. We want to thank the Government for having such foresight to address the issue of climate change and hence the construction of dams is important. I want to thank you Mr. President for affording me this opportunity.
*HON. SEN. CHIFAMBA: Thank you Mr. President. I want to thank Hon. Sen. Mabika for raising this pertinent motion which was seconded by Hon. Sen. Chief Makumbe. I thank the Government for the construction of dams in this country. Water is important. Nothing can survive without water. I remember one day when someone got sick during the night. We were requested to prepare porridge for the sick person and all the water containers were empty. We went at our neighbour to look for water and they had very little water. Hence, we had to go and look for water using a scotch cart seven kilometers away from where we were.
It is very crucial for all villages to have water so that people do not face problems which are related to water shortages. I also thank the Government for constructing dams in different areas. I am here to encourage Government that for those who are in areas where dams have been constructed, they must venture into farming and they must use the water wisely. If they fail to farm due to climate change, we end up facing famine whilst there are other areas with enough water. Those who have the opportunity to get water must venture into irrigation. Farmers who are unable to venture into irrigation must be removed from that certain area and give opportunity to those who can do farming. This will help the country to have enough food security and it will reduce imports.
All of us cannot farm but I encourage those who stay near water sources to venture into farming. Some time back, we went out with the Committee doing oversight on irrigation schemes and some irrigation schemes were operational but some were failing. We are encouraging people who are into farming to do it at a bigger scale so that the country can have enough food security.
Humans, livestock and wildlife cannot survive without water. Let us look at our water reservoirs properly. We must not farm near water sources like dams because it will cause siltation. The silt will end up filling these dams, hence there will not be enough water. In those areas where dams have been constructed, there is need for monitoring to see if people are using these dams properly. Those who are far away from dams will be expecting those who are near water sources to farm at a large scale so that there is food security in the country. Thank you Mr. President.
HON. SEN. MABIKA: Thank you Mr. President. I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 20th July, 2022.
MOTION
PARENTING AND EMBRACING A RECEPTIVE CULTURE FOR CHILDREN LIVING IN THE STREETS
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on the motion on vulnerable children living in the streets.
Question again proposed.
+HON. SEN. A. DUBE: Thank you Mr. President for this opportunity to debate on the motion moved by Hon. Sen. S. Mpofu. I realised that in our streets, there are quite a number of children that we call street kids. They end up engaging in drugs. Even for motorists using the roads, they end up being disturbed by these kids. Some of the kids do not even want to be given advice by parents. We realised that street kids continue to increase in almost every town. If you open up your window as you are driving, they can even pick up your bag from the car. We are looking forward to Government taking these kids to homes where they are kept and sent to schools. Most of them are young and some of them are being abused by elderly people. Therefore, this is an important motion because as a parent, when you find young children not dressed enough or not dressed appropriately for this kind of weather and in other instances, we realise that these kids are now engaging in elderly stuff. They are now treating themselves as husband and wife.
It will be great to have the number of these kids reduced in our streets and sent to homes. I remember we once had a tour of these streets and we came across one kid who was 12 years and he indicated that he used to have an aunt who used to stay in suburbs who is living well but he indicated that the aunt is not interested in staying with him. He indicated that if my aunt can allow me back with my wife then that will be alright. If they cannot take me with my partner, I am not prepared to go back.
So we realised that for a 12 year old to say he now has a partner, that is indeed a problem. The money that they collect from people that feel pity for them, they do not use it appropriately but instead, they use it to buy drugs. That on its own is a challenge and we realise that there is need to take great action in making sure that with the help of the Ministry of Hone Affairs, these children are cleared from the streets. Some of these kids are taken by elderly people that make them wives and even husbands. Therefore, this is an important motion which we have debated quite a number of times.
It should be recommended that places should be built for these kinds or children so that they get educated because they are the ones that we are looking up to as tomorrow’s leaders but they are roaming the streets. There are some that you realise that they do not have parents and such children are in trouble. Some of them have just chosen to run away from their homes because they just do not want to get any instruction from anyone or their parents.
There are other roads that cannot be used during the night because of these street children who are in most cases harassing people that will be using these streets. We have tourists that come to our country but when they use these roads in traffic lights, they have their bags dragged by these kids and it is not giving a good picture of our country. It is crucial that this motion is adopted in full and get the support of the Government to see to it that there are homes that are built for these children. We can have some of them coming in as better people in future. This is why I thought it was critical for me to air some few words. In almost all the streets in our towns, we realise that these kids are increasing in numbers.
On the issue of drug abuse, we realise that we will have more of such kids in the streets because most of our children no longer want to get any instructions from parents. Therefore, it is crucial that these few that are already roaming the streets are picked up to homes for safety and for better upkeep. In other instances, kids are sent to the streets because of ill treatment from homes where they come from. So, I say this motion is critical and I would like to thank you for giving me this opportunity to air some few words on this motion.
*HON. SEN. CHISOROCHENGWE: Thank you Mr. President for affording me this opportunity to add my voice on the motion which was moved by Hon. Sen. Mpofu. This motion about children who live in the streets is very painful because if you look at what they eat and where they sleep whilst they are staying in these streets, you really wonder. Looking at us who have houses, we fail to feed our kids and so what about those kids who are staying in the streets? What I have observed about these kids who live in the streets is that there are two types. There are some who are coming from their parents’ houses and they come to look for money and at the end of the day, they go back to their parents’ houses.
The Government must take these kids and look for their parents and see how best they can resolve those issues. If you look at the age of those children who come to beg in the morning to beg in the streets, they are very young and they end up being taken by other people who abuse them and they return them where they have taken them from. It is something which ends up spreading diseases in our lives. As Government, we must look into this issue and see the cause of these children to come to the street from their parents’ houses to beg for money.
The other group of kids comes from different areas and stays in the streets. Some of them are orphans and their parents have long died. Some parents are there but kids are running away from them. I want to give an example; there are some parents who come from Lalapanzi and they have got their three boys. Those kids ran away from their home and came to Gweru and became street kids. The parents came and took the kids and went back with them to the rural area. The kids did not stay there but they came back again to the street.
The Government must look into the issue of street kids and build them shelters so that they can be protected. On those groups of street kids, there are some who are old now and we can call them street fathers. They must be given shelters and Government must build structures for them and provide counselling for them on how best they can survive on these shelters so that they cannot come back in the street. They must be taught different courses that they can survive from and the younger ones must be sent to school.
When they are attending schools, they must receive counselling and teach them about the dangers of taking drugs, which means Government has got a lot of things to do. It is not a simple thing or an overnight process because these people are used to staying in the street doing whatever they want. So for them to put in a shelter to stay, it takes time for them to adjust and learn the new way. We also have girls who are in the streets who have got children and some of them have contracted different diseases. The younger ones must be sent to school and those young mothers must be taught how to work so that they can work for their children. If you go to towns right now, you can see that the walls of shops and other building are now dirty. They are burning plastics for warmth. Those things must be looked into so that our towns can be clean and maintain proper town status. I thank you Mr. President.
*HON. SEN. MUFPUMIRA: Thank you Mr. President for affording me the opportunity to add my voice on this motion. The motion is very pertinent and it is an issue, which is affecting the whole country. I want us to go back a little bit. When we were growing up, we used to have extended families. There were very few families who were staying as nuclear families. We used to stay in big numbers from cousins and so forth and all of us where looked after properly at the same place. Orphans were not left alone to fend for themselves. In the past, we used to say that there is no one who has no relatives even a family friend can intervene in situations where both parents would have died and there is no one to look after the children. Everyone used to have a cousin and people used to look after each other and feel for other people. Those people had respect for the elders. Right now because of the times, yes, there is an issue of unemployment which is affecting some kids. They think that if they take drugs, they feel okay and their problems can clear away but when the drugs wane off, they notice that the problem is still there.
I think the other problem which is causing them to go into the streets is us as parents. Parents can divorce, the mother leaves behind the children with their father or perhaps the husband has taken children from the wife by force, the father can remarry and the stepmother might not have love for the children and these kids might be abused severely. Kids end up giving bad advice to each other and end up in the streets or staying in the drainage. Hence us as elders, yes, Government is helping but it is coming from us.
Mr. President, we no longer have love, we are now focusing more on individuals. You can see someone has got a big house and you can see that at that big house there is a father, mother and two children but there are sometimes other children who are staying alone at the neighbouring area with nothing to survive on. Those children who are lacking end up stealing because they do not have anything.
Yes, Government is trying its level best but the truth is there is no one who does not have a relative who can look after him or her. Some children are staying on their own - I can give an example of Hopley, where there are young girls who are staying alone there. Some of those girls are moving around the streets begging. It is said that during the nights, there are a lot of men who go to those areas. Those young girls are called at a certain area and those men will select those attractive and if you ask those kids where they are being taken to, they say I have got my room, and you say a room for what? They are being taken to that room to be sexually abused. Some of those kids are eleven and thirteen years, from there sometimes they are given a dollar or two dollars for the whole night. I am speaking the truth; I have seen these things happening.
Yes, Government is there, it is our role as society, churches and as a nation so that we join hands and help on this issue. If we say, Government must look after these people but the relatives are there, is there anyone who does not have a relative? We must be responsible and stop being selfish and look after our relatives. Sometimes a child is left by the father and the father is no longer paying school fees hence the child ends up abusing drugs. There is need for change and we must pray and our praying behaviour must be shown through our actions. Some of those children do not have parents, they are orphans. In yesteryears, you could know that a child is everyone’s child. Whilst we were growing up, if you did something which was bad, any parent could reprimand you. If you went to your real mother and reported that you had been reprimanded by another parent, you were going to be reprimanded or beaten again.
Mr. Speaker, as we were growing up, by 1800 hours, a girl child would be in the house. We must go back as a country and help each other in looking after those children even if we build children’ homes for those children, let us try and build them a home, the home should be like a normal situation so that they can experience parents, growth and supervision. We must also look on the issues of laws, right now children who are growing in children’s home when they reach 18 years, they are told to leave those homes because they have grown up. We must look into the issue as Hon. Members who are making laws. Right now the law says a child who turned 18 years whilst staying at a children’s home must leave home but right now as a parent, I have got my children who are over 25 years, I am still staying with them but what about those whom we are releasing to the streets at the age of 18. We used to have vocational training centres and youth training centres in all the provinces. These facilities help kids who have reached 18 years to be trained in different skills so that they can look after themselves after leaving these homes. We must also look at our curriculum where they want those who are best in Maths and Science. I think these children must be given an opportunity to do more skilled work, we must sit down together and see what we can do with the issue of street kids and drugs. We cannot say these children are problematic, they do not listen, it starts from homes, when a child has done something bad or shouts at me as a parent; we accept it and say this child is naughty. When we were growing up, you could not see a young person raising his or her voice to an elderly person.
We must also look at the issue of rights for these kids. These are some of those things which are affecting them, there are more rights which have been given to the kids, hence, there is need to look into those. The issue of street kids and drugs is a national issue, let us look into our families and help each other. How many people are we looking after in our extended families? Nowadays we are just concentrating on our families only. Those whom we are not helping end up being drug abusers and thieves. Let us look at the others who are in need of help. As good citizens and Christians - if our neighbour is in trouble, let us help as much as we can. Children’s homes are not the best.
When we went out with the Committee around the country, we noticed that in places like Mt. Hampden, there was a home where we noticed that the situation was not good at all. Some of the kids who are sent to those homes are very mischievous. Sometimes they have a tendency of running away from these homes by jumping over the perimeter wall. Even those children who are well behaved end up mixing and mingling with those who have bad behaviour. Let us not leave this issue to Government alone but as a nation and as churches, we must help each other.
We as representatives of the people, let us look at how they are staying in their homes and help them. This issue of children’s homes is no longer happening in towns but as far as growth points. Let us look into the issue of family set up. A family is not about me, my husband and kids but it is about the extended family as well. Let us go back to the extended family. Let us start by looking at our extended families to see whether there are children who are struggling and help them. Thank you Mr. President for giving me the opportunity to debate.
HON. SEN. S. MPOFU: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. A DUBE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday 20th July 2022.
MOTION
SCHEMES TO REDEEM THE NATIONAL HERD FROM DEVASTATING AND DESTRUCTIVE EFFECTS OF DROUGHT
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the effects of drought on the national herd in the dry regions of the country.
Question again proposed.
+HON. SEN. A. DUBE: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity. I would like to thank all the Hon Members who supported this motion. I would like to thank all of them for the support that they offered. Therefore, I would like to have the motion adopted and forwarded to its relevant Ministry.
The motion that was submitted by another Hon. Member goes in line with it. Therefore, we cannot continue to discuss it further because the motions are similar. We need to have drought relief going to the people. If we could have it early, it would assist greatly because without food, it is difficult and our livestock would die.
The whole country is dry and drought has affected us greatly. What is critical is that Government should assist with drought relief which would be distributed through kraal heads because they are the ones who know who is suffering from hunger. They are the ones who should monitor who should get food which is why our Government continues to indicate that no one should die of hunger. I move that this motion should be adopted and I thank everyone who supported it.
Motion that:
COGNISANT of the destructive impact of drought on our national herd in the dry regions of the country;
CONSCIOUS of the large numbers of cattle that have perished in the past and those likely to face the same fate under similar conditions this year as already evidenced by the massive wilting of crops in the dry regions of the country;
This House strongly urges Government to—
- urgently design and implement practical schemes to redeem the national herd from the devastating and destructive effects of drought; and
- urgently come up with mitigatory measures such as winter cropping and drought relief programmes which will alleviate the impact of drought in all affected areas of the country, put and agreed to.
MOTION
POLICIES THAT ADDRESS AND PLUG LOOPHOLES RELATED TO TAX EVASION
Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on the motion on policies that address and plug loopholes on tax evasions, illicit financial flows and corruption.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. CHINAKE: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. S. MPOFU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 20th July 2022.
On the motion of HON. SEN. MUZENDA seconded by HON. SEN A. DUBE the Senate adjourned at Twenty Seven Minutes past Four o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 14th July 2022.
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two O’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair)
HON. MADHUKU: I rise on an issue of national interest and this concerns the issue of examination fees for the A’ level and O’ level students for the 2022 examination.
I remember a few weeks ago we were presented with a statement from the Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education whereby he promised that the Ministry was looking into the issue with a view to revise downwards the fees charged to these students. We were very much worried that the fees were too high and were going to disadvantage some students by failing to pay the examination fees.
We also raised the issue that the examination fees were pegged in USD as well as in the ZWL. However, what is surprising is that the deadline for the payment of these examination fees is supposed to be the end of this month but we have seen and heard reports from schools whose Headmasters have been called for meetings and have been instructed that the candidates have to pay in the USD.
This is disturbing because the Ministry is not being sincere. They told this House that fees payments are going to be accepted even in the ZWL. Now, the Heads have been instructed that they have to accept fees in USD for the simple reason that if the fees are paid in the ZWL now, at the time of remitting the money to ZIMSEC it would have lost value because of the high inflation.
Therefore, we feel this is very unfair, not only to the prospective candidates but even to the parents also. A lot of these parents especially in the rural areas do not earn USD. So as a matter of urgency, we are supposed to have the Hon. Minister of Primary and Secondary Education coming back to this House and tell us why they are changing goal post disadvantaging learners. This is going to affect all of us here, we are parents, we have children and relatives. As I have mentioned earlier on, a lot of learners, a lot of candidates are going to be left behind against the mantra His Excellency is talking about that everybody has to be taken on board. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Madhuku. You have raised a valid point of national interest. The Clerks at the Table will advise the responsible Minister to come to the House. I also advise you to raise it as a question on Wednesday during the Question and Answer session.
HON. MARKHAM: Madam Speaker, my point of national interest is on the health service. We have been told that only 14% of the National Budget for this year has been drawn down by the end of May. However, the Minister of Finance has told us categorically that he has paid every request expeditiously, which means the Ministry of Health has only requested for money that they have duly received.
Now, that concerns me because I have been inundated since we had that discussion in this Parliament, by suppliers of medical supplies to the health industry. They are telling me that central hospitals, since October 21, have not been paid. Chitungwiza and the Central Hospitals here in Harare, some suppliers are owed US200 000.
This is a major issue when it comes to the cash flow for the supplies but as of this year they are claiming that 200 of their suppliers have not received any payment yet. Currently, money has been disbursed and the amount of money that is being disbursement is one fifth of what is in the budget and that is for the suppliers.
It is a major issue because when a supplier supplies to a Government organisation they have to go through the tender procedures and there are clauses which they have to fulfill. One of them being that you only get paid 90 days after you have supplied whereas if they have supplied and have not been paid for more than 120 days they encounter serious cash flow problems.
However, the document covers the issue of the exchange rate but the official exchange rate when we did the budget was 85 and now it is 365. The parallel was 200 and it is now 800. So the suppliers now have a major issue because they are pushing for the clause for them to be paid and the Ministry of Health is saying they cannot pay because they have not been given the money.
So my request is that between the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health, bring a joint statement to this House to explain to us why one supplier is not being paid and why we have a budget for national health that has only 14% distributed by the end of May. The issue being we have a major health crisis on the ground. It is my request that both ministries come forward and give us, either a joint statement or the Minister of Health, in particular, tell us why they are not requesting for the money. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Markham, the Clerks at the Table will advise the Minister of Health and Child Care to come to this House with a Ministerial Statement regarding that issue.
*HON. CHIKWINYA: My point of national interest this afternoon is premised on the issue of pensioners. The Zimbabwean pensioners must get their funds from two sources, firstly from their employer, be it the public sector or the private sector. The other funding should come from NSSA.
Madam Speaker, if you put together these two pockets of money channeled to an individual pensioner, the amount cannot reach a significant figure.
We cannot be an effective Parliament which enacts laws for the good governance of the people if we neglect or leave our elderly people dying because of failing to access money for basic medication and food. As we are speaking right now, pensioners are unable to access their money from the banks because the money is not even enough for bus fare. These people cannot also buy medication because the medications are being charged in USD.
The pensioners have become a burden to the politicians, the councillors and Members of Parliament. In the event of the unfortunate, these people do not have funeral policies, so it would be the duty of the politicians to give them a decent burial. We cannot drive our luxurious cars back to our constituencies without solving the plight of our pensioners, some of whom fought for the liberation of this country. They are our parents who sent us to school and yet they are getting something less than 10 USD per month.
May the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare come to the august House and give us a Ministerial Statement on protecting the pensioners so that tomorrow we may not be blamed for a soft genocide, seeing the elderly dying in our country without doing anything for them. The Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare should also explain to us why NSSA is failing to give pensioners decent salaries. I thank you.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Chikwinya. The Deputy Minister is here hence we plead with the Hon. Minister to come with a Ministerial Statement regarding what Hon. Chikwinya has said.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. MUTAMBISI: Madam Speaker, I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 16 be stood over until Order of the Day, Number 17 has been disposed of.
HON. BITI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
THIRD REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE ON THE BILATERAL VISIT TO THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN
HON. SHAMU: I move the motion standing in my name that this House takes note of the Third Report of the Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade on the Bilateral Visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
HON. MUDARIKWA: I second.
HON. SHAMU:
INTRODUCTION
Thank you Madam Speaker. Hon. Webster Kotiwani Shamu, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade led a Parliamentary delegation on a Bilateral Visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran from 14 to 18 May 2022 at the invitation of his counterpart, Hon. Eqbal Shakeri, Head of the Iran-Zimbabwe Friendship Association. The visit was part and parcel of Parliament’s advancement of the engagement and re-engagement policy aimed at deepening ties between Zimbabwe and Iran through Parliamentary Diplomacy. The delegation was comprised of the following Members of Parliament:
- Kalisto Killion Gwanetsa, Member of the Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade and Member of the Iran-Zimbabwe Friendship Association; and
- Hon Cathline Gozho, Member of the Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade and Member of the Iran-Zimbabwe Friendship Association.
BILATERAL EXCHANGES WITH HON EQBAL SHAKERI CHAIRMAN, IRAN-ZIMBABWE FRIENDSHIP ASSOCIATION IN TEHRAN AT THE ISLAMIC CONSULTATIVE ASSEMBLY OF IRAN
The delegation and Hon. Eqbal Shakeri held bilateral discussions at the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran where they reminisced about relations between Zimbabwe and Iran which date back to 1979, following the success of the Islamic revolution. The Friendship Association was established in 1992 and has been a springboard for strengthening ties between the two legislative bodies. Hence, the need to rekindle the activities of the Iran-Zimbabwe Friendship Association through continuous engagements so as to strengthen people to people relations between Iran and Zimbabwe. Both parties acknowledged the significance of the existence of political relations between Harare and Tehran in providing a strong foundation upon which robust economic, social and cultural ties can be built upon.
Hon Eqbal Shakeri greatly appreciated Zimbabwe’s resolute support of the Islamic Republic of Iran at various International forums on resolutions passed against Iran based on flimsy allegations of human rights abuses. Zimbabwe supports the universal principle of respect for human rights whilst bearing in mind the sacrosanct principle of sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the uniqueness of its religious and cultural values. As a result, Iran perceives Zimbabwe as its strong ally and is fully committed to assist Zimbabwe through thick and thin, on its economic development agenda. The areas of support include but not limited to Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, mechanized Agriculture, mining and manufacturing of pharmaceuticals.
The meeting noted that both countries are victims of illegal US sanctions. The sanctions have imprinted an indelible mark of perpetual poverty on the lives of ordinary citizens and deprived them of the enjoyment of fundamental human rights. They are a masked form of terrorism against humanity that deserves to be shunned by the two sovereign states. Although both states are in the same predicament, the meeting urged the two countries to take advantage of the illegal sanctions and develop mutually beneficial cooperation to neutralize the effects of sanctions on ordinary citizens.
Moreso, in spite of sanctions, Iranians industrialized their nation and propelled it to greater heights in terms of economic development. This was made possible by a deliberate move by the Iranian Government to invest heavily in homegrown talent, Research, Biotechnology and Nanotechnology in sectors such as Health, Agriculture, Mining, Manufacturing, Services and Education. Also, by the citizens’ positive response to the Government endeavours, through dedication to nation building in the face of foreign imposed hardships. The unity of purpose between the Government and the people created a strong resistance movement that neutralized the callousness of sanctions. In light of the above, the delegation expressed Zimbabwe’s readiness to learn from Iran’s experience in its fight against illegal sanctions.
Furthermore, globally, Iran has the 22nd largest economy with a GDP of about US$1.4 trillion, produce 90% of its pharmaceuticals, 10th largest producer of Petrochemicals and is a regional superpower in terms of oil and gas reserves. In light of the foregoing, it was resolved that Zimbabwe should leverage on its cordial relations with Iran and learn from the Iranians’ development model so as to propel the country to greater heights of economic development, irrespective of sanctions.
The Head of the Iran-Zimbabwe Friendship Association commended the bilateral visit to Iran by the Zimbabwean delegation as it was a milestone in strengthening bilateral relations. However, the meeting regretted, the absence of exchange visits between Tehran and Harare due to a combination of factors including, but not limited to the advent of COVID-19 and its impact on physical engagements. It was recommended that there is need for increased exchange visits between the two countries at both political and officials’ levels as they assist in bolstering relations and building business confidence.
Hon. Shamu thanked his counterpart for the warm hospitality extended to his delegation since their arrival in Iran and expressed Zimbabwe’s readiness to borrow a leaf from Iran’s economic development template which transformed the country from merely a consumer economy to a highly industrialized one.
OUTCOMES OF THE MEETING WITH AMBASSADOR VALIOLLAH MOHAMMADI, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR AFRICA IN THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The following were the outcomes:
Parliament has an indispensable role in expanding and preserving the existing cordial relationship between Iran and Zimbabwe through its representative role. Parliament to Parliament relationship depicts a relationship between Iranians and Zimbabweans at an elevated level. Accordingly, the meeting proposed the convening of virtual meetings between Parliamentary Portfolio Committee Chairpersons of Zimbabwe and Iran in Committees on Foreign Relations, Women and Development, Iran-Zimbabwe Parliamentary Friendship Association and Economic Development. These high level Parliamentary engagements are essential in sharing experiences on important legislative trends.
Iran and Zimbabwe are both victims of illegal sanctions and negative publicity by their adversaries whose sole objective is to tarnish the image of the two sovereign states. The Assistant Minister vehemently articulated that all social media reports about Iran on violation of human rights, nuclear power and terrorism are clear fabrications and should be shunned. The same is applicable to publications/reports on Zimbabwe and other African states by CNN, BBC and other Western controlled media platforms. The meeting acknowledged the severity of the damage caused by the false narratives on country images as well as in expanding the Iran-Africa relations. Consequently, it was resolved that exchanging delegations at business, political and government levels is the panacea to demystify the falsehoods. Also, that the Ministries of Foreign Affairs from Iran and Zimbabwe should come up with comprehensive strategies to rebut the falsehoods aimed at tarnishing the images of the two countries.
Further to the above, both countries were working towards reconvening the Ninth Session of the Zimbabwe-Iran Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) on Economic, Scientific and Cultural Cooperation to be held in Tehran in the second half of 2022. The signing of the JPC provides a strong foundation for consolidation of economic relations between Harare and Tehran where diplomatic and political relations would flourish. Iran perceives the JPC as a major vehicle in enhancing bilateral cooperation. Strong emphasis was made on the implementation of the agreement once signed, as it has the potential to transform the livelihoods of the ordinary people. The Assistant Minister for Africa echoed that without implementation, the JPC would be just a futile talk show that can potentially ruin everything, because without economic relations, other ties are potentially weak.
The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its Consultative Assembly invited sixteen Ambassadors from different African States resident in Iran, Zimbabwe included, commemorating Africa Day on 25 May 2022. Ambassador, Valiollah Mohammadi, expressed that Pan-Africanism should be backed by strong economic relations and Iran was willing to establish, preserve and consolidate economic relations with Africa. As such, the Iran Tobacco Company has since started buying tobacco from Africa but not yet reached its peak and would like to buy directly from the source and not through middlemen/other countries. Subsequently, Iran perceives Zimbabwe’s central position in Southern Africa as an economic springboard in establishing and deepening trade relations with the rest of the region.
The Iranian Ministries of Agriculture, Health and Education were planning to visit Zimbabwe in the second quarter of 2022. Thus, the meeting resolved that such visits should be capitalised on, in establishing ties between Government institutions and universities in Iran and Zimbabwe.
MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MEETING WITH HON JABAL ZADEH CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The meeting acknowledged the need for continuous interaction between the Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the Committee on National Security and Foreign Affairs on issues of mutual interests in their respect oversight roles as stewards of government business. As echoed earlier, it was resolved that the Iran-Zimbabwe Friendship Association should intensify its activities aimed at strengthening bilateral Parliamentary cooperation between the two legislative bodies.
The Committee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, like its parent Ministry, was looking forward to the signing of the 9th Joint Permanent Commission on Economic, Scientific and Cultural Cooperation between Zimbabwe and Iran that was envisaged to take place in Tehran. It perceived the signing of the JPC as an open door to full blown economic cooperation between Zimbabwe and Iran. Accordingly, it was resolved that both Committees should oversee that the Executives from their respective countries sign the agreement before 31 October 2022.
The meeting observed that trade between Zimbabwe and Iran over the years leaves a lot to be desired. The incumbent President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, His Excellency, Ebrahim Raisi was very committed to cement economic relations with African states. The same is applicable to His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr E.D Mnangangwa who ushered in a raft of measures that opened Zimbabwe for business. As such, it was resolved that both Parliaments should take advantage of the existence of strong political will to oversee improvement in trade between the two countries.
OUTCOMES ON THE INTERACTION WITH THE DEPUTY HEAD OF ZIMBABWE’S MISSION IN TEHRAN, MR NEVER MUTIZWA
The Embassy of Zimbabwe in the Islamic Republic of Iran extends its services to Syria and Afghanistan. However, it is paramount to note that the Ambassador/ Head of Mission post is still vacant to this day since the passing on of Ambassador Christopher Mapanga on 08 September 2021. Given the strategic importance of the mission in the Middle East, there is need for the Executive to consider appointing a Head of Mission to fill in the vacancy.
It was of grave concern to note that the state of the Zimbabwean Embassy in Tehran was incongruent with Zimbabwe’s image as a country endowed with vast natural resources and opportunities. The rented Embassy was located in a secluded area and has old office furniture and equipment. It was practically impossible for the Embassy personnel to hold high level meetings at the Embassy. As such, they strategically avoid holding meetings at the Chancery in a bid to circumvent jeopardising the image of the Zimbabwe we want. In light of the above, there is need for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to consider prioritizing the construction of a state of the art Chancery in Tehran as a panacea to the prevailing state of affairs at the Embassy.
The enthusiastic Embassy team works hard to represent and project Zimbabwe’s visibility in the Middle East through dissemination of economic opportunities to Iranian business people among others. The Mission’s trade section was well bolstered to rigorously promote Zimbabwe’s economic agenda. However, the Deputy Head of our mission reiterated the need to employ a defence attache, given the operational environment of the Embassy.
OUTCOMES ON THE INTERACTION WITH THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, WATER, NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT AND, THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, TREATMENT AND EDUCATION
During the visit to the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, the delegation had an opportunity to hold meetings with Chairpersons of Committees on Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources and Environment, and the Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Health, Treatment and Education, Hon Mohammad Javad Askari and Hon Dr Mir Mohammadi.
Both Chairpersons from Iran emphasized the importance of signing the 9th Joint Permanent Commission. Also, the pivotal role played by Parliament in ensuring that the agreement is signed by the Executive not later than October 2022. The agreement forms the bedrock for the establishment and strengthening of economic, trade and cultural ties between the two states.
The Islamic Republic of Iran being a highly industrialised state, was willing to cooperate and assist developing nations in areas of agriculture for them to be food secure, Zimbabwe included. However, the meeting bemoaned the lack of ties between Iran and Zimbabwe in spheres of health, treatment and medical education. In light of the foregoing, and given that Iran is highly advanced in manufacturing medicines and medical equipment (90% produced locally), provision of health services and research, it was proposed that there was need for establishment of strong ties between the two nations in the health sector.
To qualify further, the meeting recommended the need to consolidate proposals to twin and establish a Memorandum of Understanding between the prestigious Iran University of Medical Sciences and the University of Zimbabwe; also, between the Sharif University of Technology in Tehran and the National University of Science and Technology.
OUTCOMES ON THE MEETING WITH THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE INVESTMENT COMPANY OF IRAN SOCIAL SECURITY ORGANIZATION, IN TEHRAN-MR BAZIAN
The company is equivalent to the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) of Zimbabwe. Its assets belong to 40 million people paying insurance out of a population of 80 million. It has investments in sectors such as energy, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, agriculture, manufacturing, among others. The meeting urged the company to take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to consolidate investments in Zimbabwe and Africa. The free trade area has the potential market of 1.2 billion people and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of above US$3 trillion.
The company was assured of Zimbabwe’s commitment to respect property rights as provided for in the country’s Constitution. Also, that investors are allowed to freely repatriate their profits and the country’s full commitment towards attracting/securing investments through its operative mantra, Zimbabwe is open for business.
It was proposed that NASSA and its Iranian counterpart should come to recognise each other through exchange programmes so as to prepare a fertile ground for the signing of Memorandums of Understanding in different fields of mutual interest. The same should obtain for the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare and the Iranian Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour and Social Welfare. It was further underscored that the signing of the Joint Permanent Commission was a key to effective economic cooperation between Zimbabwe and Iran.
The meeting concluded by highlighting that the development and consolidation of strong economic relations between the two nations creates a strong foundation for the establishment of a resistance movement against illegal sanctions.
OUTCOMES ON COMPANY TOURS AND INTERACTIONS WITH MANAGEMENT
The delegation toured and held meetings with management of the Iran Tobacco Company in Tehran, the Iran Tractor Manufacturing Company in Tabriz, and Sarcheshmeh Copper Mine in Kerman.
Iran Tobacco Manufacturing Company
Mr Sheykhan, Managing Director of Iran Tobacco Company, briefed the delegation that the company had lots of investment interests in cigarette manufacturing in the Republic of Zimbabwe. As such, the company was willing to send a delegation of Iranian business people to survey the market and get a better understanding of the Zimbabwean way of doing business; also, that the company preferred to deal directly with Zimbabwean farmers in the production, selling and processing of tobacco.
Thus, getting rid of the middlemen, the Iran tobacco company promised to consider setting up a factory for processing cigarettes in Zimbabwe post the signing of the Joint Permanent Commission which gives a clear roadmap for the consolidation of economic relations. Having been made aware of the Zimbabwe is open for business mantra and the advantages of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to consolidate investments in Zimbabwe and Africa, the company was of the view that Zimbabwe was strategically located as a launch pad to tap into Africa’s potential market of 1.2 billion people.
Sarcheshmeh Copper Mine
It is the world’s second largest open cast mine and sixth in terms of copper output producing 30 million tonnes per year with reserves that can last for 200 years. The delegation witnessed the entire process of mining, processing, value addition and beneficiation of the copper. In so doing, the delegation learnt a valuable lesson that mining the ore gives 10% profit, processing 19% and beneficiation 10%, thus giving a sum of 39% profit.
The Iranian Government has a policy that impose a series of harsh tariffs on exports of raw metals so as to gain more revenues through the export of finished products that could generate more added value for the country. These include tariffs of 25 percent on iron and manganese, including the export of concentrates and10-percent tax on raw copper. The tariffs are meant to support domestic productions and to attain the highest added value possible.
Iran Tractor Company
The company manufactures tractors under the Mass Fergusson brand and is the first of its kind in the Middle East and supplies 80% of the region. Initially, it was government owned but it’s now under private ownership. Forty percent of its overall production is exported to African countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, and Uganda among others. It was brought to the attention of the delegation by Mr A. Andabili, Trade and Export Manager that the company had previously established joint venture businesses with the Industrial Development Corporation of Zimbabwe namely, Motira Tractor Assembly and Modzone Textiles during the First Republic which dismally failed. However, with the coming in of the Second Republic which ushered a raft of measures that drastically improved the way of doing business in Zimbabwe through the establishment of ZIDA, the company expressed lots of interests in investing in Zimbabwe. Due to the capital intensive nature of the business, the Iran Tractor Company planned to partner with a local investor in establishing a Tractor Assembly plant in Zimbabwe. It also recommended that the Government of Zimbabwe should put in place requisite infrastructure for the business to thrive.
BEST PRACTICES LEARNT FROM IRAN
Iran has 96% literacy rate, the highest in the region. Hence, Members of Parliament are elected subject to possession of at least an associate’s degree or equivalent.
Parliamentary oversight is quite robust such that the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran have powers to impeach an incompetent Minister.
By exporting unprocessed platinum from MIMMOSA mine in Zvishavane, Unki mine in Shurugwi, Ngezi Platnum mine, raw granite from Mutoko and chrome, Zimbabwe is being robbed of humongous amounts of revenue, jobs as well as growth of domestic processing industries.
Despite harsh economic sanctions, in 2021 Iran’s economy was the 20th largest in the world and 9th in Asia with a GDP of US$ 1.4 trillion which was expected to increase by US$ 137 billion in 2022, according to IMF reports. In light of the foregoing, Iran has shown us that in spite of the severity of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe, the country will prosper using home grown talent and solutions in line with His Excellency, The President, Dr. E.D Mnangagwa’s rallying cry, nyika inovakwa nevene vayo.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Parliament of Zimbabwe should commence in earnest, the preparations for receiving the delegation from Iran on a reciprocal Bilateral Visit during the second quarter of 2022. The same should be applicable to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, ZIDA, ZIMTRADE and ZNCC as the delegation would comprise business people coming to get a deeper understanding of investment opportunities in Zimbabwe.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade should ensure that the 9th Joint Permanent Commission on Economic, Scientific and Cultural Cooperation between Zimbabwe and Iran is signed by 31 October 2022.
The Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development should carry out exchange programmes to appreciate how Higher Education can contribute to economic development so as to neutralize the adverse effects of sanctions as implemented in Iran by 31 December 2022.
The Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science, Innovation and Technology should establish twinning arrangements between the University of Zimbabwe and Iran University of Medical Sciences and sign a memorandum to that effect by February 2022. Furthermore steps should be taken by the Government to provide scholarships for medical science students to go and study in Iran.
The Ministries of Finance and Economic Development, and Mines and Mining Development should enact a policy that impose harsh tariffs on exports of unprocessed minerals by 31 December 2022 in order to bolster domestic value addition and beneficiation which in turn helps the country to attain the highest possible value from the local resources.
The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development should borrow a leaf from the Iranians’ economic development model based on import substitution which has seen the economy growing at a remarkable rate to achieve a GDP of US$1.4 Trillion. This has been achieved through vibrancy in important sectors such as Agriculture, Hydrocarbons, Energy, Transport and Health.
The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement together with the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) should adequately make necessary preparations for the visit by the Iran Tobacco Company envisaged to take place in the Second quarter of 2022.
CONCLUSION
Despite all that Iran has gone through and is currently going through, the country has managed to rebuild itself to an economic powerhouse owing to hard work, unwavering dedication by Iranians to the development of their nation using home grown talent and solutions. As such, Zimbabwe can leverage its development on Iran’s model of achieving rapid economic growth through sheer hard work, discipline and patriotic fervour. I thank you.
HON. MUDARIKWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank Hon. Shamu for a very detailed report on the visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran. The State of Iran is a product of the 1979 revolution. The State of Zimbabwe is a product also of the Chimurenga revolution. These are two countries that came through thick and thin to fight for their independence. Also, these are two countries that have excelled in educating their people. Iran’s literate rate stands at 96%; Zimbabwe’s rate also is the highest in Africa. This alone shows the partnership between Zimbabwe and Iran is moving towards the right direction.
Zimbabwe and Iran are victims of illegal sanctions imposed by the USA. The sanctions were issued outside the United Nations. The sanctions were issued outside SADC and they were issued outside the African Union. So these sanctions remain a criminal act against the innocent souls of Zimbabwe.
Iran has developed technologically. In terms of agricultural output, they manufacture tractors from Iran. They process oil from Iran. The greatest advantage of Iran is that there is no food deficit. They do not import food from anyone. This is where also Zimbabwe must learn that we must be self sufficient in food production. Iran is prepared to assist Zimbabweans by providing tractors. They have got one of the best tractors, the Mortal tractors are the best tractors.
Iran has got oil and gas and they are also one of the major exporters. The development of a friendship association is cascading the relationship to another level. There is friendship at Government level but friendship association now cascades down to a level where the ordinary people now are able to benefit from the friendship association.
It is very interesting that on May Day, 25th May is Africa Day. The Iranian and Zimbabweans felt it necessary that we must celebrate Pan Africanism together as a team of disadvantaged of people. The issue of Pan Africanism is also very critical in terms of developing African trade. The trade within African countries but we will also continue to create economic programmes that enhances the quality of lives of our people so that we reach Vision 2030 and leaving no one behind. The transformation of our people is critical.
Iran is also prepared to assist in the production of tobacco. They are also prepared to assist in the financing of tobacco. Tobacco financing has been the most criminal thing that has been happening in Zimbabwe. Most of the people who are financing tobacco at the current moment are supposed to be in Chikurubi maximum prison. They are stealing from our farmers. Government must intervene in the financing of tobacco. Zimbabwean banks must finance tobacco. We must bring back the old auction system where Zimbabweans finance tobacco and then buyers come in and buy. They are prepared to come and assist us in the production of tobacco because tobacco and cotton are crops that can easily transform the quality of life of our people. So it is important at this stage that the cooperation between Zimbabwe and Iran must continue. The cooperation between the Parliament of Zimbabwe and the Parliament of Iran must continue. In any situation - even in heaven, we have certain people we have certain people who are against what we are doing. The issue of objecting on this is common knowledge. It is there and it happens in society. Iran is a country that is prepared to assist us to move forward. Iran also is one of the major consumers of our tobacco.
In conclusion, I want to appreciate the objections that people are passing over to me. It shows that they are listening attentively but criticism is common in the august House. I thank you.
HON. T. MLISWA: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to add my voice to the report by Hon. Shamu on the bilateral visit in the name of engaging and re-engaging which is part of Government policy. It is important for us to revisit certain bilateral agreements. There are so many bilateral agreements in this country to a point that we are getting tired of them. There are so many MOUs and deals signed which never see the light of day.
We need to be very strategic. America which everybody talks about having imposed sanctions, we are re-engaging them more than any other country in Africa. You are busy paying lobbyists to go and re-engage America when America itself does not want to work with you. America is very clear. Delegations go in and out trying to win America back. There is inconsistency in terms of policy in this country. The former late President Robert Mugabe was very clear about dealing with those who were not friends with Zimbabwe. He totally decided not to deal with the western world and decided to go east. He went east and it was consistent to a point where because of consistency, the western world started re-engaging Zimbabwe and not Zimbabwe re-engaging America. They started re-engaging Zimbabwe because they had realised that the resources were being given to people who assisted us. Resources were being given to countries like China and Russia. How the deals are worked out is a different thing altogether. These are the two countries that helped us during the liberation struggle. As a result, they were given that latitude to be able to work with us.
We are re-engaging to become members of the Commonwealth yet our relationship with SADC is at the lowest ever. The reason why the former President remained in power is that he worked with his neighbours before jumping his neighbours. We are jumping our neighbours – SADC we jump and Africa we jump. We are obsessed with these nations which really do not give us anything at the end of the day. It is a waste of paper and money yet at the end of the day we talk about them. How many bilateral agreements are there between Zimbabwe and Botswana? The President was there the last time signing bilateral agreements between Zimbabwe and Botswana. Who has implemented that? You go to Iran and America yet the bilateral agreements of African countries, we are not implementing them: Tanzania, Malawi, Botswana - we have seen it., To me, why do we want to make so much noise with bilateral agreements with people whose culture we do not understand and speak the same language with?
We get along with Zambia, Malawi and Botswana because they are our next door neighbours. Why do we want to travel overseas to re-engage? Some of us will die going to these very far places. If you die on a plane going to Botswana, it is understandable. The issue about bilateral is that first of all you look to your own people close to you. We have just come from PAP where Hon. Sen Chief Charumbira was elected PAP President but you are seen doing more with countries outside PAP yet when it is time for elections you go and campaign with them. It shows that we are not united. In the liberation struggle, Mozambique and Zambia played a part and why can we have not bilateral agreements to enhance our economy? At one time Zimbabwe was supplying everything to Zambia. We want to talk about bilateral agreements when we are not even manufacturing anything ourselves. What is it that we will give in turn? We are busy mortgaging our resources. These are countries which are not putting in a penny. We are tired of agreements without cash. Zimbabwe needs an injection of cash from good friends. Even the Chinese are not pumping in cash - they are busy building us a new Parliament building instead of giving us cash. We want cash.
These Members of Parliament are not interested in structures because they do not have fuel money. We want cash. Those countries have the US dollar and their economies are doing well, let them give us some money. Dealing with Arabs is better, UAE and so forth at least they come here and invest. Others are not. These are just bilateral agreements which are on a social basis. Hon. Mudarikwa was right to say yes, these are bilateral on a social basis and not on a business basis.
I am not against Iran but what do they have? Hon Shamu himself was in the media for a long time and he said that there is Iran which gave us those OB Vans for ZBC. I would have loved Hon. Shamu to talk about them on whether those vehicles were used or not. What happened to Transmedia? Why do we want to talk about new things when the old things that we have got never worked?
You want to talk about tobacco. I was involved in tobacco myself. I am the only indigenous tobacco player in 2006/7 who attained 10% of tobacco crop in this country through empowerment by Government. I was given Z$23 million to buy tobacco. Out of the $45 million tobacco in this country, my company called Saltlakes controlled 4.5 million kilogrammes of tobacco. Zimbabwean tobacco is the best and you do not have to be told it is the best. There is no tobacco which is greater than blending Zimbabwe tobacco. We do not have to sell our tobacco. It is marketable but the people who can buy our tobacco are those with money. The Americans have said what they said but they will never leave Zimbabwean tobacco. So it is marketable. The Chinese have come; they have put in their money to tobacco. Iran must put their money into tobacco if they are serious and come up with a competitive pack and pay more to our farmers.
Hon. Mudarikwa is a renowned farmer, we want people who eat nyemba from Mutoko where it is grown and then we know we can supply them with nyemba. What is it that we are sending to Iran that will help this country? We were not told they will come and do this and that but they come here to just take our resources, to plunder our resources in the name of friendship, in the name of bilateral agreements. That must stop.
Chinese are sitting on trillions of USD but are not prepared to part with a million dollar cash. All these steel companies, what are we getting and people are saying the former President because he did not give them to the Chinese then he was wrong. He was right because he wanted to protect the interests of His people. Today, we have signed that contract with Manhize, what are we getting – these are emotional issues. People who fought for this country did not fight for this country to give our resources for nothing. They are turning in their graves, Joshua Nkomo, Herbert Chitepo, Robert Mugabe, Robson Manyika, Perrance Shiri, Tongogara, and Nikita Mangena. They fought for us for the economic emancipation, not for Members of Parliament to be poor, to be selling coupons. Why did they go to the struggle because we are mortgaging everything to these foreigners? We are a people who can only be independent if we control our resources.
So, people are busy clapping hands for Manhize, who is benefiting in Manhize? Chris Mutsvangwa? Did he go to the war on his war and did he even fight the war? We want to be honest about this. My father was involved in the struggle in ZIPRA in Zambia and our house was bombarded. He did not join the struggle so that other people can be plundering and looting.
Basic education for the children - where is it? No basic health. Where is the empowerment of our people? The poorest Members of Parliament in the world. Right now they are sitting here praying to get coupons to go home, how can we say we are liberated? They do not even know how they are going to get home. We need to be very honest in terms of these bilateral agreements, which ones are business and which are ones are not business.
You now have a situation where the bilateral agreement has come, how much does Zimbabwe owe today and who is going to pay for that? This is where you have a situation where we die and young people come and pee at our graves blaming us for selling the country. How are the youth going to pay the debts of this country when we are mortgaging the country like this?
We have a policy which says the resources in Matabeleland belong to the people of Matabeleland and they should benefit but today they are not benefiting. You wonder why in this country we are not united because another region is marginalized, they have nothing. They went through Gukurahundi, the only way you can compensate Gukurahundi is to be able to compensate from an infrastructural point view, from basic needs that they need and not money. Give them those good schools, good hospitals but today it seems we are still in a war situation because Harare Metropolitan is different from Matabeleland yet we are in one country.
We rush to sign bilateral agreements but not taking cognisance of your own bilateral relations within the provinces. There are no relations; it is just tribalism and nepotism only. Look at your own relations first before you look outside. Do not accuse other people that uyu anechinhu muziso iwe uyinacho. We need to be very honest.
This Parliament must not sign any of these bilateral agreements. In future you shall be labeled for selling the country. Right now we are in overdraft. This country was fought for; it was not given for free. Blood was shed. Even the graves of those who died in the war you have not repatriated them back home. What are their families and their spirits saying? This country is spiritual. At times even if we do good but we are just criticized, imhepo dzenyika, mhepo dzana Mbuya Nehanda.
Corruption is at its highest, forget about these bilateral agreements which increase corruption. Hon. Mudarikwa, you are a seasoned man who works hard; this thing invites corruption because you cannot control it. You are whipped, you do not say anything. How can you have a Chief Whip who goes to Pan African Parliament in search of money, baba vanosiya musha uchitambura? What is the Chief Whip doing at the PAP when the country is on fire?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Mliswa, may you stick to your debate.
HON. T. MLISWA: It is an example of the bilateral agreements talking about PAP. PAP is bilateral, they all run to PAP yet there is fire in the house. We must be able to stick to our own resources. We have got the best human capital, educated people. We are being told we must get expertise from Iran when Zimbabweans are all over the world excelling. MTN is run by Lawson Mupita; I was his rugby coach, the senior Vice Chairperson of Google, Janet Manyika, Senior Vice President of Google in Zimbabwe. Pfizer, the medical expert is a Zimbabwean, so we are not short of skills; we are short of opportunities for them to come back. Opportunities can be opened up if we open our resources to our people. We must have a policy to say there is no investment which will happen when a foreigner is coming alone; they must come with a Zimbabwean. In your own constituencies you are not even known by people out there. Ministers just come in to do deals with these investors when you are not even aware.
What benefits are all these countries bringing to constituencies, corporate social responsibilities – there is nothing yet Section 13 (4) of the Constitution is very clear. We do not need to tell them that local communities must benefit from the resources that belong to them. So, I am totally against these bilateral agreements from the business point of view. Let them remain social. We have enough agreements which we have not implemented and we have become a country which is good at drawing agreements and writing but with no implementation. Even in our budget that we pass here for 80 000 million dollars, you get a car for 50 000. So, how can you trust these leaders that we have today? Constituency Information Centres are not there, let us talk about our own things which will benefit our people, bilateral socially yes, but business, we have our own people who can take care of that. So, this country will be left with nothing.
The generation coming will take over all these assets and nationalize them. I pray for the young men and women of this country that when there are no more resources let them nationalize for our resources. We have mortgaged everything, what are they going to be left with at the end of the day? We need to have resources controlled, determined by us and no more bilateral agreements. These things have gone for next to nothing; today foreigners come and tell us pamakuva ababa vedu kuti hauna title deed, title deed remunhu mutema iguva ratateguru vake. Makuabata manje, mhepo ngadzisimuke mhepo kune vaye vaye vari kutengesa nyika.
HON. BITI: On a point of order. The Minister undertook to come and present a Ministerial Statement and she is now here.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Yes, I am aware.
HON. CHASI: I am going to be very brief. I want to thank Hon. W. Shamu for a very eloquently delivered report and also for a very successful and busy trip that was conducted by him and his team. I also want to thank Hon. Mliswa for his passionate plea and I want to pick up on some of the points that he has raised, in particular the points relating to execution and follow up on these trips. The report is multifaceted. The delegation clearly met very important sectors of...
HON. S. BANDA: Hon. Speaker, it looks like there is an Hon. Member of Parliament who is speaking unparliamentary language. Can you please tell Hon. Nyabani to withdraw his statement which he said “ndokurova” directed at Hon. Biti – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, order Hon. Members.
HON. CHASI: I just want to encourage both Parliament and the Executive to follow up – [HON. BITI: Akadhakwa nembanje dzekuMukumbura auya kuzotaura zvisina musoro muno.] –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Biti, please order.
HON. CHASI: I just want to encourage both Parliament and the Executive to follow up on the various outcomes of this report concerning the various sectors of the economy that the delegation – [HON. BITI: Inaudible interjection.] –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Biti, order please.
HON. CHASI: Mr. Speaker, I rest my case. I was going to be a bit more detailed but I will just encourage that we have follow ups on the various items that are very informative, some of which relate to supervision of the executive of Ministers, the capacity of Parliament there to impeach incompetence and that type of thing but the various industries that have been mentioned are very critical to us.
The issues coming out of this report should not just be mere talk shows. This is the point that I am grateful to Hon. Mliswa for raising that we must be strategic and programmatic in the way that we approach matters. What are the action items that we are going to carry through to ensure that this trip is fruitful? I am happy that the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs is here and that in their capacity in their own portfolio, they will help this House and the generality of Government to ensure we have follow ups on the many good things that come out of this report.
Of fundamental importance is that there are similarities between the two countries from the sanctions’ stand point but Iran has been able to move on and work on its own resources, empower itself and its people. I think that is a matter that we must really take very seriously to ensure that we do not allow the plundering of our own resources on the basis of what on paper appears to be commercial relationships which in essence are in fact social arrangements. We would like to see that our people benefit from the local resources and that those with whom we engage in commercial activities do not take us for a ride. It is our responsibility to the current and future generations to ensure that we are responsible in the manner in which we enter into agreements.
I think the point has also been made that there is a multiplicity of bilateral agreements and MOUs and so forth which have no follow through. Parliament must take its responsibility to ensure that we do not expend national resources going into formal arrangements which give us nothing at the end of the day. We ought to be very clear what sort of relationship we want to have with a particular country and for what reason. Our concern at the moment is to ensure that our economy is viable and that the litany of issues that we are facing on the economic front which can be dealt with if we follow through on the numerous agreements that we have will help to solve those problems. I thank you.
HON. SHAMU: Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. NDUNA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 19th July, 2022.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
PROCUREMENT OF FIRE TENDERS FROM BELARUS
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. CHOMBO): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for affording me the opportunity to present a few points about the procurement of fire tenders from Belarus. Mr. Speaker Sir, the Ministry takes note of the filtering news and questions asked in the public domain and Parliament around the procurement of fire tenders on behalf of local authorities by the Government of Zimbabwe. It is against this background that we have realised the need to clarify the bilateral agreement between the Government of Zimbabwe – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Nduna, order please.
HON. CHOMBO: Mr. Speaker Sir, the Ministry takes note of the filtering news and questions asked in the public domain and Parliament around the procurement of fire tenders on behalf of local authorities by the Government of Zimbabwe. It is against this background that we have realised the need to clarify the bilateral agreement between the Government of Zimbabwe and its local authorities and the Government of Belarus with respect to the procurement of fire tenders.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the Ministry would like to advise that adequate consultations were made with various stakeholders including local authorities and the Chief Fire Officers’ Forum of Zimbabwe who contributed as follows:
- Local authorities made a request to Government for the facilitation of international procurement of durable and affordable fire tenders and other emergency services.
- Submitted ideal specifications that suit the local operating environment which were forwarded to potential suppliers in Belarus.
- The Chief Fire Officers’ Forum approved the models and designs which they believed best suited their operations as they are fully equipped with the requisite technology.
Mr. Speaker Sir, in terms of disaster management, the prevalence of fire disaster incidences has destroyed lives and valuable property. Good examples include the Mpilo Hospital, Kwekwe General Hospital, Southampton House for Zimbabwe Republic Police in Bulawayo, Mutare bus accident and many other fire incidences in rural areas resulting from uncontrolled veld fires. Meanwhile, the Ministry has given instructions to sub-national structures of the civil protection systems in this country to carry out an inventory of all emergency services in order for us to come up with reinforcement skills to improve the coverage of the same. This is in line with provisions of Section 23 of the Civil Protection Act [Chapter 10:06] of 1989 in conjunction with the Urban Councils Act and Rural District Councils Act. Local authorities are mandated to protect lives and property at law to provide relief, response and recovery throughout the disaster management cycle.
Government of Zimbabwe entered into a bilateral agreement with the Belarusian Government for the supply of a variety of equipment. This was necessitated through the existing cordial bilateral relations between the two countries. Through the Government, a request for model equipment whose specifications are tailor-made to suit the local terrain was made by the local authorities. Physical visits were also made to Allied Timber premises who procured the same to ascertain the type of equipment the Ministry was procuring. On approval from the relevant stakeholders, Government facilitated the purchase and negotiated for staggered payment terms. The initial decision by Ministry was for the money for emergency services to be channelled through the department of Civil Protection. However, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development decided that the recapitalization of local authorities be supported through the devolution funds. The staggering of payments done using devolution funds and/or own funds provide relief to local authorities as they can spread their cash flow over a defined period of 12 months. It is within the confines of Government thrust to ensure that local authorities are fully capacitated for them to provide adequate and requisite municipal services which include emergency services.
In such instances where bi-lateral agreements are made, the role of Local Procurement Authorities does not apply. On this note, reference is made to the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act, Section 3 (2) (a).
Application of the Act
To the extent that this Act conflicts with an obligation of Zimbabwe under or arising out of any convention, treaty or agreement between Zimbabwe and one or more foreign states or governments.
The procurement procedure and cost benefit analysis
Submissions to the Ministry indicated that regional producers of such equipment have their prices pegged at around $500.000 plus as confirmed by the forum to the Ministry in some discussions. This is significantly higher than the price of $464.296 offered from Belarus. This total cost includes the truck, firefighting equipment and the requisite technology.
Compatibility of Equipment
The fire tenders from Belarus have been tailor-made to suit our local terrain with approved requisite specifications as per client local authorities’ request - hence, the efficiency and effectiveness of the equipment cannot be doubted.
Backup and support services
The package from the suppliers includes backup and support services, training of operators here in Zimbabwe and in Belarus. The Ministry is fully convinced that every procedure, consultations and engagements done in relation to this matter were above board given the priority to deal with fire related hazards in rural and urban communities.
Confidentiality of communication
I wish to point out that the habit of placing official communication on social media is unacceptable. When the Ministry sends circulars and letters to local authorities, who are a lower tier of the same Government, we expect professionalism and respect for basic confidentiality and the provisions of the Official Secrecy Act. The trend we are witnessing is not acceptable. I thank you.
HON. BITI: Hon. Speaker Sir, I want to thank the esteemed Minister of Local Government for her Ministerial Statement on the fire tender situation. Madam Speaker, I am concerned with the law. The law must be followed. The first thing that the Hon. Minister says is that the fire tenders were contracted as a result of a bi-lateral agreement between the Republic of Zimbabwe and Belarus. That agreement, according to the Minister’s Statement, imposes financial obligations on Zimbabwe. Any agreement, treaty or convention that imposes financial obligations on Zimbabwe must be approved by this Parliament in terms of Section 327 (3) of the Constitution. The approval Hon. Speaker Sir, if you read Section 327 (3) is prior approval. So, before you sign, you actually need the prior approval of Parliament for any agreement that imposes financial obligations on Zimbabwe. Certainly Hon. Speaker Sir, this Parliament did not approve this particular agreement. Therefore, it is completely null and void.
The second thing Hon. Speaker I have a problem with is that if she makes reference to an agreement, she must disclose to this House that agreement. So we request that the Hon. esteemed Minister lays before this House a copy of the agreement between the Government of Zimbabwe and the Government of Belarus or the companies in Belarus in respect of those fire tenders. I hope you will issue that directive.
The third thing Mr. Speaker Sir, relates to the use of devolution funds. Devolution funds do not belong to the Government. They belong to provincial governance, which are Mash Central, Mash East, Mat North, Mat South, Midlands, the two metropolitan provinces or Harare and Bulawayo. If you look at the Constitution, Government has no role other than as an allocating authority. Government of Zimbabwe and the Ministry of Finance cannot pay Belarus funds that do not belong to them. Those funds belong to local authorities and provincial governance.
Mr. Speaker Sir, we have been harping on this issue for a long time. Section 304 of the Constitution says an Act of Parliament must provide how devolution funds are to be distributed. That Act of Parliament is not there. Chapter 14 of the Constitution which deals with provincial and local governments says there must be an Act of Parliament to provide for the provincial structures of devolution. We have elections next year. The Constitution was enacted in 2013, almost ten years later that law is not there. People like Hon. Norman Markham who is here have been to court to compel the Minister of Local Government to come up with that law. The Minister said I will give you an Act within six months. Six months ended in March, 2021. We are now in July, 2022 and that Act is not there. On what basis are disbursements being made in the absence of these two laws? The one setting up the devolution structure in terms of Chapter 14 of the Constitution and the one providing for the distribution of finances by the Minister, the equitable allocation formula spoken of in terms of Section 304, another illegality.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I now come to the procurement. Section 274 of the Constitution says local authorities are run by those that are elected in council. That means the Minister of Local Government, Hon. July Moyo and his Deputy, Hon. Marian Chombo cannot run local authorities. They are run by those that elected them. That means that the decisions on procurement and policy on whether to build clinics, hospitals, to buy fire tenders or build schools lie essentially with local authorities. In this case, there is not a single local authority in Zimbabwe that said as a priority there is a desire for fire tankers. So the Ministry with its own ambitions, shall I say corrupt ambitions, has created demand and went and bought things that the local authorities then considered as a priority.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MUTOMBA): Hon. Biti, I think I have given you enough time.
HON. BITI: I am now concluding Mr. Speaker. So in the absence of resolutions by local authorities making a decision to purchase, the decision by the Government to acquire fire tenders is a nullity. Local authorities are procurement agents, so they are bound by the State Procurement Act. Sections 31 and 32 of the Procurement Act are very clear. The acquisition of any goods or services must be approved by the Procurement Board. Therefore, the acquisition of these fire tenders is illegal.
In conclusion, we cannot have a Ministry and a Minister that is now so hell-bent extracting and looting Zimbabwe. This fire tender is coming on the heels of the PomonaGate scandal. It is a shame Hon. Speaker and I hope that this House can resolve that Minister Chombo must reconsider her position. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members. This window that I have given you is for you to ask questions and raise points of clarification, not debating. I am sorry, maybe I am actually going to control the House but do not force me to do that. I do not enjoy it.
HON. MARKHAM: Thank you Hon. Speaker, good afternoon. Mine will be very simple practical points which I have a problem with. The first one is and I understand Hon. Biti has brought up the issue to the agreement - I see fire tenders have been bought as a priority above everything else like waste management, water and everything. I would like to see if the Minister could present to us the letters from all these councils asking for fire tenders?
My second question is; to what extent was PRAZ involved? Her statement is devoid of detail. The Minister mentioned stakeholders but only the fire people attended that one workshop and employees, what about the rest of us?
The other fact which the Minister must clarify for me, the amount of the loan is unknown to us, other than what we have seen on social media. However, we know from the Ministry of Finance that in April they started paying back this loan at $5.3 million a month. Every month this amount from our devolution funds is going to pay back these fire tenders. Where are they? The Minister also wrote to the councils on 12th June, 2022 where we had already paid back with our devolution funds three times. So by 12th June we had paid back almost $16 million of devolution funds and we only got it when we pay back that money. My question is; who is running the devolution funds? Hon. Biti has already said we do not have an Act.
I do not know of any Member of Parliament or councillor who was consulted on this deal. It is a mirror image of Pomona. The money is allocated by the Minister, and not even the Ministry. So if the Minister could answer that for me I will be most grateful.
My last thing which I would like to bring to the attention of this House, the first deal we first had with Belarus was on tractors, of which there was no back up. Right now we have fire tenders coming from Belarus, Hon. Mliswa here mentioned that we have a problem of not dealing with people we know of. We need...
*HON. NYABANI: On a point of order. Hon. Speaker, you said that we are supposed to ask questions but he is now debating. He should ask his questions so that we also have time to ask.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I think this is what I actually said before I gave you the opportunity. You seem to be explaining too much.
HON. MARKHAM: Okay. The issue is very simple - who is going to do the back up for this tender? Who is going to back up at the workshop for this tender? I have said it is parallel to Pomona. Thank you.
*HON. NYABANI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would like to know from the Minister, does it mean that all local authorities requested that there be fire extinguisher tenders? If you look at other local authorities especially in rural areas, what is important for them are riggers. In rural areas, for example in Rushinga, fire outbreak can happen after a long time, like two years. What is important is water. So does it mean that all our local authorities really want fire tenders? If possible we can ask them as to how important these are to them?
HON. CHIKWINYA: On a point of order Hon. Speaker. My point of order arises from the fact that Parliament has moved from paper trail to E-paper; from physical paper to E-paper. I submit that when Hon. Ministers come with Ministerial Statements, soon after presenting their Ministerial Statements, their workers should upload. Either they should give staff of Parliament who should then upload so that at least Members follow from their gadgets. We could hardly hear due to network issues. They can give a soft copy to Parliament staff who can upload then we can engage with them on factual matters.
HON. T. MLISWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question and points of clarity, the Minister alludes to Government to Government arrangement. When it is Government to Government arrangement, it is Government to Government, it is not Government to council. Councils have the right to twin with any council in the world. That is why there are twinning arrangements. When Government to Government arrangement is in place, it is Government that is responsible for that debt not the ratepayers. We must distinguish that because they are coming in with Government to Government, that is agreement between the Government of Zimbabwe and the Government of Belarus. The Government has the right to enter into an agreement with any Government on issues which they themselves use their money and not the ratepayers’ money. We must understand that first of all. Do not think we are stupid by saying Government to Government.
There is no agreement between the Zimbabwe Government and the local authorities to supply them with fire tenders. Where is the agreement? Do not tell us about these stupid organisations that you want to pick today, firemen, this that and so forth.
The point of clarity that I have is, what do those firemen have to do with them sitting down and so forth? The firemen work through certain structures. There are three tiers of Government. If there is a head of that fireman they report to the CEO of the Town Council who then reports to the full council and they make a resolution on that. We want to talk about institutions which have power. The councils themselves have got to resolve because power also devolves. We are now taking away the fact that power devolves. Where do the local authorities derive their power from constitutionally when Central Government is coming in? Where do the Provincial Councils derive their power? There are those three tiers of Government which must be respected at the end of day where any council or provincial resolution is respected. The issue which is critical is whether there was a request or resolution by these councils because they meet from time to time to say ‘Government can you go and procure for us?’
We want to know, do you have minutes because we do not want you to tell us things which are not written down which you are just making up. In finishing this, this issue at the end of the day is a burden on Government but because somebody got into this deal – we have got South Africa and other countries and there are other local authorities that have those fire tenders. The service delivery of the people is more important. People do not have water or health facilities and you are giving them fire tenders, what is more important?
The local authorities must determine their service delivery needs and not Central Government. Government gives the 5% and all it must do is to monitor and evaluate that 5%.
*HON PORUSINGAZI: My question to the Hon Minister is that the fire tenders she is talking about - are they all the same like a one-size-fits-all approach or you have considered the different needs of the councils? For example Chipinge Rural District Council, can it take a fire tender which is similar to Harare and Bulawayo? Did you also look at the capacity for making the repayments? From the resources that they have in Chipinge, can they match the capacity to pay back compared to Harare? Why did you not consider the different sizes of the towns, a small town getting a smaller vehicle? There is no need to have a fire tender with an 80- metre boom in some of these small towns which have no high rise buildings.
Lastly I also want to find out, the challenge that we have from the things that we import is that of spares. Are these fire tenders coming with the requisite spares which will enable us to service the vehicles? If people are trained to service these and the spare parts are not available, it is a challenge. I also want to know when these fire tenders will come through. In other towns they are experiencing a lot of fires, so I want to find out when these fire tenders will be coming through. I thank you.
HON. M. CHOMBO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for giving me the opportunity to make clarifications on some of the issues that were raised by the Hon. Members. First and foremost, I just want to reiterate that Zimbabwe is a unitary state and with three tiers of Government as you have mentioned, which are Central Government, Provincial and Local Authorities and the subsidiary law takes effect whereby the local authority is supposed to implement the programmes and policies of Government.
The request was from local authorities through their Chief of Fire whom we had meetings with – [AN HON MEMBER: She’s is lying].
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon Member on my left, she was listening while you were talking. Give her the opportunity to respond. Hon. Members, I do not enjoy your noise in this House, do not force me to send you out of the House.
HON. CHOMBO: The request for the agreement, we are going to look into it and request a day when we can present it to Parliament as per request. One Hon. Member raised the issue that we do not have the Devolution Act yet, but as I said yesterday it is within the Attorney General’s Office and as soon as it is finished it is going to be presented to Parliament.
The request for the fire tenders as I said was made through the fire officers and we have a list of the responses from the local authorities which you can also present to Parliament. You talked about the Procurement Act to say where there is a bilateral agreement that does not apply.
The designs and specifications were given by the chief fire officers.
HON. CHIKWINYA: On a point of order! Hon. Speaker, you gave one Member of Parliament a time to ask questions. The response from the Hon. Minister must be addressing a particular question to a particular Member of Parliament. So, we expected you to say to Hon. Biti these were issues and these are your answers, with Hon. Markham, these were issues and these are the answers. Otherwise to give a blanket response is not fair for Members of Parliament who asked different questions and expect different answers from the Hon. Minister.
So, the Minister was here taking notes, can she respond to each and every Member of Parliament stating their names as she gives responses. That is the parliamentary procedure.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you very much for that suggestion but you need to understand that I gave a chance to many Hon. Members to put their questions forward to the Minister. So, there were some other questions that were interlinking.
HON. CHOMBO: Thank you Hon. Speaker. As I was saying that were there is a bilateral agreement as pointed out by Hon. Biti, the Procurement Act does not apply.
Hon. Porusingazi asked about the specifications, if they were just general – the specifications were given by the chief officers and after consultations with their relevant local authorities. Hon. Porusingazi went on to ask if there are going to be backup training as we had problems previously with these bilateral agreements.
Definitely, in my presentation, I mentioned that there was going to be training and there was going to be backups and the training were going to be conducted locally here in Zimbabwe and also in Belarus. The equipment that we have proposed is already being used at Allied Timbers, so it is not something new that is going to be purchased in Zimbabwe. I think I have responded to all questions. If there are any that I have left out…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order! There is a question that was asked by Hon. Porusingazi which you did not address. The question was - are these machines different, the ones which come to Chipinge and the ones which are in Harare.
HON. MADZIMURE: On a point of order! Hon. Nduna said murungu uyu haana basa. It is being racist and it is not a laughing matter and being a racist means you are also going to be a tribalist. These are the same people who cause genocide. Can the Hon. Member withdraw paati murungu uyu haana basa.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I withdraw the statement that murungu uyu haana basa sezvaari.
HON. CHOMBO: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I did not pinpoint the Hon. Members but when I responded to Hon. Porusingazi’s question, if all the equipment was going to be the same, I thought I addressed Hon. Nyabani’s question. If all the fire tenders are going to come as one and I said we have specifications that are provided by local authorities through their chief officers. We have the response with us which we can also provide to the august House.
*HON. NYAMUDEZA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question to the Minister is that she mentioned that the machines are durable, which brand are the machines? Secondly, the Hon. Minister said Allied Timbers confirmed that these machines are strong, for how many years have they have been using this brand of equipment?
Lastly, in this region for example South Africa, if we are to buy a fire tanker in South Africa there is no need for someone to go South Africa and undergo training because it can just be brought and the driver can operate. I want to find the logic of acquiring these fire tankers from a far away country instead of within the region.
HON. MAHLANGU: It may sound as if we are attacking the Hon. Deputy Minister. I think it is high time Hon. Minister July Moyo should come and answer. I am a woman, it is unfair for me to attack another woman but I have no choice because July Moyo is always away.
Hon. Deputy Minister, may you kindly unveil to the House all the stakeholders that were present during the consultation. If you consulted communities, let us as Hon. Members know those communities that you consulted because I understand in each and everything that you are doing, especially in communities there are priorities. If there are communities who prioritised fire tenders, let it be known so that this House ihlaliseke because we are not happy about the way your Ministry is doing, no wonder why we end up saying it is more corrupt than any other Ministry.
*HON. MUCHENJE: I want to check with the Minister on the fire tenders that they have sought from Belarus. Firstly, you said you consulted councils and they requested the fire tenders that you are talking about. In rural areas, are they the ones who requested for the fire tenders because there are no road networks where these can ply? Can they request for these when the roads are in bad shape? How many rural councils requested for the fire tenders? The Minister mentioned that the fire tenders are the same throughout, are you saying that they are tailor-made even for the mountainous areas or dusty roads or they are only suited for urban areas? If you go to Manicaland, it is a mountainous area and Matebeleland the roads are sandy. We want to know if the vehicles are the same, can they be tailor-made to suit the different areas they will be operating in?
On training, when you engage in training you said some will be trained here and others in Belarus. Where will the money be coming from because our councils are facing financial challenges and even the communities are facing challenges in paying the utility bills? We notice that corruption is rife in the Ministry of Local Government.
(v)HON. MUSHORIWA: Firstly, may the Hon. Minister state the relevant statutes or the laws that permitted her Ministry to engage in that deal for fire tenders. Can the Hon. Minister in particular, advise us which section or law says that there was no need for procurement and competitive bids to be submitted? I would appreciate if the Minister could lay before Parliament the papers that she alluded to that she has papers from councils, the full minutes and resolutions of the various councils that requested for such fire engines. Tied to that, we would also want the Minister to confirm the month or the time that they made the first payment vis-a-vis the time that they wrote the letter to local authorities.
The Ministry of Finance told us that they started paying for the fire tenders four months earlier before that letter that was leaked in the social media which the Ministry directed local authorities. We want to find out from the Minister at which date or month did the first payment go out. Lastly, it is just to re-emphasise the need for that agreement. Can the Minister advise us what timeframe should Parliament expect for that agreement to be laid before Parliament?
HON. CHIKWINYA: My question to the Deputy Minister is; can she furnish Parliament with the fire fighting structure of each rural council? I know for certain that in urban local authorities they are there but can you furnish Parliament with the fire fighting structure to say there is a superintendent, foreman and the fire brigade to the extent that we then become convinced that surely where there is a structure there is need for a fire tender. Can she furnish Parliament with the resolutions of all the councils where they then sent their Chief Fire officers because the policy makers are councillors? So a worker cannot go and preside over a policy consultation?
Councillors should have made a resolution and sent their expert who is a Chief Fire Officer to be consulted by the Ministry. Can she furnish Parliament with resolutions of all local authorities where they resolved to send their Chief Fire officers for consultations with the Ministry so that we begin to link policy and implementation? Can the Hon. Minister respond to what extent they have satisfied the provisions of Section 299 of the Constitution which says “Parliament must monitor and oversee expenditure by the State and all Commissions and institutions and agencies at every level”?
So, devolution funds were given to the Ministry through a budget. The Ministry was a bit clever as they did not go and use the rate payers’ money from the rates. They went and used devolution funds but devolution funds were given to the Ministry by us as Parliament. We are the ones who are then supposed to give direction as to how they are supposed to be used in the absence of an Act of Parliament that actualises provincial governments. Can you then demonstrate to us as Parliament how you have satisfied the provisions of Section 299?
*HON. HWENDE: I want to know how many fire tenders have been procured so far, how much money has been paid and what is the balance? Can you explain what to us when you say the Ministry consulted Chief Fire Officers for them to procure those fire tenders yet there are village councils without fire officers? Who then did you consult? It is important for Parliament to understand who you consulted for you to be able to procure for Dotito? Who did you consult? As a Minister who looks into the issues of Local Government, there is no way you can engage in business without consulting the council. It is like having a maid making decisions on the sale of my property. Hon. Minister July Moyo should come to this House and meet us the representatives of the ratepayers because it is not surprising that we have been sold out because they are buying things that people do not want. My request is: you engage the Hon. Minister July Moyo to come to this House to respond to these questions.
*HON. MADZIMURE: Mr. Speaker Sir, the residents of the City of Harare are consulted in terms of the budget...
*HON. S. NYATHI: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir. I am requesting that the Hon. Member who debated previously should refer to the Minister as Hon. Minister July Moyo and not as July Moyo.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Your point of order has been noted. Thank you very much. Go ahead Hon. Madzimure.
*HON. MADZIMURE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I was saying that annually, the City of Harare, through its councillors engages citizens to hold consultations with their communities on what they want on their budget. Is there submission that requested for fire tenders? Secondly, if there is a bilateral between governments, do they consult the recipients of the agreement? Government was supposed to go to the local authorities. Hon. Chombo knows that local authority refers to councillors and top administration. Currently, in Harare there is one substantive Director for Health. There are no directors and it means that they have to go and pick those at the lowest level in administration so that the devolution funds that were supposed to be used for developing Harare are now being used to buy fire tenders.
Lastly, the fire tankers that they bought are too expensive, that is the truth of the matter. There is no such fire tanker that is needed in areas such as Checheche and Rutenga. The amount is too high. Can they justify the price of the fire tender that cost half a million? In their opinion as Government, did they see that tanker with its expensive nature that it was what we require in Zimbabwe? I thank you.
HON. GABBUZA: The Minister indicated that in the region they compared and the cheapest was $500 thousand in the region and yet Belarus was offering at $400 thousand. Belarus is a manufacturer and locally we do not have manufacturers. Did they compare with other manufacturers of fire tenders like Japan, France, et cetera because you cannot compare with SADC in the region where they do not manufacture, they also buy?
Secondly Mr. Speaker, it is the issue of suitability of Belarus equipment. Is the Minister aware that Hwange Colliery bought the same Belarus equipment and it never worked? Were we not guided accordingly in terms of quality because of the Belarus equipment which she said is very suitable?
Lastly, can the Minister indicate to this House the special specifications that were given to Belarus to manufacture? One would think that fire tenders are standard but what are those special specifications that are unique that they gave to Belarus?
*HON. HAMAUSWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question has been raised before but the Minister did not respond. As Members of Parliament, we are being sidelined by the Minister of Local Government on a number of issues. That is why we say if provincial councils were operational, we would put our contributions. We did not see any consultations in our constituencies on fire tenders. As we leave this place we are going to be asked by our communities. They actually say Parliament is the one that bought fire tenders but you are failing to provide us with clean water. Out there the public is not happy as to why fire tenders are being procured.
Secondly, when fire tenders are being bought, are there any statistics that are so compelling that have made the Government lose sleep over the fact that there have been so many fire outbreaks that require us to go and buy these fire tenders? Mr. Speaker, we presented water statistics but the fire statistics were not presented which now cost $500 thousand per fire tender. We need those statistics from the Minister and that should inform their decision.
My last question is that there is nothing that can be accepted by the Zimbabwean people except apologising for what has been done wrong. Hon. Biti said bilateral agreements that make Zimbabwe have financial obligations in other countries cannot be signed without having been approved by Parliament. The Minister said that the fire tender came into being because of the bilateral agreement. We do not want the Minister to defend because that was wrong. They made bilateral agreements based on an agreement that was not approved by Parliament. On the bilateral agreement between Zimbabwe and Belarus, is there provision that shows that the bilateral agreement will enable Zimbabwe to buy fire tenders? If it is not there, it means the Minister has not been honest with us. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
*HON. CHIKOMBO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Deputy Minister of Local Government, Hon. Chombo. My challenge with the Minister is that they are not following the Constitution. Everything that we do is guided by Section 2 of the Constitution. If you look at how they bought the fire tenders, they did not consult the people who have been elected into local authorities. Section 274 to 278 of the Constitution articulates the hierarchy of leadership in local authorities.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, can you please seek clarification.
*HON. CHIKOMBO: Hon. Speaker, I plead with you that you be patient. We were listening when the Hon. Minister was talking. The Ministry of Local Government is number one in disrespecting the Constitution. Firstly, they do not respect the local authorities and secondly, the Hon. Minister is saying the money to pay for the fire tenders is coming from devolution funds. She is aware that we do not have an Act that governs how devolution funds are used. Section 301 of the Constitution says that there should be an Act of Parliament concerning …
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, you are repeating what has already been said.
*HON. CHIKOMBO: We asked the same question yesterday and she said it will be presented today in the Statement.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: The Chair is guiding you.
*HON. CHIKOMBO: Thank you Hon. Chair for the correction. The Minister did not follow the Constitution. I do not know where you got the powers to buy fire tenders on behalf of local authorities without following the Public Procurement Act. Where did you get that power from? The other issue is: the local authorities that we are talking about do not have people who have the capacity to use fire tenders.
Lastly, what has been articulated in this House is that even if there is an agreement between this country and Belarus, Section 327 of the Constitution says that the agreements that are made are supposed to be ratified here in Parliament - all that has not been followed. That is why I said there is need to look at how the Constitution is being disrespected by the Minister of Local Government. Thank you Hon. Speaker.
HON. S. BANDA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for giving me this opportunity to seek a few clarifications from the Hon. Minister. My first point is just to commend Hon. Chombo. She is a very strong woman. What she is being made to pass through, I think Hon. July Moyo should come to this House and face the music on his own.
Secondly Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to understand; is there no law in this Parliament which allows us to arrest some Ministers? That one is for you Mr. Speaker Sir.
I want to go to the issue at hand. On 19th March, 2021, Eng. Mabhena Moyo said that council was failing to raise 68.000 pounds to facilitate delivery of fire tenders. Why did the Ministry not choose just to look for the 68.000 pounds to facilitate that delivery than for them to now come and say we are purchasing these fire tenders that are coming from anywhere and yet they are not coming from nowhere?
My other clarification is, did these councils go willy-nilly or they were forced to ask for the fire tenders. Lastly Mr. Speaker Sir, the fire tenders that are at our airports are top notch, all of them are from South Africa. Why did we not go again to South Africa to get them than to go to Belarus? Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
*HON. CHIMINA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I have a question to the Minister of Local Government. When she was giving her Statement, she said she consulted the Chief Fire Officers. How did she do that skipping the councilors who are elected officials and policy makers in councils?
The other issue that I have, I remember in 2019 the same Ministry ended up buying wrong pumps. For Gweru City Council, they bought agriculture irrigation pumps instead of dresser pump that was required. Is it not a repeat of what happened that year when they left out the elected councilors and they went ahead and bought wrong machinery? Council will be blamed on something that would have been done by the Ministry.
(v)*HON. SARUWAKA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. Firstly, I want the Minister to clarify on the issue of devolution funds. Devolution funds are not free funds. Secondly, fire tenders use water when putting out fires. We hear stories where fire tenders arrive at a place and there is no water to put out the fire. I want to find out the plans that they have so that water will be available for the fire tenders when they want to use them. Where are they going to get the water from? What plans do they have in place so that we have enough water to use in the fire tenders so that we put out fires? Lastly, is she aware that Belarus, despite that they are friends with the Executive, where we come from in the rural areas like in Mutasa, Belarus is not in good books with the locals in Mutasa because of the mining activities. So I do not know the relationship between them and Belarus, where their relationship is coming from because out there there are no good relations. I thank you.
HON. CHOMBO: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I would like to thank the Hon. Members for their contributions. I will start by Hon. Nyamudeza, he asked about the brand of the machine we are buying. Also, when they are going to deliver the machine and why we sourced from Belarus? The machine we are buying is TLF Magirus from Belarus. I do not know when they are going to deliver the machine. Why we bought from Belarus, we all know that Zimbabwe is under sanctions. For us to source foreign currency to procure what we want is not easy. So we take advantage of the friendship that we have with other nations and acquire what we want in order to re-equip our local authorities.
Hon. Mahlangu stated that she would want us to avail the list of the participants who responded. Also, to state to what level we did the consultations. I had said that before that we are going to make the list available to Parliament. Then Hon. Muchenje said she needs to know the rural local authorities, who responded. The same - we are going to make the list available. You also asked if the type of equipment is the same or it is made special for the areas. As I said, the Chief Officers gave us specifications. These fire tenders are specially made for the terrain of our country.
About the training, there is training that is going to be offered to those who are going to work with this equipment. The training will be done here locally and also in Belarus. Somebody was using Hon. Saruwaka’s gadget, I just picked the name from the gadget but I discovered that he also asked the last question. He wanted to know why we are not using the Procurement Act. As I said before that there was a bilateral agreement and it supersedes the procurement. You also requested the full list of those who participated, which I said we are going to provide. You also wanted to know the first month of payment that was done by the Ministry of Finance. I am not privy to the exact date when it was done. I will check with the relevant Ministry and make the information available. Also, you wanted to know about the agreement and when it was entered into. I will also try to avail that one. I have not been privy to it but I will look for it and make it available to Parliament.
Hon. Chikwinya wanted me to furnish Parliament with the structure of the fire on the ground. That one, I will avail the structure also to Parliament and see who is holding what position in the different local authorities. You also want me to furnish Parliament with the resolutions of all the local authorities and when the resolutions were entered into. I will also provide that but I made it clear that these resolutions from the local authorities came through the fire officers.
Hon. Hwende wanted to know how many have been purchased and how much is outstanding. Also if we say Chief Officers, we list them, those who participated and I will provide the requested information.
Hon. Madzimure, you said in Harare there are consultations that are done. On the consultations that were presented to Local Government, were they any that requested for fire tender? As I said, the consultations were done. For sure you know when people do the budgets initially you can see that there was request for fire tenders although they were not prioritised. We prioritise other areas but when we got this bilateral agreement and saw that there were fire tenders we grabbed the opportunity and went on and consulted the relevant local authorities. You then said the fire tenders are expensive, we should compare with others. I have a comparison here RT Rosenbauer US$518 000, TLF Magirus is US$468 800, HLF20 Zingman is US$499 000 and the ALF20 Sherman is US$474 300. The one that was recommended is going for US$10 000 less than what is currently the market value.
On the suitability of equipment, as I said, the Allied Timbers have one like that and we made visits to go and see and we are convinced it works because it is working at Allied Timbers. When we have fires in that area they are the ones who come and assist within Manicaland. So we have one has been proven.
Hon. Hamauswa said that people at home are complaining why we are getting fire tenders. We go to the level that we can go to. If the local authorities come with a request, we say to ourselves they have consulted their relevant wards. We are convinced that the consultations were done on the ground.
One Hon. Member asked whether there are statistics that force us to see it fit to acquire fire tenders - statistics are there. When I was giving my presentation, I stated the fires that we have not been able to contain that we experienced within the last ten months. So statistics are there and they speak for themselves.
Hon. Hamauswa went on to say that it is onerous for one to apologise and truly speaking, we have followed the procedure and I do not see any reason why we should even get to that.
Hon. Chikombo said that we are not following the Constitution; as I said before, the transactions were above board and we consulted the local authorities through the fire officers. On whether we violated the Public Procurement Act, I said where there is a bilateral agreement, it supersedes that. Also there was a request on whether they will be trained, we said yes, they will be trained locally and…
*HON. MUTSEYAMI: On a point of order. I hear what the Deputy Minister is telling us. I want to encourage the Deputy Minister to tell us what was asked and not answer as if we are joking. I know she has a lot of pressure because Hon. July Moyo could not come in person. If she cannot answer satisfactorily, I wish she could leave that to the Hon. Minister himself and we know that nothing was done today - [HON ZWIZWAI: Varikunyepa.] -
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: May Hon. Zwizwai withdraw that statement.
HON. ZWIZWAI: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. I abide by your ruling that I should withdraw that the Hon Deputy Minister is lying to the nation on behalf of Minister July Moyo on thievery issues and I duly withdraw. I thank you.
HON. CHOMBO: Hon. Banda raised the issue that the Town Clerk for Harare for requested for US$68 000 for fire tenders for Harare and why we did not just make sure that we provide that in cash, rather than going into these tenders. As I said before, we are operating within an environment that is not friendly to us due to sanctions. We cannot avail the US$68 000 at one time. We have to do it through the facilities that are availed to us through these kinds of arrangements.
HON. HWENDE: On a point of order. With all due respect, I think today has been a waste of time because all the questions that we have asked are not being answered to our satisfaction because clearly the Minister is not well equipped to answer these questions. We are tired of people that come here and use sanctions as an excuse
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, your point of order is out of order.
HON HWENDE: My point of order is that we cannot sit here and listen to lies about sanctions.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, your point of order is out of order.
HON. HWENDE: But you did not listen to my point.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: That is my ruling.
HON HWENDE: Havagone kuuya vachitaura kuti ma sanctions. Ma sanctions arikukanganisa papi?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: You do not have to argue with me.
HON. HWENDE: They have money yavarikutora in US dollar kunyika kwavari kutenga. Saka ma sanctions apinda papi?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I do not want to send you out.
HON HWENDE: Kana tauya pano hatigone kutamba nevanhu vakatisarudza tichiudzwa zvinhu zvinoita kuti tisagone kuenda kunotsanangura.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: May you leave the House?
HON HWENDE: No, you cannot chase people everyday
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I have made a ruling. You are out of order.
HON. HWENDE: I must be here, I am allowed to ask questions on behalf of my constituency, you cannot chase me away everyday – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – What kind of Parliament is this?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I have made a ruling Hon. Member.
HON. HWENDE: You are number 157 on the corruption index, we are supposed to fight corruption. With due respect, you cannot chase me away every day. I have a right to be in this Parliament, to ask questions on behalf of the people of Kuwadzana who elected me. I did not come here on my own, I was elected through a national election.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I have made a ruling.
HON. HWENDE: But you cannot chase me away forever, I cannot come here every day and you expel me. This is not fair.
HON. HAMAUSWA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I am not entertaining that – [AN HON. MEMBER: Saka ichiri Parliament here iyi? Chisarai mega muchitaura mega. I am going because hamungaiti zvekupota muchidzinga vanhu.] – [AN HON. MEMBER: Endai, get away] –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members.
HON. CHOMBO: Hon. Banda also asked if fire tenders at the Airport are from South Africa, why not go and buy from South Africa. The ones that were tested and proven were the ones that we got from Belarus and as I said we saw it work through the Allied Timber one that we visited. That is why we thought it wise to go for the same one, like that because it is something we know.
Hon. Chimina asked why we must not consult the elected officials and why not get specifications. As I said we consulted throughout the forum and also the specifications were supplied to us through the forum, so chances of us getting something that is not ideal for the terrain are very slim.
Hon. Saruwaka said that fire tenders need water once arrangement to provide water is available. Is Belarus relations sound? We need fire tenders; of course we have resolved some of the problems of water. There is a programme that was brought by His Excellency the President whereby every village is having a borehole sunk. You have seen all over the country borehole drilling going on and water is being made available through Gwayi- Shangani. You can see that the Government is making efforts to make sure that it addresses the water situation, hence we saw it prudent that we also go for the fire tenders.
About the Belarus Zimbabwean relations, I do not think I will be able to comment on that, it is outside my jurisdiction. I thank you.
(v)HON. MACHINGAUTA: Thank you Mr. Speaker, I need clarification on two sections of the Constitution, whether the Minister is aware of them. The first one is Chapter I (2) which says “Supremacy of the Constitution - This Constitution is the supreme law of Zimbabwe and any law, practice, custom or conduct inconsistent with it is invalid to the extent of the inconsistency”. Section 2 says “The obligations imposed by this Constitution are binding on every person, natural or juristic, including the State and all executive, legislative and judicial institutions and agencies of Government at every level, and must be fulfilled by them”.
Chapter 14, Section 276 states that, “Functions of Local Authorities - section 1, subject to this Constitution and any act of Parliament, a local authority has the right to govern, on its own initiative, the local affairs of the people within the area for which it has been established, and has all the powers necessary for it to do so”. So Hon. Minister, I do not know whether you have come across these two sections which allow the local authorities and the people of Zimbabwe to decide. You did recentralization which is the opposite of what the Constitution says because the Constitution is saying that no one must go against this.
The Hon. Minister knows that the local authorities and the people of Zimbabwe have the power to refuse to accept unlawful procedures like what they did to force them. These are some of the things to consider when looking at devolution funds.
HON. CHIKOMBO: Mr. Speaker Sir, I have very few remarks and submissions to make in following up what she has just alluded to. The first thing that I am concerned with…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Chikombo you need to be guided that you need to ask questions or raise points of clarification and not debate.
HON. CHIKOMBO: Of course I will do that. In her submission, she made a statement to the effect that the reason they decided not to go with the requirement of the Constitution is because of the bi-lateral agreement that exists between the two countries. I have to remind the Minister of Section 327 of our Constitution on International conventions, treaties and agreements, subsection (2), which reads as follows, “Any international treaty which has been concluded or executed by the President or under the President’s authority (a) “does not bind Zimbabwe until it has been approved by Parliament…”. In this regard, the bi-lateral agreement was not approved by this House, meaning to say they are not standing on a strong legal position. So this deal is a nullity, we now need to chat a way forward in terms of what must be done under the circumstances, now that the Ministry is operating without the confines of the law. That is my intervention. They went further to disregard the requirement of the Urban Councils Act and the Rural District Councils Act.
The Ministry is very aware who the leadership is in these local authorities but flagrantly, the Ministry decided to ignore the requirement of the Urban Councils Act and the requirements of the Rural District Councils Act. You can say you have satisfied all the requirements of the law in terms of law making as far as the local authorities are concerned that will have engaged fire tenders operators. That process of consultation of course is important in a democratic society, however there are stipulated procedures like that a council is supposed to sit down and make a resolution to the effect that there is no resolution from this local authority. She is simply saying we did everything that we did because we were guided by the bilateral agreement which is against the spirit of section 327 of the Constitution. So, my humble submission is, this deal is a nullity and it does not stand a legal force.
HON. HAMAUSWA: Mr. Speaker, when the Minister responded, she did not answer the question which I asked that within the bilateral agreement, are there any provisions which state that Zimbabwe shall meet the contents or agreement by purchasing fire tenders from Belarus because the Minister is saying their decision was guided by this bilateral agreement. Can the Minister state in this House because we may have to approach the courts on whether we do have such an agreement called a bilateral agreement between Zimbabwe and Belarus? I suspect that there is no such agreement. I want the Minister to categorically state to this House because they are doing this under oath to say do we have such a document called a bilateral agreement between Zimbabwe and Belarus.
HON. CHOMBO: Thank you for awarding me this opportunity again to make some clarifications. As I said, the request from Hon. Machingauta that we did not consult and chose for the local authorities, I reiterate again that we consulted the local authorities through the forum. So, that one is null and void. We consulted as a Ministry.
Hon. Chikombo, I did not say we did not follow the Constitution but I said the procurement was overtaken by the agreement that we have between Belarus and Zimbabwe. You were querying why we engaged the forum. This one is a technical field and as such, the local authorities saw it fit for them to give us the specifications of the fire tenders.
Hon. Hamauswa, for sure there is a bilateral agreement and that one comes with other equipment. I think one of the Hon. Members mentioned about the issue of tractors that we got from Belarus. I would not want to delve more because it is not within my line Ministry but that bilateral agreement between Zimbabwe and Belarus is in existence. I thank you.
(v)HON. MARKHAM: The point that Hon. Banda brought about US$68 000 to pay for five fire tenders, in fact I believe they were from the United Kingdom. There has been a history in all councils and people have constantly supplied tenders to us with the cost of transport being met by councils. There is no sanctions issue on paying the US$68 000. If you look at City of Harare, it would rather have five fire tenders for US$68 000 than pay off this massive debt. Can the Minister confirm that the council was offered the option?
HON. CHOMBO: I will have to go and check if they were offered that option. Thank you.
On the motion of HON. MUTAMBISI, seconded by HON. TEMBO, the House adjourned at Twenty-Eight Minutes to Six o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 13 July 2022.
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
APOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM MINISTERS
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have a list of Ministers and Deputy Ministers who have sought leave of absence from the House: the Hon. C. D. G. N. Chiwenga, Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care; Hon. O. C. Z. Muchinguri-Kashiri, Minister for Defence and War Veterans Affairs; Hon. Prof. A. Murwira, Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development; Hon. W. Chitando, Minister of Mines and Mining Development; Hon. Prof. M. Ncube, Minister of Finance and Economic Development; Hon. Dr. E. Ndlovu, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education; Hon. A. Masuka, Minister for Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement; Hon. Dr. F. Shava, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
HON. T. MLISWA: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order Hon. Mliswa?
HON. T. MLISWA: Good afternoon to you Madam Speaker. You have just gone through the list, there are also Deputy Ministers who are not here and even the Leader of Government Business is also not here, unless there is somebody who is taking over. There are a number of Deputy Ministers who seem to have been taught bad habits by their superiors in not coming to Parliament and not respecting this institution. We keep saying this and I think it is important that those who are here share with their peers at the end of the day that they must respect this institution. We respect the Executive and the Judiciary but we seem not to be respected. Not only that, I also want to bring the aspect of how we are not respected. Last time the Commercial Court was being opened by the President, Madam Speaker was standing for the Speaker and she was not recognised - yet when we are here we recognise the Judiciary and the Executive. She was sitting out there yet she was occupying the seat of the Speaker. I had to go and talk to them but here is the Speaker of Parliament sitting mumhomho, mupovho - yet we respect them. That has continued and it must stop because it is not them as individuals that need to be respected but it is the Office that must be respected. It is the Office of Members of Parliament that has to be respected because that is the will of the people. I do not know at what point they will be cultured, some of them are arrogant, stubborn, and incompetent and do not have the courtesy to send in an apology. That does not augur well with us wanting to achieve the 2030 middle income status. It is a let-down to His Excellency. Unfortunately, he is not here; we practice oversight and the message must be clear to His Excellency that he does not have Ministers who stand for him. They are there for other business.
Hon. July Moyo is not here to respond but is busy writing letters to the local authorities so that money comes out. His job now is to write letters wanting money. How can a Minister be a debt collector? He is not here to answer issues of all the deals that he is doing. The Government is a lawyer, the Attorney-General and the Minister is a lawyer, why is it the lawyer is writing a letter? To us, they are bent on reducing and denigrating His Excellency’s name and they must be brought to book once and for all. I will not waste much of your time but I have gotten the point home, especially Hon. July Moyo. Where is he? He is seen writing letters left, right and centre wanting a 10% commission. He has been paid. Ndozvinonetsa kana wadya mari dzevanhu. Haurari usiku nekuti unenge uchingonyora matsamba uchirotomoka. He must come and answer on why he is writing letters when he is not a debt collector.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Mliswa. The issue of Ministers and Deputy Ministers who are not yet here, I think we must give them some few minutes. I think they are on their way, they will be here soon. I just hope so.
HON. BITI: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I rise on a question of national interest. The cost of living has risen, inflation is now 430%. In the shops there are now goods that are being charged exclusively in USD. Cooking oil, sugar and other commodities - retailers are refusing to accept ZWL. Therefore, I am respectfully asking the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to give a Ministerial Statement on the rising inflation, the exchange rate which is now 1: 800 and the continued arbitrage. Madam Speaker, in that Ministerial Statement, may the Minister of Finance and Economic Development also explain the logic of gold coins. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Biti, I think the Deputy Minister of Finance is here, he has taken note of what you have said –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
HON. T. MLISWA: On a point of order! My point of order is that of the various noises which are being made by Members of Parliament. I think we must have respect for each other or else we reduce this Parliament into being a beer hall. I do not think some of us are prepared to do that.
First of all, you seem not to respect the Hon. Deputy Speaker here; when the procession came into the House, Members of Parliament were making noise. Now, the Hon. Deputy Speaker is in the Chair and you are still making noise. As much as you might not like some of your colleagues, I do not think it is necessary to call them vatengesi because when one fires back again, it is a pity that it is not me that you are calling mutengesi - otherwise I would also fire back even harder.
May we respect this House; if you really want to talk, go outside and talk? You cannot disrespect the Hon. Deputy Speaker because she is a woman. We must respect the position that she has, musha mukadzi. I kindly ask all the vaera Shumba in this House and all those from my clan to respect the women like we do to our own wives.
HON. NDUNA: My point of national interest borders on our role as Parliamentarians: oversight, representative and legislative. Our Constitution left it open ended in terms of alignment, the representative role speaks to infrastructure development, roads and also housing infrastructure development, provision of water and a good robust resilient sewer reticulation system.
The last one of the representative role is actually being repudiated because we have not been able to address the housing infrastructure backlog-. The last time in the Eighth Parliament, it was standing nearly at five million households. In my constituency, it stands at 35 000 households, that has not moved down an inch.
My point of priviledge speaks about the request of having the Minister of Local Government and Public Works to have a joint ministerial statement with the Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities in order that they speak to Section 72 (7) (c) of the Constitution that says, ‘The people of Zimbabwe should be enabled to assert their right to land, which land was taken without compensation from their forefathers. How has this evolved and developed in the agricultural sector, the A1 and the A2 are getting land for free…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, remember that it has to be one minute only.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Madam Speaker, I am concluding. The 10 hectares in the A1 field translates to ten hundred thousand square metres in the urban society. We have not done anything for the people in the urban sector in that we are selling to them at a rate of $25 per square metre, 25 million USD, the land that we have given to the A1 farmers for free. This land which has been given to the urbanites and the local authorities is for urban expansion.
I ask that Section 205 (1) (c) of the Urban Councils Act which is here, I request that it be transcribed by the Hansard and it be aligned to the 72 (7) (c) of the Constitution, in particular also section 152 (7) (a) of the Urban Councils Act should also be aligned to the Constitution so that people can get the land for free and also just paying for housing infrastructure development.
The issue of insanity is doing something over and over again, the solo way all the time and expecting a different result. Madam Speaker Maam, we need to have a paradigm shift in so far as it relates to urban housing infrastructure development, in particular in Chegutu. There is ubiquitous amount of land that if given to the President and also that it gets to be given to the people for free so that they can develop and that they can develop their housing in a robust, resilient, effective and efficient housing infrastructure development.
So my clarion call is for a Ministerial Statement so that we can effectively interrogate the issue of housing infrastructure development, otherwise we have revoked the representative role.
HON. MADZIMURE: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question of national interest speaks to the issue of the duty to respect fundamental human rights and freedoms.
Madam Speaker, the State and every person including the institution and also agencies of the Government and every level must respect, protect, promote and fulfill the rights and freedom set out in Chapter 4, of the Constitution. Of late, we have seen a number of Government institutions and even the courts themselves failing to protect the human rights and freedoms. This normally is evident when …
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Remember, it has to be one minute only.
HON. MADZIMURE: Madam Speaker, I think the Chair is only the Chair to preside over this House in a fair manner, if we are not allowed to raise issues…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You are now wasting your time, remember it has to be one minute.
HON. MADZIMURE: Madam Speaker, there has been a general deliberate way of making sure that the law is applied selectively. For instance, we have seen Hon. Members of Parliament in this House being leg-ironed into the courts for issues like even re-twitting a message. Of all those people who have been incarcerated in that manner, not a single one has been convicted. A number of MPs are detained at Chikurubi whilst on remand when there is a Remand Prison for an issue or a matter that is not near anything like murder or armed robbery. Even the person who killed Moreblessing Ali is detained today at Central Remand Prison. He is not at Chikurubi but someone who is accused of having said mabhonzo aBlessing achamuka is at Chikurubi. More-so, an Hon. Member of Parliament has been treated worse than a common criminal. Is it now lawful that the law is applied selectively, deliberately – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible audible interjections.] - My point of order is that the Hon. Minister of Justice must come here and give a Ministerial Statement why there is selective application...
HON. KARUMAZONDO: My point of order is that the Hon. Member cannot debate matters that are before the courts – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
Hon. S. Banda, Hon. Mukapiko and Hon. Chiminya having been standing and interjecting:
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: May the three Hon. Members who are standing please go out! – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – The three of you, please leave the House! Do not sit down but leave the House! – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – No, go out the three of you – [HON. BANDA: This is for the people who are at Chikurubi for no reason.] – Please, leave the House the three of you!
HON. KARUMAZONDO: Thank you Madam Speaker. You know it is very unfortunate to be opposition, maybe I wanted to support.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order!
HON. KARUMAZONDO: My point of order is that the Hon. Member cannot debate the issues that are before the courts.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Madzimure, we cannot discuss issues which are before the courts.
HON. MADZIMURE: We are not debating the matter before the courts. My issue is on the treatment of Members of Parliament who are incarcerated, including those who are here like him...
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Madzimure, I advise you to raise a question to the responsible Minister. Please, take your seat.
Hon. Gonese having stood up on a point of clarity:
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Please take your seat. I am not going to allow anymore points of clarification. Please take your seat.
HON. GONESE: It is not a new issue and I think it is within my right. I believe Madam Speaker that you should give me audience first and listen to me...
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: We cannot continue with...
HON. GONESE: No, no we are not continuing. I am not raising a new issue but I am seeking clarification on the ruling that you have made. Yes, if you can allow me Madam Speaker. A matter of national interest has been raised in this august House and I believe that you have to give me audience first and listen to what I want to articulate. You cannot just say no, we have had enough...
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: We cannot continue doing that Hon. Member. I have made a ruling, so you cannot seek clarification over my – [HON.GONESE: That is why I am seeking clarification. I am seeking to have an understanding on that point. I am not questioning your ruling Madam Speaker. I am not challenging your ruling but it is my entitlement as a Member of Parliament to have an understanding on the issue which was raised.] – I advised the Hon. Member to raise a question – [HON. GONESE: Yes, I am simply seeking clarification. You are not even giving me an opportunity to articulate where I need clarification.] – You are not allowed to challenge my ruling – [HON. GONESE: I am not challenging your ruling but seeking clarification. Who said I am challenging your ruling Madam Speaker? I have simply asked if I can have some clarification because you have made a ruling on the basis that a matter is subjudice and I wanted to seek clarification on what...] – I advised him to raise a question – [HON. GONESE: Yes, but I am also a Member of this House and I was listening and I am seeking clarification on a point which you have not even allowed me. You are not even listening to me and I have not challenged your ruling. I have stood and I was very clear it is a point for clarification, yes.]-
HON. GONESE: Madam Speaker, I just wanted to seek clarity. When a matter is raised and it is a general principle about the upholding of the Constitution, when Hon. Madzimure stood, my understanding was that he was raising a general principle regarding the upholding of the Constitution. The entitlement to the fundamental human rights which are enshrined in Chapter 4 of our Constitution and what I just seek to be enlightened on is that if a general principle is heard and is speaking to institutions of Government, the Judiciary is part of those institutions and as a general principle, there is a remand prison. I am not talking about a specific matter but I am simply talking about the general principle that you have got a remand prison and a maximum prison. My understanding is that people who are facing charges or have not been convicted are generally remanded in that institution which is called the Harare Remand Prison. If our institutions which are supposed to uphold the Constitution are remanding some accused person in a maximum prison which is not meant for remand, is that not an issue which we as an institution should take note of? This is where I just wanted to understand your ruling when you are saying the question must be directed to the relevant Minister because I believe that as the Chair of this august institution, it is important to have an interrogation of that principle which is being violated which I understood Hon. Madzimure to be alluding to. That is where I wanted that clarification from you as the Speaker presiding over and we may also need a Ministerial Statement without having to ask the Minister. I would have expected the Hon. Chair to ask the Hon. Minister responsible for the administration of justice to come and issue a statement on why we are having accused persons being remanded in maximum prison instead of a remand prison.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: That is why I advised Hon. Madzimure to ask a question to the responsible Minister.
HON. GONESE: It is more fundamental than that Madam Speaker, which is why if a fundamental issue has been raised you can then direct...
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: That is my ruling and you cannot challenge my ruling. Please take your seat – [HON. GONESE: I am not challenging your ruling but the Chair can then direct the Minister to respond, which I would have expected. Is it not neater to...] – I will not allow you to continue doing that. Please take your seat.
HON. T. MLISWA. Just on point of clarity, Hon. Madzimure said that Hon. Members who are castrated - I am not castrated. I think he wanted to say incarcerated. I needed to make that very clear that I am not castrated. I think he wanted to use the word incarceration. It is important he corrects that for the Hansard because the whole nation will think that we are castrated, yet we are not castrated. May he just correct that and use the word incarceration than castrated. Thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you for that, I am sure the Hansard will capture the right word.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
HON. MARKHAM: On a point of order Madam Speaker. You recognised me yesterday and you said I would state my point of privilege today and I specifically asked if it could be followed but I have been left out.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Markham, we are supposed to take only three. You will get your chance tomorrow or next week.
HON. MARKHAM: Madam Speaker, I have learnt from the Chair that tomorrow never comes. Yesterday you specially mentioned four people and I was the third but today I am suddenly the fourth and I am ignored.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am sorry I will give you time tomorrow.
HON. MARKHAM: Madam Speaker, that is what you said yesterday.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Please, may you take your seat. I will give you time tomorrow.
HON. MARKHAM: I will take my seat Madam Speaker, as long as Hansard captures it correctly. Thank you.
HON. MUSAKWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. What is the policy position on bridging financing of schools whose enrolment is 80% or 90% funded by BEAM, considering that these funds take long to be disbursed and schools have challenges in financing their requirements?
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Madam Speaker. With your indulgence, may I humbly request the Hon. Member, Pastor Musakwa to go through the question again? Thank you.
HON. MUSAKWA: Thank you. I was saying what is the Government policy position on providing bridging finance to schools whose enrolment is 80% or 90% and even 100% funded by BEAM, considering that these funds take long to be released and schools are incapacitated at the beginning of the year until September, October when the BEAM is released? They have no funding to finance their activities. For instance in my constituency, I have got schools like Bikita, Masunda, Mashavhi, Ngwedyere and many others. So I need to know the policy position in relation to making sure that these schools function normally. Thank you.
HON. MHONA: Thank you Madam Speaker. Let me also thank Hon. Pastor Musakwa for the question. The Hon. Member has raised a pertinent question. The issue to do with funding of schools has been happening across where funds from BEAM were taking time to come through. However, let me hasten to say to the august House, as we perform our oversight role, soon after the budget allocations, it is also imperative upon us to make sure that the Ministry gets the allocation so that they then channel the funds, release and disburse accordingly. I urge the Hon. Members also to push and it is the Government policy to make sure that whenever funds are allocated, they must be disbursed. If you find that there are delays, let us also come into play together with the Ministry so that we support that the Bill comes through faster. I thank you.
HON. MAHLANGU: Thank you Madam Speaker. My supplementary question is; most of the schools applied for BEAM using term one budget. Already, if you have not paid those fees for term one, we are now going to term 3, who is going to pay the difference? Looking at it, let us say the school fees were 20 dollars and right now it is 100, who is going to pay the difference because it was pegged at 20 dollars?
HON. MHONA: Thank you Hon. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the Hon. Member for that important follow up question. When it comes to the issues to support the budgetary items, like I alluded to earlier on to say this question should have been brought before this august House, to say as we are now nearing the half year end, we have seen what we have allocated to various ministries not being disbursed. What is the Government doing? It is also a humble plea to my fellow colleagues to say besides the Government, we have oversight role that we must exercise - we do not need to wait until such a time when we come here and ask questions. Even if funding is not provided, the Government is supposed to meet in full what has been outstanding. So I assure the Hon. Members that those that have been outstanding in terms of the payments, the Government is supposed to pay as agreed on the BEAM structure.
HON. T. MLISWA: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. T. MLISWA: This is a very important question which touches on the entire country from a budgetary point of view. This question must be directed to the Minister of Finance as to why the Ministry disburses funds late. That is the whole essence of it; we can dodge around and say a lot, we pass the budget here and this august House does it timeously burning midnight candles but the money is disbursed late. I think if the Ministry of Finance can respond to that because that is Treasury but when it comes to money for corrupt activities like devolution, fire tenders, the money is released quickly yet for what you have budgeted for, it is not released. For us to get proper answers, may this question be directed to the Minister of Finance? Why does the Ministry disburse money late? How come there is no supplementary budget which comes in, in spite of the inflation because there is no way you can run this economy by not having a supplementary budget when there is inflation. You will be totally crazy to think that the money we pass here and the inflation which is rising would sustain any Ministry and the economy is totally wrong from a mathematical point of view and economic point of view. So, what sort of economics are you doing when prices are going up, yet you are not adjusting and not coming up with a supplementary budget? That is why it should go to the Ministry of Finance, ndovanehomwe yacho ava.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHIDUWA): Thank you Madam Speaker and I thank the Hon. Member for the question. These are relevant and pertinent questions that are dealing with the disbursement of budgeted funds and also to ensure that whenever we provide social protection, it is not just on paper; protection which is budgeted for and released.
I would want to mention that with regards to BEAM, when we started the first term of the year, the disbursement was very timely. I think it is important for the Hon. Members who raised the issue with regard to these disbursements; the first term the disbursement was very timely and it is one of the first social protection funds that we released early, around February.
With regards to outstanding fees, I think this is an issue of principle. Where we have committed ourselves to say we are going to pay, we are going to pay and if there are any schools where the disbursements have not been done, I think it may also be a question of the submission of requests to Ministry of Finance. With regards to how the funds are released, we first of all deal with a request which is coming from the responsible Ministry. After the request, we do a budget release and when the budget release is done, we do a pay run and when the pay run is done then we do cash release. We can only do the budget release when there is a request. Why is it like that - it is because as a Government, the moment we are running a cash budget we only release when there is cash. So if there are any late disbursements, it is probably because of the way we are managing our expenditures. We only eat what we harvest, this is where we are.
HON. T. MLISWA: The Hon. Minister must be honest. Is it the ministries that are incompetent because you are basically saying that there is nothing coming to us, so we cannot release. Is it your admission that the ministries are incompetent, there is nothing coming through to Treasury and as a result, you cannot release money? What you are saying is that these departments know their needs and you are there to release money; you are ready to release money if the needs come to you. Is it your position that these ministries are incompetent in terms of what they are doing? My question was timeous disbursement of money and you are saying no the money is there but it is not. In terms of the devolution funds which Hon. Chombo said that there was no enabling Act for devolution, you then released money. Now I do not know - where there is no law you release money and where everything is in order you are incompetent. Can you tell this august House which is which? You are skating around but no, you are a young honest man who certainly owes the nation and your constituency the truth at this moment. May you please tell the truth?
HON. CHIDUWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. What I explained is the standard budgetary process that we go through as Treasury and as Government, and that process has got nothing to do with us measuring the competence of specific Ministers or ministries. So, I do not have the powers to determine who is competent and who is not. What I stated is that the standard budgetary process, and even if the budget has been released and approved here in Parliament, we only release upon request. If specific ministries and departments do not request their budgets, we are not going to release. The release is based on request, I submit.
HON. MADHUKU: Thank you very much, my question is directed to the Hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage. Madam Speaker Ma’am, in recent days and months we have been seeing a proliferation of cases of armed robberies throughout the country. It is so disturbing because as a nation, we are feeling that we are very unsecure. A lot of people are being shot and in some cases, even by guns with silencers. I would want to ask the Hon. Minister for Home Affairs, what has been put in place by the Ministry to ensure that they are proactive and also they rapidly react or respond to such cases of armed robbery so that we feel safe? I thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE (HON. MAVHUNGU-MABOYI): Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am for the question which has been asked. We are very worried about the armed robberies which are happening. Police are not everywhere but we are trying the best to make sure that we protect the people, banks and so forth. However, you will find that things are happening. We are talking of people who are intelligent and are also understudying the police. I do not think that we are all happy here about what is happening but it is happening. We are facilitating whatever we are able to do. If armed robberies are happening, usually we go and attend to that and at times we do not have vehicles to dash quickly but we are trying to do everything we can. Thank you.
HON. T. MLISWA: My supplementary question is, the numbers of armed robbers involve people in the security, the army, police and these are trained people and they are dangerous. It seems that you have been overtaken in terms of protecting the citizens. To be honest, what are you doing as the police? Are you well equipped? Are you well trained to be able to deal with former army personnel and so forth in terms of kubata pfuti? We need to be quite serious. It is not the civilians who are doing this. If we do not say this, we are lying to the nation. It is the ex-soldier, police, security and some serving who are given guns. While they have guns, they use those guns to do armed robberies. What are you doing to curb that? What measures are you taking as the Ministry of Home Affairs to first deal with your own? The issue is not about the people. It is about your own in terms of the security. What are you doing to ensure that people are safe?
HON. MAVHUNGU-MABOYI: Thank you very much Madam Speaker. Yes, we understand there are trained personnel, we cannot refute that one. If there are trained personnel who are doing that, for sure they are experts. We also have police officers who are experts but we cannot say the police or the army are the ones who are stealing. Even ourselves here, we might be one of those who are doing that. We are saying once they are arrested we are going to deal with them. Remember, mbavha inonzi imbavha yasungwa. We are training them. We are not saying we override them because they are there and they are doing these things. We are trying all means to make sure that we make a follow up of whatever is being happening. Those who have been involved in this chicanery - you know there are police officers who have been arrested. Let us not pretend, we are dealing with a human being who is intelligent like you, so we are going to arrest those we are going to come across doing that, whether police, army, MPs and security we are going to arrest.
HON. T. MLISWA: Madam Speaker, I want to appreciate the response by the Hon. Minister. If you recall Madam Speaker, when we were young, there was an operation which was used to be done in terms of people surrendering arms. What has happened to that? If you had arms, if you do not use them, you surrendered them. Not only that, we have got experts who are good at dealing with armed robbers. One of them is Nemaisa. Why can you not bring Nemaisa back to the police? Nemaisa was fired because of Delish Nguwaya. When he arrested Nguwaya at the time, Nemaisa was fired over a personal issue. We would want to know why one of the best experts in dealing with homicide was fired. I would want you to give us a Ministerial Statement. What wrong did Nemaisa do in terms of his conduct with the police? Not only that, why was he fired? If there was anything Madam Speaker, I think it was a personal issue where he arrested Nguwaya and he was then fired. We now lost a top cop who was experienced in terms of homicide.
I know that this country has got some of the best homicide people but all of them have been purged because of personal differences and so forth. Right now, we are going through the worst policing ever in this country under Commissioner General Matanga. During the days of Augustine Chihuri, whether you like it or not, there was no such crime. Chihuri could have been anything but there was control in the police and there was discipline. Whether it was corrupt or not, there was still discipline with the corruption in the police because he was in total control. Right now, there is no total control of the police in this country. We need the Minister to come up with a Ministerial Statement in terms of the firearms database of this country. It is very important. We need a database of the firearms in this country, those which are registered and those which are not and we are able to account. Without doing that we will have even our own kids having guns. There needs to be an audit of the firearms in this country for those licensed and those not licensed for us to deal with these armed robberies. I therefore request for a Ministerial Statement in terms of the firearms which are in the country. Thank you.
HON. MAVHUNGU-MABOYI: Thank you very much Hon. Mliswa. I think this was an advice – [HON. T. MLISWA: No. I want a database of the firearms.] – Thank you very much. It was an advice that we look as Nemaisa used to do. I do not know him by the way, but we are going to do a report – [HON. T. MLISWA: Inaudible interjection.] – No, I am not going to capture that one – [Laughter.] - The Ministerial Statement is going to be brought in here and that good advice, but tomorrow do not talk of human rights because we are going to enter into all the houses - including yours, searching for guns – [HON. MEMBERS:Hear, hear.] –
HON. GONESE: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. My supplementary question emanates from the adage that ‘prevention is better than cure’. In terms of the original supplementary question, it is related to serving members both in the police and in the army. The Hon. Minister did not properly address that aspect as to what the Ministry is doing to try to ascertain why so many serving members of the police or the army as the securityservices are being involved in cases like armed robbery. Try to find out why it is that they are resorting to crime when in fact they are supposed to be enforcing the law. If the Hon. Deputy Minister can address that aspect as to what they are doing to try to prevent those members not just dealing with those who have been arrested but try to nip the issue in the bud.
HON. MAVHUNGU-MABOYI: Thank you Hon. Gonese for that question. I am not very aware that all those armed robberies are being done by the army and the police. I know of course that there are some who have been arrested but if you are insisting that I should talk more about it, I have no words to say. I think we will bring the Ministerial Statement.
HON. GOZHO: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. Since he is not here, I will direct my question to the Leader of Government Business. My question is; how prepared is your Ministry to roll out free education next year? This week’s Sunday Mail reported the Government’s commitment to provide free education in 2023. We had that before - is it a political campaign or a genuine commitment? If so, can you tell the House mechanisms put in place to ensure free education in 2023? Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Hon. Speaker. I would like to thank Hon. Gozho for that very important question. The issue to do with free education is something which is entitled to every Zimbabwean and it is a Government policy that it must be provided. So my humble plea again to the Hon. Member is, as we then discuss issues to do with the budget, let us have a position so that we account and fund for such a noble cause so that we have free education. We are saying at the end of the day, when the Government says we are going to provide it, let it be known that it then becomes a Government policy to make sure that we fulfill. I am happy that the Hon. Member has raised it and it also calls upon us as Hon. Members to make sure that it is applicable and implemented accordingly. I thank you.
HON. MUCHENJE: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. How are you going to introduce free education when you cannot run the schools when children are paying school fees? How are you going to run schools without any cent?
HON. MHONA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. Let me also thank Hon. Muchenje for that very important question. Madam Speaker Ma’am, now we are dealing with her opinion which is not a Government policy. She is assuming that we will fail to deliver and I might not be better placed to deal with her emotions. I thank you.
HON. CHIKOMBO: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. My question is directed to the Minister of Local Government, Hon. Marian Chombo. Your Ministry had an audacity to procure five tankers on behalf of local authorities. I want to know from you, is it a Government policy or where were you operating from as far as legal position is concerned? Are you the procurement agent for local authorities? I thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. CHOMBO): Thank you Hon. Speaker. Thank you very much for that pertinent question. Last time I think there was a request for Ministerial Statement in relation to that. I am going to present that Ministerial Statement tomorrow if it is okay with the House –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Members, order please!
(v)HON DR. MURIRE: My question is directed to the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare with regards to Government policy on opening of schools that are constructed using devolution funds and CDF. We have got a number of schools that have been constructed and are now white elephants because there is no deployment of teachers. What is Government’s policy regarding that because we might end up going for years with those schools not being utilised? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Let me thank Hon. Retired Colonel Murire for that important question. He also raised a very important question in terms of placement of our teachers. I am happy that the Hon. Member has cited those kinds of schools under the infrastructure development and I would want the Hon. Member to come forward since he is aware of some of those schools so that I will then take the message to my counterpart and make sure that the schools are opened and enrolment begins.
HON. BRG. GEN. (RTD) MAYIHLOME: My question is directed to the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education. Educational colleges continue to churn graduates who find no employment long after they have completed. We have examples of teachers who graduated in 2015 and are still not employed because their skills are deemed undesirable or are not required. Firstly, why does Government not conduct need based training before they train these students on courses that are deemed undesirable at the end? Secondly, what measures will Government take to absorb those students who have been unemployed for over six years?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY EDUCATION, INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT (HON. MACHINGURA): Teacher education in Zimbabwe is done by the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development. The deployment of teachers is done by Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. When the teachers are trained, if there is a special request from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, like for instance the recent issue of languages, the Ministry has reacted promptly and provided the teaching of languages that are required in the sister Ministry.
As regards to those teachers that are not employed as yet, the Ministry has advertised for posts where they said we are going to recruit 10 000 teachers. How they do it as to the logistics and the modalities, I think the Ministry of Primary and Secondary can actually answer that question. As regards human capital capacitation, that is the preserve of the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education and whenever we are asked by any sector in the country that certain skills are required and there is a gap in that skills area, the Ministry will endeavour to provide the skills that are required.
*HON. MATANGIRA: Currently, we have a shortage of fertilizer in the country and we have many students who studied science at university. Can they not manufacture fertilizer for us in the country? Are they not able to manufacture even organic fertilizer?
*HON. MACHINGURA: I would like to thank Hon. Matangira for the question which is important to the country. Our education system moved from Education 3.0 to Education 5.0 in order to precisely address that gap. That is why we have Education 5.0 which has two parts which were not found in Education 3.0, that is, innovation and industrialisation. The way students were being taught changed so that they are able to produce end products. We are not yet in a position to produce organic fertilizers but we are doing research with Verify Engineering to produce fertilizer from raw materials like coal.
It is not only fertilizer that we intend to manufacture. During the COVID-19 period, there was a shortage of oxygen in this country. We could not import oxygen from other countries because they were also suffering from the same disease. Verify Engineering did a research and started producing oxygen for our local market.
Similarly, we had a shortage of cows for beef production. Chinhoyi University of Technology did a research on how to produce good quality beef. The university is now breeding cows for beef and milk production for our country. They also have advantages and disadvantages of each breed so that one can choose what is best for them. We are in the process of doing that fertilizer project but we are saying everything that is imported in the country, we are allowing that as a country, not the Ministry only.
We will be appreciating the inputs because we will also import ideas from them and we are in the process of producing fertilizer for the country. The institutions in Zimbabwe are doing the processes.
Currently, the Minister is doing that process and that is why he is not in the august House. You have to listen to the television and radios; we are in the process of doing that. We are taking it step by step; therefore, very soon we will be producing fertilizer as a country.
*HON. MATANGIRA: Is it possible for the Hon. Minister through his Ministry, to do peer education in the rural areas? Is it possible that the Ministry comes through the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development to conduct peer education and mix with traditional trees so that we can find fertilizers?
*HON. MACHINGURA: Thank you Madam Speaker Maam. As I included in my earlier response, we are now manufacturing cattle feed, blocks of salts and other products. All those resources are available at the Chinhoyi University of Technology and we are working with the Ministry of Agriculture.
It is important to do outreach programmes so that we educate people, since they have good cattle breeds that they are selling. I thank you.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Madam Speaker Maam. Would it please the Minister, seeing at independence the University of Zimbabwe was the only institution of higher learning to unleash those teachers that have been tutored on the local languages, in particular the 14 plus sign language to the institution of higher learning which is called the University of Zimbabwe so that they can rescind on teaching foreign languages ahead of local languages? I say this because there is a ruling that has said there can never be a certificate issued to you if you do not pass those foreign languages ahead of local languages. Would it please the Minister to unleash because of the language policy that has been launched by his Excellency, unleash our teachers to that institution of higher learning in order that we master the local language first and it is priority ahead of foreign languages immediately and rescind on the current position of that institute of higher learning?
HON. MACHINGURA: I thank you very much for allowing two new questions to come disguised as supplementary questions. The issue of local languages is very important to us, especially when we look at development and also when we look at the fact that we want to attain Vision 2030.
We know that all instruction has been done in foreign languages. We are saying even though we emphasise on science and technology also in the Ministry, would it not be better to teach our people in their vernacular languages, the mathematical, the scientific concepts because that is where we are moving towards?
The University of Zimbabwe, as asked by the Hon. Member, is aware of what I am talking about. If you look at one of the institutions that our ministries has established, which is the National Languages Centre at Midlands State University, it is the one that is doing the translation of important documents like the Constitution into all the 16 official languages that are in the Constitution of Zimbabwe. We will take that Hon. Nduna examine what is happening about vernacular languages at the university and take that recommendation from you.
HON. JOSIAH SITHOLE: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Local Government and Public Works. Does Government have a policy of capacitating urban local authorities financially where it is clear that they are failing to provide sustainable waste water services, especially in old suburbs across the country? A good example is Makokoba in Bulawayo, Mbare and any other old suburb where raw sewer is flowing in the streets on a daily basis owing to dilapidated sewer infrastructure.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. CHOMBO): Thank you Hon. Speaker and thank you very much to the Hon. Member of Parliament for that very relevant question. The Ministry has a facility to make sure that all the local authorities are capacitated. We have the devolution funds and they are meant to address those. If you know, the devolution funds address five items and that is clinics, education, power, water and sewer. So if you look at most of the projects that have been undertaken by most of the local authorities - be it urban or rural, mostly it was the water and sewer infrastructure. Even Makokoba which you have mentioned, we have put in a lot of resources to capacitate the local authorities. I thank you.
HON. JAMES SITHOLE: Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you Hon. Minister for that response, but obviously responding to the devolution funds - those funds are inadequate compared to the work that needs to be done with regards to replacing those worn-out pipes. So I was hoping that the Ministry would have another programme other than the devolution funds just as what is being done on the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Funds. The situation out there is very bad. Thank you.
HON. CHOMBO: Thank you Hon. Speaker. What we mostly encourage is, if the local authority is financially sound, we approve borrowing powers for them to be able to access resources to make sure that they bring their sewer and water reticulation up to speed. I thank you.
HON. BITI: Mr. Speaker Sir, my question to the esteemed Minister Hon. Chombo is that her Ministry keeps on referring to the use of devolution funds but the fundamental issue is that there is no devolution law authorising the disbursement of those funds. So you now have the Minister, Minister July Moyo on his own – willy-nilly now distributing these funds at his own discretion, thereby opening up for corruption and abuse. Why is the Ministry distributing devolution funds in the absence of a legal framework? Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. T. MLISWA: She comes, she says that here and she still steals. Ishavi ripi iroro?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. KHUMALO): Hon. Mliswa, please you are not even connected, can you allow the Minister to respond.
HON. CHOMBO: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I think that question has been brought up in this august House so many times. If you look at section 301, it is a constitutional requirement that we provide 5% - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]- So that gives us the power to do such. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Mliswa, allow her please to answer the question.
HON. BITI: Section 301 says an Act of Parliament must provide for equitable allocation of grants between provincial and metropolitan councils and local authorities. Therefore, you cannot distribute the funds without an Act of Parliament, so why are they doing that without an Act of Parliament?
HON. CHOMBO: I think when we were approving the budget, it is the same House that approved the disbursement of the devolution funds. I thank you.
HON. T. MLISWA: We really do not want the Minister to think that we are so ignorant to the fact that you are preoccupied with looting devolution money. We are not preoccupied with looting. We are preoccupied in making sure the law works. This House passes the law and it is an insult for her to come to us all the time disregarding the law, talking about the very same Act which talks about an enabling Act which must be there to pass money. I do not know what needs to be done for you to understand that. You have got very cute short hair and I would expect fresh air to be permeating through your brain so that you do not make us stupid, because we cannot come here and you are blindly defending the Minister. Every day it is the same thing. We cannot have that.
This House passes the law and she came and said it in the Hansard the last time that we had no Act, which means it is criminal and what they are doing is wrong, but she continues to stand and argue where there is no argument. We are not stupid Mr. Speaker Sir. May she stop talking about this because all these things are on record. Some of us will leave before you and we will make sure you are arrested for these issues. –[Laughter]- You are laughing but you will lose weight so much that you will remember I told you that you will be sitting under a Musasa tree and the police will arrive and say, ‘what were you doing disbursing money without an Act?’ It is not a joke. We have got the Attorney General’s Office, we have got Government. You will even go out and give fire tenders to Masvingo Council. You will become so corrupt that even fire tenders, you just award the fire tenders. Are you not ashamed? What is it with you influential people behaving in such a manner when the country is suffering as it is?
No, we must be serious. Mr. Speaker, we are tired of this. The best thing is, you must tell her to sit down and we must be asking her when the Act is coming to Parliament. This must be requested. We cannot have such a thing happening. I see you are also growing white hair like Hon. July Moyo, meaning that you are Siamese twins in terms of corruption and we are tired of this rubbish.
You will be dividing provinces because of your need to loot, at the same time throwing spanners into the works for His Excellency. We are sick and tired of this. We did not go to the Second Republic so that we put thieves in power. We ushered the Second Republic into power so that His Excellency can take the country forward, but you are busy throwing spanners in the works through looting. Are you not ashamed of yourselves? Your husband Chombo used to steal, your current Minister is also stealing. Chombo was a better thief but you are stealing in broad daylight.-[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, order Hon. Members!
HON. CHOMBO: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker and thank you very much Hon. Mliswa. The Act is with the Attorney General’s office, I cannot say when it is coming but when it is through the office, it will come through. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Mliswa, you asked a question but you are not listening to the Minister – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]- Order Hon. Members! Can we proceed? Order please! I also think as Members of Parliament, we also erred by approving a budget which has no Act because we are the ones who approved the devolution budget – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]- Order please! Can I suggest that the Minister provides a Ministerial Statement on what is happening?
HON. CHOMBO: Noted Hon. Speaker.
HON. KABOZO: Thank you Mr. Speaker for affording me this
chance to air my views in this august House. My million dollar
question goes to the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement. What is the Government policy measure with regards to the decentralisation of the Presidential Borehole Drilling Scheme to alleviate water challenges, not only in towns but to the rural folk?
THE MINISTER IN CHARGE OF AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES, WATER RESOURCES, IRRIGATION DEVELOPMENT, SANITATION AND HYGIENCE (HON. MARAPIRA): Government policy when it comes to Presidential borehole drilling, we are going to drill boreholes in every village in the country and we have already started. We are going to have 35 000 boreholes throughout the country by 2025.
HON. R. NYATHI: My supplementary question is, if you remember, sometime I stood in this august House to talk about boreholes. They were introduced that they are coming to our constituencies and I requested that where possible, can we have a schedule of how those boreholes are going to be drilled. It is almost four years now in this Parliament and the boreholes are being spoken of every time. In my constituency which is Shurugwi North, I have never seen these boreholes. My question is; can we have a schedule so that we all know that this time it is in Midlands and in Midlands it is going to this particular constituency so that I can also have a turn to have boreholes in my constituency. I thank you.
HON. MARAPIRA: If I got your question, you said boreholes have been talked about in the last four years but there is no schedule. The Presidential Borehole Drilling is a new scheme. We are going to drill 35 000 boreholes by 2025. By end of this year we would have done 5 000 boreholes and the distribution is very simple. We are doing two boreholes per ward throughout the country. It is very straight forward. If you want more information you can put that in writing and you can forward to ZINWA within your province and district.
*HON. MATANGIRA: My supplementary question is; indeed, we should have boreholes being drilled but there is need for financing of such works. We have water bodies in this country that were electrified a long time ago. Is it not possible for Ministry of Agriculture to just go to already built dams and flowing rivers? That does not need any money because the water bodies are already there. Thank you.
HON. MARAPIRA: Mr. Speaker, the Government policy we have in place is to say all the water bodies in this country are the ones that we are giving attention to. We are actually developing and channeling them towards irrigation. I kindly ask the Hon. Member to give us evidence of the water bodies in his constituency so that we can quickly give attention to the work that is supposed to be done with regard to what he said.
HON. GOZHO: My supplementary to the Minister is; you said you are going to drill two boreholes in each ward. There are some constituencies in the rural areas, when you are talking of a ward it is as big as a constituency. So are you saying a woman will carry a bucket for 20 km?
HON. MARAPIRA: This is what I said. We are actually busy drilling boreholes and by 2025, we look forward to have drilled 35 000 village by village but for now we are focusing on two boreholes per ward.
HON. NYAMUDEZA: What is the sequence so far of drilling these boreholes? There is Region 1 up to Region 6, where do you start drilling those boreholes in these regions?
HON. MARAPIRA: We are not choosing boreholes according to agrological natural regional confirmation but what we are doing is, we are going to provide boreholes to every village. These boreholes are village based boreholes. So every constituency where you are coming from, if it is not an urbanised constituency, you are going to have two boreholes per village by 2025. I thank you.
HON. MURAI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Is it by coincidence Hon. Minister that you up the game of drilling these boreholes towards elections? Why is it that you set your target beyond the mandate you were given by the people up to 2025, as if you are not going for an election? Anything can happen during the election. Why do you set targets beyond your mandate which you are given in the office? Will you still be there?
HON. MARAPIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. The drilling of boreholes is meant for our villages. We want to drill 35 thousand boreholes until 2025 and that has nothing to do with politics. I thank you.
(v)HON. GANDAWA: My question is directed to the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement. He mentioned that boreholes will be drilled per village. Can you favour us with the villages that are going to benefit?
THE MINISTER IN CHARGE OF AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES, WATER RESOURCES, IRRIGATION DEVELOPMENT, SANITATION AND HYGIENCE (HON. MARAPIRA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I have already indicated that for this year we are going to do two boreholes per ward. Already, if he is coming from a rural constituency, the Hon. MP will receive two boreholes per ward. By 2025, we would have done 35 thousand boreholes village by village. I thank you.
HON. MAHLANGU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Local Government. The Minister wrote a letter to the City of Harare to pay the so-called outstanding amount to Pomona Company. Is it the duty of the Minister to act as debt collector on behalf of the private company?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. CHOMBO): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the question. Surely, the Ministry of Local Government is not a debt collector. We are the line Ministry and the local authorities fall under the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works. If a contractor or anybody brings a complaint or request through the Ministry, it is our duty to contact the relevant local authority to try and address the complaint or the request. If the local authority has got a contractual agreement with any supplier, definitely they have to honour up to it. Thank you.
HON. MADZIMURE: Mr. Speaker, does the Minister now want us to believe that the Ministry has the duty – [HON. MLISWA: Inaudible interjection] –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Mliswa, when you speak, some Hon. Members listen to you but you do not want to listen to other Members. You can proceed Hon. Member.
HON. MADZIMURE: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Is the Minister trying to tell this House that all of a sudden the Ministry now has the responsibility of acting on behalf of a private company that has its own lawyers and administration that looks at its own issues? Does the Minister want us to believe that it is the Ministry that is in contract with the City of Harare? Where in the Acts of Zimbabwe do we have a law that allows a Minister to follow up on a credit?
HON. CHOMBO: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. Thank you also Hon. Madzimure for the follow up question. I answered this as a general question, not being specific to the Pomona letter that was brought up. In general, as the Local Government Ministry, any complaint that comes from anybody within Zimbabwe, it is our duty to make sure that the relevant authority addresses it. I thank you.
HON. T. MLISWA: My supplementary question is that the Minister cannot get away with receiving complaints from stakeholders. There is a process, there is a procedure. Even the President himself with the powers invested in him, if there is a theft complaint, he does not go and arrest. He uses the institutions which are there to do the job. There are three tiers of the Government which are local authorities, provincial and central and they have got their powers. They make binding resolutions in whatever they do. The devolution is not about you wanting to just give and spend money. Devolution is about respecting the power as well. Power devolves as well. You cannot say you are at Central Government and you are making a decision to override. There are processes and procedures...
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Mliswa, what is your supplementary question?
HON. T. MLISWA: My point is; they cannot ask about fire tenders. You are talking about people coming to complain, who came to complain? Masvingo has got fire tenders but you gave them a fire tender, they resolved. Where is the resolution from the council to say they need a fire tender? There are certain priorities and the basic requirements required for service delivery which we have not met. So in essence, Government brought those machines through a Government to Government analysis. I propose that you do not burden the ratepayers if it is so. Just do like they did with us in the mechanisation programme where Government absorbed the debt. Do not burden the ratepayers who are already suffering from a tight economic environment. It is utter rubbish; so what powers can you tell us - the section which gives you the powers to be able to override and not only that, these people have got their lawyers too - why are their lawyers not doing the job....
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, please!
HON. T. MLISWA: To us, we are really tired - next time can we have Hon. J. Moyo not her, she is being used as a punching bag. You must stop being used as a punching bag; the Hon. Minister must be here himself. KuCabinet anoenda kunogara, maCity Council anoenda kunotyisidzira vanhu nebvudzi rewhite riya riya kuti vasaine maresolutions asina basa, taneta nazvo.
HON. CHOMBO: Thank you Hon. Speaker and Hon. T. Mliswa. For your information, the Pomona deal was given a national project status and as such, it has national interest. I thank you. – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members. Order please!
Questions without Notice were interrupted by the TEMPORARY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order No. 68.
HON. T. MLISWA: I move that time for Questions Without Notice be extended by 10 minutes.
HON. CHIDZIVA: I second.
(V)HON. S. MOKONE: Thank you very much. My question to the Deputy Minister of Local Government is that since you know that Harare is already suffocating with some of the debts that they have incurred somewhere, where do you think they are going to get this money to pay these debt collectors for the Pomona deal?
HON. CHOMBO: I did not understand the question.
(V)HON. MOKONE: My question to the Deputy Minister of Local Government is that since you know that Harare is already suffocating with some of the debts that they have incurred somewhere, where do you think they are going to get this money to pay these debt collectors for the Pomona deal?
HON. CHOMBO: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker, I would like to thank Hon. Mokone for that follow up question. Harare City Council entered into a contractual agreement with Geogenix on the Pomona deal and whatever they agreed to is what they are supposed to honour. It is not the duty of the Ministry to go and say they are now unable to. If they are not able to pay, they can try to find other instruments to make sure that they honour their debts. I thank you.
HON. MARKHAM: My point of order is; we are being misled by the Hon. Deputy Minister. The last time the issue of debt collection came up with City of Harare to collect debts, she told us not to debt collect but her Ministry now goes and debt collects for a private company. Can she explain that to the House, please?
HON. CHOMBO: Thank you Hon. Speaker, I thank Hon. Markham for that follow up question. When I answered I categorically stated that the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works is not a debt collector, but if anybody comes through my Ministry to request for any assistance or whatsoever, it is my duty as a line Ministry to make sure that I collect complainants to the relevant local authority. We are not debt collecting for the said company.
HON. MADZIMURE: Thank you Mr. Speaker. City of Harare has its own elected councilors. They made a resolution because they have realised that there are issues with the contract especially the fact that it did not go to tender. Laws were breached; this particular deal did not go to tender and the Government then claimed ownership of the deal by claiming it to be a national project. So it is the Government that went into an agreement with this company, not the City of Harare because the Government by-passed some of our laws like the issue of tendering. It should have gone to tender but that did not happen. As far as the city is concerned, they cannot be dragged into a dirty deal. So the council has no money and as we speak, they cannot pay their workers and with these bills from this company, the City of Harare is going just to disappear or we are going to pay through the nose. As residents, we are not prepared to do so. Why does the Minister force the City of Harare to pay when that company has its own legal systems to follow?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. CHOMBO): Thank you Hon. Speaker. Thank you Hon. Madzimure for that question. Thank you very much for stating that this project was given national project status. As such, my Ministry has interest in it. If I can show you the minutes of what transpired from the inception of this project up to the end, you will see that the local authority was heavily involved. So it is a misrepresentation that Local Government skipped some of the steps. You can come to my office and we can avail the steps that we have taken to make sure that we arrive at that. Thank you.
HON. HWENDE: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. M. KHUMALO): The ten minutes extended time has lapsed.
HON. HWENDE: Do not protect thieves. Why are you protecting thieves? No, no, no. This is a very important matter. We must discuss it.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, the ten minutes have expired.
HON. HWENDE: No, you cannot protect corruption. This matter must be discussed.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: You are now challenging the Chair.
HON. HWENDE: I am not challenging you. I am just asking you to allow us to debate because money is being stolen in this country and you are sitting there protecting people who are looting.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: You are now challenging the Chair.
HON. HWENDE: I am not challenging you but do not protect people who are corrupt and are looting in this country.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, it is nothing about corruption. I am saying the ten minutes extension time has expired.
HON. HWENDE: This is a very important matter. The City of Harare is being forced to pay $22.000 per day. It is a very important matter.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, procedure has to be followed.
HON. HWENDE: No, there is no procedure. Why are you protecting thieves? What kind of procedure is that?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Can we proceed?
HON. HWENDE: We are not going to proceed. This matter must be discussed here. Why should we proceed? We are not going to any other question. We must discuss this matter today. Why are you protecting thieves? This is Parliament. You cannot allow thieves to be protected by Parliament. We are exercising our oversight role.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, can you sit down.
HON. HWENDE: I am not going to sit down. Why should I sit down? You want me to sit down so that Harare can be forced to pay $22.000 per day?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, whatever you are going to say, the procedure will not allow that.
HON. HWENDE: What procedure? Your procedure is allowing thieves to go scot free. What kind of procedure is that?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: We are following procedure here. Sit down Hon. Member.
HON. HWENDE: What kind of procedure are you talking about? I am not going to sit down. Why should I sit down? You want me to sit down so that you can allow Harare to be looted? We are not going to allow looting here. This looting must stop today.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, I will ask you to go out.
HON. HWENDE: I am not going out.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: You are challenging the Chair. Can you go out?
HON. HWENDE: What I am saying is, can you allow this debate to go ahead? This is a very important matter. Can you allow the debate to continue? People are looting and you are allowing people to loot. What kind of a Speaker are you?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, can you go out!
HON. HWENDE: No, no, no. Let us debate this matter today. “Ungadzingire munhu nyaya yecorruption. Mari yacho kwairi kudyiwa imi hamusi kukuona?” You are trying to protect thieves then you are chasing me out.
The Sergeant-At-Arms escorted Hon. Hwende out of the House.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
IMPACT OF SI 62 OF 22 ON ALLOCATION OF LAND
- HON. MARKHAM asked the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement to inform the House that considering S.I. 62 of 22 indicating that Indigenous and BIPPA farmers will be allocated back their land—
- explain why the land was acquired in the first place and how
many were affected;
- how many farmers have returned to their land to date;
- how will returning farmers be compensated for the lost capital.
THE MINISTER IN CHARGE OF AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES, WATER RESOURCES, IRRIGATION DEVELOPMENT, SANITATION AND HYGIENCE (HON. MARAPIRA)): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would like to thank the Hon. Member for that question. Hon. Member, Zimbabwe inherited at independence a racially two agricultural land ownership pattern where the white large scale commercial farmers consisting of less than 1% of the population occupied 45% of agricultural land. About 75% of this is in high rainfall areas of Zimbabwe where the potential for agricultural production is high. At the tips of the programme, there was a deliberate move to acquire land from the white commercial farmers where a large chunk of land, 642 black owned farms were acquired most of them by error. An effort to de-list the farms through gazetting was superseded by the passing of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, Amendment Number 17 Act: 2005, which listed the schedules in which the farms were gazetted and cleared them acquired.
The passing of the Constitutional Amendment Act, Number 17 on 14th September, 2005 had the following effect: All agricultural land which was under Section 5, preliminary note on or before 14th September, 2005 became State land. The courts could no longer have powers to entertain challenges to the acquisition of agricultural land. This means the acquisition process was much easier, more efficient and speedy. All indigenously owned farms which were under Section 5 on or before 14th September, 2005 were also acquired and became State land. All agricultural land which was covered by BIPPA and also under Section 5 by 14th September, 2005 also stands acquired in terms of the amendment. Most of the black owned farms were not occupied and the owners are still in occupation of their properties. The land is still State land. Legally they do not have the powers to make any transactions, hence the introduction of Statutory Instrument 62:2020. Those will be compensated for both land and improvements after their farms are valued and Compensation Committee has recommended and fixed the values of the compensation payable. I thank you.
HON. MARKHAM: My supplementary is, can the Minister confirm that all indigenous black farmers are back on the 600 plus land acquired in error?
HON. MARAPIRA: Thank you Hon. Member. I cannot confirm; right now we have to follow certain audits to make sure that are the 600 on the farm or not yet on the farm.
HON. MARKHAM: The Minister did not answer the other parts of my question.
HON. MARAPIRA: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. I would like to thank the Hon. Member. I would kindly need time to go and verify the exact number of farmers who went back on land and the farmers who have not gone back on their land.
HON. MARKHAM: Mr. Speaker, can the Minister give timeframe as to when he will come back with the answer to the written question. We need figures.
HON. MARAPIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My Ministry will be able to provide the answer in the next two weeks. I thank you.
MAIZE VARIANCE OF EXPECTED OUTPUT FOR 2021-2022 SEASON
11 HON. MARKHAM asked the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement to explain to the House the maize variance of expected output of 2.7 million metric tonnes reduced to 1.7 million tonnes for the 2021 – 2022 season.
THE MINISTER IN CHARGE OF AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES, WATER RESOURCES, IRRIGATION DEVELOPMENT, SANITATION AND HYGIENCE (HON. MARAPIRA): The maize variance of expected output was on account of the following:
- The 2021/22 season started late in December 2021 in most parts of the country. Where it started early like the first week of October to mid November 2021, it was a false start.
- Rainfall distribution was poor in both space and time across country.
- There were incessant rains in January followed by prolonged dry spell in the first week of February to the end of March. The false start of the season resulted in failed crop establishment forcing the farmers to replant several times.
- The late onset caused late planting which were affected by the prolonged dry spell at the reproductive stage causing write off, especially in the central and southern part of the country. Incessant rains caused excessive leaching of nitrogen and other crop nutrients, thereby reducing crop yields.
The above four factors resulted in reduced production as follows:
|
2021/22 |
2020/21 |
Traditional grains |
194 100 tonnes |
3 479 968 tonnes |
Maize production |
155 7914 tonnes |
2 700 000 tonnes |
The total cereal production for 2021/22 season is 1 700 000 tonnes.
(v)HON MARKHAM: Could the Minister explain what Government is going to do about inputs for maize that were handed out and farmers cannot repay them. Secondly, there is a major issue with the pricing of maize from the GMB, particularly for the season. Does the Minister have any idea whether that affected deliveries to GMB despite it being a monopoly?
HON. MARAPIRA: Government is going to consider the losses which were made because of incessant rainfall. We will come back to Parliament with a paper. When it comes to GMB, prices of maize and other cereals, the Ministry is busy working on that and will come up with a statement as soon as certain approvals are done by Cabinet.
HON. MADZIMURE: I just want the Minister to explain why we have not realised the benefits of giving inputs that we are giving to those A2 farmers considering that we have been doing this over and over again. Are we saying it is going to be a perennial way of doing business as far as agriculture is concerned where we are going to continuously give inputs and have very little being paid back? Is this not becoming a cost, considering that we are also importing both wheat and maize?
HON. MARAPIRA: The challenge is not about giving out inputs and non-repayment. We have to look at a lot of factors. We have seen that we have erratic rainfall and that is why the current Government policy is focusing on irrigation development. The other challenge we are having is that our contractors are not giving inputs to our farmers on time, which again affects production of farmers especially where the rainfall is good. We have to look at all those factors before we can conclude that the provision of inputs to farmers is bad. It should be done properly with every farmer getting his or her inputs at the right time and be able to plant at the correct time.
GMB MONOPOLY AS SOLE BUYER OF MAIZE
- HON MARKHAM asked the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement to explain to the House if the GMB monopoly as a sole buyer of maize is not violating the Constitution.
THE MINISTER IN CHARGE OF AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES, WATER RESOURCES, IRRIGATION DEVELOPMENT, SANITATION AND HYGIENCE (HON. MARAPIRA): GMB is not the sole buyer of maize. As such, it does not occupy a monopoly position. Any contractor is free to sponsor and contract grain production and in turn purchase that contracted grain.
The Ministry has pronounced the need for users of agricultural raw materials to sponsor and contract at least 40% of their annual requirements. There is no violation of the Constitution and the Ministry would wish the Hon. Member to cite the specific provision of the Constitution being violated so that a response specifically and aligned to the provision would be provided. I thank you.
HON. MADZIMURE: If the GMB is not a monopoly, what gives it the power to search for maize, confiscate and force people to take the same to the GMB depot?
HON. MARAPIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I thank the Hon. Member for such a brilliant question. What the GMB is doing through the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement is specifically to police and make sure that no one is shortchanged within the process of grain marketing.
We have a lot of companies, we are contracting farmers; they should only buy what they have contracted. We have the Government and through the Presidential Input Scheme, they have given us a lot of inputs and those inputs should be delivered to the Grain Marketing Board.
At the same time, we have Government through the Agro-Yield Programmes; they finance a lot of inputs. If there is no control of marketing into contractors and marketing into GMB, there will be a rampant side marketing activity within the country.
HON. MARKHAM: Following up on the last supplementary - why in Macheke, Odzi and Rusape area where GMB is going around forcing farmers to deliver their maize in respect of them wanting to retain some maize for their workers? I thank you.
HON. MARAPIRA: I would kindly ask the Hon. Member where he has indicated that in Rusape and other areas within Rusape where there is evidence that certain farmers were being pushed by GMB to deliver their maize to GMB and not retain anything for the workers or the animals. Can that information be furnished within the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement to my attention or to the other Minister’s attention?
Every financer has the right to protect where he or she has financed. As Government, if we finance certain facilities within the agricultural fraternity, we have the right to protect but we will not go to a farmer and take everything. We will take to GMB what is reasonable and leave what is reasonable for the farmers’ workers and animals. I thank you.
WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
POLICY REGARDING SUPPORTING PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES BEGGING ON THE STREETS
- HON. E. NCUBE asked the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to explain to the House Government policy regarding supporting persons with disabilities making a living through begging on the streets usually accompanied by minors.
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): As a Ministry, the number of persons with disabilities who are begging on the streets of Harare and other cities throughout Zimbabwe is increasing at an alarming rate. The situation is worsened by the fact that the above mentioned vulnerable groups are being accompanied by minors.
As a remedy, the Department of Disability Affairs in collaboration with the Department of Social Development, formally known as Social Welfare are working tirelessly to ensure the provision of Inclusive Social Protection Services to Vulnerable and Disadvantaged PWDs residing in both rural and urban areas. The situation is compounded by the fact that most of the PWDs residing in urban areas are living below Poverty Datum Line. As a Ministry, we introduced various Social Protection Services or Social Safety Nets which are in line with the National Disability Policy, National Development Strategy 1, Social Welfare Assistance Act and the Disabled Persons Act (NDP 2021, NDS 1 2021/2025, Disabled Persons Act [Chapter 17.01].
First and foremost, pertaining to PWDs who are begging on the streets being accompanied by minors, the Department of Social Development is providing the following Child Protection Services such as Foster Care, place of safety, Residential Child Care as well as positive parenting services for children to be cared and brought up within their families. To this effect, the Children’s Act is considered adequate when it comes to protecting minors used for street begging. Our probation officers are therefore mandated by law to apply to the children’s court so that such children are classified as in need of care and taken away into places of safety.
Alternatively, in the case of PWDs parents, the Department of Social Development, through its Family Protection Unit, is planning to provide capacity building training workshops on positive parenting skills specifically targeting parents with disabilities who are begging on the streets being accompanied by their minors.
The department of Disability Affairs under the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare has the mandate to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of the rights of persons with disabilities, including those who are begging on the streets. The Department of Disability Affairs has procured over 300 assistive devices for PWDs which are equitably distributed throughout the 10 provinces in Zimbabwe. Additionally, the Department of Disability Affairs is targeting to provide over 1000 PWDs with disability revolving loans and special grants. Please note, individuals with disabilities will receive loans amounting to USD1000 equivalent to the prevailing current Zimbabwean dollar rate and PWDs groups of 10 will receive special grants amounting to USD3000 equivalent to the prevailing current Zimbabwean dollar rate.
I am humbly privileged to inform you that beginning next week, my Ministry is engaging specific finance institutions to facilitate the disbursement of self-help grants and loans to persons with disabilities as prescribed by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development. Pursuant to the Government of Zimbabwe’s grand economic empowerment agenda, my Ministry will conduct capacity building training workshops on Project Planning and Management, specifically targeting 100 PWDs residing in Buhera District, Manicaland Province and more trainings of this nature will be cascaded to other provinces.
Mr. Speaker Sir, let me emphasise the fact that the most sustainable way of discouraging begging is to equip persons with disabilities with requisite educational and vocational skills to prepare them for either formal employment or to participate in self-help projects. To that end, my Ministry has got a facility to pay required fees and levies to vocational training centres, colleges and universities for all persons with disabilities in need of such a facility. To date, over 10000 PWDs received Diploma and Degree certificates at various institutions of higher learning such as University of Zimbabwe, Midlands State University, GZU, CUT and other prestigious institutions of higher learning.
In the case of equal employment opportunities, Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare in partnership with the Public Service Commission has employed and deployed over 2000 PWDs who are working in various Government Ministries. It is my pleasure to report that for the first time in the history of our Ministry, the Chief Director, Social Development/Disability Affairs and Deputy Director, Department of Disability Affairs Posts are occupied by persons with visual impairments. May I at this juncture point out the fact that begging could also be curtailed through the provision of a number of safety nets meant to cushion poor families against such vagaries of poverty, hunger and lack of basic needs. To that end, my Ministry is doing its level best under present economic circumstances to ensure that persons with disabilities access social protection services.
The department of Social Development provides cash transfers to targeted vulnerable households, including PWDs households through the Harmonised Social Cash Transfer Programme. Please note, we have engaged NetOne to disburse these funds. As a Ministry, we are implementing the Food Deficit Mitigation Strategy (FDMS) Drought Relief Programme. It is my pleasure to inform this august House that the ZIMVAC Assessment to re-target vulnerable PWDs who are in need of food was concluded in May this year and the assessment report is expected to come out very soon. These safety nets are widely meant to curtail the begging phenomenon by persons with disabilities.
In conclusion, the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, in conjunction with relevant development partners, are making frantic efforts to ensure the provision of Inclusive Social Protection Services utilizing the NDS 1 mantra which subscribes to the notion that, no one and no place should be left behind. Thank you.
OUTSTANDING TERMINAL BENEFITS FOR DYNO NOBEL PVT. LTD. KWEKWE WORKERS
- HON. CHIKWINYA asked the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to inform the House;
a) when would the workers at Dyno Nobel Pvt. Ltd, Kwekwe can expect their outstanding terminal benefits and salary arrears which are due from 2008;
b) what currency would be applicable in the payment of their outstanding arrears.
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Our investigations show that Dyno Nobel Pvt. Ltd. case was not brought before our Labour Office in Kwekwe. I will update the House if any other information concerning the case comes up.
ISSUANCE OF DEVELOPMENT PERMITS TO RESIDENTS OF UPPER AND LOWER RANGEMORE AREAS IN UMGUZA CONSTITUENCY
- HON. MOYO asked the Minister of Local Government and Public Works to inform the House the measures that have been put in place towards the issuance of development permits to residents of Upper and Lower Rangemore areas in Umguza Constituency.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. CHOMBO): Upper and lower Rangemore is made up of 206 privately owned plots with title and two Government owned plots vis Stand 6 of Lot G Upper Rangemore and the remainder of Lot 27A Lower Rangemore. The area measures approximately 3 283 hectares in extent.
There are 21 developers who have been granted permits, proposing 8 532 stands covering 685.0604 hectares of land whereas 23 applications for permits, proposing 7 292 stands covering 515.664 hectares are pending in the upper and lower Rangemore area.
The issuance of subdivision permits had been halted pending infrastructure provision strategies and solid financial commitments. My Ministry has however resuscitated the issuance of permits to those properties that can be connected to Bulawayo City Council’s existing infrastructure. The approval shall be done in liaison with Bulawayo City Council.
Meanwhile, the Ministry is in the process of setting up a joint management Committee to spearhead development in the area. I thank you.
Questions with Notice were interrupted by THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order No. 68.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER
MARCH AGAINST DRUG ABUSE
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: There will be a march against drug abuse starting from 0830hours at Africa Unity Square to Harare Polytechnic. The march is being organised by the First Lady, Dr. A. Mnangagwa. All Members of Parliament are invited to attend.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. MATAMISA: I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 17 on today’s Order Paper be stood over until Order of the Day, Number 18 has been disposed of.
HON. B. DUBE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
RATIFICATION OF THE GENERAL CONVENTION ON PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES OF THE ORGANISATION OF AFRICAN UNITY
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE (HON. MUSABAYANA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I rise to present the following:
WHEREAS Section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that an international treaty which has been concluded or executed under the authority of the President does not bind Zimbabwe until it has been approved by Parliament;
WHEREAS the General Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Organization of the African Unity entered into force on the 25th of October 1965.
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe has not signed nor ratified the General Convention on Privileges of the Organisation of African Unity;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous to accede to the said General Convention;
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.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
RATIFICATION OF THE ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL ON PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES OF THE ORGANISATION
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE (HON. DR. MUSABAYANA): I move the motion standing in my name that;
WHEREAS section 327(2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that an international treaty 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 Additional Protocol on Privileges and Immunities of the Organisation was approved by the OAU Heads of State and Government at its Seventeenth Ordinary Session at Freetown, Sierra Leone on 3rd July, 1980;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe has not signed nor ratify the Additional Protocol on Privileges and Immunities of the Organisation;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous to accede to the said Agreement;
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.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. MUTAMBISI: I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 20 to 31 be stood over until Order of the Day, Number 32 on today’s Order Paper has been disposed of.
HON. B. DUBE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Thirty Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
THE MINISTER OF NATIONAL HOUSING AND SOCIAL AMENITIES (HON. GARWE): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I wish to address a response to the address by the President, His Excellency Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa on the State of the Nation Address and the Opening of the Fourth Session of the Ninth Parliament of Zimbabwe on 7 October, 2021.
Mr. Speaker Sir the Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities is spearheading the implementation of the Zimbabwe National Human Settlements Policy. The policy strengthens the implementation of the National Housing Delivery Programme across the country.
Land access and tenure
The Zimbabwe National Human Settlements Policy created an enabling environment for the responsible ministries and the respective local authorities to issue title deeds for fully serviced or developed stands and agro-residential plots.
The policy instructs developers to stop the construction of superstructures before offsite and onsite services are provided. There are two options that are available for the issuance of title deeds which are Normal Title Deed and Early Title Deed. In this regard, the issuance of title deeds should follow the following major stages;
- Complete servicing of land
- Purchase price of stand fully paid
- Certificate of occupation
- Title survey
- Agreement of sale
In addition to the above stages, for a normal title deed, there
should be a fully developed principal building and for an early title deed, there should be a bank approval letter for loan application.
Regularisation and sanitisation of informal settlements
The regularisation and sanitisation programme for informal and irregular settlements is being implemented in various settlements across the country, in accordance with the National Human Settlements Policy. Regularisation is a multi-staged process of upgrading informal settlements to improve quality of life through provision of requisite onsite and offsite services and tenure.
The Ministry is currently spearheading the regularisation and sanitisation of the following settlements:
- Caledonia
- Epworth
- Gimboki South, Mutare
- Hatcliffe Extension
The Ministry has also embarked on a sanitisation of the planned
Garikayi/Hlalani Kuhle settlements in Lupane and Gwanda. The programme has started in Lupane with the construction of on-site infrastructure by a private company.
The Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities is developing a regularisation protocol to standardise the regularisation process. There are scenarios of double or multiple allocations and where residents have built houses in social amenities’ stands or wetlands, the construction of high-rise apartments or identification of alternative land will be adopted to address the anomalies.
The Ministry proposed a checklist for the regularisation and sanitisation of informal settlements which involves the following stages;
- Re-planning, i.e mapping of the settlements using drones.
- Comparison of the mapping results with the existing lay-out plans
or using the mapping results to produce new lay-out plans for the settlement.
- Title survey.
- Engineering designs for roads, water, sewer and electricity.
- Construction of roads, sewer and water reticulation and electricity
reticulation.
- Individuals pay required amounts of money to recover cost of land
and cost of servicing.
- Title deed issuance once financial obligations are completed.
Densification
The Zimbabwe National Human Settlement Policy is promoting
the construction of high-rise structures so as to save agricultural land which is a ‘finite resource’. In a bid to curb settlement sprawl, the policy mandates that at least 40% of land for human settlements development must be reserved for construction of flats.
The Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities, being the housing delivery lead Ministry, is spearheading the densification by the construction of flats in the following areas;
- Dzivaresekwa flats (Harare) – 16 blocks of flats (256 units)
- Marondera Dombotombo Project (Marondera) – 4 blocks of flats (64 units)
- Senga Mess Camp Project (Gweru) – 8 blocks of flats (128 units)
- Waneka flats (Harare) – 2 blocks of flats (48 units)
When developing lay-out plans, local authorities and private land
developers are expected to comply with the requirement of the policy that 40% of land for housing should be reserved for densification. I thank you.
HON. MUTAMBISI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. B. DUBE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 14th July, 2022.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. MUTAMBISI: I move that we revert to Order of the Day, Number 13 on today’s Order Paper.
HON. B. DUBE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON DEFENCE, HOME AFFAIRS AND SECURITY SERVICES ON THE PETITION FROM ZIMBABWE NATIONAL LIBERATION WAR VETERANS ASSOCIATION HARARE PROVINCE
Thirteenth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services on the Petition from the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association–Harare Province, calling for the amendment of the State Services (Pensions) (Uniformed Forces) (Amendment) Regulations (Number 17 Statutory Instrument 257 of 2020).
Question again proposed.
(v) HON. DR. MURIRE: I would like to support the petition and report by the Portfolio Committee. Government has made numerous legislation regarding the compensation and pensions of war veterans. Pensions are part of recognition given to those who fought for the liberation war. From 1908 when we gained independence, there has been different treatment and different awards given to war veterans. I am sure those benefits are given in recognition of the service that the war veterans offered during the struggle. As such, the service that was rendered by the various categories of war veterans is the same. When we recognise that service as being the same, there is no reason why in terms of awarding benefits or compensation, the war veterans should be treated differently.
In 1980, there was demobilisation and some who joined the Army were given some other benefits and those who were demobilised were given demobilisation perks. That is understood. Sometime later, some war veterans who were in the Army were given credit for the service that they rendered during the struggle. It was in form of years’ credit according to what you gained. For example, I am a war veteran and in 1992, I had scored 12 years and I was given a credit of eight years. That made me qualify to retire from the Army in May, 1992. Some decided to remain in the service. Forty-two years later, those who remained in the service are given another different award which is different from those who decided not to stay in the Army. It therefore means that those who decided to get demobilised are always penalised or they do not have some of the benefits that those who remained in the service are getting. It is my proposal Mr. Speaker Sir that Government should come up with a uniform administrative arrangement for all war veterans so that some do not remain disadvantaged. If you go to land, some war veterans did not get land and some got, yet that is the purpose for which we went to war.
In summary, it is recommended that Government adopts a standard award for all war veterans so that they do not continue getting awards of different benefits piecemeal. I support the report that Statutory Instrument 297 of 2017 be amended so that it covers all war veterans in terms of pension awards. I so submit Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. BRIG. GEN. (RTD). MAYIHLOME: Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like thank Hon. Members that have contributed to the debate on the important report. I realise that the prayer of the Harare Province of the War Veterans was recommendation that the State Pension Regulations be amended and all the three ministries that are affected, that is the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of Defence and Home Affairs and the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare did not object to that recommendation. Hence, there is no point in continuing to belabour something that is already agreed to by everybody. I therefore would like to thank the ministries and the debaters for supporting this recommendation and urge that Government takes immediate action to rectify the anomaly as put in the prayer by the Harare Province of the War Veterans Association. On that note Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that this House adopts the motion.
Motion that this House takes note of the Report of the Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services on the Petition from the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association-Harare Province, calling for the Amendment of the State Services (Pensions) (Uniformed Forces) (Amendment) Regulations (Number 17 Statutory Instrument 257 of 2020 put and agreed to.
On the motion of HON. MUTAMBISI, seconded by HON. B. DUBE, the House adjourned at Twenty-Nine Minutes to Six o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 12th July, 2022.
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
PETITIONS RECEIVED FROM THE BRAVE LITTLE HEARTS, MR. S. MUYAMBI, NEW ZIANA WORKERS AND THE EDUCATION UNION OF ZIMBABWE
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that on Tuesday, 14th June 2022, Parliament received a petition from the Brave Little Hearts of Zimbabwe requesting Parliament to compel the Government through the Ministries of Health and Child Care and Finance and Economic Development to equip Parirenyatwa and Mpilo Hospitals to enable the hospitals to offer pediatric heart surgical services, among other things aimed at assisting children with heart conditions.
I also have to inform the House that on Friday, 24th June 2022, Parliament received a petition from Mr. S. Muyambi requesting Parliament to compel the Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services to postpone the elections scheduled for 2023 and effect legal reforms to the Electoral Act.
The petition did not meet the requirements stipulated in the Standing Rules and Orders and the petition was deemed inadmissible. The petitioner has since been informed accordingly.
I further have to inform the House that on Monday, 4th July 2022, Parliament received a petition from the New Ziana workers beseeching Parliament to intervene and ensure that the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services crafts a viable turnaround strategy for New Ziana to address the plight of the workers and to assist New Ziana to get funding from Treasury to enable it to function.
The petitioners did not meet the requirements stipulated in the Standing Rules and Orders and the petition was deemed inadmissible. The petitioners have since been informed accordingly.
Additionally, I have to inform the House that on Tuesday, 5th July, 2022, Parliament received a petition from the Education Union of Zimbabwe, beseeching Parliament to intervene and have teachers on suspension reinstated on the payroll for them to discharge their duties effectively.
The petitioners did not meet the requirements stipulated in the Standing Rules and Orders and the petition was deemed inadmissible. The petitioners have since been informed accordingly.
HON. MATHE: Thank you Madam Speaker, on a point of national interest. Please allow me to notify and inform this Parliament of a successful election that Zimbabwe had in the Pan African Parliament (PAP) where Zimbabwe, being part of the Southern Caucus and the candidate being from Zimbabwe and none other than Hon. Sen. Chief Fortune Zephaniah Charumbira won the Pan African Parliament presidential elections.
We say congratulations to the Southern Caucus, congratulations to Zimbabwe, congratulations to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe for having one of his being a President of PAP, leading and running 54 countries and it is Zimbabwe. Honestly, we are so happy as a country.
Allow me at the same time Madam Speaker, to inform this Parliament that in the Bureau which in our Zimbabwean context we say it is the Cabinet of the Pan African Parliament, in the Bureau of the Pan African Parliament, Zimbabwe also got a position of the Vice Chairperson of Education, Culture, Tourism and Human Resources and it is none other than the lady who is speaking, Hon. Stars Mathe.
Madam Speaker, on that again, we congratulate the Southern Caucus that chose Zimbabwe to be a part of this leadership. We congratulate Zimbabwe and congratulate His Excellency for having such positions coming from the country Zimbabwe. Finally Madam Speaker, let me inform this House that a young woman in this Parliament being an assistant in the Speaker’s Panel, Hon. Mavetera also got a position of Vice President of the Woman’s League and Young People in Pan African Parliament.
It was so amazing Madam Speaker. You will recall that this Parliament sent Mavetera for the first time to the Pan African Parliament but because she was coming from Zimbabwe and because she showed her intelligence; her capability just in a day or two, in a week when we arrived in the Pan African Parliament, they voted her to be the first Vice President of Women’s Caucus. Honestly, we are happy.
To the economy, it means a lot. It means that this country Zimbabwe will sit and lead in those portfolios. A lot will be done. Thank you very much Madam Speaker. We congratulate Zimbabwe and we congratulate all Hon. Members of Parliament here present. All Members from this Parliament whom we represented when we were out there are really congratulated. Thank you very much.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you very much Hon. Mathe for informing us of what transpired at the Pan African Parliament and I would like to congratulate Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira and all other Hon. Members in this Parliament and Southern Africa as a whole. Congratulations to you all. Thank you.
+HON. H. MGUNI: Thank you Madam Speaker. Following the downfall of rains which fell recently - the rains had a lot of wind and as a result in some places some ZESA poles fell down. Thereafter, there were children who touched the live wires on these poles which were down and these children from Mangwe were injured. After injury they were admitted at UBH in Bulawayo. ZESA even had personnel to cater for these children after the injuries. One of these children has since been amputated an arm and legs, one was discharged but is being attended to and is being ferried to hospital in a wheelbarrow.
We now request that the parents of these children be assisted so that they can have access to their children and that they can bath them and give them food. These are parents from a rural area, some are now saying they have since sold some beasts so that they can have resources to go and see their children in hospital.
When are these poles going to be put in their right positions? Again, as a result of the fall of these ZESA poles, the schools in the area are running without electricity. How are the schools going to be helped so that they can run properly? I thank you Madam Speaker.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Mguni for the point of national interest you have raised but I ask you to present it as a question tomorrow during Question Time to the Minister responsible. Thank you.
HON. T. MLISWA: My point of national interest is that today is
Anti-corruption Day and I would want to urge and speak to the nation that indeed, the President is very clear on zero tolerance to corruption but we also have to play a part as a people. The President has set the tone. He cannot arrest and expose it but we have got to expose the corruption in all the institutions which are responsible for curbing corruption, they should play their role. Corruption indeed robs us all and I think indeed, we have suffered immensely as a result of illicit flows in terms of our own resources and also in terms of bad governance as exposed by the Auditor General’s office. As a result, it is important for us to take this seriously and ensure that we fight it so that we are able to prevent it. As much as we want to fight it, I think prevention is better than cure. We would like to work and thank the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, ZRP, National Prosecuting Authority and Transparency International Zimbabwe in working with the APNAC Chapter of Zimbabwe as a collaborated effort in curbing corruption. I therefore urge Members of Parliament to raise this awareness in their constituencies because you represent people and a meeting without corruption on the agenda, be it exposing it or preventing it is not a meeting for the people.
Secondly Madam Speaker, it would not be proper for me as the only independent Member to congratulate Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira for being elected the PAP President. Not only that, to also thank the Speaker and Parliament here for leading that campaign and many other positions which I see even my sister, Hon. Stars Mathe spoke about. My sister, let me beat the drums for you - boom boom. She did very well and we are very proud of what you stood for. Hon. Mavetera, very young and I think it is important that this sends a message out there to the world that Zimbabwe indeed has a policy of empowering young people. She has done well, but you must know that success breeds enemies too, especially within and not outside. So keep on keeping and I think you represent us all.
Finally, I want to thank your Chair and your position for giving us some money. We saw some lump sum amounts of monies but we did not know what they were for. Whether they were salary allowances or it was a kind of token of appreciation for what we have done - it is important for the administration of Parliament to tell us really what that money was for. I think we must appreciate that Members of Parliament have kind of lost track in terms of what belongs to them. So they do not know when money comes in, what it is for and so forth. I think an explanation would help us but ultimately, thank you so much. The Speaker said we would get something. Half a loaf is better than nothing, so I know it is pretty tough but at the same time we still urge you to find more for us. Thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: It is true the day is Anti-Corruption Day. We must all know that corruption destroys the nation, so we must shun corruption. We must all campaign against corruption. Thank you.
*HON. MUKAPIKO: I rise on a point of national interest and would like to talk about the challenges we are facing in our communities, which is the problem of drug abuse by children. Government discovered that drugs are being abused by youths and even young kids in Zimbabwe. The Government organised a Committee to carry out a research and take a close look about the issue of drug abuse. I would like the Committee to work with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Education since that is also affecting young kids who are attending school. Currently in my constituency Redcliff, at Batanai High School, we lost three students who committed suicide during the past three months due to drug abuse. I am kindly asking if the Minister of Education can come to this august House to tell us what she needs to do to help so that we can put an end to drugs. More so, parents are crying for the Scripture Union Programme to be re-introduced in schools, maybe God will intervene.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Truly, drugs have become a problem to our children and their future. I kindly advise you that since this august House is responsible for law making that we enact laws that criminalise those who are caught selling drugs to children be sentenced for a number of years in jail so that our children are protected from drug abuse because this is destroying our country.
With regards to the issue of having the Minister of Education bringing a Ministerial Statement, I am not getting how she is involved because the Ministry is mostly affected and on this issue she is not responsible for the Ministerial Statement.
Hon. Markham, Hon. Biti, Hon. Madzimure, Hon. Madhuku and Hon. Nduna having stood up on points of national interest.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I will give you time tomorrow.
HON. MARKHAM: To confirm Madam Speaker, you will give us time for points of national interest tomorrow irrespective of –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes.
HON. MARKHAM: Thank you.
FIRST READING
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL BILL [H. B. 2, 2022]
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE AND WAR VETERANS AFFAIRS presented the National Security Council Bill [H.B. 2, 2022].
Bill read the first time.
Bill referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
RESPONSE TO THE REPORT ON PUBLIC HEARINGS HELD BY THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON WOMEN’S AFFAIRS, COMMUNITY AND SMALL AND MEDIUM DEVELOPMENT ON THE MINIMUM MANDATORY SENTENCES FOR RAPE AND OTHER SEXUAL OFFENCES
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Madam Speaker. I appreciate the Report of the Portfolio Committee on Women’s Affairs, Community and SME Development as well as the debate by Hon. Members of the House. I would like to acknowledge that the rape statistics as highlighted by the report are horrifying. The report referred to ZimStat 2016 statistics which indicates that 21 women are raped every day in Zimbabwe, translating to one woman being sexually abused every 75 minutes. Madam Speaker, women and girls now live in fear. Just last month, a suspect was arrested for rape and murder of more than 20 women. The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Southern African Development Community Protocol on Gender and Development of which Zimbabwe is a part too, both call for State parties to make legislative measures to protect women and girls.
Madam Speaker, to deter would-be offenders, the report recommended reduction of time by the courts to decide on appropriate sentences and protect potential rape victims. The Constitution in Section 69 (1), guarantees the right to a fair and public trial within reasonable time before an independent and impartial court. Madam Speaker, the Constitution does not prescribe timelines within which cases must be decided, the reason being that cases differ and some cases take longer to conclude. The criminal procedure was designed to address different stages of a matter that guarantee that there is no miscarriage of justice. Any short corner in the procedure has a likely result of miscarriage of justice. Madam Speaker, Section 167 (a) of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act guards against unnecessary delays. The Act provides that a court before which criminal proceedings are pending, shall investigate any delay in the completion of the proceedings which appears to the court to be unreasonable and which could cause substantial prejudice to the prosecution, to the accused, his or her legal representative, to a witness or other person concerned in the proceedings or to the public interest.
In consideration on whether any delay is unreasonable, the court shall consider all the circumstances of the case. The following are some of the circumstances listed in the Act that the court should consider: the extent of the delay, the reasons advanced for the delay, whether any person can be blamed for the delay, the seriousness extent or complexity of the charge or charges, any actual or potential prejudice which the delay may have caused to the State, to the accused or his or her legal representative or to any other person concerned in the proceedings, the effect of the delay on the administration of justice and the adverse effect on the interest of the public or the victims in the event of the prosecution being stopped or discontinued.
Madam Speaker, if after the investigation, the court finds that the completion of the proceedings is being unduly delayed or that there has been an unreasonable delay in bringing the accused to trial or in completing the trial, the court may issue such order as it considers appropriate in order to eliminate the delay and any prejudice arising from it to prevent further delay or prejudice. Such orders include an order refusing further postponement of the proceedings, granting a postponement subject to such conditions as the court may determine, or that may be referred to the appropriate authority for an administrative investigation and possible disciplinary action against any person responsible for the delay.
Madam Speaker, the Judiciary has in-house mechanisms which guard against delays. The Judicial Service (Code of Ethics) Regulations, Statutory Instrument 107 of 2012 in Section 17, calls upon judicial officers to perform all judicial duties efficiently, fairly and with reasonable promptness. It goes further in Section 19 to provide that where a judgement is reserved to be delivered on notice, the judicial officer shall use his or her best efforts to ensure that such judgment is delivered within the next 90 days and except in unusual and exceptional circumstances, no judgment shall be delivered later than 180 days from the date when it is reserved. Failure to deliver judgments on time can be an issue of gross misconduct and a judge can be removed from office like what happened in the case of former Justice Ndewere.
The Judicial Service (Magistrates Code of Ethics) Regulations, Statutory Instrument 239 of 2019 in Section 17 also calls for reasonable promptness in execution of judicial duties. The regulations further in Section 19, provide that where a judgment is reserved to be delivered on notice, the judicial officer shall use his or her best efforts to ensure that such judgment is delivered within the next 30 days and except in unusual and exceptional circumstances, no judgment shall be delivered later than 60 days from the date when it is reserved. Violation of these rules Madam Speaker, constitute judicial misconduct or misbehaviour calling for disciplinary action.
Madam Speaker, in the report, the Committee mentioned that it was deeply concerned to receive reports that the trauma of the violation and seeing the offender back in society within a short period of time has long term consequences on the victim, a situation that can only be addressed through long deterrent and minimum mandatory sentencing. The report Madam Speaker, recommended amendment to the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform Act [Chapter 9:23] by ensuring that it provides for a minimum mandatory sentence on rape. In particular, the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs should amend the Act to include minimum mandatory sentencing for rape and other sexual offences during this Session of Parliament. The Committee also recommended that the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform Act) be amended by my Ministry to ensure that it has adequate provisions, detailing sentencing guidelines.
Madam Speaker, sentencing in rape matters must reflect the outrage of the community at this heinous crime while allowing the courts to retain the objectivity and sense of proportionality for which they are rightly respected for in this country. For a criminal justice system Madam Speaker to work, like any other part of the legal system has on the confidence of the public, there will not be that confidence unless the people of this country believe that sufficient sensitivity is being shown towards their views and sentiments.
Madam Speaker, Section 334 (a) of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act provides the process of coming up with sentencing guidelines. It provides that the Judicial Service Commission from time to time convene a conference bringing together representatives of judges of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, High Court, Magistrates, National Prosecuting Authority, the Police Service, Prisons and Correctional Service, the Law Society of Zimbabwe and such other organisations and bodies as in the Commission’s opinion have expertise or interest in crime, punishment and the rehabilitation or treatment of criminals for the purposes of study in discussing the objectives, policies, standards, criteria for sentencing offenders and formulating sentencing guidelines.
Draft guidelines may relate to enquiries and investigations to be conducted by courts prior to sentencing offenders. The factors to be considered by courts when sentencing offenders and principles and criteria which will assist in promoting consistency in sentencing and the equitable administration of criminal justice in Zimbabwe.
Madam Speaker, in terms of Section 334 (a) (6) of the CPEA Act, in formulating draft sentencing guidelines, a judicial conference pays regard to the need to promote consistency in sentencing; the impact of sentencing decision on offenders and their families as well as on victims of offenders, the need to promote public confidence in the criminal justice system and the cost of different sentences and their relative effectiveness in rehabilitating offenders and reducing crime.
The draft guidelines will be submitted to the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for his or her consideration and publication as regulations.
Madam Speaker, in this regard, the Chief Justice established the Judicial Conference Council on sentencing guideline on the 4th of March 2022. It is planned that the actual conference will be held between the 14th and the 17th September, 2022. The conference shall study the inconsistencies in sentencing including for rape and also make recommendations on offences which require mandatory sentencing and those that have outlived their purpose.
Madam Speaker, Section 334 (a) (2) states that the section must not be construed as derogating from or infringing upon the exclusive competence of the legislature to enact punishments for breaches of any law, including the enactment of maximum, minimum and presumptive lengths of any sentence of imprisonment. Upon conference recommendations, the Ministry is open to recommend to Cabinet that the penal code be amended to introduce mandatory minimum sentences for rape and other sexual offences.
We once had a Memorandum of Principles of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act amendment approved by Cabinet and drafting instructions were sent to the Legislative Drafting Department. However, after the drafting process began, the drafters identified a number of gaps in relation to rape and other sexual offences and the need to rationalize these sexual offences in the Code.
The Ministry was then tasked to consult various relevant stakeholders on the same. New developments and various recommendations were proffered during the consultation process. The main recommendation is anchored on the need to broaden the focus of the proposed amendments and revisit all sexual offences as provided in Part III of the Code. Representations were made that it would be sensible to address some issues on the law relating to sexual offences before deciding on mandatory minimum sentences. These include matters such as the minimum age of consent for the purposes of rape, the definition of rape and whether there should continue to be separate offences of rape and aggravated indecent assault.
Madam Speaker, the Ministry acknowledges that the sentence for rape and sexual offences must fully reflect the depravity of seriousness of the crime. The idea of mandatory minimum sentences is to punish the offender sufficiently before they are brought back into mainstream society. Mandatory sentences are also supposed to deter criminals and repeat offenders.
Offences such as raping children, gang rape and rape where the offender knew they were infected with HIV are categorized as life threatening to the victim. Thus, a stiffer custodial sentence of such offences to match the severity of the crime would be appropriate. The level of such a mandatory sentence must not however be the same as the mandatory sentence for murder in aggravating circumstances because the rapist might then be motivated to murder his victim after he has raped her. It shall be recommended to Cabinet that the mandatory penalty for rape in aggravating circumstances be at 20 years minimum, while increasing the mandatory penalty for murder with aggravation to a minimum of 25 years.
Madam Speaker, it is for these reasons that the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs shall recommend to Cabinet that Chapter V of the Code be amended by inserting the following categories:
- Gang rape
- Raping girls or a male who commits what is currently aggravated indecent assault on a boy;
- Rape where the offender knew that they were infected with HIV at the time of the offence;
- Rape of a person with disability;
- Rape of persons above the age of 18 in coercive circumstances;
- Rape of the elderly; and
- We shall further recommend that a register of sex offenders be created to allow monitoring and control of such offenders on their release from prison.
Madam Speaker, the Ministry shall recommend to Cabinet other amendments to the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act. Amendments shall be proposed to Sections 65 and 66 of the Code on the crime of aggravated indecent assault to merge it with rape and create a single gender-neutral offence. The need for a gender-neutral offence arises from Section 56 (3) of the Zimbabwean Constitution, to ensure that men and boys are equally protected by the law. Currently, both offences attract maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a number of cases have been on the rise, of females raping boys and men. It shall therefore be proposed that we merge together a single offence of rape, the presently separate offences of rape and aggravated indecent assault, to cover all penetrative sexual acts committed under coercive circumstances.
In order to ensure maximum protection for children, that is persons below the age of eighteen years, a complete overhaul of the current provision on the age of consent to sexual activity shall be recommended in accordance with the order of the Constitutional Court in the case of Diana Eunice Kwenda v Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and others.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, additionally there shall be a recommendation to Cabinet that a prescriptive period for rape should be raised to 40 years. It must be acknowledged that the majority of abuse disclosures are delayed as disclosure is a gradual process. Given that disclosure, particularly in child sexual abuse, is more typical in adulthood than in childhood, maximum victim protection requires the raising of the statute of limitations to 40 years. This would require an amendment to Section 23 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act [Chapter 9:07].
Madam Speaker Ma’am, after effecting these amendments, it is not job all done. As Hon. Dr. Murire, Hon. Tekeshe and Hon. Mpame pointed out that justice is not about securing convictions and lengthy sentences at all costs. There is a need to look at other issues like proper gathering of forensic evidence and access to legal representation by accused persons. We need to capacitate our justice system with medical forensic equipment which helps the police in investigating rape cases.
When we legislate minimum sentence for rape, for example at 20 years, in addition to world class gathering of evidence to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt, we also need to make sure that we guard against substantial injustice on the part of accused persons. We therefore need to capacitate our legal aid which then in terms of Section 31 of the Constitution, will provide legal representation to accused persons who cannot afford legal practitioners of their choice or in terms of Section 70 (e) which provides that an accused person has the right to be represented by a legal practitioner assigned by the State and at State expense, if substantial injustice would otherwise result.
To conclude Madam Speaker Ma’am, reduction of time in deciding rape cases is not feasible since some rape cases take longer to conclude and also the criminal procedure itself by nature and design does not allow shortcuts. The judiciary has in-house mechanisms to guard against unnecessary delays.
Even though, Section 334A (2) of the Criminal Procedure Act provides that the fact that the Judicial Service Commission can convene a conference on sentencing guidelines does not preclude the Legislature from enacting mandatory minimum sentencing. We find it prudent to wait for recommendations of the conference. If they point towards inconsistencies and the need for minimum mandatory sentencing, the Ministry shall not be hesitant to recommend minimum mandatory sentences for rape and other sexual offences.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, as I have alluded to earlier, sentencing for rape must mirror our community’s outrage while making sure that the courts maintain objectivity. We shall leave it to the Judicial Conference convened in terms of Section 334A to come up with the sentencing guidelines which the Minister shall publish as regulations. The issue of age of consent shall be addressed in terms of the order of the recent Constitutional Court case.
Considering that the Judicial Conference will be in September, it makes it impossible to introduce the amendments to Parliament in this session. The amendments, if approved by Cabinet, shall be introduced to Parliament by December 2022. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Minister. Hon. Members may seek clarification from the Minister but I urge you not to debate.
HON. BITI: Hon. Speaker Ma’am. I thank the esteemed Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for his eloquent statement in response to the debate. I am shocked by the statistic that 21 women are raped every day, which would mean that every 75 minutes, a woman is being raped. There is something fundamentally wrong with the moral fabric of our society because that statistic is shocking. I urge therefore that there must be a strong and bold approach taken by the courts to ensure that there is deterrence and to ensure that anyone tempted to commit a heinous crime on another individual is punished. Rape constitutes the greatest violation on a woman because of the penetrative nature of the crime.
I support strong sentences but I also must caution Madam Speaker Ma’am that we must trust the Judiciary. The Judiciary is tried and tested. The Judiciary has got mechanisms in which they can balance the society’s anger against this brutal invasion called rape and also the interest of justice, including the subjective circumstances of an accused person. Therefore, I urge the Minister to push for this judicial colloquium and ensure that at the Judicial Colloquium, there are world experts that will speak on the issue. There are regional experts, there are African experts and there are Zimbabwean experts that should guard that colloquium and come up with recommendations that will be put to the Ministry and Government.
I want to draw the Minister’s attention to a number of judgements and thinking across the continent. I am going to refer to African judgements. There is a thinking across the continent that if the Constitution in Section 69 (1) guarantees the right to a trial, the right to a trial includes an enquiry on two things. The first enquiry is on culpability or guiltiness. So a court of law is equipped to determine whether a person is guilty or not. That enquiry includes a second stage, which is the penalty to be meted to an accused person. A proper trial includes an enquiry both on liability and conviction. The new thinking is that it is only the court which should be free to enquire in both circumstances; conviction and sentence, liability and penalty. Therefore, when a court finds itself with a mandatory sentence, you are denying the right to a fair trial because you have taken away from the court the obligation to enquire into the second leg of the enquiry which is the penalty. So, the judicial thinking across now is that mandatory sentences are unconstitutional because they breach the right to a fair trial codified in Section 69 (1) of the Constitution and the right to equal protection and benefit of the law codified in Section 56 (1) of the Constitution.
There are two important judgements on the African Continent. One of them is a decision of the Ugandan Constitutional Court by their Chief Justice, Justice B.J Odoki in the matter of Alice Kigula and another v Attorney General. That case Hon. Speaker Ma’am involved the imposition of a mandatory penalty of death when there were no extenuating circumstances. That used to be the case in our law. In Zimbabwe, the death penalty before the current Constitution used to be imposed when there are no extenuating circumstances found. Extenuation is different from mitigation. Extenuation are those special circumstances that may question your guilty. The Ugandan Constitutional Court through Odette J, held that if a court cannot inquire on sentence beyond extenuating circumstances, you have tied this court and therefore it is unconstitutional. That same line of thinking was followed in the Malawi Constitutional Court, in a case called Kafandala (State versus Kafandala). The Malawian Supreme Court came to that conclusion again that you cannot tie the hands of the judiciary. The judiciary must have the power to inquire bottom liability and on sentence.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, this is consistent with the principle of separation of powers. Just like the legislature cannot question the Government when the Government decides to put a tollgate in front of my house on Enterprise Road, the Executive cannot also question the judiciary in the field of the judiciary. So, I urge the Hon. Minister to respect the separation of powers. Otherwise I thank the esteemed Minister of Justice for a job well done. I thank you.
HON. T. MOYO: Good afternoon Hon. Speaker Ma’am. May I begin my presentation by thanking the Hon. Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for a job well done. The presentation was very good, however, I have two areas that I seek clarification on. The first one concerns Section 81 (1) of the Constitution that protects those girls who are under the age of 18. Will it please the Minister if we come up with legislation that would criminalise and convict those who deliberately rape girls and women, if they are castrated? I want to move a motion for castration of perpetrators of sexual harassment.
The second issue concerns those women who have a habit of drugging men for ritual purposes. I think we are yet to do an inquiry to establish what would be the reasons for harvesting those sperms. In this vein, we need to come up with a legal framework which would lead to deterrent measures to curb that practice which is very bad.
HON. T. MLISWA: Madam Speaker, thank you very much. I want to commend the Minister for that elegant presentation but which I think in a way is one sided. We have spoken about the girls and women being raped but the boys and men are raped too. It seems as if the law only bends on women. It will work for women and girls yet we know very well that there are quite a lot of young men who are raped. That is something which we also have to deal with because it is only one side of the sex that is affected. It is a gender issue across all genders. So what law do you have for women who also rape boys? It is unheard of but it is happening. That is caused by the proportion.
Swaziland is going to one man: 8 women. That is why in Swaziland they have gone about saying each man must marry eight women to address the imbalance. We do not have the law to address the imbalance. So there will be that deficit which causes women to then go out because biologically they need it. I also propose that there be a way where men can be circumcised and I think they can go the route of vasectomy but we need to come up with ways to see how women can also not have at will, to have sex so that they also do not rape. What sort of law can we bring in place too because these young men are traumatised at the end of the day?
There is also the issue of drugging young men for the sperm harvesting. What are you doing about that? Most of the perpetrators now are women. It is the same thing today, the issue of promiscuity. In fact, married couples are more promiscuous than us free legends. So you can see what is happening. It is a serious issue and more divorces will loom. Hon. Biti testified that he is seized with divorce cases of infidelity. That is why I chose not to marry because I know that I respect the institution of marriage, not because I do not want to but soon I will marry. When I marry I will be very faithful, but at this point in time – [Laughter.] - At this point in time, it is important that people practice – though it is on a lighter note, it is true we need to deal with these issues and the situation on the ground. The world population has more women than men. So there will be that deficit and there will be a desire but how do we stop that desire?
Hon. Moyo said we must castrate men who rape. I do not know what term in English. There is also need to castrate women if there is such a term. So, it must be both ways. The other issue on my point of clarity is in terms of the issue of economic hardship. We can pass good laws but there are also certain laws which are overtaken by economic hardships. The same thing as what we call commercial sex workers. You can say what you want to say, I am the patron for the commercial sex workers in Norton and when you talk to them they tell you the truth because of going through a tough time economically. We must find ways of preventing this and I think without really going for the hard core verdicts being passed. What measures are being taken to prevent and educate and awareness? A lot of times crime is committed because people are not aware. I think it is incumbent upon us Members of Parliament to run initiatives in our constituencies to ensure that we talk and educate people on this. Other than that, I think a stiff penalty both ways is necessary.
Finally, men are the number one players of rape because some of the rape charges are false. This is something which while they are 21 in a day, how many are false? Somebody comes to report rape after three or five years or three months because may be you have not given her money. Women have this issue of spiting each other. They spite and you go out with this woman, she is not happy, she says I was raped. So we also need to put a law for those who carry false charges that they must actually be in jail for the amount of time that one would be sentenced. We must move with that because it will be unfair since the number of rape cases in this country is mainly false. Hon. Biti was correct to say the Judiciary must also come up - when you have done false report of rape, you are also given the same sentence as one who would have raped and then you see there will be less because they pay with it and make money out of it, they are able to manipulate men as a result. So, those games must stop by bringing in a law too that will punish those that would have lied and you see less cases of rape would be happening. We do not have true figures on how many are subject to conviction and how many are not.
Thorough investigation is needed to ascertain that. I want to thank you Madam Speaker for that and I am glad the Minister is taking note of that. It has to go two ways and not one way.
*HON. MUCHENJE: I want to thank the Hon. Minister for his presentation which is quite good. I do not have much to say except to talk about rape cases that are being perpetrated by men upon their trusted relatives. In our culture it is a taboo. Because of that, these are issues that we need to look into because most rape cases are perpetrated by relatives. You find an uncle raping a niece, a father raping a daughter, an uncle raping their sister-in-law and children raping their mother.
Where I come from, there is a family which is brewing traditional beer to appease the situation where a son raped his mother. So I would like to say that those who rape vulnerable people like the disabled and elderly should be incarcerated because in our culture we value our ethos. No one should desire to sleep with their mother or daughter. So Hon Minister, the law should be specific to cases of incestuous rape. The law should be punitive enough. I believe that such people should be removed from society. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I want to remind Hon. Members that we have to ask questions of clarification and not to debate.
+HON. MATHE: I want to thank the Hon. Minister who responded to the report just now and those who spoke before me. The report dwells much on the issues to do with rape cases, especially on the girl child and women. I do not want to debate the report but I want to indicate that the report is laid out properly and also I want to find out from the Minister that after coming up with the report, did he look on the issues or what contributes more to rape cases, especially to women and the girl child?
Whilst on that point, I also want to add on the point that was raised by Hon. Mliswa that men are also raped. I think the best way to deal with the cases of rapists is to castrate them. When you go to Norton where Hon Mliswa comes from, out of 18 households you will realise that the families are headed by men and only a few women will be heading those families. If you look at the number of rape cases that are there in the country, you will realise that most of the time women will try to cover the rape cases because once they report, it affects the income of the family. If a man rapes someone by the name Chipo, two months down the line they will commit another crime and rape Zodwa. They know that the women will not do anything because they are not empowered. Therefore, for that woman to survive, it is known that they will not take up the case and report it.
If we are serious about this issue, we need to take into consideration the issue of empowering women. We need to come up with laws that are aligned, especially when it comes to rape issues. We will continuously have such rape cases. If someone rapes someone like me they know that I will go and report because I am not depending on them or if they rape my daughter they know that whoever would have committed that crime, I will report them because I am empowered. I thank you.
*HON. MADZIMURE: Thank you very much Madam Speaker. When the Minister mentioned that 21 women are raped per day, what we did not get clarity on is how many cases are being reported at police stations. We need statistics of the cases that are being received at police stations. What has he done to make it easy for women to report these cases? Some of the cases that we know are very difficult when it comes to rape cases. Women are afraid to report because they are afraid of getting the breadwinner imprisoned.
Again the issue of urgency when dealing with rape cases, because the longer it takes, it complicates everything; if it is coming from a Minister who sits in Cabinet, these modalities should be easy for people to work on such issues.
(v)*HON. NYABANI: When it comes to the issue of punishment that is supposed to be given for people who commit such crimes, are we not supposed to act on these as legislators?. Some have mentioned the issue of castration for all males found guilty of rape. My question is - what will happen to those who are alleged to have raped when they have not done so? Right now when we look at the legislature, there is nothing really to show or scare away people from committing such crimes.
HON. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to thank the Hon. Members who sought some clarifications starting with Hon. Biti. He was just giving an explanation expanding on what I had indicated and raised very important points. I agree with him that the thrust of my presentation was that the judiciary must be allowed to do their job, to interrogate and do an inquiry on whether somebody is guilty or not and to ensure that they give an appropriate sentence.
So, I agree with him that as far as possible, even though
we have legislative powers we should refrain from having these mandatory sentences because they take away the powers from the Judiciary after inquiring on the guiltiness or otherwise, and giving appropriate sentence.
I also believe that we need to ensure that the judicial conference that is going to be done by the Chief Justice is done and we take up the recommendation.
Hon. Moyo had his own views that men must be castrated, it is a democratic country but I do not believe that we should go that far.
Hon. Mliswa was concerned about women who rape men. I addressed that in my presentation to say that perhaps we need to come up with a single crime of rape that is gender neutral.
Again, Hon. Muchenje what she spoke to is exactly what I alluded in my paper and what Hon. Biti was saying that the Judiciary in terms of Section 69 ensures that there is a fair trial and they inquire on the guiltiness and they give an appropriate sentence. So if we allow that to happen, they will look at the circumstances and give an appropriate sentence. Therefore, I agree with the Hon. Member.
By and large, Hon. Mathe was concerned about the empowerment of women which is outside the purview of the petition. It is a very important issue that she was raising but it is outside the purview of the petition.
Hon. Madzimure, I just took the statistics from the petitioner, those were not my statistics. I believe that I spoke about what the petition wanted; that is mandatory sentencing and I addressed that and the dangers of going forward ensuring that the only thing that we can do is to put a mandatory sentence.
The holistic approach that we want, considering what the judiciary does in terms of the sentencing, the committee looks into what needs to be done to the recommendations that they give me as regulations on sentencing guidelines for publication but by and large, I believe that it was a good petition. It allows us to interrogate those issues in terms of this critical topic on sexual offences and it also gave us an opportunity to have a holistical look at sexual offences with a view of coming up with amendments that this august House will be able to debate and we come up with a law that will speak to what we require as a nation.
I, therefore, want to thank the Hon. Members, the petitioners and the Portfolio Committee for the job that they did. I thank you.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 14 be stood over until Order Number 15 on today’s Order Paper has been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Fifteenth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. CHOMBO): Thank you Hon. Speaker for giving me this opportunity to respond to the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe made on 7 October 2021.
Madam Speaker, allow me to start by expressing my gratitude to the State of the Nation Address which also marked the Opening of the Fourth Session of the Ninth Parliament of Zimbabwe by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde E. D. Mnangagwa on 7th October, 2021 and the discussion made by the Hon. Members of Parliament that commenced on 19 October 2021.
COVID-19 Pandemic
Madam Speaker, following the declaration of State of National Disaster by the Government and the introduction of the first lockdown, it became apparent that Government, through the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works had to construct COVID-19 isolation and quarantine centres to manage the pandemic. Our Ministry requested for funds from Treasury and the first allocation was channeled towards the refurbishment and upgrading of isolation centres that were identified country-wide. The Ministry with the limited resources, managed to do a splendid job in all the ten provinces. The Ministry chairs the Resource Mobilisation and Coordination Subcommittee which mobilises resources for COVID-19 programme.
Programme Achievements
A total of 77 COVID-19 projects were done with 49 projects being isolation centres. However, some challenges were experienced during the execution and administration of the programme like funding and delays in procurement. It is however encouraging to note that the infection rate of COVID-19 has significantly gone down, although we remain vigilant and take all necessary precautionary measures to prevent the further spreading of variants.
Disaster Risk Management
Madam Speaker, the country has witnessed an increase in the frequency, intensity and complexity of disasters during the past few years with tropical Cyclone Idai being one of the worst disasters the country has experienced since independence. Recovery and reconstruction programmes in line with the principle of Building Back Better has seen restoration of normalcy in key sectors of shelter of which Government has constructed 135 habitable houses at Runyararo which is former West End Farm in Chimanimani and 296 houses in Tsholotsho. In Binga, a total of 17 houses have reached super structure level and only roofing is outstanding. In Chimanimani, additionally significant strides have been made in key sectors of education, health roads and bridges infrastructure, water, sanitation and hygiene as well as telecommunications, among other sectors.
The country received incessant rains during the past season which brought with them a plethora of challenges such as damage to roads and bridges infrastructure which saw numerous communities being displaced.
Government through the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works is intensifying efforts to further strengthen the disaster risk reduction initiatives through many ways. Government is currently constructing state of the art National Disaster Management Centre in Harare and it is expected to be completed by end of July 2022. The centre will be a one-stop shop for coordinating disasters where technical experts in the field of disaster management will be accommodated.
Infrastructure Rehabilitation Programme
Madam Speaker, in terms of reflections for the past few months after the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe in October 2021, it should be noted that it has been an eventful and exciting period for the Ministry, particularly on the implementation of the devolution and decentralisation projects in all the 10 provinces. We are convinced that this new architecture gave us the best chance to deliver on our mandate vis-a-vis the Devolution Agenda and Vision 2030 in particular.
Government disbursed inter-governmental fiscal transfers to local authorities in compliance with section 301 (3) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. All local authorities received varying amounts based on an agreed formula that takes into account a number of variables. To date, local authorities have and are implementing various projects using the devolution funds. We have seen infrastructure projects being undertaken such as the construction of schools, clinics, bridges, water and sanitation facilities, roads and other social amenities.
Signing Of Performance Contracts
Madam Speaker, to enrich the work ethic of the Second Republic and the culture of accountability, all Permanent Secretaries, Ministers, Heads Of State owned enterprises, parastatals as well as 92 local authorities, chief executive officers and their chairpersons, on 10th February 2022 signed the performance contracts that were witnessed by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe.
On 30th April, 2022, Mayors or chairpersons of local authorities signed their performance contracts with the Minister of Local Government and Public Works. The performance contracts of the chief executive officers and their outputs are now in operation and they have been included in the whole of Government performance management system. It is expected that the signing of performance contracts will enhance service delivery in local authorities and in public authorities.
Amendments of Acts
Madam Speaker, I am glad to advise that Cabinet approved Urban Councils Act, Rural District Councils Act and the regional Town and Country Planning Amendment Act in February, 2022. These principles are now with the Attorney General’s Office for drafting. Disaster Risk Management Act and Municipal Courts and Police Amendment Bill is work in progress, and Traditional Leaders Amendment Bill and Provincial Councils Bill are still at the Attorney General’s Office.
The approval of the principles will go a long way in assisting the Ministry to achieve its mandate.
The Building Environment and Urban Transportation
Government is taking measures to modernize and rejuvenate our cities and towns to modern day standards of smart cities. On-going projects include Mbare, Sakubva and Makokoba redevelopment projects to regenerate old sections of these cities and to uplift the standard of living and ambience of towns and cities. Furthermore, dysfunctional settlements are being mapped for regularization purposes and issuance of title deeds is expected to commence soon.
The New Parliament building is now complete and is ready for
Commissioning in this Third Quarter of 2022. We are appreciative of the support we have received from the People’s Republic of China for this important project.
In a bid to alleviate the transport challenges to urban dwellers, the New Dispensation introduced the Urban Mass Transportation System and currently, there are 760 buses in urban centres and 1 062 kombis in operation, working in partnership with private transport operators. Government has since acquired 457 new buses and we are expecting 500 more buses in the near future.
The partnership between ZUPCO and the NRZ to operate trains on three routes in Harare and two in Bulawayo is now in full swing. We are happy that the train service has greatly eased transport challenges that our people face while a raft of measures have been rolled out to decongest urban roads in major cities such as Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru, Kwekwe and Redcliff, amongst others as well as providing proper street lighting to enhance safety of the general public. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 13th July, 2022.
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 8 on today’s Order Paper.
Motion put and agreed to.
SECOND READING
LABOUR AMENDMENT BILL [H. B. 14, 2021]
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): I have the pleasure to present the Second Reading of the Labour Amendment Bill. The Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare has been seized with the process of reviewing labour laws in Zimbabwe since 2010, with the aim of aligning them with the Constitution of Zimbabwe and ratified International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions.
The review seeks to promote the ease of doing business in the labour market through strengthening and promotion of timely conclusion of processes. I will confidently say Madam Speaker that the Labour Amendment Bill 2021 is a product of extensive stakeholder consultation over a number of years and contains the various provisions. I will not mention all clauses in the Bill but will take the House to the main provisions.
The current provision in the Act suggests that forced labour may be permissible under certain circumstances and the Bill seeks to clarify the position by providing an unambiguous description of what does not constitute force labour in an attempt to provide clarity for effective prohibition of forced labour in compliance with section 55 of the Constitution, and Conventions 29 and 105 of the ILO.
I am happy that the Bill also provides for protection to employees against discrimination by entrenching the principle of equal pay for equal work value. The Constitution in Section 65 (6) provides that women and men have the right to equal remuneration for equal work. However, the current provisions in the Labour Act provide restrictive conceptual understanding of the principle of equal pay for work of equal value. This is also aligning with ILO Convention 100 on Equal Remuneration Convention of 1951 No.100.
Madam Speaker, we have a mandate to ensure that all gaps in law are provided through law reform and amendments. Our law did not provide for protection against violence and harassment in the work place including violence and harassment of a sexual based nature or gender based nature and unfair labour practice. The Bill closes this gap by providing the protection that is needed. Worldwide violence and harassment at the workplace is a vice and as a nation, we are not spared. There is need therefore to provide this at law.
We have noted with concern that employers in Zimbabwe are adopting a situation whereby they keep extending fixed contracts. This is not desirable in labour law and the Bill has a clause providing that a fixed term contract cannot be for a period that is less than 12 months unless the employment is for seasonal, casual work or for the performance of a specific service. The Bill also seeks to award employees’ protection regarding retrenchment packages. It provides for employers obligation to pay a retrenchment package to his or her employees and also ensures that employees are free to make representations to the Retrenchment Board where they allege that an employer has the capacity to pay a better retrenchment package than what is offered. Madam Speaker, I am happy to say that we have taken cognisance of the national duty that women undertake in child birth and have provided for a balance in the Bill of their roles as mothers and as working women through an alignment of the Labour Act with Section 65 of the Constitution on maternity leave. Women employees will have the right to fully paid maternity leave for a period of at least three months. This amendment also removes the qualifying period prescribed intervals for maternity and a maximum number of times for enjoying the right to maternity leave. The Bill also brings clarity to the registration of trade unions. The Bill provides specific pre-determined criteria to be considered by the Registrar in considering registration application of a trade union. Streamline registration procedures provide clear requirements and reasons for registration and deregistration.
Madam Speaker, in drafting the Bill, we also considered the positions given by various courts of law in interpreting Section 51 of the Act. In light of International Labour Organisation Conventions, the Bill in addressing various concerns raised seeks to repeal Section 51 on supervision of election of officers. This is to provide enjoyment of the right to freedom of association to enable unions to elect their leadership in accordance with the Constitution without interference from administrative authorities.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to mention that the Bill spells out the right in Section 65 (4) of the Constitution to secure just, equitable and satisfactory conditions of work through a system of collective bargaining established by law. The clause also obligates every worker and employer within that industry to be bound by the collective bargaining agreement, considering the Supreme Court judgment of Isoquant versus Darikwa on the role of labour officers in conciliation proceedings. The Bill provides for expanded powers of labour officers to conciliate or refer to arbitration, matters referred to him or her and to issue certificates of settlement which can be registered as civil judgments.
Clause 32 provides for the liability and sanctions and sanction for workers committees and trade unions and employers’ organisations, federations of registered trade unions that organises, recommends, encourages, incites or engages in unlawful and prohibited collective job action.
Clause 33 repeals Section 111 which provides for cessation of collective job action. Having said this, I urge Hon. Members to support this Bill which is intended to promote fair labour practices, giving employees their rights as provided for in the supreme law of the land and maintaining a good labour market. I thank you.
With your indulgence Madam Speaker, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 13th July, 2022.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. MUTAMBISI: Madam Speaker, I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 18 be stood over until Order of the Day, Number 19 has been disposed of.
HON. MUCHENJE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE ON NON-COMPLIANCE WITH REGARDS TO SUBMISSION OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS TO THE AUDITOR GENERAL BY SOME STATE OWNED ENTERPRISES AND PARASTATALS
HON. SANSOLE: Madam Speaker, I move the motion standing in my name that this House takes note of the Report of the Public Accounts Committee on the non-compliance with regards to Submission of Financial Statements to the Auditor General by some State Owned Enterprises and Parastatals.
(v)HON. MUSHORIWA: I second.
HON. SANSOLE: Thank you Madam Speaker. I rise to present the Report of the Public Accounts Committee on Non-Compliance with regards to submission of financial statements to the Auditor General by Some State owned Enterprises and Parastatals by the Sub-Committee on State owned Enterprises and Parastatals.
Introduction
Pursuant to the presentation of the 2019 Auditor’s Report to Parliament, the Public Accounts Committee resolved to analyse the Report on the State Enterprises and Parastatals. The report noted that 34 entities had not submitted their accounts, in clear violation of Section 308 of the Constitution and Section 35 (6) of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA). In executing its mandate, the Committee resolved to invite these State-owned enterprises and parastatals for oral evidence meetings to appreciate the reasons for their failure to submit their financial statements for audit.
Objectives
The Committee was guided by the following goals:
- To appreciate the reasons for failure of State-owned enterprises to meet the requirements of Section 35 (6) of the Public Finance Management Act which states that:
Every accounting officer of a Ministry shall-
- Keep or cause to be kept proper records of accounts; and
- Submit financial statements within sixty days of the end of the financial year to;
- the Auditor General for audit; and
- the Accountant General for consolidation.
To establish the dates of submission of financial statements by State-owned entities and parastatals who had their accounts in arrears.
Methodology
The Committee resolved to invite for oral evidence sessions, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the meetings were conducted virtually over a period of three weeks. The following entities were called in for oral evidence session:
- Courier Connect
- Medical Laboratory and Clinical Scientists Council Of Zimbabwe
- Mining Promotions Corporation
- National Handicrafts Centre
- National Libraries and Documentation Centre
- National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe
- New Ziana
- Nurses Council of Zimbabwe
- ZARNET Private Limited
- Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation
- Zimbabwe Media Commission
- Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency
- Zimbabwe Posts Properties
- Zimbabwe Posts
- Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council
- Zimbabwe Youth Council
Committee Findings
COVID-19 Pandemic
Most state-owned enterprises submitted that the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic affected them in submitting financial statements in time as required by the PFMA. The lockdown restrictions of March 2020 made it difficult for entities to fully function. Some of the agencies did not have infrastructure to enable social distancing and also equipment to enable staff to work offsite resulting in loss of valuable working days. Nurses Council of Zimbabwe closed their offices because of the pandemic. ZARNET also submitted that the onset of COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 saw a series of lockdown restrictions including the reduction of working hours which was sometimes getting to a minimum level of 10% of the manning levels, thereby causing delays of finalizing financial statements.
COVID-19 derailed the audit process for ZIMPOST and its subsidiaries after their system crashed. It was expected that by June, 2020, all the outstanding audits for 2017 and 2018 would have been done and by the third quarter 2020, they would be current in terms of financial statements as well as audits. The company chairperson promised to have completed the 2017 and 2018 audits by October 2021. Once done, the company would proceed to 2019 and 2020 audits. Courier Connect was working on being compliant by the first quarter of 2022. The draft 2019 and 2020 financial statements were sent to the office of the Auditor General.
Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic also hindered the office of the Auditor General to visit entities for audit. Entities such as Zimbabwe Schools of Examination Council (ZIMSEC) had already submitted their accounts but because of COVID-19 the Auditor General could not finalize audits. ZIMSEC produced evidence that they had complied with the submission of financial statements.
For 2019 financial statements, Zimbabwe Media Commission was advised by the Auditor General to have 2019 unaudited financial statements signed by the Permanent Secretary before submission to the Auditor General. The 2019 were completed in 2020 and the Permanent Secretary has signed the draft. However, the Auditor General deferred the audit of the financial statements due to COVID-19. Statutory accounts have not been concluded due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Medical Laboratory and Clinical Scientists Council of Zimbabwe explained that COVID-19 lockdown restrictions were one of the reasons which contributed to its failure to meet the requirements of the Public Finance Management Act. The council indicated that it used to outsource accounting services but because of their size, it appointed an accounting officer in March, 2020 and that coincided with the first COVID-19 lockdown. They further expressed that when the lockdown was eased, travelling was restricted to only those who were considered as essential service providers. Council employees do not directly work with patients, so they were not considered as such. Therefore, the parent Ministry did not extend travel documents to council staff.
Inadequate Staff.
The majority of the State-owned enterprises who appeared before the Committee complained about staff shortages and poor remuneration. The Nurses Council of Zimbabwe has had a serious staffing shortage dating back to 2014. The Accounts Department in the council was manned by three officers, a book keeper, an accountant and the finance and administrative executive. ZARNET has a staff establishment of 32 employees and the current staffing at the time of submission had only eight.
ZARNET, in its submissions, indicated that their salaries were uncompetitive leading to skills flight and brain drain. Because of these operational challenges the entity restructured the Finance and Administration Department in 2016, thereby reducing the staff complement from six to two. The entity operated without a substantive Chief Executive Officer from 2015 to 2017. The Chief Executive Officer was only appointed in February 2018 and that is when the organisation was able to clear the backlog from 2015.
National Libraries and Documentation Centre submitted that they did not have an accountant and its books of accounts were done by a mere librarian which the Auditor General stated was not correct.
ZBC also complained of staff turnover in the Finance section due to poor working conditions. There was also a retrenchment exercise in 2014 which affected the Finance Department significantly and the preparation of financial statements.
National Handicrafts Centre states that the organisation was operating with four staff members; that is Acting General Manager who is the former buyer, the sales person, driver and a general hand.
Post Properties explained that the reason why they failed or delayed in submitting the 2019 accounts include staff shortages. They indicated that management was on suspension from July to October, 2019 due to some internal investigation that was conducted by the parent company. In February 2020, the then Acting General Manager of the company also left and this was followed by massive resignation of staff especially in the Finance Department and the list included the Accountant who left in November 2019. The entity was left with limited staff that were mainly seconded from the ZIMPOST group who took long to understand the system and to bring the accounts up to date. These changes brought some challenges that delayed the finalization of the 2019 financial statements.
Unavailability of Board of Directors.
Some of the State owned enterprises have been operating without boards of directors. At the time of submission, the Nurses Council of Zimbabwe had been operating without a board of directors for 14 months. The Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) explained that 2018 was the same year when it was considered for a separate Vote in the budget. Thus, there were no reports of the Chairperson to Parliament through the Minister as required. The CEO further explained that the Commission reported monthly and quarterly financial statements frequently to the Accountant General, Procurement Authority of Zimbabwe, the Auditor General and to the Minister.
The Mining Promotion Corporation also submitted that they had failed to submit their audited statements in time because in 2020, the corporation did not have a substantive board and was reporting to the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development. Subsequently, a board was appointed in mid-June 2020 and the board was immediately seized with the matter of putting accounting books in order.
The Zimbabwe Youth Council explained that they did not have a board of directors since 2016 and the financial statements were being submitted through their parent Ministry. The Zimbabwe Youth Council’s 2018-19 accounts have been submitted through their Ministry. The entity explained the measures to put up the board of directors in place.
Hyper-Inflation Accounting
State owned enterprises blamed the hyper-inflationary accounting in their delay in submitting their financial statements. The Chief Elections Officer of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) informed the Committee that the institution prepares its financial statements using international financial standards. He further explained that ZEC has never missed the deadline of submission before. The CEO explained that in 2020, the institution wrote to the Auditor General seeking procedure necessitated by the need for the production of inflation adjusted financial statements as per the Public Accounts and Auditors Board announcement of January 2019.
ZIMSTAT also submitted to the Committee that the hyper-inflation accounting was responsible for their delay in submitting financial statements. According to ZIMSTAT, the adoption of International Financial Accounting Standard 29 (IAS 29), which deals with financial reporting in hyper-inflationary economies resulted in an increase in the workload since two sets of financial statements are needed to be prepared, that is, the historical cost and the inflation adjusted one. Prior to this period, only historical financial statements were prepared. The Zimbabwe Media Commission had further attributed their delay in submitting financial accounts to the need to report accounts in a hyperinflation economy.
System related issues
ZIMPOST and its subsidiaries, that is, Courier Connect and Post Properties explained that the reason for failure to submit financial statements was due to the crash of their internal system. ZIMPOST expressed that since its inception, it had been producing audited financial statements until 2016. The company together with the Group , lost all the accounting data due to a system crash on 15th December, 2017. Following the crash, ZIMPOST Group notified the Office of the Auditor General in a letter dated 30th January, 2018 and the auditor Deloitte and Touche in a letter dated 30th January, 2018. Investigations were made as to why and how the system crashed. After the crash, efforts were made to restore the lost data. Online backup failed to restore the lost data. Offline external back up managed to restore information up to August 2016, thereby retarding the audit process. The company had to recover the information from physical files and had to first upload the information into the accounting system. The company has since restored all the data and is now current in terms of capturing the information. The auditors concluded the signing off of the 2016 audits in January 2020 and they were currently auditing 2017 and 2018 concurrently.
Introduction of new currencies
ZIMSTAT explained that the reason why it had not submitted the 2019 accounts was due to the introduction of the new currencies. The agency uses multiple currencies in its transactions and Sage Pastel Evolution System Version 7 database for accounting. The system did not have the foreign currency module to enable multiple currency conversions to the reporting currency. Thus, conversions were done in excel spreadsheets which took time.
Audit Fees
New ZIANA complained about hefty audit fees they were charged. They explained that when they submitted their financial statements to the auditors, they were charged US$4.300 for the service which the organisation did not have. They submitted that New ZIANA was to a greater extent supported by the fiscus in terms of the salary grant and was required to fend for itself for operations and other financial obligations. They indicated that in the year under review, the entity received ZWL$777.694 from Treasury, of which $728.960 was meant for staff salaries. The balance for $48.734 was used to augment financing for operations, mainly the production of the newspapers.
Observations
Most State-owned enterprises do not have adequate ICT infrastructure that is needed considering that the Government was embracing e-governance in its operations model in the COVID-19 era;
Some State-owned enterprises like ZIMPOST do not have sufficient backup systems;
The Auditor General’s office is not fully capacitated in terms of ICT infrastructure. Many SOEs had completed their audits but the Auditor General’s office was taking long to go through them;
Skills flight and brain drain of skilled workers has resulted in shortages of key personnel in the Accounts Department of State-owned enterprises due to poor remuneration and working conditions;
Delays by Ministries to appoint boards in time such as the Zimbabwe Youth Council and the Zimbabwe Nurses Council is a threat to good corporate governance and might negatively influence the direction to be taken by State-owned entities;
Legacy issues to do with prior period errors on financial statements have resulted in delays in the finalization of annual financial statements for State-owned entities such as the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Services (ZBC). In this context, 2016 financial statements were signed off in 2019 and the 2017 audit report was finalised and signed off in 2020;
The hyperinflation accounting environment in the country coupled with lack of key personnel has created accounting delays in submitting financial statements. The adoption of International Accounting Standard 29 (IAS 29) which deals with financial reporting in hyperinflationary economies resulted in an increase in workload since two sets of financial statements were prepared, the historical cost and the inflation adjusted one;
The use of multicurrency in the country was making it hard for some organisations to record the actual amounts as their accounting systems, that is, Sage Pastel Evolution system Version 7 database for accounting did not have the foreign currency module to enable multiple currency conversions to the reporting currency.
Hefty audit fees were being charged by some auditors to analyse financial statements. In the case of New Ziana who were asked to pay US$4 300 whilst it is an entity that is supported by the national fiscus in terms of salary, grant and also required to fend for itself for operations and other financial obligations.
RECOMMENDATIONS
In line with the IT modernisation and the threat of COVID -19, it is imperative that State owned enterprise invest in technology based gadgets so that people can work off site by December, 2023.
There is need for enhanced data protection, storage and back-up in all State owned enterprises to avoid the situation of losing data when systems collapse by October, 2022.
Where the Auditor General’s office failed to conduct audits due to COVID -19 restrictions, this should be brought to the attention of the Committee so that the entities are not blamed for the delay.
Parent Ministries must ensure that boards of directors of State owned enterprises are in place at all times and are executing their duties accordingly.
In conclusion, the Committee observed that State owned enterprises were affected by various factors that include COVID -19 pandemic, shortage of staff and the delay in appointment of boards of directors in the submission of financial statements. The Committee anticipates that the entities will comply with the Public Finance Management Act and that the documentations of this report will be implemented. I thank you.
(v)HON. MUSHORIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I would like to add my voice to the report that was tabled by Hon. Sansole, pertaining to non-submission of audited accounts to the Auditor General (AG) so that they are audited. Let me premise my debate and contribution by stating that Zimbabwe has got about 179 State entities and they range from public commissions, companies, parastatals and all of them were established by Government for various reasons with objectives for the furthering of the goodness of the people of this country.
You will appreciate and understand that the AG is mandated by the Constitution to audit all Government entities, Ministries, State enterprises and local authorities every year. It is also mandatory that every entity should submit its financial statements to the AG within three months after the end of each financial year. You know that our financial year as Government ends on 31st December each year. So by the end of March, it is expected that each and every entity, including the Ministries and local authorities should have submitted their financial statements for auditing.
The AG is then supposed by 30 October to submit a report to Parliament pertaining to her work or her audit. In doing this, we need to take cognisance of the provision of the Constitution in terms of public finance management and also our Public Finance Management Act as well as the Audit Act. The Public Finance Management Model is meant to make sure that there is accountability and transparency in the handling of public funds. This is the reason why your Committee Madam Speaker was so disappointed to find out that a number of State entities, commissions have decided or failed or neglected to submit their financial statements to the AG.
Some of the entities go as far as 10 years without submitting financial statements for the AG to audit there. What that means is that when financial statements are not audited for such a long period of time, there is danger that there is misappropriation of funds. There is also danger that the objectives of that entity are not being accomplished and at the expense of the general populace of this country. Admittedly Madam Speaker, as Hon. Sansole has pointed out, there are some entities that complained and raised various raised reasons, which I would just probably summarise some of them.
Before I do that, I also want to point out that the report is of the 2019 AG’s report. Members may need to be reminded that the AG’s report came a little bit late or was delayed primarily because of the COVID -19 restrictions, which made it impossible even for the AG’s office to carry on its mandate of auditing the accounts. Members should also be aware that the Public Accounts Committee submitted a report pertaining to some of the issues that need to be done to empower the office of the AG to carry its work even under harsh circumstances as COVID -19.
Be that as it may, we have entities that claimed inability to do the 2019 report due to COVID-19, which may probably be understandable and can actually be pardoned for it was a disaster. However, we have got entities that are contained and which have been stated by Hon. Sansole, entities that went as far as 2009, nothing has been done. They have not submitted the financial statements. In fact some of these entities are technically insolvent. Some of them are just entities that are just there. You will see there are entities, for instance New Ziana, they will tell you that they do not even have the money to hire an auditor to come and do the audit. You look at companies like the National Aircraft, the National Library, you will realise that these entities have actually become obsolete in the sense that they are not performing to the dictates that they were established for.
There are other entities like the group for the former post and telecommunication company (PTC), NetOne and others that failed to do their accounts, primarily because they claimed that their system crashed. There are also entities where the line Ministry has been sleeping on duty. They were failing to appoint board of directors for these entities. Some of these entities do not even have competent and technical people in the relevant departments. For instance, you will find that in some of the entities, there is no accountant, no accounts clerk and in other cases you will find that somebody who was a buyer is now the chief executive of that entity. An entity that has 38 employees and now has four employees and none of them has any accounting background. It is actually a disaster for the country. The country continues to bleed and the fiscus is drained. Whereas the entities are supposed to serve the country, they take away money which is supposed to go to the public and they end up eating that money.
In our recommendation as laid out by Hon. Sansole, there are several things that we recommend. We recommend that Ministries need to wake up and do their mandate, appoint the boards on time, scrutinise and ask for mandatory reports which are supposed to come. If an entity fails to submit reports, we expect the Permanent Secretaries in these Ministries to do their work.
The second issue which we want to raise relates to the Corporate and Governance Act. The Corporate and Governance Act requires boards to be appointed and that no Permanent Secretary and senior member in the Ministry is allowed to be part of that board. We have noted that some of the Ministries have decided or neglected to appoint boards so that the Permanent Secretary would end up doing the work of the board which contravenes the Public Finance Management Act and contravenes the Corporate Governance Act.
We need our Portfolio Committees to demand that each and every line Ministry should actually give a report or status pertaining to the performance of each and every parastatal under them. When we do that, it will possibly help to make sure that we whip the Ministries to do their work. It is one thing for an entity to fail to perform but it is another thing for an entity to disregard the Constitution of the country, the Public Finance Management Act and Parliament by failing to submit statutory reports and financial accounts. It is wrong.
In this regard, I want to urge all Hon. Members to support this motion that Hon. Sansole has actually moved and make sure that each parastatal, commission and public institution should submit its financial statement timeously every year so that the Auditor General will have a chance to scrutinise each and every expenditure so that the people of Zimbabwe are well served. I believe that accountability and transparency is a key cornerstone even as we fight corruption and as we want this economy to blossom. It can only do that if we as Parliament who have the duties of oversight over the Executive do our part. I want to support this motion and urge all Hon. Members to support the motion for I believe it will help as we go forward to make sure that there is accountability and transparency within our parastatals and State entities.
(v)HON. B. DUBE: Thank you Madam Speaker for giving me the opportunity to air my view relating to the report of your Public Accounts Committee that was tabled by Hon. Sansole. The starting point is to thank Hon. Sansole for the clarity on issues and making sure that the key areas are covered.
I will start by indicating the provisions of Section 298 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe which actually calls for transparency and accountability in financial matters as a peremptory. It is mandatory that all Government institutions, entities and enterprises act and perform in a transparent and accountable manner. One such way of doing so is actually by presenting themselves to audit and making sure that their financial matters are properly audited and published by the Auditor General.
So, what does it mean for State entities not to present their financial statements and not to subject themselves to the dictates of audit? It actually means that they are acting unlawfully, illegally and unconstitutionally and in the end they are making themselves a law because the law is already there and they are violating it. If we go again to the provisions of Section 299, they give Parliament oversight of revenue and expenditure. Parliament can only oversight when information is given. Relating to these entities and enterprises that Hon. Sansole has made a report on, Parliament is unable to oversight these institutions because the finances have not been presented and availed for purposes of making sure that Parliament can follow if they are doing things the right way.
What is surprising is that all these institutions and entities fall under specific Ministries which have responsibilities to supervise them on behalf of Zimbabwe. I believe that the ball is squarely on the Ministries in question and the Ministers must explain to the nation why they are acting negligently, irresponsibly and why they are allowing the things to happen in the manner that they are happening because it is not good for the country and anyone.
We always talk about patriotism in Zimbabwe and Hon. Togarepi brought in a debate relating to the aspects of trying to regulate patriotism. I will tell you that an unpatriotic person is a person who does not submit themselves to audit. All the CEOs and board members as well as Ministries under whom the audit statement has not been presented are very unpatriotic. They do not love Zimbabwe and they are sabotaging our country because they do not want us to move forward. All patriots must be interested and keen to know how the funds of this nation are being handled.
You would wonder how a patriotic Minister would handle a parastatal under their authority going for years without a board. Without a board they are not even able to appoint external auditors to do the audit for the institution. All the Ministers who have not appointed the relevant boards to the parastatals, it is my view that they are unpatriotic and they are sabotaging the country and the efforts to make Zimbabwe work and function again.
By way of observation, most State owned enterprises do not have adequate ICT infrastructure and therefore are unable to comply with e-governance proposition that is required for purposes of making sure that they are efficient and effective in their duties and therefore this means that we do not have adequacy in terms of governance and performance in parastatals. Some State owned enterprises do now have backup systems, which means their information can be easily lost and cannot be recovered. It is also clear that there are no sufficient skills in various parastatals. Many parastatals are operating with unskilled or not adequately skilled people, which is a contradiction because Zimbabwe prides itself as one of the most educated places in the continent. You then wonder how do we then come up with such a position where we do not have the right people in right places in the parastatals.
Legacy issues also remain a serious challenge in places such as the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Services, in this context, 2016 financial statements were signed off in 2019 and the 2017 Audit Report was signed in 2020. So one wonders how the national broadcaster is functioning when things are operating like this.
Delays by the Ministers to appoint boards on time such as in the Zimbabwe Youth Council and the Zimbabwe Nurses Council is a threat to corporate governance and might negatively influence direction that is taken by the State owned enterprises and we are left to ask what is Hon. Coventry and her team doing if the National Youth Council does not have a board on time and who is she working within the youth sector and who is giving them adequacy without such an important and key board in place.
You also wonder why it will be done if we are serious and we have patriotic Ministers. So, it is my submission that there is no patriotism in some of the ministries and the Ministers are sabotaging the state of Zimbabwe.
There is also an issue that was being raised as a main challenge for some parastatals relating to accounting. They were saying they were facing challenges as a result of the multi-currency system which was making some organisations very difficult to reconcile records in the Pastel Evolution System Version 7 data base. So, you then find that the Ministry of Finance is also in some way sabotaging our State owned enterprises and entities by the contradictory and the unclear financial policies that cause it to be difficult for State owned enterprises to run their books well.
There is also a challenge that relates to underfunding in some of the parastatals. The parastatals are underperforming on their own, they are supposed to have been realizing profit and declaring dividends to the shareholder in form of the Government but they are saying they are failing to raise the fees even for audits as small as $4 300. Some of the parastatals are failing to raise that amount.
So what it is demonstrating is that the current economic environment is not conducive and it has caused a lot of suffering and discord within parastatals and the parastatals are failing to discharge their mandate.
By way of recommendation, Ministers must be patriotic and must supervise the entities under them. All those Ministers must go before the Portfolio Committees that are oversighting them and explain the reason and the justifications for failing to appoint boards on time. The Permanent Secretary has to explain why it has been difficult to employ the right people in the parastatals.
On ICT, more funds need to be channeled towards modernisation of our governance systems. We need to make sure that we invest in information technologies and make sure all our State owned enterprises are technologically up to date and are able to function in terms of the current technological demands.
We believe that by the beginning of the second quarter, I submit that the relevant Minister responsible for Information Technology must submit a report to Parliament indicating how far they have gone in terms of percentages on ICT in all ministries and all parastatals, State owned enterprises as well as even in local authorities.
There is also one recommendation that I think is important that all ministries must appoint outstanding boards as soon as possible. The Portfolio Committees in respective ministries must make sure that they get an update on the appointment as soon as possible because this is hampering progress.
However, by and large, my point is that for us to demonstrate that we have patriotism in our parastatals and in our ministries, we must demonstrate this by having prudence in terms of financial management. We have must have the transparency and accountability as our first indicator for being patriotic. Slogans are not a reflection of patriotism, playing jiggles and dancing at rallies is not a demonstration of patriotism. Patriotism can only be demonstrated by exercising transparency, accountability and prudence in financial matters that affect our people. This will help a long way in making sure that the goal of a middle income in the country by 2030 is achieved. It can only be achieved by patriotism and patriotism starts by being audited. I thank you.
HON. SANSOLE: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. S. K. MGUNI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 13th July, 2022.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. MATAMISA: I move that all Orders of the Day on today’s Order Paper be stood over until Order of the Day, Number 31 has been disposed of.
HON. TEMBO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE ON THE FACT FINDING VISITS TO SABLE CHEMICAL, LANCASHIRE STEEL AND ZISCO STEEL
Thirty First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Portfolio Committee on fact finding visits to Sable Chemicals, Lancashire Steel and ZISCO Steel.
Question again proposed.
HON. S. K. MGUNI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I would like to wind up the Report of the Portfolio Committee on the fact finding visits to Sable Chemicals, Lancashire Steel and ZISCO Steel but before I do that, allow me to thank the Hon. Members who contributed immensely on this report particularly Hon. Banda. Hon. Banda commended that the report was very pertinent but it required us as a Committee to revisit Zisco Steel to have a fact finding visit since some of the items that we had listed especially on the quotation of the prices that were needed had passed their time.
Hon. Mushoriwa is one of the Hon. Members who also contributed positively. He was one of the Committee Members in the Industry and Commerce Portfolio Committee. The outstanding issue which he highlighted is that as a Committee we need to lobby for more funds for the Industry and Commerce Ministry for it to be allocated more funds, especially when it comes to the budget because the Ministry of Industry and Commerce is the backbone of the economy of this country.
Then there was Hon. Nduna. He commented that the Ministry has been getting such reports for the past maybe two consecutive parliamentary terms and he was of the view that the reports that we table in the Parliament, we should maybe adopt and implement them. He was in fact pleading with this august House that Cabinet should implement the reports that we are bringing to this Parliament so that some of these challenges that we are facing can be surpassed.
Seeing that the Ministry did not have any negative observation on the report that we tabled on 3rd May of the current year and most of the Hon. Members did not have any objections or any adverse contributions, they were in support of our report, Madam Speaker if you allow me, I would like to move for the adoption of this report.
Motion that this House takes note of the Report of the Portfolio Committee on Industry and Commerce on Fact Finding visits to projects implemented under the Industrialisation programme, put and agreed to.
On the motion of HON. MUTAMBISI, seconded by HON. S. MGUNI, the House adjourned at Seven Minutes past Five o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 7th July, 2022
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: Today is Thursday and in the Senate we start with Questions Without Notice. I have a list of Ministers who have tendered apologies and they are as follows:
Hon. C. D. G. N. Chiwenga, Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care; Hon. O. C. Z. Muchinguri-Kashiri, Minister of Defence and War Veterans Affairs; Hon. J. G. Moyo, Minister of Local Government and Public Works; Hon. Prof. A. Murwira, Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development; Hon. P. Mavima, Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare; Hon. W. Chitando, Minister of Mines and Mining Development; Hon. C. Chiduwa, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Development; Hon. Prof. M. Ncube, Minister of Finance and Economic Development; Hon. E. Ndlovu, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education; Hon. V. Haritatos, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement; Hon. A. Masuka, Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement.
The Ministers who are present; we have got Hon. Sen. Mutsvangwa Leader of Government Business in the Senate and Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services; Hon. Dr. K. Coventry, Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation; Hon. Machingura, Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development; Hon. J. Mhlanga, Deputy Minister of Women Affairs; Hon. Marapira, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture and Fisheries and Hon. E. Moyo, Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Hon. President. My question was supposed to be directed to the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs but in his absence, I will direct the question to the Leader of the House. Hon. Minister, the Constitution is the supreme law of the land and as Parliament, it is our mandate to protect and to uphold the Constitution.
Section 17 of the Constitution provides for gender balance. Noting that the State has a responsibility to put in place some measures to ensure gender balance, what measures is the Government putting in place in line with the provision of Section 17 of the Constitution? Thank you Mr. President.
THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION, PUBLICITY AND BROADCASTING SERVICES (HON. SEN. MUTSVANGWA): I want to thank Hon. Sen. Tongogara for that very important question. True to the fact, we have a Constitution which was endorsed in 2013 which was a people driven Constitution. There was an outreach. Everybody spoke to it. Even our traditional chiefs spoke to the importance of gender parity and women empowerment issues and we are happy, especially as the women folk of this country. It is a document which we are very proud of. Some actually refer to it as a women’s document.
We know that there have been a number of laws which needed to be aligned and the Second Republic has been living no stone unturned in making sure that all laws are aligned to the Constitution. It is our Constitution. We need to make sure that it is implemented and that it is enforced. Section 17 which precisely Hon. Tongongara is talking about, talks to gender balance. I think she is right in the sense that we have seen some work and progress taking place but not enough in terms of gender balance. The truth of the matter is in the Second Republic, because of the deliberate efforts made by His Excellency, President E. D. Mnangagwa, we have seen the number of women increasing in decision making positions. Talking about commissions, we have seen a balance. Talking about Provincial Ministers of State in charge of Devolution, we are happy there is gender balance there. We have also seen the issue of extending the quota, the 60 seats which were set aside for women in Parliament. That extension shows exactly the commitment which the Government has in making sure that we have more women in Parliament. We are also seeing even in parastatals, the board, and Government is making sure that there is no board which should be accepted which is not gender balanced.
There is a lot of work. Like all the laws, the enforcement is a more important issue and we work together. You are right; one of this Parliament’s mandate is to make sure that what is in the Constitution is practiced to the dot. There is a lot of work which needs to be done. Parliament has to continue making sure that there is gender balance in all. We are not here talking about just public institutions but also private institutions. We need to see gender balance. As I said, the commitment of the President of the Second Republic has been seen even with Local Government. When we set aside the 60 seats for Parliament, we did not do that in 2018 for local authorities and we ended up with very few women as councillors. The President saw that and when the members of the Council met the President in Victoria Falls, the President did not take time to accept the proposal. We know that it has already been enacted that 30% will be women, even in local Government, which is important because these are the people who deal with the grassroots. We need our mothers to be there and be able to look at all the social issues to make sure that our people’s lives are better.
Yes, there is work to be done. We continuously make sure that what is in the Constitution is implemented. As leaders in this august House, it is our work to always put an eye on where gender balance is not being practiced. I thank you.
HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you very much Mr. President. Thank you Hon. Leader of the House. Is there any legislation your Ministry is putting in place or is already in place to make sure that Section 17 of the Constitution is fulfilled?
HON. SEN. MUTSVANGWA: Thank you very much Mr. President. I would want to thank Sen. Tongogara for the supplementary question. When she said my Ministry, she is talking about the Ministry of Justice and I think that is specific now. What I have said is policy. The Ministry of Justice is working very hard. The Office of the Attorney-General is overwhelmed in making sure that all the laws are aligned to what is in our Constitution. If she has a particular section that she requires, I would kindly ask Sen. Tongogara to put it in writing to my colleague in the Ministry of Justice. I thank you.
HON. SEN. KOMICHI: Thank you Mr. President. The Zimbabwean economy has caused so much pain among its citizens. The Zimbabwean dollar continues to lose value and ordinary people are really suffering. In order to control this situation, the Government introduced the gold coins. Many people do not understand how the gold coins work. Where on earth has this approach been used and has it benefitted anyone? In Zimbabwe, how does the gold coin approach serve the challenges that are being faced by the civil servants, public servants and ordinary gogo, mbuya, grandma who is in Gokwe and Mberengwa? How do they benefit out of this approach, if ever it is an approach that is required to resolve the economic quagmire we are in Zimbabwe? The question is directed to the Leader of the House.
HON. SEN. MUTSVANGWA: Thank you very much Mr. President. I want to thank Sen. Komichi for the question which shows that as a leader, he is concerned by the people’s lives and things which make this country a better country. I want to say, first of all, the fundamentals of the economy of this country are in the right place. The issue of gold coins which he has brought about is an issue which the Reserve Bank has come up with. It is a very clear plan to move the economy forward.
The introduction of gold coins is meant to provide a good product for a store of value and to strengthen our local currency and minimise the volatility of the parallel exchange rate. Once I speak about the volatility in the parallel exchange rate, it affects the grassroots, people all the way to the bottom, to any village, any ward and any cell. By introducing the gold coin, they are already dealing with that problem. I want him to understand that the introduction of the gold coins is really meant to minimise that volatility of the parallel market and also to strengthen the local currency.
The suspension of lending is again something which was done to give Government time to investigate and all the speculative lending activities. There has been a lot of dirty work which has been happening in the economy. There is no country in the world where the exchange rate is determined by a private company. In this country, the RBZ will say the exchange rate is so much and then there is another institution or company out there which gives another exchange rate. So, all what Government is doing is to make sure that we promote our local currency. We minimise that pain which is happening because of the volatility in exchange rates. Thank you.
HON. SEN. PHUGENI: Thank you Mr. President for the opportunity. Thank you Minister for the answer. You said the fundamentals of the economy are solid but you and I know that our people continue to languish in poverty. Our people continue to struggle to pay fees which is charged in foreign currency or at a parallel rate. Our children are dying because of malnutrition, reason being that we cannot afford to buy goods from the shops. Everything in this country has become difficult and impossible to achieve because of runaway inflation yet the Minister says fundamentals of the economy are solid.
The question therefore Minister is; what are the fundamentals of the economy that are solid? What is this solid economy which somehow does not help the ordinary person? Not only the ordinary person, our doctors are striking week in and week out, our nurses, our teachers, the parliamentarians are crying, everyone is crying yet the economy is said to be solid. What is this fundamental economy? Thank you Mr. President.
HON. SEN. MUTSVANGWA: Thank you Mr. President, I also want to thank Hon. Kalpani Phugeni and want to say to this august House, this economy is on the roll and that is the truth about it. When you go outside I understand fully the suffering of our people, that is why I said all what the Government is doing is to make sure that there is stability in the country which is being attacked by the detractors of this country. When I talk about the fundamentals that are there, I think the Second Republic has created an environment where entrepreneurs have been doing extremely well in this country. Just to go outside there and I am not closed, I am a politician myself and know how people are suffering.
When you go outside there and look around what is happening in the country, the roads which are being done which had never been done for so many years, the bridges and dams which have been built, the Gwayi-Shangani Dam is going to increase water supply in Matebeland for example, things which have never been done for the last 42 years. We all know that by having the Gwayi-Shangani Dam, we will have reliable water supply for that region. Once there is that massive water body, projects will then be ignited to make sure that this country has rural industrialisation. That is happening and that is one of the dams but there are so many of them. I am talking about the investment which has been made, especially in electricity.
Look at Hwange Unit 7 and 8, the work which is being done there to make sure that there is electricity. There has been investment which is being done in Hwange and which we did not ask for a cent from Treasury. This is private investors coming to increase electricity which we know is an economic enabler which will make sure that the industries in this country can work. By 2025, in this country, the vision is clear that there will be enough electricity for our industries to open so that our people can be employed – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order, order! Can we have one Senate sitting? Can we give the Minister the opportunity to respond and then you can ask any other question which you want.
HON. SEN. MUTSVANGWA: Thank you very much Mr. President for the protection. I want to go ahead and respond to that issue. You are talking to the Government spokesperson and these are issues which we are always concerned about showing and telling the people about the programmes which are being done by Government. We have seen His Excellency the President continually criss-crossing the ten provinces of the country to make sure that industries value add and beneficiate. This is all being done to make sure that we industrialise this country. Boreholes are being drilled to make sure that people have clean water.
There has been COVID pandemic in this country, where many other countries are actually behind Zimbabwe in terms of what the Government of this country has done to save the lives of the people of this country. The suffering as you clearly said, is actually coming from the issue of volatility in the currency and this is precisely what the Government is dealing with and that is what I explained. I thank you.
HON. SEN. ENG. MUDZURI: The Hon. Minister has explained that the gold coin is addressing the volatility of the currency and ensures that there is a stable currency. Can she explain how the gold coin is going to address the volatility of the dollar and how it is going to be used by the old granny in Chiendambuya, Malipati and all over where they cannot even access the present Z$ which if you go to the bank, you can only withdraw Z$5 000 as cash which is equivalent to less than US$10. How does this link up with our local currency and the number of currencies that have been allowed to work?
HON. SEN. MUTSVANGWA: I want to thank Hon. Sen. Mudzuri but the question is actually connected to what I have already said that the issue of the introduction of gold coins is actually meant to provide a good product for store of wealth. What it means is, who is causing this volatility of currency? This is what is causing inflation and problems which our ordinary people all the way to the grassroots are suffering from. This is why the RBZ has come up with this so that he minimises that volatility. I hope that is clearly understood. As to the details, I think it will be in order for the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to come with a paper in this august House to talk to the details pertaining to the last point. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I want to make a statement that we need the Minister of Finance to come and address the Senate about these issues. This has been outstanding for a long time and I will make sure that we write to the Minister and the next sitting which we have, the Minister of Finance must come and explain these developments and issues which the Hon. Members are raising. It is unfair to ask some of the details which you are asking the Minister of Information, not that you have not done well Minister, you have done extremely well.
HON. SEN. DR. B. MPOFU: My question is directed to the Minister of Transport. I had the privilege of going around the country with one of the Committees to see some of the good work that has taken place in terms of the roads. One of them is when I was in Chiredzi, I saw some new roads being surfaced with tar for the first time. What is the prioritisation matrix that the Ministry is using to surface the roads using tar? The reason being that in smaller towns like Chiredzi which are not capitals of a province they can get surfaced with tar while provisional capitals like Gwanda are still on dust road. I want to understand the prioritisation matrix from the Ministry.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Let me thank Hon. Sen. B. Mpofu for that very important question that he has raised. I thought maybe he was going to give a background to say when I say to Hon. Senators and Members of the National Assembly, we can have bilateral talks of which I happen to have had one with Hon. Senator Mpofu on that particular issue that he has raised when we spoke outside this august House.
Let me elaborate that the issues to do with rehabilitation of roads, the mandate is given to provinces where they sit with various Committees to prioritise their roads. Each province then sits together with the Minister of State in that particular province, District Development Coordinators and traditional leaders so that they ascertain the very important roads in their jurisdictions. You then find that in some cases where they are supposed to move with speed, you might not see that happening, and I cited an example of Chiredzi.
There are quite massive programmes going on in Chiredzi and therefore, we cannot say because of its geographical size as compared to Gwanda then it is not important. However, as much as Chiredzi is important, so is Gwanda. The idea behind is for the revered Hon. Senators in this august House to make sure that whenever there is an exercise of agreeing on roads, they partake in the exercise so that you also make sure that those roads are rehabilitated. Besides the roads, Hon. Senators are also free to engage the Ministry directly with the roads that are under their purview so that they can request Government to come and rehabilitate. We also consider the traffic that navigates that road and in such instances we will listen. So I will still humbly request my brother Senator Bheki to accept our promise to come to Chiredzi to address those anomalies that he has highlighted. There are Rural District Councils in those areas which you are supposed to approach and give your priority in terms of the road you want rehabilitated
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: The Minister of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry has joined us in the Chamber.
HON. SEN. N. KHUMALO: My question was to do with matters of Finance but then I am no longer going to ask my question till the Minister of Finance gets here. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: We will try to the best of our ability that at the next question time, the Minister of Finance will be here because he is actually long overdue to visit this Chamber.
HON. SEN. S. MPOFU: My question is directed to the Deputy Minister of Education Hon. E Moyo. What is Government policy on schools that produce a zero pass rate for Grade 7 examinations? What is the cause of such and what assistance is given to those schools? Also, what happens to the teachers who produce those students who do not pass the exams?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. DR. E MOYO.): Thank you very much Hon. Senator for that question. There are schools in this country and there are many of them in all provinces that have previously produced zero percent. We have gone on to identify the causes and remedies that we need to institute and mitigate that element of zero percent. On the causes, we have observed that most of these schools that get zero percent are non-established schools which are satellite schools. These are small schools mainly in farming areas where there is no sufficient infrastructure and the number of teachers are small. Let me quickly explain that the number of teachers given to a school depends on the enrolment. The fewer the students in a school, the lower the number of teachers in that particular school. That then results in composite classes where you find ECD to Grade 7 having less than 50 students. Subsequently, the pupil to teacher ratio in primary schools is 1:40. It is that scenario where this non-viable school has around 50 students; you will find that ordinarily there will be one teacher. But then we have a formulae of calculating teachers in such unviable schools where we say in the primary sector, we would give up to three teachers and that creates composite classes where you may find ECD A, D and Grade 1 being taught by one teacher and Grade 2, 3 and 4 taught by another teacher. In that composite atmosphere, the quality of education gets compromised. Also the assistance that we derive from the payment of levies is very weak because of the numbers of students in that school.
Coming to remedies, we are encouraging parents to support their schools by sending their children to those schools so as to boost the numbers and increase the number of teachers. We are also assisting them under School Improvement Grant (SIG) which is a grant that is given to such unviable schools for the purposes of procuring furniture and text books and in some instances for infrastructure development. We also ensure that we try as much as possible to create an attraction through accommodation and other amenities for teachers to go to those schools. Most of those schools have poor infrastructure and do not attract teachers. There is high teacher turnover as they just come for a term and seek transfers.
HON. SEN. C. NDLOVU: The Minister indicated that these are schools that have been recently established and they are in farms. We however, do have schools that are 20-30 years old and these schools are found in rural areas and equally produce zero percent. I want to find out if the Minister has done a research on why that is happening in these old schools.
HON. DR. E. MOYO: Thank you for the supplementary question. Yes, it is true we have such schools in established communal areas however, they are in the minority. From our research, those are in the minority and most of those cases we found there is a deficiency in leadership. So through the cluster system and through supervision strategies that are decided by the districts, those schools are supported and we follow them up. For example, we have a programme that we are working together on with Lupane University where we are going around these districts and provinces where the zero percent is prevalent and those people are receiving training on how to manage the pass rates and ensure that children get quality education. In many cases, like I have said, it is deficiency of leadership and we tried to address that with partners like universities and other agencies so that we try and improve the quality of education.
The other important thing that we need to share is also that the quality of support from parents to a school also determines the outcome or output of the school. So, it is important that we encourage that partnership, that is the school, community and other agencies. Of course you can never get to 100% efficiency levels but we are trying in terms of putting those partnerships to improve on the quality of education in our schools.
HON. SEN. N. KHUMALO: The Minister says the composite classes depend on the enrolment, does it then mean that when the enrolment does not increase, the children at that school are going to suffer because the enrolment is stagnant?
HON. DR. E. MOYO: I do not want to say yes but that is the reality because imagine in a school of 50 students with nine classes, you will find that in one of the classes like Grade 1 or 2, there are two students – to assign a teacher to every class of that small size would have a serious budgetary effect on the country in terms of the number of teachers we are going to have. This is why I said that we are trying to avoid that situation by creating attractive schools through infrastructure and also support by the parent community to attract more students and be positive about their schools and bring their children to those schools. Many people do not want to be part of the development; they want to come to schools that are already built and ready. We want to encourage people to say that infrastructure is theirs, they need to build and bring their children there, then the supply of teachers is going to increase.
In a primary school set-up where the school is classified as unviable, we give a maximum of three teachers; even if there are five students, we still give three teachers for that school. That is the way we are trying to manage this issue of teacher supply in unviable schools. Overally, it is not that as a Ministry we want to see those people suffer, we are taking measures to improve infrastructure so that we can increase the teacher supply in those schools.
HON. SEN. MANYAU: May you please allow me to ask two different questions to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. We have people with hearing impairments which many of us know as the deaf people and they sign in American English. In Zimbabwe, we use British English yet those people are expected to write examinations in British English. My question is - what is being done to correct that because to me they are being denied their constitutional right which is right to education.
Secondly, we have people with visual impairments, it is sad that we do not have the new curriculum textbooks in braille. Those people are also expected to have educational qualifications in order for them to get proper jobs in the country. What measures are being taken to correct that?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. DR. E. MOYO): On the issue of hearing impairments and the issue of American and British English, the difference between the two is simply on spellings. Both spellings in as far as I know are acceptable in our system. I am yet to see a situation where both or one of the two is not accepted but normally we do accept spelling, American and British.
On the area of visual impairments and the availability of braille textbooks, this is currently being done. Granted, it is a very expensive exercise and I know that we are working with partners like UNICEF to develop braille textbooks. We have gone to do some syllabi on braille although it is not enough but then we continue to develop textbooks and syllabi on braille. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MANYAU: I think we all know that American English is considered broken English in Zimbabwe and to the teachers who mark the examinations, are they told that these papers are from the deaf community? As for the textbooks, I am sorry to say this - there are no textbooks in the new curriculum and it seems we will phase out the new curriculum without them accessing their right to education.
HON. DR. E. MOYO: Our (CDTS), Curriculum Development and Technical Service in Mt Pleasant is working on this braille programme. It might not have reached the classrooms but they are working on it in partnership with our partners who include UNICEF. They are already working on that.
On the issue of American and British spellings, I speak from experience having been a marker at “O” and “A” level and marking English. Those two spellings are acceptable. If someone says they are not acceptable, that could be a new thing after I left the system but from experience right from transition from Cambridge to ZIMSEC, I know that we were accepting those two spellings as correct spellings. We do not refer to American English as wrong or colloquial English but we accept the differences in spelling and that people are exposed to different literatures and different audiences. Those two are acceptable.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF NHEMA: My question is directed to the Minister of Energy and in his absence, to the Leader of the House. What is the policy on rural electrification. As Chiefs, they said they were going to install electricity at our homesteads through the Rural Electrification Programme for free and those institutions like schools and so on along the power lines will benefit. The problem that we have right now is, we are now being asked to pay for rural electrification. That money is now being deducted whenever we recharge electricity. We do not even know when and who exactly agreed to those deductions. When are we going to finish paying for those deductions?
*THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION, PUBLICITY AND BROADCASTING SERVICES (HON. SEN. MUTSVANGWA): Thank you Mr. President. I would like to thank Hon. Sen. Chief Nhema for the question. Our main intention is to close the gap between rural schools and urban schools. I am sure we all noticed this during lockdown that children from rural schools were experiencing problems. We wanted to get rid of the gap so that people are on the same platform. The issue that he mentioned, I think it is something that the Minister from the Ministry of Energy should explain in detail. If Chiefs were promised to have electricity installed for free, I think that should be fulfilled. I am not in a better position to answer the question, I will forward the question to the Hon. Minister of Energy to respond to that question in greater detail. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I just want you to know that I have been advised that according to Standing Rules and Orders of the Senate, this is Part 1, paragraph 1- Minister means Minister of the Government of Zimbabwe and this includes a Deputy Minister.
HON. SEN. B. MPOFU: Thank you Mr. President, my question is directed to the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation. I want to know what is happening towards bringing Zimbabwe back to the international football tournaments.
THE MINISTER OF YOUTH, SPORT, ARTS AND RECREATION (HON. DR. COVENTRY): Thank you Hon. President. I would like to thank the Hon. Senator for the question. Mr. President, we are in consultations with FIFA which is the continental board and CAF which is the African board. They are having consultations with the Sports and Recreation Commission, along with the new ZIFA Executive. Those conversations are continuing and they are continuing in a positive way. Hopefully we will have an update for you in the next coming weeks. We have seen some good movement in terms of the recognition of the sexual harassment and abuse that were done to our female referees and the acknowledgement of that by FIFA. We, as Zimbabwe are taking it as a good first step in recovering the relationship between the country and the governing body. That is what I can say right now.
+HON. SEN. PHUGENI: Thank you Mr. President, I will ask in Ndebele so that I can test whether he can now speak Ndebele or not. When you go to peri-urban areas you realise that people are stealing land and it is affecting even the water level. At Methodist, St Peters and Robert Siyoka, there is no water whilst there are elderly people who once stayed there. If you go to Lupane and Tsholotsho, you will realise again there is too much deforestation. These people come and take everything that they can. People who are living there, you will realise they are not benefitting anything from the forest that is there. My question therefore is that our environment is being affected by those people. What is it that you are therefore doing as a department so that we protect our land and our forests? What are you doing to protect our environment from these people? I thank you.
+THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE CHANGE, TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY (HON. M. N. NDLOVU): Thank you Mr. President Sir and also I thank the Hon. Member for such an important question, a question that shows the challenges that we face. I will take this opportunity to explain to the Hon. Members the challenges that we face on different issues that are happening in our communities which are destroying even our communities. All these things that are happening in these areas are first and foremost illegal. We expect that we can work closely with our communities especially on such things that are happening. As Government, we have departments that are legalized to arrest such people. We have policemen; they have the duty to enforce the law and to arrest those who are not abiding by the laws. We have councillors, those are the people who are responsible for protecting our land.
I want to urge all Zimbabweans and remind them that we have an obligation to protect our land. I was in Bulawayo and I saw the bad state of our city that is caused by thieving, if only we can take such matters to the law enforcers, maybe things will be corrected. As the Ministry of environment, the first challenge that we have is that we are not allowed to arrest those who are not abiding by the law. Some are armed murderers and that is why we are urging everyone to work hand-in-hand with the police. We have done what we call a blitz that is working hand-in-hand with the police, putting roadblocks in different areas, especially looking at those who are causing deforestation. About two to three months back, we arrested so many people and we were hoping that this will bring down the number of crimes.
I will also touch on the other issues that you highlighted that people from their communities do not benefit anything from the forest that they have. I will indicate that Zimbabwean law allows people to benefit from what they have in their communities. You are allowed as a community to make use of the natural resources that you have in your area. Those close to the Forestry Commission, please make use of them and visit them to find out what you can do.
My last contribution is that you are supposed to go to your council and get letters that can allow you to benefit, especially from the soil that is in your community. If you see someone doing such things that are against the law, please indicate to either the Forestry Commission or the police. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: We have been joined belatedly by two Ministers - Hon. Muswere, Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services and Hon. Soda, Minister of Energy and Power Development. I think Hon. Sen. Chief Nhema’s question can now be attended to and can you frame your question again Hon. Sen. Chief Nhema.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF NHEMA: My question was installation that we do on our own and we are now paying for the line. When I recharge my electricity at home, we have a deduction from REA. When we asked about this incident, we were informed that this is being done by REA but we never agreed to this. So we want to know who was there to agree to that deduction? I am an individual who was promised to say installation will be for free. I am paying for the line but when am I going to stop paying for the line? The levy that is being paid for was never explained to us, was never agreed to us and it is not something that we know as individuals. Thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. SODA): The Chief wanted to find out about the policy of Government with regards to payment of installations at chiefs’ homesteads. When it comes to chiefs, electricity installation at their homesteads is for free but electricity that they start using at their homesteads is paid for. Whenever they pay for electricity and whenever they recharge, the Government saw it prudent to say Rural Electrification Fund should be funded continuously and this money will be coming from that which people use.
As people recharge, this is where the money is coming from. Some of the money goes to REA. The Rural Electrification Agency Fund is used for installation of electricity in the rural areas. What the chief is saying is wrong because what he is paying for is a quarter that is supposed to go to REA. This is the reason why they write to say this money goes to ZESA and this money goes to Rural Electrification Agency. Six percent of the money that you recharge for your own electricity goes to REA. Thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDNET OF SENATE: The Rural Electrification Agency was created by an Act of Parliament and in that Act, it says the agency shall be funded through amongst other things, a levy. Thank you.
Questions without Notice were interrupted by THE HON. DPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in terms of Standing Order No. 67.
HON. SEN. MATHUTHU: Thank you Mr. President. I propose that Questions without Notice be extended by a further fifteen minutes.
HON. SEN. CHISOROCHENGWE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDERNT OF SENATE: So the time is extended by fifteen minutes up to Quarter to four o’clock p.m.
*HON. SEN. RWAMBIWA: Thank you Mr. President. My question goes to the Leader of the House. What is our policy position with regards to civil servants during elections? Civil servants are deployed to other areas, which is not their polling stations. However, police officers are given the opportunity to vote before they resume duty in another area.
THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION, PUBLICITY AND BROADCASTING SERVICES (HON. SEN. MUTSVANGWA): Thank you Mr. President. I would also like to thank Hon. Sen. Rwambiwa for her question on those who are deployed to work during elections. I think it will be prudent for her to put her question in writing and we will respond specifically to that question. I will inform the Minister of Justice to respond to some of these questions and give details on what really happens when we conduct elections.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE (HON. SEN. MOHADI): Can you bring a written submission so that the Minister can respond to your question fully. Thank you.
HON. SEN. MATHUTHU: Thank you Madam President. My question is directed to the Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality Industry. What is the Government doing to resource the National Parks Department? The problem of poaching has become sophisticated these days. The poachers are heavily armed and in our case, we find that the rangers that we have do not have enough ammunition. What is the Government doing? Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE CHANGE, TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY (HON. M. N. NDLOVU): Thank you Madam President. I would want to thank the Hon. Senator for the question. It is a very important question on the state of affairs at our National Parks in as far as fighting poaching is concerned. Madam President, over the years as a country, we have registered significant successes in fighting poaching, notwithstanding that it is a dangerous exercise because we are fighting against sophisticated poachers, mostly international. However, we have been able to make use of partnerships with a number of organisations to equip National Parks. We have also been able to resource National Parks through Government coffers. I must highlight however that we had challenges over the last two years and obviously because of the COVID-19 pandemic. I cannot at this point say we have a crisis in terms of fighting poaching. I want to assure this House that we have a unit of specially trained rangers who respond to sophisticated cases. Also, our rangers in general receive training that equips them to be able to meet the challenges that we face. Currently, we are happy with our efforts. Yes, we do experience challenges here and there but we are happy with our anti-poaching efforts that we have been doing. Thank you Madam President.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Thank you Madam President. My question goes to the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation. What is Government policy regarding the infrastructure of different sports facilities? For example, I am looking at the Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex, Magamba Hockey Stadium and other sports facilities especially golf courses which are now in a sorry state. It seems a lot of these infrastructures have been neglected for a very long time, which is unfortunate because a lot of money has been put in those infrastructure. Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF YOUTH, SPORT, ARTS AND RECREATION (HON. DR. COVENTRY): Thank you Madam President and Hon. Senator. In terms of golf courses, none of them fall under our Ministry, so unfortunately we have no jurisdiction to step in and help. Most of the golf courses are either run privately or through councils. As I said, we have no jurisdiction on that.
In terms of the infrastructure, as a Ministry, we never had any infrastructure falling under us until last year when the Aquatic Centre, the National Sports Stadium and the Hockey Stadium were transferred over to us from Local Government. Still today, that has not been completed. There are specific departments that sit within Local Government that need to be transferred over to us. It is an ongoing process but as for those three, there are plans even within the budget and special budget that we set aside for the National Sports Stadium. Those three will be the focus within our Ministry to ensure that we get adequate funding to get them back to state of the art. It will take a bit of time. The other sports infrastructure in and around community centres, we have put a policy in place with our youth interact centres where we are working with communities to identify spaces that have sports and arts centres. The Ministry has a new policy where we will go in, refurbish and build new facilities. We have the capacity for this year to target 40 of these around the country, four per province. We will continue pushing for more and more of those recreational spaces to be jointly done, funding coming from the Ministry and oversight coming from the community. Thank you Madam President.
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in terms of Standing Order No. 67.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
SILTATION CHALLENGES IN DAMS
- HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI asked the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Resettlement to explain to the House the plans that have been put in place to address siltation challenges in most of the dams in the country.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER, FISHERIES AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. MARAPIRA): Thank you Madam President. Hon. Sen., siltation of rivers and dams is a major threat to water security in Zimbabwe. The effect of siltation in our dams and in our rivers gives us a very big problem because they affect storage capacity of mainly our dams, leading to failure to sustain water supplies for domestic, mining, industrial, agricultural and other economic development purpose.
The main causes of siltation in the country are poor agricultural methods, mining activities and deforestation. The poor agricultural practices include streambank cultivation, ploughing along slopes and poor conservation practices such as non-construction of contour ridges.
Recently, mining activities both legal and illegal have been rampant across the country, especially along the main rivers. Deforestation has also been a major factor leading to the siltation in the country’s rivers and dams.
As the population increases, the more need for more land is inevitable, resulting in clearing of forest land for settlement and agricultural practices. Effective management of sediment in rivers has become increasingly important from an economic-social and environmental perspective. To curb this threat, there is need for an integrated approach with all players involved in land, water and environmental management. The principles of integrated water resources management where there is active participation and coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources are a requirement to be strictly followed to curb siltation.
As Government, we have strategies to curb siltation. Hon. Senator, the Ministry is in the process of drafting a Soil Act to preserve the soil so that the country will not lose the productive soil for agriculture and lose the storage capacity of the dams. This will strengthen the existing laws such as the Environmental Management Act, Chapter 20.27, Section 20 and Statutory Instrument No. 7 of 2007 which reads, “No person shall without a licence issued by the agent, the proof thereof shall lie upon him or her to cultivate or licence the cultivation or destroy any natural vegetation on or deep up and break up, remove or alter any way the soil or surface of any land, land within 30 metres of the high flood level of any body of water conserved in artificially constructed water storage work or public stream”.
The Ministry is working with other ministries such as those responsible for environment and mining in order to ensure rehabilitation of rivers and dams to make sure that these are done and also to curb mining activities which destroy the land.
To that end, there is joint monitoring with all the parties involved. The Ministry is also working with other stakeholders such as the traditional leaders to curb poor farming methods and enhance soil conservation among other good farming practices. Some of the soil conservation programmes being implemented are the Pfumvudza Programme in which planting holes are dug with minimum disturbance of the soil, less disturbance of the soil, less prone to erosion leading to reduction of silt deposited in our rivers and dams.
The pastures programme where the Government is establishing managed common pastures to enhance soil conservation, among other good farming practices. Some of the soil conservation programmes being implemented are:
- The Pfumvudza Programme in which planting holes are dug with minimum disturbance of the soil. Less disturbance of the soil makes it less prone to erosion, leading to reduction of silt deposited in our rivers and dams.
- The pastures programme where the Government is establishing managed common pastures to enhance soil conservation.
- The Presidential Rural Development Programme anchored on one borehole per village and a nutritional garden so that there is no need to establish nutritional gardens close to rivers and dams.
The Ministry is also enforcing the standard practice in the protection of dam bodies and their reservoirs which includes a demarcation of an area surrounding the dam of a minimum of 30 metres offset from the reservoir basin. It is a high flood level contour. This area around the reservoir is referred to as the servitude of the dam and it should not be disturbed by human settlement or human activity which could cause siltation or affect the quality of the water in the reservoir.
In terms of desilting dams, the Ministry is working towards acquisition of modern desilting equipment which is economically viable. In many instances however, desiltation is a very expensive undertaking. I thank you Madam President.
FARMERS MONITORING OF INPUTS GIVEN TO SMALL SCALE FARMERS UNDER THE PRESIDENTIAL INPUT SCHEME
- HON. SEN. TONGOGARA asked the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Resettlement to inform the House whether there are any mechanisms in place to monitor the inputs that are given to small scale farmers under the Presidential Input Scheme and whether these inputs are utilised for intended purposes at household level, amid allegations that some individuals sell such inputs.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER, FISHERIES AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. MARAPIRA): Thank you Madam President. Hon. Senator, the Ministry has put in place mechanism to monitor distribution and use of inputs under the Presidential Input Scheme through involvement of various stakeholders whose roles and responsibilities are spelt out below:
- The Grain Marketing Board must account for all inputs received and distributed;
- The Grain Marketing Board will facilitate transport of the inputs to the wards to reduce transport costs incurred by the farmer.
- Distribution Committees involving Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, that is the District Coordinator’s office, local Agricultural Advisory and Rural Services, what used to be AGRITEX staff, traditional leadership, headmen and village heads and the Zimbabwe Republic Police should preside over the distribution of inputs at ward level. What used to be AGRITEX officers;
- AARDS as secretariat of this ward committee are expected to train, to track and monitor the farmers until they harvest;
- Registers of recipients will be recorded and kept through the secretariat and GMB and;
- These records will be captured via a mobile application through AARDS guidelines. What used to be AGRITEX guidelines are as follows;
- Farmer registration through mobile application.
- Farmer records, that is name of farmer, Identity details, contact details, farm name, village, land ownership, inputs received and utilisation.
- Production records, that is land preparation, agronomic practices, area and yield are supposed to be kept.
- Every household should provide two cell phones numbers for two adults for monitoring purposes. I thank you Madam President.
ACHIEVEMENTS BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE ZUNDE RAMAMBO
- HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI asked the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Resettlement to appraise the House on the achievements brought about by the concept of Zunde raMambo in the country.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER, FISHERIES AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. MARAPIRA): The concept is ongoing and it has been embraced greatly. During the previous season, the following input packs were submitted per province to support the same.
PROVINCE |
COMPOUND D |
TOP DRESSING |
MAIZE SEED |
SORGHUM SEED |
SOYA BEANS SEED |
PEARL MILLET SEED |
DEMISE |
KNAP SACKS |
TICK GREASE |
(mt) |
(mt) |
(mt) |
(mt) |
(mt) |
(mt) |
200ml |
16l |
1kg |
|
MASHONALAND CENTRAL |
15.600 |
12.700 |
1.515 |
0.145 |
0.100 |
0.000 |
8.000 |
6.000 |
11.00 |
MASHONALAND EAST |
6.800 |
0.710 |
0.790 |
0.030 |
0.090 |
0.020 |
25.000 |
6.000 |
3.000 |
HARARE |
0.600 |
0.000 |
0.105 |
0.000 |
0.000 |
0.000 |
0.000 |
0.000 |
0.000 |
MASHONALAND WEST |
9.250 |
2.550 |
1.440 |
0.205 |
0.070 |
0.000 |
66.000 |
10.000 |
20.000 |
MANICALAND |
2.600 |
0.500 |
0.360 |
0.010 |
0.005 |
0.000 |
24.005 |
7.000 |
8.000 |
MASVINGO |
6.200 |
0.000 |
1.020 |
0.015 |
0.000 |
0.006 |
6.000 |
3.000 |
0.003 |
MIDLANDS |
6.250 |
1.500 |
1.150 |
0.230 |
0.011 |
0.000 |
91.000 |
40.000 |
40.000 |
MATEBELELAND NORTH |
3.000 |
1.400 |
0.500 |
0.230 |
0.000 |
0.040 |
44.000 |
20.000 |
0.000 |
MATEBELELAND SOUTH |
2.700 |
0.900 |
0.470 |
0.092 |
0.030 |
0.034 |
43.000 |
6.000 |
4.000 |
TOTAL |
53.000 |
20.260 |
7.350 |
0.957 |
0.306 |
0.100 |
307.005 |
98.000 |
86.003 |
The Ministry wishes to advise that the programme will be up scaled to all village heads and sub-chiefs. In future, AARDS Directorate will carry out crop assessments to directly get figures on production and productivity levels disaggregated to lowest sub- national level. I thank you.
AWARDING OF TENDERS RELATED TO THE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENDA TO WOMEN
- HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI asked the Minister of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development to explain to the House whether or not women are awarded tenders on programmes relating to the national development agenda.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF WOMEN’S AFFAIRS, COMMUNITY, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHLANGA): Thank you Madam President. I would like to also thank Hon. Sen. Chimbudzi for raising such a pertinent question as the nation is endeavouring to achieve the National Development Agenda with the inclusion of women on board.
The Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act, Section 29 stipulates that for domestic tenders, suppliers and manufacturers who are women or a predominantly controlled by women, must participate in bids or be sub-contracted to supply goods, construction works or services. We, as a Ministry, have awarded tenders on some of our national development projects to women owned businesses. We will continue to implore and engage our fellow ministries to follow the provisions of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act [Chapter 22:23] and consider more women owned businesses when awarding tenders.
On the motion of the DEPUTY MINISTER OF WOMEN’S AFFAIRS, COMMUNITY, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES DEVELOPMENT, (HON. MHLANGA), the Senate adjourned at Fourteen Minutes past Four o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 19th July, 2022.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 6th July, 2022
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
MOTION
RATIFICATION OF THE GENERAL CONVENTION ON PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES OF THE ORGANISATION OF AFRICAN UNITY
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE: Thank you Mr. President. I move the motion standing in my name;
THAT WHEREAS Section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that an international treaty 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 General Convention on Privileges and Immunities of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) entered into force on 25th October, 1965;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe has not signed nor ratified the General Convention on Privileges and Immunities of the Organisation of African Unity;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous to accede to the said General Convention;
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. I so move Mr. President Sir.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Mr. President. Mine is just a simple question to the Minister - if he can explain why it took so long for this to be acceded to. Thank you.
HON. ZIYAMBI: Mr. President the general policy of the Second Republic is that we want to engage and reengage and as such, we then decided to look at all the treaties that were not acceded to or ratified so that we become part of the community of nations. So we identified some of these conventions that we had not ratified and we believe that in order for us to move with everyone within the continent and enjoy all the privileges that come with being part of the African Union, we must ensure that we ratify and accede to the majority of these conventions.
You will also notice that we had other bilateral agreements that we also did not proceed to ensure that they come before Parliament and the process of ratification is concluded and you will realise that from last year and this year, we are bringing a lot of these conventions to Parliament to satisfy our legal requirements for them to be ratified and become part of our municipal laws. I thank you Mr. President and move that this House ratifies this convention. I thank you.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
RATIFICATION OF THE ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL ON PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES OF THE ORGANISATION
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE: Mr. President I move the motion standing in my name;
THAT WHEREAS Section 327(2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that an international treaty 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 Additional Protocol on Privileges and Immunities of the Organisation was approved by the OAU Heads of State and Government at its Seventeenth Ordinary Session at Freetown, Sierra Leone on 3rd July, 1980;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe has not signed nor ratify the Additional Protocol on Privileges and Immunities of the Organisation;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous to accede to the said Agreement;
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. I so move Mr. President Sir.
Motion put and agreed.
MOTION
RATIFICATION OF THE AGREEMENT ON THE PROMOTION AND RECIPROCAL PROTECTION OF INVESTMENTS BETWEEN ZIMBABWE AND INDONESIA
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Mr. President Sir, I move the motion standing in my name that:
WHEREAS Section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that an international treaty 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 Agreement on the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments between Zimbabwe and Indonesia was signed on the 8th of February, 1999 on behalf of the Republic of Zimbabwe;
AND WHEREAS the entry into force of this Agreement shall be effective three (3) months from the date of notification of the fulfilment of the internal legal procedures by the later Contracting Party;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous to ratify the said Agreement;
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. I so move Mr. President Sir.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Thank you Mr. President Sir. I just want to find out from the Minister, paragraph 3 indicates that this agreement shall be effective three months from the date of notification. I notice that this was done on 8th February, 1999. Does it mean that we, as Government, re-submitted? May I know the procedure? Thank you Mr. President.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Mr. President. I rise to appreciate what is happening now which could not happen during the previous times. This is a way forward. If we continue not ratifying what other countries have done, we remain behind. May be as a result, we are going to be at par with other countries. Those are the few remarks which I thought I should give. I thank you Mr. President.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. President. I want to thank Hon. Sen. Mohadi and I will start with the compliment that she has given. Indeed, thus the thrust of Government to ensure that we become one with all the other nations where we had agreements that we had not ratified. We want to be a State party to those treaties and agreements so that we move along with others.
Coming to Hon. Sen. Muzenda, the Convention actually says the entry into force of this agreement shall be effective three months from the date of notification of the fulfilment of the internal legal procedures by the later contracting party. In other words, once we have finished our internal legal procedures here in Parliament, the President will be obliged within three months, to notify that we have concluded the procedures. It does not refer to the time when we signed the agreement. That is the difference. It speaks to the process that we are doing to indicate that once we complete the process, within three months, we must deposit our instruments. Having said that Mr. President Sir, I move that this House approves the Agreement. I thank you.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
RATIFICATION OF THE AGREEMENT ON THE PROMOTION AND RECIPROCAL PROTECTION OF INVESTMENTS BETWEEN ZIMBABWE AND BOTSWANA
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Mr. President,WHEREAS section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that an international treaty 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 Agreement on the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments between Zimbabwe and Botswana was signed on the 21st of March, 2011 on behalf of the Republic of Zimbabwe;
AND WHEREAS the entry into force of this Agreement shall be effective on the thirtieth (30th) day from the date of notification of the fulfilment of the internal legal procedures by the later Contracting Party;
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous to ratify the said Agreement;
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.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
RATIFICATION OF THE AGREEMENT ON THE PROMOTION AND RECIPROCAL PROTECTION OF INVESTMENTS BETWEEN ZIMBABWEAND SINGAPORE
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Mr. President,WHEREAS section 327(2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that an international treaty 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 Agreement on the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments between Zimbabwe and Singapore was signed on the 1st of September, 2000 on behalf of the Republic of Zimbabwe;
AND WHEREAS the entry into force of this Agreement shall be effective on the date of receipt of notification by either Contracting Party to the other that its constitutional and legal requirements have been fulfilled
AND WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous to ratify the said Agreement;
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.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): I move that Order of the Day, Number 6 be stood over until Order of the Day, Number 7 has been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
SECOND READING
COPPER CONTROL AMENDMENT BILL [H.B. 3, 2021]
Seventh Order read: Second Reading: Copper Control Amendment Bill [H.B. 3, 2021].
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Mr. President, allow me to present the Second Reading Speech of a very important Bill, the Copper Control Amendment Bill. This Bill is important in that the mischief that it seeks to cure has the potential of bringing this nation to its knees. The illegal trade in copper has led to a great amount of damage to our nation. The trade led to vandalism of our electricity infrastructure through criminals stealing copper cables.
We had an electricity powered train which plied Gweru to Harare. The train used overhead electricity cables. Copper thieves vandalised the line through stealing the copper cables. It is because of these criminal activities that the train was decommissioned. As a result, we have electric locomotives that cannot be used because copper cables were stolen. This train was bringing much needed convenience to passengers and the economy.
The trade in copper has become very lucrative; as a result, a day hardly passes without hearing reports of cable theft. This affects, not only the operations of the electricity supply authority but to a greater extent, the consumers of this utility. The cost on our economy is immeasurable. It affects production in our industries and businesses in their diversity.
The vandalism of utilities through theft of copper cables has been aided to thrive by non-provision of specific offences in relation to these criminal acts and lack of deterrent penalties in the Copper Control Act. The Copper Control Amendment Bill is a proposed piece of legislation which sets out key areas that were found lacking in the regulation of copper dealings since the enactment of the Act. The Bill seeks to amend the Copper Control Act to address the shortcomings of this Act. The Bill seeks to make it mandatory for all copper dealers to have certificates of origins for all the copper in their possession. The certificate shall have name and address of the person who sold to the possessor, name and address of the buyer, the description of the copper, its quantity, reason for disposal and endorsement by or on behalf of the police officer commanding a police district.
The lack of non-deterrent sentences shall be addressed by introducing a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years. The minimum mandatory sentence means, for example, if one is found guilty of possession of copper without a certificate of origin, he or she shall be sentenced to a jail term of not less than 10 years.
Unsatisfactory account for possession of copper shall also attract not less than ten years in jail. The Bill also introduces not less than ten years’ jail sentences for vandalism of infrastructure through theft of copper cables and dealing in stolen copper. Further, the Bill gives power to courts to order forfeiture to the State of any vehicle or any other device used in transporting illegal copper.
I urge Hon. Members to support and pass this Bill bearing in mind how important electricity is for the business of this House, our household uses and the operations of our industries and businesses. I submit and move that the Bill be read a second time.
*HON. SEN. SHUMBA: Thank you Mr. President for giving me the opportunity to support the motion. When he started presenting the Bill, I really rejoiced because indeed there are a lot of copper thieves. We do not know why they are stealing the copper cables and where they sell them but when the Bill was being read, I noted that it is quite a crucial Bill. As it is, this has even affected the railway network system. You find people stealing copper cables and selling them. Anyone who is found in possession of copper without a certificate should be incarcerated even for ten years. This will be good for Zimbabwe. Stealing of copper cables is very retrogressive because it is bringing down development in Zimbabwe. I stood up to support this Bill and I thank you.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity. I just rise to support the Bill which has been presented by the Minister but before I support, I want to say a few words in support of this Bill. When we are talking about the Copper Control Amendment Bill, it is a very important Bill to us all because a lot of infrastructure is now not working, be it at NRZ, ZESA and other things like telephones, everything is not there.
Worse, you find when you go to irrigation schemes such as in Beitbridge in Matebeleland South, those irrigation schemes had everything intact but there is a certain component that has been taken off and at the end of the day, there is no electricity. As we speak, those irrigations have gone for more than seven years not working. If we look at this issue, we find there is no development because if we are talking about the irrigation schemes that are in Beitbridge which is in Matebeleland South in Region 5, the communities there are supposed to be irrigating crops but with no electricity, there is no production, hence no development that we can talk about.
Let me also applaud the Minister when he said that people should produce certificates that state where they obtained these copper cables from and the amount they bought them for. When we talk about these cables, these people are taking, it is just as good as the fences that Government is trying to erect along the highways but the fence is no longer there and you cannot find it anywhere, including the poles that were erected there. According to my own opinion, the term, the sentencing period of ten years seems to be very little. If we consider what Government is trying to achieve for the nation and someone just takes that wire during the night and abuses all that, and all the people suffer because of just one person who is very selfish.
Another problem that we have is the issue of corruption which is just like a veld fire. Once a veldt fire starts raging, it will burn the whole country if not stopped. I do not know what can be done to curb corruption because these things are happening before the eyes of those who are supposed to be looking after those gadgets and places but they continue to happen. Corruption involves two or more people and those people have to be arrested also.
When looking at the issue of whistleblowers in this Bill, they need protection because these are the people who have information but just because they are not well protected, at the end of the day, they do not disclose useful information which would assist Government to restrain these thieves who are worrisome to everyone. With these few words Mr. President, I so support this Bill. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Mr. President for giving me the opportunity to support the Copper Control Amendment Bill which was presented by the Hon. Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. Let me start by saying this Bill was already late looking at the extent of pilferage of copper cables. People are living in darkness and Government is losing a lot of money. Some people die during the process of stealing copper cables, so I believe this Bill has come at an opportune time so that this behaviour is stopped forthwith. It is also crucial that those who will be carrying copper cables should be carrying certificates. I want to also say that the Hon. Minister should be vigilant because you will find everyone getting certificates because of the corrupt tendencies of individuals. When issuing out these certificates, due diligence should be done so that only the deserving get the copper cable certificates instead of giving certificates to everyone. If that is done correctly, it will bring integrity and it will be efficient in controlling the stealing of copper cables. I do not think the 10 years’ imprisonment is deterrent enough. I believe this is a very critical issue and our economy is suffering because of theft of copper cables. Sentences will be 10 years but two years will be suspended for good behaviour, making it even less. I believe the sentence should be deterrent enough and should be 15 years so that people are discouraged from stealing copper cables. I thank you Mr. President.
*HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI: Thank you Mr. President for giving me the opportunity to support the Bill presented by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, the Copper Control Amendment Bill of 2021. I thank the Hon. Minister because we live in a Zimbabwe with rule of law. Zimbabwean people are educated, intelligent and work hard for the prosperity of the nation. However, because of the pilferage of copper cables, you will find the image of Zimbabwe being dented. We have seen in televisions country ratings and Zimbabwe is rated very low because people sabotage Government infrastructure and in the process destroy our economy. Without electricity, the manufacturing and other sectors end up suffering because of lack of power. The other day we were travelling with our Committee in Mashonaland West. When we got to Chinhoyi Hotel, guests were using candles as there was no electricity. This was because of the errant behaviour of stealing copper cables. People were taking advantage because the sentence was not deterrent enough. My request is that Government should monitor the laws and their implementation in order that crime perpetrators are prosecuted. My suggestion is to increase the sentence to above 10 years. We however want to thank the Minister of Justice because we believe that criminals will be prosecuted so that Zimbabwe can succeed and our nation can prosper. I would like to thank you for what you have done. We support the Hon. Minister and we believe this is going to benefit our nation. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. SIPANI-HUNGWE: Thank you Mr. President. I just want to start by saying that Hon. Minister, if ever you have done well, this time you have exceeded what you normally do. This is a good job. When we were growing up, we understood that transportation of goods was done through the rail system. But now you find people stealing utility facilities which preserve our road infrastructure. What is destroying the infrastructure are the heavy goods being transported via the road network. Previously, railway lines were responsible for carrying all the basics such as fuel, cooking oil, et cetera. You have done a good thing of putting a law in place so that would-be offenders will be prosecuted. I also believe that 10 years is not deterrent enough and to me, life imprisonment might be deterrent because this is akin to witchcraft.
You find that when they steal copper cables, some of these people export such cables and they get peanuts in exchange of stolen cables. You would notice that even where we hear that there is a power failure, normally this is caused by theft of copper cables. Farmers are suffering because they cannot access water even during the winter cropping season. In our area, we did not have water for irrigation in the past two weeks and after investigations it was proved that there were thieves who had stolen the electricity equipment.
I have stood up to support the Bill because I believe that this is a good thing. Ten years is not enough, I would suggest life imprisonment.
*HON. SEN. CHIRONGOMA: I have stood up to support the Bill that was presented by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. Let me say that at Dabuka Station there were electric trains which ran on copper cables but these were stolen. Where are our security personnel when people steal railway lines and copper cables? It is as if there is a company which is responsible for stealing such equipment. Electricity is very important in the development of any country. In this Second Republic, we need to look at the development that is happening, particularly the Harare-Beitbridge Road which is now in a good state. Goods were transported through the railway system but now they are transported via the road system.
Looking at agriculture, you find that some thieves do steal copper cables which affect the distribution of electricity on farms. The challenge is that even when the culprits are arrested they are not punished enough. The sentences are not punitive enough. I am tempted to say that it looks like this is a syndicate which operates during load shedding periods because such activities mostly take place when there is no electricity. At the end of the day people end up concluding that it is professionals who know how to operate transformers and other equipment.
This is a good Bill, which I believe will promote agricultural production on farms and reduce load shedding periods in urban areas. We need to find out and understand where those who have copper cables got them from without licenses. If licences and certificates are issued, then this will curb the trade of copper cables. We have been watching television and reading newspapers and you hear stories of people being arrested in Beitbridge and other areas, our security forces should be vigilant so that this vice is curbed. Those who are caught should be prosecuted and it must be clear how they will be prosecuted.
We need to determine what should be done to those who are caught. Ten years was suggested but I believe it is not enough. There must be an addition of years to the sentence because in the past you would find that there was electricity all over the country. I stood up to support this Bill which came at an opportune time. The only people who can develop their nation are its owners. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHINAKE: I would like to thank the Minister who brought this Bill to this House. The Bill was long overdue. Like what others have said before me, ten years is too little. We kindly ask you to increase the imprisonment period. Secondly, those who are caught with issues to do with copper, most of these people are being asked to pay bail. On this issue, I would like to say that bail must be denied to anyone found stealing copper. There should be no option of a fine and people must go to prison straight away. These people should not qualify for Presidential pardon because this is killing our country. Mr. President, everyone in this country knows that if things are being transported by rail, goods become cheaper than those that are being transported by trucks. We have better transportation when we make use of trains. Mr. President, we are not aware of what the Minister has planned with regard to this issue. Copper was stolen from Harare up to Gweru. These things were happening and we were listening and silent. My question is, what plans have we put in this Bill in such areas that have copper cables that enable the movements of trains? The distance to which copper was stolen is shocking, we are in support of this Bill. May we enact it into law? Thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHISOROCHENGWE: Thank you Mr. President. Mine is a question to the Hon. Minister. You said people are going to receive certificates, who is going to issue these certificates, considering that corruption is rampant in this country? We may end up seeing everyone holding a certificate just like what we experienced during the COVID era.
*THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): First of all, I want to thank Hon. Senators for a robust debate and the support overally, that they gave towards enactment of this very important piece of legislation. Allow me to respond to some of the issues that were raised by Hon. Senators.
Hon. Sen. Shumba was in support of this Bill. I acknowledge what she said that we delayed in bringing this Bill to this House. It is true that we delayed but we found it better to delay bringing the Bill to Parliament as we made sure that everything was in place before bringing it. These are public properties in general, what is also increasing these criminals is that corruption is rampant. She urged us to have a whistleblower piece of legislation in place. Mr. President, I agree with her that we need to deal with vandalism of our public infrastructure. Perhaps we need a mandatory minimum sentence for all those that destroy public infrastructure, it does not matter, whether it is copper cable or not, whatever it is, the infrastructure is for our own good, it is for all of us. Those that tamper with copper cables must be met with the punishment that they deserve and I agree with her that perhaps we need to look at the protection of our public infrastructure from vandalism and deal with that.
Coming to the issue of whistleblowers, we are in the process of coming up with a Bill to Parliament to deal with that so that we can protect our whistleblowers. This is work in progress. Again Mr. President, we are late but better late than never, we are in the process. The principles have already been approved by Cabinet and the Attorney-General’s Office is in the process of having a look at it so that we come up with a Bill that will be presented here.
I want to thank Hon. Sen. Tongogara for supporting the Bill. She was worried that everyone will end up having the certificates because of corruption in the country. She went further to say who exactly is in charge of these certificates. We acknowledge that we have to be very careful when it comes to issuing of these certificates to get rid of corruption. What I would like to assure you is that what the Hon. Minister said during Cabinet is that you have to explain what kind of copper indeed and how you will have acquired it. You should explain satisfactory to the people who issue these certificates. It will be written down on these certificates so that people within that region can actually see where the copper is coming from, and all the details about copper being transported. The idea is to track this copper.
There are people who are not afraid of breaking the law. This is what prompted us to come up with a bit stiffer sentences to all those who will be caught stealing copper. We have heard that ten years is not enough, we are not saying it is ten years only. What a magistrate is stipulated to do is that the minimum is ten years; it is possible for the magistrate to issue any number of years above the minimum of ten years.
Again I would like to mention that within our Ministry, there is Prison and Correctional Services Department. The main objective is not for us to have people in prison and die in prison. We now refer to it as Prisons and Correctional Services. When one is arrested and taken to prison, those who work there will welcome these people and try to understand the details that led to his or her imprisonment. They will work towards his or her rehabilitation. They should be able to be welcomed back into the society. The main intention is to take those problematic characters away from the communities. They allow them to be rehabilitated and have corrective measures done upon them and then taken back to the society. We are producing electricians, artisan builders, different professionals and skilled personnel from the prison. That is part of our rehabilitation. Gone are the days when people would mock, laugh and name calling those who have been sent out of prison. We are looking at an individual whose life would have been transformed by being sent to prison. We now have different perspectives. The other Hon. Senator mentioned the issue of being booked at a hotel where people were using candles. Those are some of the things we want to get rid of. We need continuous access to electricity.
I acknowledge the saying that we should lead by example. Those who are implementing the legislative measures should set an example so that people see that we are serious. Hon. Sen. Hungwe mentioned the impact of copper theft on farmers in terms of irrigation and the work they do on their farms and without electricity it becomes very difficult. When we come to the issue of Presidential pardon, we cannot dispute those who are pardoned by the President. It is within the Constitution that he is given such powers to do so.
Our roads are being destroyed because we are seeing an overuse of the highway instead of the rail. He mentioned the issue of ten years. It is just the minimum. They can be sentenced to more than ten years. When it comes to the issue of bail, we cannot evoke someone’s bail. It is within their rights that they apply for bail. On the issue of certificates, for those in possession of copper, the Minister of Home Affairs will explain further. He is now in here and I kindly ask for your permission that he comes in and gives clarity to this issue.
*THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE (HON. KAZEMBE): I would like to thank Hon. Minister Ziyambi for the job well-done for supporting the Bill which was being delayed. The Minister explained well the contents of the Bill. I will just pass through explaining a few things. I was not going to clearly explain well like the Minister did. The certificate is not going to be written without security features and is going to be issued by the Ministry through ZRP. I will explain the role which is going to be played by ZRP. The certificate will contain the form of the consignment because copper comes in different forms that will be found on the certificate of origin.
Therefore, the certificate is in the same grade as title deeds. Title deeds originate when the house is being built until it is finished and that is how the certificate will operate from form up to delivery of the consignment. I am going to answer two questions that before being issued the certificate, one must be registered and the one selling it must also be registered which is not easy for one to have a certificate if not registered. That is indicated in the Bill.
The Bill has a Committee, including ZRP and companies that sell copper, like ZESA and National Railways. They are included in the committee so that there will be no loopholes. The committee must clear you so that you are issued with a certificate. The certificates will be registered. Before processing the copper, the certificate outlines the procedures on what you are supposed to do. For instance, it is no longer copper but wire in the name of the owner until the process is done. In other words, the certificate is unique to that consignment. When moving with the consignment, you must have the certificate. Therefore, moving from point A to B requires a certificate which will be asked for on road blocks and everywhere you go.
In the Bill, we are trying to discourage people from stealing. All cars ferrying copper are subject to searching; it does not matter whose car is used. If a car is ferrying copper under unclear circumstances, the car is taken by the State. This will reduce stealing of copper. Thank you Mr. President.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. President. With the clarifications and responses that we have been given, 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
COPPER CONTROL AMENDMENT BILL [H. B. 3, 2021]
House in Committee.
Clauses 1 to 8 put and agreed to.
House resumed.
Bill reported without amendments.
Third Reading: With leave, forthwith.
THIRD READING
COPPER CONTROL AMENDMENT BILL [H. B. 3, 2021]
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): I move that the Bill be read the third time.
Motion put and agreed to.
Bill read the third time.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. President, before I move for the adjournment of the House, I want to thank the Hon. Senators for the business of the Day. I think we have helped a lot in ensuring that the agreements that needed Parliament’s agreement have been dealt with, as well as the Copper Control Amendment Bill where we had a robust debate which was enriching. I want to thank you for your commitment.
On the motion of the MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS, (HON. ZIYAMBI), the Senate adjourned at Four Minutes past Four o’clock p.m.