PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 7th February, 2024
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE ELECTORAL COMMISSION FOR THE 2023 HARMONISED ELECTIONS
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL
AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. MAZUNGUNYE): I rise to move the motion that this House takes note of the Report of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission for the 2023 Harmonised Elections, presented to this House of Parliament in terms of Section 241 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, which report I believe has been circulated for the House and I will not labour the House to delve into the merits. I present the report for debate. I so submit.
HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: I think most of us have not yet seen the report, so it is difficult to debate. Thank you.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Was this report circulated in the pigeon holes? I am advised this was circulated online last year, so I request that it be circulated again so that Members can be able to debate.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 8th February, 2024.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2022
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on Motion on the Report of the Zimbabwe Anti-corruption Commission for the Year 2022.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. S. MOYO: Thank you very much Madam President. I want to thank the Hon. Senator who brought in this motion for debate. ZACC is all talk and no action. Its primary function is to combat corruption in the private and public sectors. It makes recommendations to the Government and the private sector about increasing accountability and promoting integrity. It found some corrupt individuals, however no justice has been served due to the constant catch and release game where these individuals are recycled into positions of power and key positions. Corruption is something we complain about and whose negative impact we recognise, which even the corrupt know is a bad thing and a cancer to Zimbabwe. I say it is in the nature of man to hang the small thief and elect the great ones into office and commissions.
We live in a country where we praise and celebrate the corrupt. We live in a country where the leaders who preside over the health sector have no faith in the health sector. When they and their families are sick, they run away to seek treatment in Germany, France, China, UK and India. We have political leaders who have no faith in the education sector, they tell us of free universal primary education, but they can never dare take their children to those schools.
Some of the leaders in public service will never rest until they have homes in different capitals in the world, which they will never live in, they have cars which they will never drive, beds of gold which they will never sleep in because they have no sleep anyway. They buy food which they cannot eat because they have long lost their appetites. These are sad times.
The ZACC is not fighting corruption. It wants to appear to be fighting corruption. The history of anti-corruption commissions in Africa is the same, the moral rate in office is very short. ZACC continues to be led by corrupt officials. It seems in Zimbabwe, if you serve a full term, it is because you have refused to fight corruption. I think we are all aware that the children of darkness who are the leaders of corruption have one advantage over the children of light. They are well organised, are prepared to kill and do anything on earth to retain and protect their ill-gotten wealth. Nothing has happened to those found corrupt by the Commission, no one has faced justice for their actions.
Allow me to refer you to the Book of Matthew where we read about John the Baptist who was always telling King Herod the truth not to sleep with his brother’s sister to the irritation of the King. You should remember there was a dance – there was a lady called Salomi who asked for John the Baptist’s head. The point I am trying to put across is that we are like John the Baptist; telling the Herods of today that they are corrupt. We know there are Salomis looking for our heads. We constantly do not learn from the mistakes, therefore we continue to recycle hyenas to take care of the goats.
We need to ask fundamental questions because in a debate of dwarfs, what is the value of one dwarf saying I am taller than the other dwarfs, you are still a dwarf.
We need ZACC to live its mission statement and bring justice. We do not enjoy complaining about the ills we have observed. This is an occasion to complain about our irritation. It is all meant for us to warn each other about the dangers of corruption. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 8th February, 2024.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY FOR THE YEAR 2022
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the National Prosecuting Authority for the Year 2022.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday 8th February, 2024.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE DELEGATION TO THE 53RD PLENARY ASSEMBLY SESSION OF THE SADC-PARLIAMENTARY FORUM HELD IN MAURITIUS
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on Report of the Delegation to the 53rd Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC-Parliamentary Forum held in Mauritius.
Question again proposed.
*HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: Thank you Madam President of the Senate. I also want to add my voice to the motion raised by Hon. Sen. Mbohwa, seconded by Hon. Sen. Mohadi, on the SADC Parliamentary Forum meeting held in Mauritius. As SADC, we see that the unity of our countries aims at ensuring that there is peace and tranquility within our countries. As SADC countries, we also aim to safeguard our sovereign wealth, but we always face challenges because as much as we plan to succeed, there are issues of drug and substance abuse which mostly affects our youths who we look forward to be the leaders of tomorrow. So, all the SADC countries should work together as a team to fight this scourge which has caused our youths not to care about working or building our nations. As SADC, we should all know what each country is planning to do to fight this scourge.
SADC countries are also facing natural disasters such as Cholera which has been wreaking havoc in all the countries. So, we should plan together to fight and curb such diseases so that our people maintain the cleanliness that is needed to control this disease as advised by those in the health sector. As SADC, we should help each other fight pandemics such as cyclones which devastated our country and resulted in loss of lives in Chimanimani and Chipinge, which were the worst affected areas. We should be looking at ways to stop such challenges and prepare for such instances so that our people remain safe. There is also the issue of our economies. If you look at Zimbabwe, it was hit by illegal sanctions by the countries in the West because we took back our land from the few that had it so that we could all share the country’s wealth. Now, we are being punished for doing that through sanctions. We also blame our own people who have gone ahead and lobbied for the sanctions to stay yet the sanctions affect them and their families. We see some of them holding meetings with western countries to ensure that sanctions remain. However, they have ambitions to rule the same country and you wonder how they want to rule a country that will have nothing because everything would have deteriorated. So, I am saying that as SADC countries, we should work together as a team. We know of some elements who are sent by those in the West to change the current regimes that fought the liberation war so that if they rule, then they can reverse the gains of the liberation struggle. So as SADC, especially the revolutionary parties, we should unite and continue to ensure that those who fought the war continue to rule as they know how their countries were liberated and their vision for the countries. We cannot trust those who get money from the western countries to destabilise our countries, yet they will be preaching democracy and peace, but simply seeking to enrich themselves. We have even heard that those monies have disappeared. As SADC, we do not condone such behaviour, but we want majority rule which ensures that the black person prospers and enjoys the gains of the struggle.
I want to thank our team which represented us in Mauritius for a very good report. As Parliament, we should encourage SADC to plan for the empowerment, prosperity and self-rule of the black person. We should even pray for our country and not allow our countries to be ruled by the whites. With these few words, I want to thank you Mr. President of the Senate.
HON. SEN. MBOHWA: Mr. President Sir, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 8th February, 2024.
MOTION
PROGRAMMES TO CURB DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE BY YOUTHS
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the report on programmes to curb drug and substance abuse by youths.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUPFUMIRA: Thank you Mr. President Sir. I want to thank Sen. Dube for this very important motion. Before I delve into the substance of my discussion, I would like to start by defining what drug abuse is about. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), drug substance abuse refers to the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs. It is now taken as a pandemic. A pandemic is a disease outbreak that spreads across countries, continents and it affects more people and takes more lives than an epidemic. The WHO declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic when it became clear that the illness was severe and that it was spreading quickly over a wide area.
The effects of drug abuse depend on the type of the drug, any other substances that a person is using in their health history. Drugs are chemical compounds that affect the mind and the body. The exact effects vary among individuals and also depend on the drugs dosage and delivery method. Drug is any psychoactive substances that when taken into any living organism, may modify its perception, mood, cognition, behaviour or motor function. The WHO defines it as the excessive use of a drug in a way that is inconsistent with medical practice. The Ministry of Health and Child Care defines it as an inappropriate and excessive use of substance for other purposes than prescribed. The types of drugs and substances include musombodhiya, cannabis, mbanje, marijuana, dagga, cocaine, crystal meth, mutoriro, guka, dombo, heroine, scancky, kachasu, broncleer, codeine, diapers, medical drugs for example, nurolon, cough mixtures, histalix, therapheu, opioids and many others, glue, coffee, tea, thinners fire extinguisher fluids, gasoline. There are many more other definitions of drugs.
There are many more causes of drug and substance abuse. There are many environmental issues which affect this phenomenon. Divorces result in neglected children often abused at home. Bereavement, orphaned children with no one to look out for them end up turning to peer relationships where they succumb to peer pressure. School drop-outs, because of the socio-economic challenges like poverty and unemployment, a lot of youths are dropping out of school. This also contributes to idle minds, ending up doing drugs.
Child headed families, with a lot of parents leaving the children behind as they go overseas, they find safety nets in the diaspora and a lot of children are left alone with no one elderly or mature to directly supervise, leading to a lot of mischief which eventually leads to drug abuse. Most homes now lack parental involvement. The very important one is the breakdown of our moral family social fabric. Communities are no longer collectively responsible for children. Some of us who are senior in age, when we were growing up, we never stayed in our homes alone. There was the extended family system which enabled us to look after each other. We were each other’s keeper. Most normal families, whether in the rural or urban areas, stayed with the extended family.
Everybody was either a mother, father, brother or a sister. We did not have daddy, mama, auntie – you would call an aunty somebody who is distant; but vaive vatete, amai, baba. Because we do not have the extended family anymore, this is leading to the disaster which we are talking about. As individuals, communities, including the churches, we have a role to play if we are to manage and get rid of the drug abuse. I sometimes wonder when people are debating this topic, we are quick to point out at the culprits, the people, the offenders without realising what has caused this and what we can do as communities, to curb this menace.
The breakdown of communities, even when we were growing up in the communities, a child was a child for the community and not for one person. We knew that if you did any mischief in the area, any senior person whom we then called father or mother would discipline us. If disciplined, if you dare to mention at home that I have been disciplined, you will get the double discipline at home – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Now, we have a situation where when a child is disciplined or corrected, the parents are the first ones to say, you cannot do that to my child. As a result, there is no respect. We cannot care for the children in our communities. The traditional chiefs have a key role to play to make sure that we are one family. That is what we were.
You find a situation now, when even in public transport, young children or little boys and girls will not offer you a seat. They say it is their seat because they paid for it in a kombi. There is absolutely no respect because as parents, we protect our children. Sometimes, other families, parents might even try to advise you to watch out for something which is happening to your children but you are quick to defend and yet a lot is happening right under our noses. We do not know our children. We do not sit down with our children to talk to them. Even in the families when we get home, everyone is on his or her gadget, the children are on their gadgets and not too sure what they are watching and learning. I am saying, oh, I have come from Senate and I am tired or whatever. We have grandchildren and we need time with them, to talk to them and tell them our family history. I do not know what can be done to get rid of this menace of gadgets and we are not sure what the children are seeing because they are becoming adults at a very tender age. Father and mother will be busy watching Showmax and we do not know what the child is watching. We are not supervising and sitting down to talk. We have to have some systems of disciplining where we are saying today, no gadgets let us talk. In the evening, let us sit around and talk to the children, telling them about our culture, even trying to find out who their friends are and what they are being taught at school. We have no time for that, we are the biggest culprits as families and parents because the children are too independent. Even at my age, my parents will just say shut up and you do that. You do not even ask why. Nowadays, children want to ask why. This modern situation we are in, we really have to do something, otherwise we are killing our children and generations. From now, we will get back to a real poverty situation and this menace of drugs will never end.
We also have a situation where our children and ourselves as adults, because of peer pressure and bullying at schools or community, some children might even be forced to take drugs which they do not want because the bullies in the group will just say you have to take this substance because this is what we do and it is something fashionable. We need to look at the way we are living.
There are mental health conditions caused such as depression. There is a lot of depression, post-traumatic stress disorders and anxiety are also factors that contribute to substance abuse and addiction. When you are depressed or anxious, you may think of taking a bit of this hoping that the situation will go away, it will not go away. You might sleep, but when you wake up, the situation is still the same. There is need for a lot of psycho-social support among ourselves, not to be selfish, but looking after other people’s interests and needs.
People use drugs and alcohol to cope, but certain substances actually increase that depression and anxiety. People who have chronic pain conditions can also get addicted to opioids. Individuals usually get prescribed medication after an illness, injury or surgery or even bereavement to manage anxiety or pain so that you get recovery. One problem with pain killers is that some people develop an addiction to the painkillers. You cannot sleep or do anything without taking them and that is addiction. We need to be careful when we are prescribed certain pain killers not to continue taking them because you just get used and in the end, they have no effect on the intended purpose.
The longer someone is on a certain pain killer, the harder it becomes to get off it. The factors that contribute to substance abuse are hard to overcome. With proper mindset, anyone who suffers from substance abuse and addiction can overcome some of these obstacles. Some of the symptoms include engaging in activities such as gambling, eating and sex because they are deemed to be pleasurable in a compulsive and out of order manner so that it interferes with life responsibilities, work relationships and health. If you develop addiction, the body must have a substance, for example, a drug, alcohol, a cigarette to avoid physical and psychological withdrawal systems. The search for a drug dominates an individual’s life and others as well and creates conflict with others. You find that somebody does not even work and does not have any money, but you find them smoking. We are saying you cannot afford it because the person is addicted and finds pleasure in that smoking or whatever it is.
The craving for the drug eventually develops tolerance which forces the person to consume even larger doses of the substance to get the same effect. Some of the remedies include counselling from professionals when undergoing stress to find the necessary help needed to avoid the risk of ending up using drugs for consolation. Avoiding friends, especially for the younger people who use drugs, avoiding temptations and not attending parties. We just wonder what will be happening, even at some parties hosted at schools. We also need to acknowledge that there is a gap that needs to be filled by professional counsellors in communities. There is need for people of goodwill and other stakeholders to come in and save the future generation. It is everyone’s responsibility to fight against this pandemic.
We need to encourage community workshops, where people talk about these issues openly with experts who assist in making sure that we curb this. This subject of drug and substance abuse should be in our curriculum so that the children know because some children are in boarding schools and some things happen there so that they know that this is dangerous and not to be taken.
There are some challenges such as shortage of resources, lack of support from relatives, suffering neglect and abuse, lack of adequate health personnel and social workers and lack of medication. Good rehabilitation facilities are very expensive and not affordable to the ordinary person. As Government, we have to come up with institutions which assist people with rehabilitation. The private centres are there, but they are very expensive. How many of us can afford US$1500 per month? Those with money can do it, but for the ordinary person it is not possible.
The Ministries of Health, Youth and Women and Local Government should step up and come up with strategies and plans to curb drug and substance abuse. In particular, setting up of more vocational training centres in towns and villages. When we were growing up, there were clubs in town and cities where the youth had sporting activities. They were trained in so many things. There were women’s clubs where women were taught baking, knitting and crocheting, but now we do not even know that. We need to rehabilitate and resource those social centres so that we curb some of the abuse, because people do not know what to do and yet, there is a lot which can be done. There is need to advocate for free education to give the young people of our nation a chance in this life.
School dropouts due to economic challenges can contribute significantly to drug abuse. Social welfare should include programmes to the pensioners and informal sector and provide free health schemes. Ministry of Social Welfare should be adequately resourced to provide social services in both urban and rural areas. Community leaders must be capacitated where they will sit down as dare in the community and discuss on topical issues and advise the young people in particular so that we curb this. Sporting facilities should be a must in all the areas because sports keeps the children away from some of these attributes which we are talking about.
It is an emotional topic and I just felt I should say some issues and some definitions so that we know what we are talking about. We cannot just say drug abuse or substance abuse when we do not know what we are talking about. Most importantly, the drug dealers must be punished and given deterrent sentences because they are not the children who bring the drugs, but it is the older people who bring the drugs. These people must be given deterrent sentences as punishment so that they do not bring the drugs which have destroyed our children. I thank you.
THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank you Hon. Sen. Mupfumira. That was quite a mouthful and it was academic, educative and well researched. Once again thank you very much.
*HON. SEN. NGWENA: I just want to add on to what Hon. Sen. Mupfumira said because we are not supposed to repeat what has already been said. I want to add my voice on drug abuse issue. Let us join hands to fight drug abuse together because we have challenges with the police when it comes to curbing drug abuse. Police are not prosecuting the people who are peddling in drugs and would rather collect bribes from the drug dealers, which is promoting drug abuse.
Even before they engage in these operations, word would have gone round to the drug peddlers already and they are given money and hide the drugs. Tomorrow you find them continuing with their business. So, what I am saying is, we should fight this drug abuse and strong measures put in place in the police force in dealing with the drugs so that our children will not be affected.
HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: According to a report by the Zimbabwe National Drugs Council, rural youths in Zimbabwe are indeed affected by drug and substance abuse with common substances including alcohol, marijuana, and some more harmful substances like Bronclear and glue.
Factors contributing to this issue include poverty, unemployment, lack of recreational facilities and peer pressure. Addressing this requires a comprehensive approach considering education, community engagement, and support services.
Zimbabwe launched a five-year National Drug Master Plan that spans from 2020 to 2025. This comprehensive plan was aimed at addressing a range of drug-related issues within the country. The key objectives of the plan include:
- Supply Control: Focusing on measures to regulate the availability and distribution of drugs.
- Demand Reduction: Implementing strategies to reduce drug abuse and addiction.
- Control of Illicit Substances: Ensuring compliance with International Drug Control Conventions.
Substances commonly abused in Zimbabwe include alcohol, both licenced and unlicenced brews, tobacco, cannabis and non-medical use of controlled medicines such as codeine-containing cough medicines and benzodiazepines. Approximately, 60% of patients admitted to mental health institutions suffer due to drug-related problems. The socio-economic challenges faced by Zimbabwe have contributed to an increase in cases of depression, trauma, and stress, leading to higher rates of drug use.
The National Drug Master Plan emphasises prevention, education, and strengthening responses to drug-related issues. It also aims at protecting the youth who are the future of the nation. This is 2024, one year away from the end of this Master Plan and we are here still discussing how to curb drug abuse in the country. What has been the results of these previous programmes? How much of an impact has it made, particularly in the rural areas where it is even harder to reach the youths due to communication barriers, distance and access to knowledge and immediate help?
What is the size of the problem in terms of drug and substance abusers? The Zimbabwe authorities did not publish any figures ahead of the crackdown launched in the capital Harare on February 3, but drug rehabilitation centers are full and unable to cope with rising demand to accommodate new patients. The centres are estimated to be holding or treating about 5,000 people at any time, with tens of thousands of others either not coming forward for or getting any assistance.
Zimbabwe only has a dozen plus “big” institutions providing drug and substance abuse rehabilitation services, largely a reflection of how recent the crisis is for the country. With the rising problem, some private medical and voluntary organisations are now also offering services, but the number of these new service providers is hard to pin down.
What about the smugglers and dealers? The latest police campaign against abusers, smugglers and traffickers shows that drugs are being pushed across the country, but mostly in urban districts in both small-scale and industrial quantities by petty traders and organised criminal syndicates. There are big names and big players in this and they could be very influential. What are we doing to cut them from this trade? Maybe it is better to curb from source.
Where are the drugs coming from? The drugs are being smuggled into the country from abroad, but mostly through Zimbabwe’s land borders with Mozambique and South Africa which are also facing drug trafficking problems. Authorities say some small amounts of illicit drugs, concoctions and alcohol are also manufactured in townships in Zimbabwe’s major towns like Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru and Mutare.
Who is mostly doing drugs? According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) 2019 Report, Zimbabwe has the highest rate of 15 to 19-year-olds engaging in heavy “episodic drinking” in Africa, with 70.7 percent of males and 55.5 percent of females participating. Unfortunately, this age group is also heavily involved in drug dealing and use.
A lack of educational opportunities, combined with other factors such as a lack of motivation, absent adult role models and few recreational activities, compound to create feelings of hopelessness and despair in young people. These feelings can influence drug use and other risky behaviours. Parents who leave the country to go abroad or across the borders leave their children emakhaya with elderly people who are not actively hands on in terms of their upbringing.
The economy is bad, people relocate to the villages and rural areas, there is not much to keep the youth busy and off the edge to try substances. All of these factors in addition to poverty, unemployment and a lack of basic resources such as health facilities, libraries, available drinking water and internet access, compound to limit opportunities for rural youth.
Let us hear how we have been doing as a country, how much we have covered. Can we tailor-make solutions to specific requirements as youths in different areas which have different needs? The type of drugs in the cities are different from what is in the rural communities. The background influence comes different as well, so we cannot use a blanket cover and base this on little research and engagement in accessible areas.
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PROVINCIAL AFFAIRS (HON. SEN. MUNZVERENGWI): I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 8th February, 2024.
MOTION
GBV AWARENESS PROGRAMME TO PROMOTE POSITIVE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CHANGE
Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the commemorations to mark sixteen days of activism against Gender-Based Violence.
Question again proposed.
*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Madam President for giving me the opportunity to debate. Compliments of the new season. We thank the Almighty for keeping us alive. I would also want to thank Hon. Mbohwa who brought this motion to this House. This is a very important motion to us as a country. This motion is always brought into this House every year. I have realised that it only comes as 16 days of activism. If I was the one in charge…
Power outage.
HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: I was saying 16 days of activism is talked about every year and we march to commemorate. As I see it, Gender-Based Violence is always there from January to December. Since this is a world-wide problem, we should find a way of living in peace. We should find a way to commemorate this day because Gender-Based Violence is here from January to December. Gender-Based Violence emanates from our culture. In the context of our culture, there is the issue of kumutsamapfihwa – this happens when an aunt passes on, her brother’s child is given to her husband as a wife. This is a form of Gender-Based Violence because this girl is still a child, but she is forced to go and be a wife to an elderly man.
There is also the issue of religion and churches which I think needs to be looked into seriously. We are all aware of what is taking place in different churches. Some claim to have God given dreams of girls being their wives and this little child will be the sixth wife. We need to find a solution to such issues so that the girl child is not abused. Poverty is the root of a lot of things. If there is no food in the house, there is no peace in that house. Husbands and wives always fight. That is why in the old days, poor families would betroth their girl children to rich families so that the family could get food to eat. That is Gender-Based Violence of another form. I would like to thank our Government for introducing Pfumvudza. If you go to the rural areas, people can now sustain their families and they are very thankful to the President for Pfumvudza and the presidential inputs that are given to them. They even have excess food which they sell and get cash. This has brought peace in families as everyone has food to eat and this has lessened violence as people are busy and self-sustained.
Madam President, long ago when we were growing up in the rural areas, we used to have peace because we were under a chief. They knew how many people they had under them and what their needs were. If ever there were misunderstandings, the Chief would make sure he instilled peace so that people could live happily together. Nowadays, things have changed because chiefs are no longer being given their positions. They do not hold the same high self-esteem that they used to have, of knowing that they were in charge of their people. So, what can assist to restore what used to be is to teach the people so that they know. People perish because of lack of knowledge.
My wish would be to see Gender-Based Violence lessons incorporated in the school curricula from grade one, so that our children learn about Gender-Based Violence from an early age. Currently, when people hear of Gender-Based Violence, everyone tends to think it is only men that hit women, but these days things have changed. Men are also being hit by women and they are ashamed of reporting as they will be laughed at for being hit by a woman and taunted for not being real men. So, if the syllabus incorporates Gender-Based Violence and children are taught from an early age not to abuse each other, they will not fight later on in life because they will be knowledgeable. If we do that, we can eradicate Gender-Based Violence. I think our major problem at the moment is that we only recognise Gender-Based Violence for only 16 days in a year. So, after the 16 days, they start abusing each other again as the days of gender activism will have elapsed. I thank you Hon. President of the Senate.
HON. SEN MBOHWA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday 8th February, 2024.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Seventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 8th February, 2024.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR MASHONALAND EAST PROVINCE (HON. SEN. MUNZVERENGWI), the House adjourned at Nine minutes to Four o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 6th February 2024
The National Assembly met at a Quarter past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. SPEAKER in the Chair)
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Member facing me, straight, without a tie, may you please stand up? Yes, I think you are improperly dressed.
HON. MAPFUMO: My apologies Mr. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you, you may leave the House and get dressed properly.
Hon. Mapfumo left the Chamber.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Members, I am sure you have followed the recent event regarding the passing on of the former President of Namibia, His Excellency Dr. Geingob. Our President, His Excellency the President has conveyed his condolences and indeed, those of the people of Zimbabwe, on the untimely death of the former President of Namibia. Hence, our national flags are flying at half-mast.
I bring to your attention that His Excellency the late President, was instrumental in the genesis of the SADC PF way back in 1992 and that seed indeed germinated in reality on 8th September in Blantyre, Malawi, where the SADC summit unanimously agreed that the SADC PF should be established as a regional parliamentary body for consultative purposes and later to be transformed into a Regional Parliament of SADC. Not only that, the late President and his comrades in Cabinet and in the Parliament of Namibia, agreed that Namibia would be the host country of the SADC PF and it remained so up to today. So, from a parliamentary point of view, we have a special relationship with Namibia, particularly the Government of Namibia and the host Parliament of Namibia.
In that regard, I am requesting you Hon. Members, to join me for a minute of silence in remembrance of the late President of Namibia.
All Hon. Members observed a minute of silence.
THE HON. SPEAKER: May the soul of the gallant freedom fighter rest in eternal peace. Thank you. Please be seated.
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. SPEAKER
ACCESS TO INTERPRETATION SERVICES
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that headphones for translations are available from the officers at the Serjeant-at-Arms Department for use by Hon. Members. In order to access interpretation from the vernacular to the English language, Hon. Members are advised to select Channel 1 on their microphones.
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH SERVICE
THE HON. SPEAKER: I wish to inform the House that there will be a Catholic Church Service tomorrow, 7th February, 2024 at 1200 Hours in the Special Committee Room 1, First Floor. All Members are invited, non-members are also welcome.
May I take this opportunity to welcome you, as I have been absent on duty when you first came back from the holidays and wish you compliments of the season – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Why are you hesitating, you were not expecting that? – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – We thank God that we all came back alive by his grace.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: Hon. Speaker Sir, I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 10 be stood over until Order of the Day, Number 11 has been disposed of.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Eleventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. THOMPSON: Compliments of the new season Mr. Speaker Sir, esteemed Members of the august House and fellow citizens. I stand before you today with a sense of duty and respect. First and foremost, I would like to congratulate our President, His Excellency, E. D. Mnangagwa for a resounding victory in the 2023 elections.
Mr. Speaker Sir, your mandate reflects the trust and confidence that the citizens of Zimbabwe have placed in your leadership. Allow me also to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Speaker and his Deputy for retaining their posts as Presiding Officers – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Your re-election signifies the faith placed in your ability to lead the sheep of our nation through these challenging times. I express my utmost confidence in your leadership and look forward to a fruitful collaboration in the service of our great nation.
Mr. Speaker Sir, as we collectively embark on the journey toward Vision 2030 articulated by our esteemed President, I wish to reaffirm my commitment to the shared vision of leaving no one and no place behind.
The President’s dedication to this vision is exemplified by initiatives such as the Presidential boreholes schemes, a commendable effort to drill 35,000 boreholes across the country. In particular, I applaud the foresight of these initiatives recognising their potential to enhance water, sanitation, and hygiene service delivery.
In my constituency, Rushinga, a region predominately affected by arid conditions, this borehole scheme is nothing short of a lifeline. The burden of women and girls who often serve as primary caregivers to travel long distances for clean and potable water will undoubtedly be alleviated. Amid the Cholera outbreak, improved sanitation became paramount and the Presidential borehole scheme emerged as a beacon of hope.
Turning our attention to youth empowerment, I commend the Government’s establishment of vocational training centers in Mashonaland Central Province. These centers play a vital role in equipping our youth with essential skills. However, as we acknowledge their significance, urgent refurbishment is imperative to ensure that they remain effective hubs of learning. I implore the Government to extend funding for this refurbishment and consider introducing courses that align with dynamic development in our overall economy.
Mr. Speaker Sir, as we celebrate our success, we cannot turn a blind eye to the scourge of drug and substance abuse affecting our youth. Urgent intervention is paramount and I call upon the Government to robustly implement existing laws and policies addressing this issue. Additionally, we must invest in constructing rehabilitation facilities across all provinces to provide accessible and life-serving support to those affected.
In conclusion, let us join hands in unity and purpose to build a Zimbabwe that truly leaves no place and no one behind. Through collaborative efforts, we can transform Vision 2030 from a mere aspiration into a tangible reality. May we continue to work tirelessly for the betterment of our beloved nation. I thank you.
HON. MASHONGANYIKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for giving me this opportunity to debate this very important debate. I want to thank the Hon. Members who moved this important motion, Hon. Nguluvhe, seconded by Hon. Tsitsi Zhou. I would like to begin by expressing my heartfelt congratulations to our esteemed President for his victory in the 2023 harmonised elections. The peaceful and fair manner in which these elections were conducted is a testament to our President’s leadership and his genuine concern for the people of Zimbabwe. I would also like to commend the Government of Zimbabwe and its citizens for their contribution to these fair and harmonised elections.
Furthermore, I would like to extend my congratulatory message to you Mr. Speaker Sir, on your appointment as the Speaker of Parliament in this august House and Hon. Tsitsi Gezi as the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. I would also like to congratulate all the Members of Parliament who have been elected to represent the people of Zimbabwe in this 10th Parliament.
Today, I stand before you as a representative of the people of Mashonaland Central, humbled and honoured to contribute to the State of the Nation Address following the President’s inspiring speech. I would like to express my gratitude to our President for his insightful address which shed light on the progress we have made as a nation.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to commend the Government’s dedication to improving our country’s road network. The substantial efforts made to enhance our infrastructure have not only improved accessibility, but also promoted trade and tourism. The completion of major roads as highlighted in the President’s address is evidence of the Government’s commitment to laying a strong foundation for our nation’s development.
I am delighted to see that the special republic continues to prioritise the upgrading of our road network using local contractors and materials. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the construction and maintenance of the critical road from Harare to Kanyemba which extends into Zambezi River to Zambia. This road has significantly boosted the tourism sector in Mashonaland Central attracting potential tourism and facilitating economic growth. Additionally, I would like to emphasise the importance of value addition and beneficiation.
In Mashonaland Central, we have abundant resources such as masawu and mawuyu which can be processed and exported as valuable products. These endeavours will not only create employment opportunities, but also generate the much-needed foreign currency for our nation. I would like to express my gratitude to the President for facilitating the official opening of the Chilmund Water Plant which manufactures water treatment chemicals in Bindura Mashonaland Central.
This investment has created numerous jobs for Zimbabweans and reduced our dependency in importing water treatment chemicals. It is a testament to the President’s commitment to the development of our nation and the mantra “nyika inovakwa nevene vayo’. Moreover, I applauded the President for recognising the vital role of women in our country’s development. Women’s empowerment is not merely a slogan, it is a fundamental human right that we must uphold. I am pleased to learn that the Government has taken steps to promote gender equality and ensure that women have equal opportunities in education, employment and leadership positions. By investing in our women, we are investing in the future prosperity for our nation. I also commend His Excellency the President for including women Members of Parliament in the Cabinet and ensuring 30% representation of non-ward female councillors.
The implementation of the devolution agenda by the Second Republic should also be commended, the disbursement of devolution funds to local authorities has significantly improved service delivery. We have witnessed improvements in water supply through the drilling of boreholes. The purchasing of refuse trucks and the effective collection of refuse has seen local authorities utilising devolution funds to acquire the necessary equipment, thereby enhancing their capacity to serve the community.
Furthermore, the President’s address shed light on the state of our healthcare delivery system. As a nation, we have faced numerous challenges in improving accessible and quality health for all citizens. However, the Government’s commitment to revitalising our health sector is encouraging. The increased investment in healthcare infrastructure, training of medical professionals and provision of essential medication as announced by the President is a step in the right direction. It is our duty as representatives of people to ensure that these commitments are translated into tangible actions that benefit every Zimbabwean.
Additionally, I urge the Government to address the issue of drug abuse especially among the youth, those who supply the drugs must be apprehended to protect our young generation.
Finally, I would like to express gratitude to our First Lady, Amai Auxilia Mnangagwa for her exemplary work programmes like Nhanga ne Gota and the promotion of traditional foods, such as the one she spearheaded in Spain. As women, we have learned valuable lessons from Amai through her tangible teachings.
In conclusion, the President’s State of the Nation Address has provided us with a comprehensive overview of the progress made in our beloved Zimbabwe, it is a call to action for all of us to work together towards a brighter future. By addressing the issues of our road network, women’s empowerment and health care delivery system, we are moving in the right direction. Let us see this moment as an opportunity to unite, innovate and build a nation that we can all be proud of, I thank you, Hon. Speaker.
HON. TOGAREPI: Mr. Speaker, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 7th February, 2024.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: Mr. Speaker, I move that the House reverts to Order of the Day, Number 1 on today’s Order Paper.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
THE HON. SPEAKER: My duo on my left, please note that you are expected to be in the House at the latest by 2.05 p.m., so that you can join us in prayers. Thank you.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE ELECTORAL COMMISSION ON THE 2023 HARMONISED ELECTIONS
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. MUZUNGUNYE): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I move the motion standing in my name;
That this House takes note of the Report of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission on the 2023 Harmonised Elections presented to this House of Parliament in terms of Section 241 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
As you are aware Mr. Speaker Sir, the report has already been tabled before the House and as such, I will not labour the House by going into details. I so present.
*HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: Thank you Mr. Speaker and congratulations for the new year. I would like to add my voice on the report presented by ZEC. Hon. Speaker Sir, I will start by congratulating the ZEC Chairperson for being reappointed a second time by our President, Cde E. D. Mnangagwa and also congratulate her team of Commissioners who are eight in number.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: If you are referring to the Head of State, he is His Excellency the President like you are also called an Honourable Member.
*HON. TOFANANA ZHOU: Thank you very much. Let me repeat that Hon. Speaker Sir. I would also want to express my gratitude to His Excellency the President, Cde E. D. Mnangagwa, for reappointing her to lead ZEC and her team and also for being able to run the general elections efficiently in Zimbabwe.
First and foremost, I would like to congratulate ZEC for a job well done before the elections when they dealt with the issue of the Delimitation Commission. They did very well in delimitation of the constituencies. We are all aware that the majority of us were in the Ninth Parliament. Both the opposition and the ruling party, we are saying that the report was not good in terms of delimitation of the constituencies which showed that ZEC was independent and there was no interference when they came up with the delimitation exercise. It is these 20 seats that were delimitated by ZEC that some Hon. Members in this august House are now occupying. We thank them for a job well done.
Hon. Speaker Sir, I would once again like to congratulate them for a job well done when they allowed observers into our country during the general elections. They allowed a lot of observers from different countries who came to observe the elections. Indeed, the elections were conducted well and they were very transparent. We were following in the footsteps of our leader, His Excellency the President, Cde E. D. Mnangagwa who says that this is an open country. Zimbabwe is a friend to all and an enemy to none and that was put into practice. This was shown by the various independent election observers that came to witness the Zimbabwean elections.
We would also like to thank them for a timely production of their report which was done a short time just after the completion of the elections. The report explained how the elections were conducted from the preparations to the actual elections and that we were using our own money and had no foreign influence in terms of assistance in conducting the elections. The Government did very well and this Government led by His Excellency the President, Cde. E. D. Mnangagwa, did very well by providing sufficient funds for ZEC to be able to discharge its duties. These elections were conducted independently without any foreign intervention in terms of the provision of funds.
We are also grateful that these elections were conducted by ZEC in a peaceful manner. These elections were free, fair and there was no violence before, during and after the elections. All of us, for the first time, agreed with the outcome of the elections, which meant that ZEC did very well and no one petitioned the court in coming up with or challenging the manner in which ZEC had done its job. I would like to give ZEC a pat on the back for a job well done.
I would also want to thank ZEC for fulfilling the constitutional obligation in line with the Parliamentary Amendment that brought the extension of the Women Proportional Representation in Parliament, which was agreed to and that was done by ZEC. Also, the coming on board of the Youth Quota in Parliament is commendable. The Youth Quota was introduced by His Excellency the President, Hon. E. D. Mnangagwa. We should not forget that in the local authorities, 30% proportional representation was also enforced. This was meant to uplift women.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Our mother tongue is rich.
*HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: I will learn Shona from you Hon. Speaker. You are now much better than me.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: You will give me a beast.
*HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would also want to thank the diverse political parties for making ZEC’s work much easier, which shows maturity in terms of Zimbabwe being a democratic State. I would want to thank them very much. It would be remising of me if I do not congratulate ZEC’s secretariat and staff for working from morning until the next day to ensure that our elections go well. I thank you Mr. Speaker.
HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. Compliments of the new season. I would like to begin by congratulating the Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, (ZEC). I would like to also thank His Excellency the President of Zimbabwe for renewing yet another term for women and recognising that women always do a better job.
I now come back to the report.
The Hon. Members having not clapped for Hon. Karimatsenga-Nyamupinga
THE HON. SPEAKER: Aaa, imi, kana madzimai agona agona veduwee.
HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) established in terms of Section 238 of the Zimbabwe Constitution, is central and pivotal to our right to vote and the degree of establishment and expression of democracy to our country. Its establishment and structure and resourcing are fundamental to the legitimisation of the process of voting and outcomes. I thank ZEC for its report which clearly spells out its mandate and role, and how the whole process of 2023 elections progressed from preparation, delimitation to elections. They hold the key to the public and international perception of free, fair and credible elections. They are at the heart of our democracy and I am honoured to be adding my voice to this report. Once again, I thank ZEC for a well presented and comprehensive report on its work.
Secondly, I thank the Government of Zimbabwe for respecting the important role of ZEC by providing adequate and timeous resources to ensure all electoral activities were executed within the legal framework timelines and in terms of electoral laws. Whatever challenges were later encountered, they had nothing to do with lack of timeous funding, but only the work ethics and competences of ZEC and other factors beyond ZEC’s control.
The delimitation exercise which preceded the 2023 Elections was fraught with a number of challenges in a number of constituencies and communities. Some new boundaries created confusion and lack of sense of identity. Without going into detail, it is important that the feedback on the exercise be given attention to avoid same mistakes in the future. I also note that by the time of elections, there were a lot more registered voters than the figures used for delimitation. More voters registered after delimitation. My question is how do we ensure that delimitation is a correct reflection to the voters’ figures for the next 10 years?
Mr. Speaker Sir, the 2023 Harmonised Elections were characterised by peace, before, during and after elections. I commend the people of Zimbabwe for that and ZEC for laying that foundation, where generally the public awareness and access to materials was transparent, hence confidence and trust in the process. However, it is important that ZEC should take note and avoid some of the challenges that were noted. These reflect their own competences as the State and other key stakeholders had timeously provided resources. There was late delivery of ballot papers at some centres, in my constituency and I am sure in other constituencies as well.
In their report, they pointed out that in Harare and Bulawayo, the ballot papers were late because there had been errors in the ballots. Such challenges are to be avoided if they tend to overshadow an otherwise well-run election. There were also challenges with polling agents lists, which again caused unnecessary delays to the voting process. These issues are to be avoided as they can be negatively capitalised on and do impact on our democracy. Granted, some delays were a result of reprinting, following court challenges and the lessons must be learnt on how to manage this in order to avoid delays. In that regard, I am in complete agreement with ZEC recommendations that there be a limit in the legal framework for pre-election applications at the courts that will allow for completion of the cases well ahead of elections so that the material distribution and voting is not affected.
Allow me Mr. Speaker, to commend ZEC for the voter education and information platforms and activities that were in line with international best practices. The voter education was balanced, gender and culture sensitive. The use of social media allowed for the timeous flexibility to respond and counter fake news whilst the public participated in the dissemination of information and education.
I would like to conclude Mr. Speaker Sir, by recommending that ZEC recommendations in their reports on addressing some of the challenges for the future, be adopted and implemented. Our democracy is sacrosanct and must be a shining example the world-over and be defended at all times. I thank you Mr. Speaker.
HON. ZVOBGO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would like to debate the report of the ZEC relating to the recently completed 2023 general elections and other related matters. Mr. Speaker Sir, too often we take our democratic rights and freedom for granted. Too often we forget the sacrifices made by our war veterans and the generality of the Zimbabwean people to get the simple right to vote. Democracy is important because it allows every Zimbabwean to make his voice heard. Elections are the process of listening to the people’s voice and without successful and transparent elections, the legitimate right of all of us in this House, to sit on these benches and speak on behalf of our fellow citizens, would fall into question.
It must follow then that the report of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission on its work leading up to the general election, during the general election and after the general election, should be regarded as the most important report that this House will ever receive during the life of this Parliament. It is a report that explains and justifies our presence here today and justifies our right to speak on behalf of our fellow citizens for the duration of this Parliament.
Having perused their report, I would like to pay my compliments to the Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, Justice Chigumba and her entire team, on their hard work and adherence to fundamental democratic processes.
The logistical and administrative challenges involved in the preparation and execution of the general election were many and varied, yet the Commission successfully overcame them and discharged their statutory obligation to hold a successful and transparent election. Many people will consider the elections as the actual two days of voting that took place and forget all the necessary preparations and procedures that had to come before that, beginning with voter registration and the delimitation of the constituencies, hence proceeding to voter education in the 16 languages recognised by the Constitution and then to the acceptance of nominations. There was inspection of the Voters Roll and the organisation for Election Observers, both foreign and domestic. There was the Organisation of Security and the investigation of complaints forwarded by the various candidates.
It is clear from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission report that the election process spanned months if not years of preparation and effort. That the elections that took place on the 23rd and 24th of August, 2023 was the culmination and conclusion of a lengthy process. While some detractors exist, especially amongst those who failed, it is my submission that the Commission deserves praise for a job well done.
As evidence of their good work, I notice that while the Commission was allocated 860 billion dollars for all the processes leading up to and including the election itself, it managed to spend only 76% of its budget or ZWL612 billion. Mr. Speaker Sir, to hold an election on time and under-budget, using, furthermore, a currency experiencing some volatility, is a testament to the ability of professionalism of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. It is my hope that they continue their good work in the months and years ahead. I thank you.
HON. MASUKU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I extend my gratitude for granting me the opportunity to contribute to this crucial ongoing debate concerning the ZEC report presented before this esteemed House. Allow me also to express my congratulations to the Commission for the successful fulfillment of its Constitutional mandate during the 2023 Harmonised Elections. Undoubtedly, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission faced various challenges, yet its resilience and resourcefulness in executing its mandate are commendable. I wish to center my discussion on Chapter 8 of the report, which focusses on resource mobilisation.
Mr. Speaker Sir, in the realm of resource mobilisation, it is only fair to commend the Commission for its adept mobilisation of both human and material resources necessary for the seamless conduct of the elections. This accomplishment was realised through a robust cooperation framework established between the Government and other stakeholders. However, in alignment with global norms, resources are inevitably inadequate, and ZEC encountered certain challenges.
Shifting our attention to procurement, ZEC deserves commendation for the strategic measures implemented to ensure the timely acquisition of sensitive and non-sensitive election materials before the election day. Despite market instability, the Commission demonstrated foresight by adopting early procurement strategies and judiciously utilising its residual stocks. Noteworthy is the support received from the Procurement Regulations Authority of Zimbabwe which facilitated the procurement of strategic resources despite market fluctuations. The expeditious acquisition of key resources was further facilitated by a waiver for shorter evaluation periods, with a specific focus on critical materials requiring foreign currency.
Mr. Speaker Sir, regarding budget controls and expenditure, ZEC was allocated ZW$860 billion to support various election activities, and as of September 2023, 71% of the budget had been expended. I wish to commend the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion for their timely releases, coupled with the invaluable support from the ZIM-ECO Two project, which played a pivotal role in covering election-related costs. Looking forward, it is imperative that we concentrate on upscaling domestic resource mobilisation to ensure the electoral process become more self-sufficient.
In conclusion, Mr. Speaker Sir, once again, I want to say congratulations to the Commission. While the 2023 Harmonised Elections encountered challenges, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s adept navigation of these hurdles is a testimony of its unwavering dedication to conducting fair and transparent elections here in Zimbabwe. I thank you.
HON. MANGONDO: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir, may I send seasonal compliments to you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you.
HON. MANGONDO: Mr. Speaker Sir, may I add my own voice to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) report on the 2023 Harmonised Elections. ZEC as established in terms of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, is one of the 12 Independent Commissions. In terms of Section 239 of the Zimbabwe Constitution, ZEC is mandated with the sole task of conducting elections in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe, as a constitutional democracy, has never failed to hold elections since the birth of our young republic in 1980 – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – This shows the extent to which Zimbabwe, as a constitutional democracy, follows the Constitution of this country and gives people the opportunity to renew the mandate of Government as well as for the people to select their representatives in Parliament. We have, as a country, religiously followed the Constitution and therefore, I think it makes us very proud as a people.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has done a wonderful job in carrying out its duty in discharging its mandate for the 2023 Harmonised Elections. ZEC is mandated to carry out delimitation exercise and in 2023, ZEC carried out a double mandate in terms of carrying out delimitation and running the election. This delimitation, as we all know, is the first one since we had the new Constitution, the last delimitation having been conducted in 2008. So, ZEC, in spite of the challenges, indeed managed to discharge its responsibilities in coming out within its constitutional boundaries.
Yes, there were challenges in terms of people knowing which wards or constituencies they had been delimited in terms of the new delimitation boundaries. I think on the whole, the exercise was conducted with the utmost due diligence with regards to the people’s aspirations. I would like to congratulate ZEC for having been able to carry out, as I said, the delimitation exercise under very difficult circumstances. As I said, the first one since 2008 with the new Constitution.
I would also like to congratulate ZEC for the conduct of a flawless election. The elections were held under very peaceful conditions and people were able to decide freely which party or candidate they were to vote for because of the enabling environment. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission was able to extend voting for another day in areas where they had encountered logistical challenges. So, ZEC in this regard therefore, was continuously monitoring the situation and continuously assessing whether people would be given opportunity to cast their votes as required by the Constitution.
I would like to congratulate ZEC for the very peaceful election that was conducted within an enabling environment and that produced a free, fair and credible election result. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – ZEC is also tasked with the responsibility of registering and accrediting observers. ZEC rose to the occasion and indeed was able to accredit both foreign and local observers. Thus, also ensuring that the election was monitored independently and also that all the interested parties as expected, would have been satisfied with the conduct of elections. Never mind, others were not satisfied with the result, but in terms of the conduct of the election according to the Constitution and Electoral Laws of this country, ZEC indeed rose to the occasion and they are an institution that we should be proud of – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
Mr. Speaker Sir, allow me to take this opportunity to congratulate the Chairperson of ZEC, Justice Chigumba on her re-appointment as Chairperson of ZEC – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]- which demonstrates the confidence in which His Excellency, the President, and indeed the people of Zimbabwe have in her ability to conduct elections in a constitutional democracy.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I have had an opportunity to observe elections in South Africa, run by an independent electoral commission. I have seen a lot of similarities in terms of the actual conduct here in the manner in which ZEC allows political parties to interact as well as to present issues they may not be satisfied with. In terms of benchmarking, therefore, I think ZEC has done very well as I said and had an opportunity to observe elections in South Africa and have had the opportunity to compare and contrast the two – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
Mr. Speaker Sir, ZEC produced a voter’s roll based on our polling stations in terms of the Constitution. The voter’s roll is a very important document and ZEC was able to produce the voter’s roll which enabled people to inspect the voter’s roll within proximity of where they reside. So, the polling station voter’s roll was a major instrument in terms of producing a free and fair election and I would like to congratulate ZEC as well for having produced a polling station-based voter’s roll.
Mr. Speaker Sir, ZEC also carried out extensive voter education. I come from Murewa South Constituency which has an excess of 60 polling stations, and some of them in very difficult areas to access due to terrain. I must say I was quite impressed because wherever I went to the villages, I saw ZEC educators interacting and interfacing with the people, so congratulations ZEC for a job well-done.
Mr. Speaker Sir, finally, I would like to thank ZEC, the Commissioners, the members of staff, and indeed the Government of Zimbabwe for having created an environment conducive to a free, fair, and credible election. I thank you.
HON. NJANJI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I rise to add my voice to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Report. Mr. Speaker Sir, let me take this chance to proffer my judgments and critical view of the just-ended 2023 harmonised elections which were presided over by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) established in terms of Section 238 of the Zimbabwean Constitution.
My presentation seeks to explore the extent and depth to which the Commission adhered to its constitutional mandate towards the entrenchment of democracy and the creation of a free and fair election platform in line with stipulated regulations regionally and internationally.
Mr. Speaker Sir, whilst it is common that in every country, there happens to be logistical, financial, and legal drawbacks punctuating the election process. There is no doubt that the prevalence of a peaceful environment during the election period, post, during, and after attest to a Zimbabwe that is maturing in democratic trajectories if we are to compare elections of yester years – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to commend the adoption of constitutional reforms that saw the inclusion of youth, women, and persons with disability in Parliament. That is a good start towards the inclusion of marginalised communities in issues of representation and democracy. Speaking from a background of rural constituencies which we hail from, the participation of these quotas in Parliamentary affairs is critical in ending the existence of stereotypes still prevalent in many parts of our marginalised societies. Thus, I want to appreciate the upholding of these constitutional reforms by ZEC during the 2023 harmonised elections.
Mr. Speaker Sir, democracy entrenchment is further guided by the ethos of universal suffrage whereby all people of legal age are supposed to exercise their right to vote despite colour, creed, race and ethnicity. It is against this background that this election for the first time, saw new voters casting their ballot papers after a massive voter registration that was carried on by ZEC in line with constitutional obligation.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the accessibility of the Commission through the establishment of registration centers in most parts of Zimbabwe was a commendable move and ensured that every person eligible to vote registered.
A crucial and key component of elections in a democratic republic is the presence of monitoring bodies which we saw election observers displaying an empire roll of refereeing neutrally and the fair conduct of elections. Like the Fourth Estate, they also played a watchdog role in every election setup. It is the mandate of ZEC to see to it that every bona-fide election observer has been granted the right to monitor elections, Mr. Speaker, all observers under various flagships including the SADC Election Observer Team, the European Union Delegation, Commonwealth Observers to mention but a few. The accreditation of observers by the Electoral body speaks towards the existence of a free and fair election environment. A total of 12 512 observers made up of local, foreign observers and journalists freely participated in the coverage of the 2023 Harmonised Elections.
This attests to the existence of a mature and strong democracy in our motherland. Mr. Speaker Sir, more than 1000 applications were filed during the election period arising from the nomination court process. Whilst it was a noble adherence to democratic stipulations to allow fairness among political parties, candidates approach and challenges in whatever form of imbalance regarding the nomination procedure; there was a ripple negative effect in the printing of the ballot papers.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the latter led to minor blemish in the voting processes, where other areas had to wait longer than expected to receive voting material. However, the Commission, in the spirit of democracy, implored His Excellency the President, Cde. Emmerson Mnangagwa to exercise his powers under section 38 (IV) of the Electoral Act and alter his area proclamation issue under Statutory Instrument 85/2023, that voting should be extended to the 24th of August to allow areas that have been affected by the right to exercise their right.
Mr. Speaker Sir, it was the greatest test of our democracy which the Second Republic passed with distinctions, the allowing of candidates to approach courts for redress and subsequent considering action to extend voting period with another day, attest to the truest fact that ZEC contributed to the democratisation of the electoral process.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I do fully concur with the recommendations highlighted by the Commission in their electoral post mortem report, where Parliament is tasked with the enactment of reforms mainly to do with time limits for adjudication of pre-election applications. I quote, “there should be established reasonable and appropriate time limits in the legal framework for the proceeding hearing framework and determination of pre-election applications filed at the courts in order for the matters to be completed and court decisions rendered well in advance of election day.”
Mr. Speaker Sir, I do believe that if we have a task in this honourable august House, to preserve, nurture and entrench deeper, the existing mature democracy we experienced in the just ended 2023 elections by enacting guiding laws and formulating policies that are corrective of electoral nemeses which we encounter, we may achieve that higher beacon of democracy for our country Zimbabwe. With this presentation, I do rest my case. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I thank you very much Hon. Njanji. In future, when we rightly quote from the report, it is very important that you refer also to the page where that quotation has been extracted so that there is full complement of the Hansard record. I thank you.
HON. MAPOSA: Mr. Speaker, Sir. Mwayusa biyeni twayusa kabotu. Allow me to…
THE HON. SPEAKER: You are testing me, right?
HON. MAPOSA: I can speak in Tonga Hon. Speaker
THE HON. SPEAKER: I can see that.
HON. MAPOSA: Allow me to pass my compliments of the new season to the Hon. Members and Parliament staff after a long holiday and a happy new year. The Parliament staff always do a tough job daily on our behalf. I would like to thank them again on behalf of all Hon. Members. ZEC elections are the way of practicing democracy and that is the right of any person or citizen of any country, to afford them an opportunity to choose leaders of their choice, to govern them, to provide services and to give them mandate to rule or govern.
Hon. Speaker Sir, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, in terms of Section 239, Amendment No. 20 of 2013, have the mandate to oversee elections which they did on the 23rd of August 2023. Hon. Speaker Sir, it is critical to note that the 2023 Harmonised Elections where conducted in an environment informed from the 2018 elections. This board has a mandate to process voter registration, to teach and enroll all the potential voters to do inspection exercise to make sure no one and no place is left behind. ZEC does not work alone, it works with stakeholders for its support which it did in 2023 Harmonised Elections.
Hon. Speaker Sir, therefore, 2023 Harmonised Elections, were largely conducted based on the legal framework that existed in 2018. Voter education programmes were implemented. ZEC also provided the provision of election observers. Zimbabwe also invited foreign observers to the 2023 August elections. Forty-six countries as well as regional bodies were invited. The Government also invited several political parties from the region, in line with the standard practice.
Hon. Speaker Sir, ZEC is an independent body mandated to support and enrich human rights and democracy. It also is mandated to manage elections and Referendum in Zimbabwe as well. The 2023 harmonised elections were conducted with the framework of the vision and values. ZEC promoted transparent and thorough engagement of both international and external stakeholders. They are the key indicators of transparency to the public through regular communication with the public as well as political parties, media and giving information to the needy, which they did in August 2023.
Mr. Speaker Sir, ZEC is an independent body in the provision of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. The elections were conducted without leaving no one behind without any interference. Hon. Speaker Sir, ZEC also provided the right for any citizen to vote without fear or favour during elections. Hon. Speaker Sir, ZEC integrity was upheld through various observers that are UN, AU as well as SADC. All of these were invited. All the groups of people were given a chance to vote.
Hon. Speaker Sir, in conclusion, I would like to thank all the ZEC staff and all the voters who managed to vote in a very peaceful manner. I would like to thank the President of Zimbabwe and the Government who managed to provide the funds for the elections to be successful and well observed by all the people and observers who had been invited in Zimbabwe. I thank you.
HON. MASVISVI: Good afternoon Mr. Speaker Sir and compliments of the new season. Mr. Speaker Sir, thank you for affording me this opportunity to add my voice to the debate on the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Report.
Mr. Speaker Sir, ZEC, established in terms of section 238 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe as one of the chapter 12 Independent Commissions, mandated to support and entrench human rights and democracy, is mandated to manage elections and referendums in Zimbabwe.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the duties and functions of this Commission are outlined in the Constitution and the Electoral Act. Section 239 of the Constitution mandates the ZEC as follows; -
- To prepare for conduct and supervise
- Election to the Office of the President and to the Parliament;
- Election to provincial and metropolitan councils and the governing bodies of local authorities;
- Elections of members of the National Council of Chiefs’ established by section 285.
- Referendums
- Ensure that those elections and referendums are conducted efficiently, freely, fairly, transparently and in accordance with the law;
- To supervise elections of the President of the Senate and the Speaker and to ensure that those elections are conducted efficiently and in accordance with the law;
- To register voters;
- To compile voters’ roll and registers;
- To ensure the proper custody and maintenance of voters’ roll and registers;
- To delimit constituencies, wards and other electoral boundaries;
- To design, print and distribute ballot papers, approve the form and procure ballot boxes and establish and operate polling stations;
- To conduct and supervise voter education;
- To accredit observers of elections and referendums, undertaking and promoting research into electoral processes, developing expertise and the use of technology in regard to the electoral processes, promoting cooperation between Government, political parties and civil society in regard to elections keeping the public informed.
All the above were done excellently by the Commission. Mr. Speaker Sir, basing on the mandate, vision of the Commission, I commend them for a job well done on the adherence to the dictates of the Constitution and the Electoral Act. Mr. Speaker Sir, I commend ZEC’s Vision, Mission, Values and NDS1. I applaud ZEC in its Vision which reads, ‘to be a centre of excellence in the management of the elections and referendums’. ZEC respects elections and referendums in Zimbabwe.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I also want to thank this Commission for promoting transparency though engagement of both internal and external stakeholders, key indicators of transparency including being receptive to the public, regular communication with the public, political parties, media and access to information.
Mr. Speaker Sir, ZEC exercised its autonomy in the conduct of the 2023 Harmonised Elections in line with the provisions of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. It shows that it is an independent body which works without undue interference from internal and external spheres.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the successful conduct of 2023 Harmonised Elections is attributed to the team work, dedication and commitment of ZEC staff members and stakeholders. ZEC should be applauded for the job well done beyond any reasonable doubt for they managed to hold undisputed elections which were free and fair. The results of local councils, the National Assembly and the Presidential results were announced within the stipulated time and this reduced the anxiety from the stakeholders and the populace.
ZEC promoted the constitutional rights of the citizens without fear or favour during harmonised elections. The integrity of the electoral process was upheld through observance of various standards and protocols of the United Nations, the African Union and SADC governing the conduct of credible elections.
Mr. Speaker Sir, inclusivity was promoted throughout all the stages of the electoral process in terms of participation of women, religious communities, persons with disabilities, youths and the elderly people as defined in the Constitution of Zimbabwe. Internally, ZEC human resource policies were guided by the principles of gender balance and inclusion. The successful conduct of the 2023 Harmonised Elections deepened the democratisation process necessary for a prosperous and empowered upper middle-class income society envisaged by NDS1.
Mr. Speaker Sir, in conclusion, it is noted that ZEC is performing its duties according to the dictates of the Constitution and the Electoral Act. I, therefore, appreciate the role being played by the Commission chaired by Justice Priscilla Chigumba and her team of Commissioners. I also commend the Commission for its good work. I thank you.
HON. DHLIWAYO: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir and Honourable Members. Let me also take this opportunity to pass my greetings to my fellow Zimbabweans and Chipinge East in particular. It is my singular honour to stand before this august House to share my views on the ZEC report following the harmonised elections held on 23rd August, 2023. These elections were held on the crippling economic sanctions imposed on our country since 2001, tilting the electoral environment in favour of the opposition whose leaders were at the forefront of calling for these sanctions. Despite the foregoing, let me commend the ZEC for doing a sterling job in ensuring the harmonised elections were conducted in a conducive electoral environment. The period before, during and after the 23rd August, 2023 was characterised by peace and tranquility, which augured well with the free, fair, credible and transparent electoral process witnessed throughout the country.
Many observer missions from the region and beyond were satisfied with the manner and conduct in which the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, managed and conducted the electoral process. I also applaud the electoral body for ensuring that Zimbabwe fulfilled its constitutional obligation, as is always the case that elections are held as and when they are due. I say this cognisant of the numerous litigations against ZEC on the eve of the elections, a factor which could have derailed the electoral process. As attested to in the ZEC report, various observer missions were given unfettered access to all the 10 provinces of the country and they did so according to their capabilities. This is in line with the SADC Principles and Guidelines governing democratic elections. Section 9 of the SADC Principles, guides member States on the rights of SADC electoral observer missions where observers are accordingly given rights on the following, inter-alia; freedom of movement within the country, unimpeded and unrestricted access to all polling stations and counting centres; freedom to communicate with all competing political parties, candidates, other political associations, organisations and civil society organisations.
Chapter 10 of the ZEC report does justice in showing commitment by the Government of Zimbabwe in providing free access to foreign observer missions. Like noted in the report, there was a departure from previous elections where only diplomats accredited on fulltime basis were accredited. Recent elections held last year even saw well-known hostile organisations like Carter Centre being afforded the opportunity to observe the elections in all the 10 provinces. This shows the extent to which our electoral body, the people and the Government of Zimbabwe were committed to upholding the values of democratic elections.
I also applaud ZEC for the outreach programmes it carried out across the country. Gratitude goes to the Government which harnessed access to media communication by licencing community radio stations across the country. These community radio stations ensured local communities could easily access voter education programmes in the medium they best understood. Voters were educated on various issues pertaining to their electoral rights, encourage prospective voters to register, discouraging the electorate from engaging in violence among other things.
Other mediums of communication were also used which enhanced voters’ awareness on electoral issues. The preceding was also in line with Chapter 11 of the SADC Guidelines on civic and voter education, which is considered as “indispensable to democratic consolidation, as they allow for the electorate to make informed choices on who decides on their governance priorities.” It is thus appropriate to appreciate the great work done by ZEC in this regard.
The independence of ZEC, as in Chapter 12 Independent Commissions, cannot be overemphasised. Despite accusations levelled against the Commission by agenda seeking people, the Commission stood its ground to ensure the delivery of free, fair and credible elections. It is unfortunate that in their quest to outbid each other, some opposition elements resorted to smear campaign against ZEC on unfounded and unjustified grounds. The independence of the Commission was best seen in how it handled the litigation raised by ruling party Members on the twelve candidates belonging to CCC candidates in Bulawayo Metropolitan Province. ZEC stood on its high moral ground and proved to naysayers that it did not act on instructions from any organisation or body in the country. It is unfortunate though, that the pomp and fanfare accompanying the victory of the twelve CCC candidates in court was not complemented by retractions by the political party in question on the smear campaign on ZEC. It is a travesty of justice that one accepts decisions in their favour and reject those that are against them as there is potential to diminish the value of a democratic process. In this regard, I recommend to this august House that legislation be enacted to regulate the registration and conduct of political parties with a view to have genuine political organisations that are home grown to participate in our elections.
Despite the intensive voter education campaign by ZEC, what is worrisome is the voter apathy witnessed in the country. According to ZEC, over 6 000 000 (6 million) registered voters were recorded across the country, but slightly above 4 million casted their votes. While it is normal to have voter apathy, the margin of people who did not cast their votes is high and measures should be taken to conscientise the people on the importance of participating in elections. Not only is it important because of the existence of the right to choose leaders of their choice, it also aids in the growth of democracy.
ZEC noted in its report, the timeframe under which postal ballots are supposed to be received and they recommended that time should be reduced from not later than noon on the 14th day before elections to not later than noon on the 7th day before elections. I second the proposal by ZEC in light of the litigations that arose in the 2023 elections. Those who are serving the State in various capacities and are unavailable to cast their votes on polling day should not be disenfranchised in the exercise of their right to vote. The same also applies to timelines on when electoral litigations should be lodged with the courts and the timeframes of dealing with such litigations.
While ZEC did everything it could to ensure a smooth process, some polling stations, in isolated incidences, did not open on time due to non-delivery of voting material on schedule. Evidence on the ground however, points to the fact that no prejudice was suffered by voters in these areas as they went on to elect leaders of their choice. Calls have been made in the past to have ordinary Zimbabweans living outside the country to vote. However, the Electoral Act does not have a provision for such. Those who can vote are citizens who are on diplomatic missions, civil servants and members of the armed forces on external missions. The role played by the Zimbabwean Diaspora in the development of this country cannot be understated. In future, there is need to look into this issue, however for now, the logistical nightmare of organising such elections on the part of ZEC is huge considering the economic sanctions imposed on the country. Any future consideration of the Diaspora vote should be premised on a concerted effort by meaningful political parties to lobby for removal of sanctions.
On Observer Missions, Zimbabwe opened its electoral space to Observer Missions from different countries and regions. Local observers were also represented. Even though ZEC is well represented in the accreditation process, the prerogative of inviting foreign observers lies with the Government.
However, conduct by some of these observer missions left a lot to be desired. The EU Observer Mission was fingered in some unprofessional conduct which brings into question their impartiality in the whole electoral process. Attacks on Zimbabwe’s legislation through repeating propaganda made by anti-government forces were unwarranted. Attacks on the patriotic provisions of the Criminal Code adopted in July 2023, showed lack of understanding of the political terrain Zimbabwe is faced with.
Unfortunately, the EU bloc has extended their illegal sanctions for another year until February 2025. Most surprising though, was the Preliminary Report by the SADC Observer Mission which sought to dictate how Zimbabwe should run its affairs. Section 10 of the SADC Guidelines on Elections, clearly stipulate the code of conduct for observers. Among these, is the need to comply with all national laws and regulations, as well as maintain strict impartiality in the conduct of their duties, and shall at no time express any bias or preference in relation to electoral process.
At some point, these clear guidelines were almost flouted. Let me hasten though to say, Zimbabwe enjoys good relations with all SADC member States, but the conduct of some individuals among members of the Observation Team was meant to bring into disrepute, the conduct of elections in Zimbabwe.
Th elections held in 2023 saw eleven presidential candidates participating, even though it was a reduction from 23 candidates in 2018. The figure is testimony of the mature democracy Zimbabwe has achieved over the years. The elections in general were conducted in accordance with the Constitution of Zimbabwe and the Electoral Act. Zimbabwe in this regard, deserves a pat on the back for upholding democratic tenets, despite some challenges it is faced with.
In my concluding remarks, let me end by congratulating ZEC and the electorate for maintaining peace before, during and after elections. Never in my lifetime have I witnessed such a peaceful, free, fair and credible electoral environment. That shows respect for our institutions, our culture and our languages. It shows respect for who we are as a people and a nation. Keep it up Zimbabwe. God bless you! Thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: After your delivery, I have no doubt that you have some kennel of wisdom. More importantly, is that you have upscaled the debate and made it very regional and multilateral in your analysis of certain protocols that govern our elections, particularly within the SADC region. So, you are an example of going beyond the report in terms of analysis. Well done.
HON. DHLIWAYO: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I do not have anyone else lined up according to the Government Chief Whip’s list. I am sure the Government Chief Whip will intervene. I commended the Hon. Government Chief Whip Hon. Togarepi very quietly for the manner in which the range of debates on the motion has been arranged. This is a compelling development which must be commended highly, if you can keep it up Chief Whip. I could see a clear direction and also that the Hon. Members so lined up to speak were prepared to debate. Again, that is very commendable. Thank you.
HON. TOGAREPI: Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to say I would not fail after going through the mill of one of the best headmasters. Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 7th February, 2024.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: Mr. Speaker Sir, I now move that all other Orders of the Day be stood over until Order of the Day, Number 6 has been disposed of.
HON. J. SITHOLE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PROGRAMMES TO CURB DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE BY THE YOUTHS
HON. MAPIKI: I move the motion standing in my name that this House
APPALLED by the unabated drug and substance abuse by youths nationwide;
GRAVELY CONCERNED that the situation is spiraling out of control as the youths spend most of their time idle and consequently end up taking drugs as a pastime;
WORRIED that such substance and drug abuse has extremely devastating and far-reaching consequences on our youths and the future generations;
NOW, THEREFORE, calls upon the Government to;
- a) Come up with programmes to curb drug and substance abuse by youths through self-help projects that ensure youths are fully occupied most of their time, thereby keeping them away from drugs;
- b) Establish rehabilitation centres nationwide to assist youths who are addicted to drugs to the extent of treating substance and drug abuse as an integral part of their lives;
- c) Legislate for much stiffer penalties than before on individuals who are the sources of supply for those substances and drugs which give rise to incidents of this unwarranted scourge of drugs in the country leading to this conundrum;
- d) Send to jail all repeat offenders without any option of fines; and
- e) Take all necessary measures to ensure that law enforcement agents bring to an abrupt halt, incidents of drug and substance abuse as a matter of urgency.
HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: I second.
HON. MAPIKI: First of all, I want to congratulate the ZANU PF Party for descending heavily on the opposition. They collected all the six by-election seats. I say, aluta continua. Mr. Speaker, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to debate this pertinent motion about the drug and substance abuse.
Drug and substance abuse are a trans-organised crime involving human agents. There is value chain in the movement and selling of drugs and prohibited substance. To mitigate the threat, the peddlers must be accounted for. Globally, countries are searching for the best model to control the supply of drugs and substance abuse. There is strong political will in Zimbabwe to mitigate drug and substance abuse by controlling their supply.
Unique to Zimbabwe is the bold step taken by His Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, of not only condemning drug and substance abuse but he went on to come up with a model. The model is to use the end user as an informer to the law enforcement agents. The model has seen zero tolerance to drug and substance abuse in Zimbabwe. Police have been arresting drug and substance suppliers with even some prominent politicians arrested. The President was clear that this Government had no sacred cows.
So far, the model is yielding positive results Mr. Speaker. The model is an important milestone towards combating drug and substance abuse in Zimbabwe. This grounded approach is likely to be adopted and generalised by other countries that are also facing the challenge of drug and substance abuse. The model is homegrown where police arrest anyone whom they come across highly-intoxicated with drugs or illicit substances popularly known in the streets as lingo, mutoriro or guka.
Once the person is arrested, the police will put the concerned individual in a holding cell until he or she gets sober. The police will release him or her on condition that the individual shows the police the supplier and if he or she protects the seller, then he or she is prosecuted. In addition to that, the police are complementing the model through their traditional methods of gathering intelligence including suggestion boxes, whistle-blowers and special constables. The police special constables are part of the community and can easily identify those who supply and abuse drugs.
The idea by the President is to address the cause and not the effects of drug and substance abuse. To achieve this, the President compelled the “Police bata akasticker, kana ava sober, let him show you the source, then arrest the drug peddler”. There is also need for a whole Government approach. The Presidential initiative calls for all stakeholder participation rather than leaving combating of drugs and substance abuse to the police alone.
The effects of drug and substance abuse are affecting everyone from all walks of life. There is a surge in cold blood murder cases because of intoxication as the sanctity for human life continues to diminish. The problem now extends to law enforcement agents, the security sector, drivers and other professionals, among others.
Rehabilitation centres are overwhelmed in the services being too exorbitant. The bipolar effect of drug and substance abuse is quite devastating in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is one of the countries where the President has formulated a model of combating drug and substance abuse. President Mnangagwa also established a national taskforce to work on the modalities to combat drug and substance abuse.
The Presidential Model should be made into a law for it to be easily enforceable. These homegrown solutions will go a long way in addressing the drug and substance abuse. World-over, the law deals with the end user and not specifically the supplier. Once the suppliers are accounted for, drug and substance abuse will be easily mitigated. It is also the desire of this motion that drug and substance abuse be given the same attention as was the case with COVID-19 – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – There is need for an all-stakeholder approach where a leading Ministry is nominated and all arms of the Government including non-State actors play a complementary role.
The need for a whole Government approach cannot be overstated. The scourge needs to be addressed before it becomes fluid and unmanageable. Family relations, accidents, cold blood murder cases, HIV/AIDS, STIs, road rage, emotional disposition continue to adversely affect the country. Drug and substance abuse lead to reckless behaviours. Courts are facing hurdles especially in handling murder cases as drug and substance abuse is being used to plead as an extenuating circumstance.
Whatever the explanation maybe, drug and substance abuse cannot continue to be used as excuses to loss of life. There is the social decay element as a result of drug and substance abuse. Most parents are being beaten by their children under the influence of drug and substance abuse. There is gross erosion of the country’s norms and cultural values. The social and cultural fabric is important in a State. For the sake of Ubuntu, the Presidential Model is long overdue, hence the relevant departments of the Government must treat the issue as an urgent matter
The Constitution provides for Presidential proclamation and in rare circumstances, had it been evoked to address non-emergency social decay like drug and substance abuse as the doctrine is often used when responding to state of emergency. There is need for the motion to be moved in Parliament and the Presidential Model made a law to protect citizens from the vagaries of drug and substance abuse. Unless a law is enacted, police can only enforce it by way of conducting operations of which operations are time bound.
The importance of the law is that it will make the policy legal. In terms of the Constitution, it is illegal to hold a person for more than 48 hours without being formally charged. At the same time, it is again illegal to hold a person incommunicado as the law and yet the Drug Mitigation Model involves holding an intoxication until they are sober and can identify the supplier. There is need to come up with a proper Act which stipulates the rights of drug and substance abusers.
Zimbabwe is one of the countries where the Head of State formulates a model that is both retributive and restorative. The restorative applies to those who buy and consume drugs and abuse substance and retributive justice apply to the drug and substance peddlers. The restorative justice is meant to motivate those who consume drugs and substance abusers to co-operate with the enforcement agents. These will function as whistle-blowers and State witnesses in the event of prosecution. Just like whistle-blowers, there is need to protect drug and substance abusers who are willing to help the law enforcement agents to identify the suppliers.
The Presidential Proclamation is a practical action model that can be implemented to contain drug and substance abuse. The study carried out by Government through the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training in collaboration with Silveira House Jesuit Social Justice and Development Centre and the University of Zimbabwe Department of Applied Psychology in six provinces was presented during a strategic planning workshop and showed that the commonly abused drug was marijuana or mbanje at a use rate of 31.3%.
Drug and substance is the ‘harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances including alcohol and illicit drugs.’
Crystal Meth also known as mutoriro/dombo/guka is consumed at 24.4%; illicit alcohol such as musombodiya, njegu/tumbwa 21.7%; bronclear/bronco, 11.8% and inhalants such as glue, petrol and thinners 2.4%; prescription drugs (sleeping tablets, sedatives, diazepam, maragadu) taken at 2.3%; cocaine and heroine at 1.6% and 0.2% respectively.
Silveira House Research Officer David Bote said the study areas included Harare with an 11.7% characteristic; Bulawayo 9.0%; Masvingo 21.6%; Matabeleland South; Mashonaland West 28.4% and Midlands Province 24.3%. Bote said the study focused on those above 18.
83.7% of people interviewed during the research knew of someone accessing or using drugs and substances while 16.3% of the interviewed population said they were not aware of anyone being involved in such issues.
The commonly used drugs are mbanje or marijuana, crystal meth or mutoriro, illicit brews such as tumbwa, inhalants such as glue and petrol. Also, cocaine and heroin were being abused while the most easily accessible drugs and substances were marijuana, illicit alcohol, crystal meth and bronco, Bote told stakeholders during the workshop.
The report also highlighted that males are the most abusers of alcohol and substances at 72.1% and females 27.9%.
The users were mainly concentrated in urban areas at 73.9% whilst rural areas constituted 26.1%.
According to Bote, the secondary and tertiary institution students abused drugs and substances at 54.5%
Sources of drugs and substances included agents, bars, shops and shebeens, pharmacies and clinics as well as friends. He said the driving factors that needed urgent redress were mostly economic. Other factors included peer pressure, the pursuit of fun and happiness, lack of knowledge, lack of good parenting and shortages of recreational facilities in communities and social media were some of the main drivers of drug and substance use.
Most of those who contributed to the survey (69%) accused the Government of failure to take responsibility.
Bote highlighted that the effects of drug and substance abuse were enormous causing a 27% crime rate, deterioration of health at 25%; aggression at 11.9% and causing death at 7%.
The study also revealed that those wishing to leave drugs and substances faced obstacles such as painful withdrawal symptoms, addiction, peer pressure and absence of an alternative.
The church was contributing more than any other sector in trying to curb the scourge at 84%.
“Government must invest resources in organisations helping to curb the scourge because health institutions are not well resourced to deal with such issues,” reads part of the report.
A nurse at Parirenyatwa Hospital this year told a Parliamentary Committee on Health that the Annex Department for Mental Health Care was failing to cope with the number of patients coming to seek treatment at the health institution while there are no medicines and other accessories to deal with those affected.
The report urged the Government to adopt a Youth Employment Policy so that young people do not remain idle once they complete secondary or tertiary education.
Police were also urged to invest in public trust while local authorities were asked to establish youth interaction facilities country-wide.
Bote said Non-Governmental Organisations should move beyond awareness campaigns and do more to save the lives of young people whose future is at stake due to the abuse of drugs and substances.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Youth, working with different stakeholders, is in the process of drafting a strategic policy document that will be approved by the Government to help deal with the increasing abuse of drugs and substances in the country.
A Strategic Planning Director in the Ministry, Blazio Manobo said the document will help the Government in the planning towards curbing drug and substance abuse.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Act, Cannabis or mbanje is illegal to posses or use in Zimbabwe. One can only use it or possess it if approved by the Government by obtaining a licence which costs US$46 000 with an application fee of US$11 250. The Government has licenced a few individual farmers for huge production of the crop for export to get the much-needed foreign currency. Police have reported that 25% of arrests of drugs and substance abusers use mbanje and mutoriro.
The Dangerous Drugs Act (1956), is a piece to control the importation, exportation, production, possession, sale, distribution and use of dangerous drugs and to provide for matters incidental thereto. The Act aims to regulate and control drugs within the country. However, like any law, it has certain gaps or limitations. Here are some of the gaps of this Act:
- Lack of comprehensive drug classification: The Act does not have a comprehensive and up-to-date drug classification system. This has led to confusion and inconsistencies in categorising drugs based on their potential for harm or abuse. Without a clear classification system, it has proven to be difficult to determine the appropriate legal consequences for drug related offences.
- Inadequate enforcement mechanisms: The Act does not provide sufficient resources or guidelines for law enforcement agencies to effectively enforce its provisions. This could result in challenges related to detecting and prosecuting drug offences which in turn may undermine the intended purpose of the legislation.
- Insufficient focus on prevention and treatment: While the Act may have provisions for punishment and control of drugs, it lacks emphasis on preventative measures and access to treatment for drug users. Without adequate support for prevention and rehabilitation efforts, the Act falls short to address the root causes of drug abuse and addiction.
- Limited international cooperation: Drug trafficking is often an international issue requiring collaboration between countries. In the same light, the Act does not adequately address the need for international cooperation and coordination in combating drug related activities. This has hindered efforts to tackle cross-border drug trafficking and the associated challenges it poses.
- Potential for unintended consequences: A complex legislation like the Zimbabwe Dangerous Drugs Act has unintended consequences; these include effects such as increased incarceration rates, disproportionately affecting certain communities or inadvertently driving drug-related activities underground. Ensuring a careful review and periodic updates of the Act to suit the new trends of drug issues can help minimise such unintended ramifications.
In order to address all that I have been saying, drug abuse among youths in our country requires a comprehensive and multi-stakeholder approach that includes prevention, education, early intervention and treatment programmes. Collaboration among Government agencies, civil society organisations, communities and individuals are essential to address drug and substance abuse comprehensively.
To effectively address drug and substance abuse in Zimbabwe, a comprehensive and multi-faceted approach is recommended. Here are some key approaches that can be implemented in a collective manner:
Education and prevention programmes; public awareness campaigns; treatment and rehabilitation services; strengthen law enforcement and border control; data collection and monitoring; international cooperation and many others.
I think this motion is very critical. It has become a menace because we are experiencing a dangerous war like wars being fought in Palestine and Ukraine. The enemy is on us. I rest my case. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
HON. NYAMUPINGA-KARIMATSENGA: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. I am elated to add my voice to this very topical subject and debate on a matter that is threatening to become a pandemic and a security threat if our policies are not comprehensive enough to curb the scourge. Hon. Mapiki, thank you very much for moving this very important motion. I hope the culmination of this debate will be further enhancement of mechanisms and structures to prevent, control and manage drug and substance abuse in our communities and in our country.
Mr. Speaker Sir, there are two issues in the debate which are substance abuse and drug abuse. Substance speaks to a broad array of substances that are misused or used for unintended purposes, for example the misuse of alcohol, prescription drugs, tobacco, glue and pampers as well as many others that I have not mentioned. The list of substances that are overdosed resulting in health challenges and distractive practices like violence, teenage pregnancies and other vices in the community is endless. How do you know who impregnated you when you were under the influence of drugs? There is drug abuse involving hard drugs like cocaine and other imported drugs that are finding their way into our country, to our communities, schools and work places. The consequences are disastrous including suicide and violence.
Mr. Speaker Sir, we do not produce hard drugs in this country and I am surprised how these drugs are finding their way into this country. It is food for thought Mr. Speaker Sir. That understanding will help us to streamline and focus on each challenge and proffer relevant policies and solutions. The challenge goes beyond the youths as it includes some adults who are also hooked on drugs and substances. When we are talking about the wife being beaten by the husband, it is not the youths or the young boys but it is even the grandfathers and grandmothers and some of them are also hooked onto these drugs. It is a very serious issue and some people are actually living on drugs and even forget to eat their food. What do you do with a person who is ever sticking because of drugs? In that state, they cannot do anything besides sleep. We are destroying another generation Mr. Speaker Sir.
Yes, the youths constitute the majority of the affected for various reasons but key among them being unemployment. However, there is an increasing number of adults abusing substances resulting in increased domestic violence. The issue of violence came up a lot when I was listening to the debates on GBV. It was violence after violence from every Hon. Member who debated on GBV. The main cause of this violence being drugs and substance abuse. It is a very worrisome problem in our communities and our country.
Productivity is also affected. How do you employ a person who is ever sticking to weed in your field? He will not be able to distinguish between the weeds and the crops. He will take out everything because the person does not even know what he is doing. So, our labour is affected by this scourge. Also, at work and at home the impact is the same. It might affect population growth because if the person’s mind and body is sticking, they do not even know how children can be made. So, it means our population is affected and that is where the issue of security threat is coming in. It means we will have a certain generation gap.
I would also want to add my voice on the issue of Vision 2030. How do we achieve it if three quarters of the population is busy abusing drugs and different substances that are finding their way into this country? I do acknowledge the current efforts by Government including work by the National Technical Committee on Drugs and Substance Abuse. Their efforts are commendable with very limited budget provisions. However, given the degree of prevalence of abuse, the current processes in place are inadequate with current efforts on identification and rehabilitation that is mainly at Sally Mugabe, which is the former Harare Hospital and Parirenyatwa. Those are the two institutions that we have and they are greatly congested and inadequate. There is need for Government to increase institutions where victims of drug and substance abuse can be admitted, treated and rehabilitated. There are lots of private institutions but they are very expensive and they are ranging from $500 to $1700 a month and not affordable to many. These will remain elite institutions whilst the majority will continue to be afflicted by the problem. Surely, there is need for this Parliament to actually advocate for the Social Welfare Ministry to get more funding to have rehabilitation centres in every province, maybe every district, if not every ward. Mr. Speaker Sir, whilst there are commendable efforts by Anti-Corruption agents, we need to point out that corruption is worsening the burden of abuse. Peddlers are not being arrested. Mr. Speaker Sir, we understand they are paying bribes. How do you get a bribe for something that is destroying a bread winner? If you have destroyed a bread winner, it means you have destroyed the family that he was sending to school. You have destroyed the families that person is looking after and you go bragging that you have received a bribe. It is heartless, Mr. Speaker Sir.
Drug cartels highly connected – I am connected and even that connection should be asking himself or herself why should I entertain drug cartels who are bringing substances and cartels that are destroying your nation, that are destroying a whole generation. Mr. Speaker Sir, there is need from the Ministry of Home Affairs to make sure that the Department of Drugs and Narcotics should up the way they are working. They should increase the number of people who are working in these various and different wards and districts to make sure that a lot of these peddlers are arrested. There should be police policing a policeman for those who receive drugs. If they are not policed also, the moment you give them the mandate to go and work in these wards, you have created a money link for them. They will just be receiving their money and people will carry on selling these dangerous drugs.
There are hide-outs Mr. Speaker Sir. They are closed one day and opened the following day. They just raid a place, close it and they have talks on the way. They do not even get as far as a police station and already those hide-outs are opened. By the time the Press is reporting that so many places have been closed and so many people have been arrested, already the places would have been opened. Even in our neighbourhood, we know that at this place or house, the issue of drugs is taking place but we remain mute. We do not even talk about it. Maybe we are also scared but for as long as we remain mute, it is going to spread like veld fire Mr. Speaker Sir.
Monitoring life after rehab is critical. So many may relapse as soon as they face the same environment and stress factors of poverty and unemployment. There is need for effective empowering programmes to ensure no going back to drugs. Psycho-social support should continue after rehab to help integration with families and communities. The National Technical Committee needs urgent resources to build and strengthen around the pillars they have introduced to deal with specific issues. Maybe the 1st Friday of every month for example, could be dedicated to programmes on drug and substance abuse the same way we are doing national clean-ups around the country. That will be public platforms for awareness and communication. There is need on an ongoing basis, for continuous review of availability and easy access to alcohol, drugs and other substances to close the channels and apprehend offenders.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I would recommend that the CID Drugs and Narcotics Unit up the way they work. The Liquor Licencing Board and ZRP should work together when they go around checking whether these people selling alcohol are licenced or not. They should go together so that police will immediately apprehend them and send them to court where they are sent to jail. Surprisingly, Mr. Speaker Sir, these were like what Hon. Nyabani alluded to last week during the question time that where is Liquor Licencing Board now? Everyone is selling alcohol everywhere.
On people’s gates, they just wake up, put a small table, a few vegetables there and the liquor is in a plastic underneath the table and they are selling. Sometimes you might find even the policemen buying alcohol from those places. What has happened to the Liquor Licencing Board to make sure that everyone selling alcohol should be licenced and what type of alcohol are they selling?
The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe should also up their control measures because medicines are also in the streets these days. Even those that need prescription, sometimes you come across them in the streets. I think they should also work with the police as they also go round checking what these pharmacies are doing. What drugs are being sold in pharmacies? Most of them, even the ones that need prescription, are given to people without prescriptions. I think the Medicines Control Authority needs to review the Dangerous Drugs Act and Medicines and Allied Substance Control Act [Chapter 15:03]
– [Time Limit] –
HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. The laws need to be tightened to avoid loopholes that are causing dangerous drugs to find their way into this country. Before I conclude, the issue of parenting intervention and church intervention should not be left out. There is need for the technical committee to work with churches and parents because we are losing most of the children the moment parenting stops because each child in his own bedroom is watching his own TV. There are no family conversations anymore. Everyone is on his phone answering or reading what social media is posting. There is no more parenting and I think that is the moment we are losing the youths.
In conclusion, Mr. Speaker Sir, the Government should establish activities throughout the provinces that occupy youths away from drugs. For example, empowerment development programmes and projects. Some of the projects also make them earn a bit of money to alleviate the poverty in their families. The Government should engage youths in national services and activities. Mr. Speaker Sir, I rest my case. Thank you.
*HON. NYABANI: I rise to add my voice to the motion before the House. I will talk about Rushinga and then I will move on to the generality of Zimbabwe touching on cities such as Bulawayo where youth engage in vuzu parties and we come here and talk about drug abuse and people remain silent. I then begin to wonder, are they the same people that are giving people drugs or what? Things that damage us as a nation should be pointed out. I am passionate about this issue because I have got a young brother who has gone mad because of drug abuse. I tried medical attention at all institutions and apostolic faith healers, but it has failed. I have paid a lot of money, but my brother has not healed.
As I am speaking right now, drugs are being sold willy nilly. You can get them freely and they are in free flow just like tap water. People are being raped and they are being raped by people who are under the influence of drugs and we talk of high crime rate. We have high crime rates because people will be intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.
When I grew up, I observed that the traditional healers do not allow people to brew beer during week days. If you spend the whole day drunk, work is affected and people will not work. Beer drinking is now in fashion. Police officers pass through places like Mbare where people will be drinking on the streets. That is why last week I asked if we now have a new law that might have been enacted without my knowledge. Substance abuse comes in various forms.
There are some people that are using drugs to lighten up their skin, it is all drug use. When they initially come to Parliament, they will have a dark pigmentation, but when they leave Parliament, they have a lighter skin. It is all due to drug abuse. The use of various powders to enhance beauty is also drug abuse. Are these things not detrimental to one’s health? As a county, we must come up with a law that deters them from using these powders. It is not a mistake that we are black people. God did not make a mistake. I have seen people that are born as Tendai and later on change their names to James. We should learn to respect what God has given us. This is what our blessing is.
On the issue of drugs, I listened to some Hon Members and they said because of high unemployment rate, people are busy taking drugs. I then observed that 13-year olds are abusing alcohol. What type of work should this person be looking for at such a tender age? I have observed that they are not eligible for employment. We have gone mum and as a result, the entire generation is going to be lost. If this generation is to die, it is you my fellow Members of Parliament who are going to be tried because I am saying it. We are the people’s representatives. I would want to thank Hon. Members who have observed fighting drug abuse needs a collective effort. If all Hon. Members could add our own voices to the abuse of drugs, then it will carry a lot of weight.
Our children are tomorrow’s leaders. If all the children are raped and infected with diseases, who is going to look after you? The wealth of an African person is his livestock and children. Children are our heritage. What will happen if we have a family that is prone to drug abuse? It becomes a home occupied by mad people.
I want to urge Government to arrest all people that are peddling liquor without liquor licences. I urge Government to stop people from wholesaling alcohol in hardwares, shops and vegetable stalls. We should revert back to the time when people were given permission by the Liquor Licencing Board to be able to sell liquor, public drinking should be stopped. People should confine themselves to their homes when drinking. Whoever emerges from the home holding a beer bottle should be arrested. I urge Government to also look into these fly-by-night breweries, everyone should not be brewing beer. That is not development. People should open soap making factories instead of breweries.
It should not be easy for one to go to Chiredzi and buy ethanol, mixes it with water and easily sell liquor and we say we have development. We then deliver all that liquor to people in Rushinga and we talk of VAT as development, that is not the case. We should not beat ourselves in the chest that we are having tax from those that are consuming beer. If those that are consuming beer are dying, where are you going to derive the tax from? Who are you going to tax?
I reiterate that I will keep on speaking about the ills of such practices until the end of the life of this Parliament, in 2028. If I retain my seat up until 2032, I will still be speaking against it. Government should come up with a law that beer should only be consumed during weekends. Liquor should not be consumed during week days. If as a Member of Parliament you spend the night drunk, how can you come here and debate. If you are a teacher and spend the night drunk, how can you be able to work the following day when you are nursing a hangover?
Beer is for recreational purposes and items that are for recreational purposes should be expensive. I cannot board a plane where I can use a bus. Beer is not a basic commodity, it is for luxury purposes unlike mealie meal. People should stop drinking beer because it is expensive. Beer is consumed by those that claim to have money. We are being inundated with requests to buy beer when we go to the constituencies. If you go to the farms, people are busy selling inputs and using the proceeds to buy beer because beer is now readily available. If you go to Centenary, you find all the people are at bottle stores and no one is tilling the land.
I urge Government to put some funds into the Ministry of Youth so that those that are completing their education should learn skills from Vocational Training Centres. If we do not equip them with these skills, they end up buying crystal meth. We should not spend a lot of money developing institutions for the mentally disturbed, but we must prevent mental illness. Let us invest our money in Vocational Training Centres. Prevention is better than cure. Let us put more money into preventative measures. Let us pay the police so that when they see someone selling crystal meth, they will not leave him going scot free.
With those words, Mr. Speaker Sir, I hope that it will not end here, but it would cascade to all the constituencies even in rural areas. We are safeguarding the lives of those people that are in the rural set up. I thank you.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Nyabani for the efforts that you have put. It shows that you are indefatigable in as far as the issue of drug abuse is concerned.
HON. MACHANGU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to air my views to this pertinent topic on drug and substance abuse. This topic is worldwide in schools, churches, homes and villages. As such, we need to have a policy that will be able to manage and control drug and substance abuse. In rural places where I come from, Lupane East, there is a term that they use, I was also shocked because I did not even understand its meaning. They call it Injengu.
When a person takes the drug, they sleep for more than 48 hours. Even when you try to wake the person up, they will just be numb and if you are not careful, you will suspect that they are dead. So, this drug and substance abuse is an animal in the homes. We need to take necessary precautions - [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] - and measures. Our youths are being destroyed. They fail to go to school because of these drugs. Even at churches, the pastors fail to curb this drug and substance abuse.
My submission today is, I do not know what can be done because the challenge is all over the world. The suppliers are coming from all over and they are more than the users. So, it is a serious issue that we have at hand and before we know it, our future generation will be gone; before we know it 20 years from now, we will have drunkards as Members of Parliament. Then, we wonder what kind of legislature we will be having and what legislative policies they will be setting - [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] -
Mr. Speaker Sir, as stated by my predecessor, how can a 12-year-old defend himself or herself by saying they do not have jobs instead of them focusing on attending school? It is just an excuse. There is something that we are not privy to, but need to understand as parents and community leaders so that we are able to manage this disease. It has become a pandemic and will continue to be a pandemic to such an extent that even the families will fail to control this new generation. When you try to control them, they tell you that you are outdated, you do not know that it makes us high – that is the term they use. At the end of the day, when they are addicted, it reverts to the parents, communities and village heads.
Two months ago, a 17-year-old in my village who was always under the influence of either alcohol or drug abuse, forced himself on a 74-year-old gogo and was arrested. What future are we bringing to the children? What are we doing? I believe as we make laws and as alluded by my predecessors, we need to be very careful because these youths are ahead of us in whatever they are doing.
In Sierra Leone, it was discovered that the drugs that they abuse is called kush. I do not know what the drug is made out of, but there is a component of human bones. They dig graves, crash the skeletons and mix them with whatever ingredients and when inhaled, it goes straight to the brains and the person is zombified or uya sticker. So, this thing is worldwide and needs to be handled with care because we are losing future generations before we know it. Some are emulating their parents and community leaders, but the issue is at hand – this animal is at hand.
Mr. Speaker Sir, these are my submissions. I thank you.
HON. C. MOYO: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir for affording me this opportunity to add my voice to a motion that was moved by Hon. Mapiki and seconded by Hon. Nyamupinga. This is a very important motion Hon. Speaker, and maybe to begin with, His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe appointed an Interministerial Committee in April, 2022 and mandated it to come up with measures and solutions to deal with this drug menace. When you see a whole President forming an Interministerial Committee, it means that he is committed and shows his seriousness. - [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] -
Secondly, around 12th December, 2023 the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage named 40 drug dealers. My concern Hon. Speaker, is on what has been done to those drug lords? It is a very important question. When you read from The Herald, it says some were convicted and others were not. So, maybe we need a report from the Ministry or the Interministerial Committee to say, from the 40 drug lords, 20 were convicted and the types of sentences meted to them. What action is to be imposed on those who are still in remand? Are they 40? I believe that they are more than 40 because there are several drug lords Hon. Speaker. What it then means is that the CID Drugs and Narcotics Section has to conduct further investigations so that we can have the total number of drug lords. I think it is very important Hon. Speaker.
When I was scrutinising the list, I realised that some were 32 years old like Evans Dube, their names were mentioned in The Herald. Leeroy Bruce 28 years old, Gift Maunda 31 years old, only one person was 67 years old. Surely, we need to protect the future generation, but surprisingly that young generation is the one that is involved in these drugs. So, we must come up with stricter penalties so that we protect future generations rather than this hopeless generation of 32, 28, 31, and 67 Hon. Speaker.
The other issue Hon. Speaker, I think is to do with the CID Drugs and Narcotics Section. I think they are not discharging their duties diligently or maybe they are involved in the drug cartels. So, we may need to review the people who are dealing or working in this section because they are not doing enough. The Police Service, I believe is not doing well and something has to be done. The Inter-Ministerial Committee which was set, I also believe is not doing enough because the 40 drug lords were supposed to unveil more people who are involved. Therefore, let us concentrate on the 40 drug lords first and then we get more information.
The National Committee on the Elimination of Drugs and Substances Hon. Speaker, I believe they are not doing enough because we cannot have all these menaces going up and up every day. It means somewhere somehow; we are missing the important points which we are supposed to touch on. So, let us do an overhaul to all those committees involved in these investigations and then we also sort out the legal framework so that we can provide stiffer penalties to the perpetrators. I thank you.
*HON. R. MUSIIWA: I rise to add my voice to the motion that has been raised by Hon. Mapiki, seconded by Hon. Nyamupinga about drug abuse which is now a serious problem that we are facing as a country. We need to put our heads together and fight against this drug abuse that is affecting children and adults.
I am going to concentrate mostly on those readily available drugs that are found commonly in rural areas. There is a type of substance called tumbwa or kitoko, a type of liquor sold at 0.50 cents per small bottle. So, these youths work very hard to raise the 0.50 cents, and once they have drunk this intoxicating liquor, they become so drunk and zombie-like that they can hardly walk or stand. At a funeral, you will also find some people selling that type of liquor and no one is barring such people from selling illicit drugs and substances at those functions. At the time when we grew up, we knew that the brewers of kachasu would be arrested as well as those who brewed what we used to call chi oneday beer. I do not know if that law is still in place to arrest such people who are involved in illicit brewing.
Drugs and alcohol are now being sold willy-nilly at all places. Three people have died in my constituency including the village head because of such a liquor. There is a glut of such liquors in our constituencies as has been referred to by Hon. Nyabani. In grocery shops, children who are at primary education level as well as those who are at secondary education level are also buying these illicit drugs and substances and no one is controlling the sale of such illicit brews.
Hon. Speaker Sir, if we were to leave this august House and go to Mbare in front of OK Bazaars, people would be busy selling this type of liquor. Last week I passed through that place and bought such liquors, and I wanted to bring the liquors to this august House. I showed Hon. Nyabani the liquors that we were talking about.
Hon. Speaker, if we do nothing about this scourge, we shall have in the not-too-distant future, a generation of drunkards. We need to look into this type of liquor and liquor outlets that are licenced should not be selling these types of dangerous drugs. If you move along Samora Machel Avenue, there is Total Service Station and there are some people who are busy selling drinks such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi, and you also find that those dangerous substances are being sold there under the full glare of police.
I was disturbed on New Year’s Eve when police officers in my constituency went around the shops collecting such liquor. They filled their vehicles with such liquor at the back and we were happy that the culprits were going to be arrested and whisked away but alas, I was surprised that the police officers were given money and everyone who was in handcuffs had their hands uncuffed and let off the hook. What it means is that police officers are turning a blind eye to their law enforcement duties. Our police officers are turning a blind eye to those who are peddling illicit beers, alcohol, and illicit drugs.
Hon. Nyabani has referred to his young brother who abused drugs and is causing chaos in the family. If you have not experienced first-hand experience to such problems, you just think that it is not happening but if it knocks at your door and becomes your problem, you become affected. I lost a son as a result of drug abuse. It affects me when someone is selling these dangerous substances. I remember when my late son could not find those illicit drugs, he would then grind cafenol or paracetamol to sniff as a substance, and as a result, he lost his life.
It is an issue that we need to put our heads together as Zimbabwe and fight against drug and substance abuse. Hon. Members, whenever we are in our constituencies, let us preach the gospel of drug abuse abstinence to our children.
Whenever I go to my constituency, I demonstrate to the young boys and girls to refrain from drug and substance abuse because these dangerous drugs are affecting men’s nerves, and as a result, marriages are being destroyed. Where I come from, village heads and chiefs are in trouble for presiding over adultery cases. Women end up being taken by other men and as a community, we rush to blame the woman asking her what she was lacking in the home that she had to engage in prostitution. If given an opportunity, these young women would confess that every night their husbands are not giving them their conjugal rights because of drunkenness and intoxication. In the morning, all these young men think of getting money to buy dangerous drugs.
On social media, there was a story of a grade six pupil who died because of these dangerous substances. Therefore, as a nation, we need to come up with stringent laws that regulate the sale of liquor or intoxicating drugs. We are having problems with these drugs and substances that are readily available. Most households in the communities are selling these drugs and this affects me. At times, my late son would come and whenever he has not found anything that is intoxicating, he would then grind Cafenol or Paracetamol tablets and then use that as sniff, as a result we lost him. We need to put our heads together as Zimbabweans and fight against drug abuse.
Hon. Members whenever we meet people, lets us preach the gospel of drug abuse and alcohol to our children. Whenever I meet my elders in my constituency, I remonstrate with the young boys and girls not to abuse drugs and liquor, especially the type of alcohol that we have because these types of alcohol are affecting husbands nerves and the young ladies stand up ululating to confirm that this is what is happening in their families. Where I came from, village heads and chiefs are in trouble of presiding over adultery cases. The women end up being taken by other men and we simply blame the women for committing adultery. If we give them an opportunity to defend themselves, they will say that they spend nights without the husband realising that there is a wife next to him because he will be intoxicated, hence he will not be able to perform his conjugal duties. In the morning when he wakes up, he will only think of getting intoxicated again.
A grade six pupil circulated on social media, the child was abusing drugs and this has destroyed our children as a country. We need to come up with very stringent or strong laws that regulate the sale of liquor and intoxicating drugs. We are having problems with these types of drugs because everyone is selling these drugs. We must put a stop as Zimbabwe to the sale of these drugs. Like what has been debated before me, let us set aside a day to speak against drug abuse and the sale of intoxicating drugs just like what we have done in terms of national clean-up campaign. This is also destroying our next generation, our future leaders. We will own the risk of having zombis that are incapable of doing anything due to drug abuse as they will be constantly under the influence of alcohol.
We will end up with a generation that does not behave. Let me go further and reiterate that the marriages must be held sacred so that at the end, the family will grow up together and a father and mother will be able to remonstrate their children. One family parent household are difficult to control. If a mother has a son, she may fail to detect that he is now taking alcohol or that he is under the influence of marijuana.
If the parents are together, the two of them will quickly nip the problem in the bud. It is my clarion call that we have laws that are in place to eradicate the abuse of drugs and alcohol so that even ourselves as elderly people are also educated of this particular menace. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. NYATHI: Thank you Hon. Speaker for affording me this opportunity to debate on the motion raised by Hon. Mapiki, seconded by Hon. Nyamupinga. I just want to have a look at the possible causes of having our youth taking drugs. The major problem that we have at the moment is departed parents or death of parents. Normally from long ago when we were growing up, when you lose your parents, you would be adopted by your other relatives, but now life has changed. When people pass away, we see those children having to fend for themselved and living on their own; extended families are no longer functional in the society.
Poverty is also another cause for children or youths to be engaging in drugs. Due to poverty, we have small girls and boys having to do some menial work around the communities just to earn a dollar to go and buy bread. Sometimes that dollar is then abused to go and buy musombodiya like it was explained earlier on. These drugs only cost something like 50 cents. If one has a dollar then they can afford to go and buy the subsistence. The other cause or driver is broken homes. We see children getting stressed and ending up taking these illegal substances because they are trying to forget or relieve stress which comes through the separation of parents. We need, as a nation, to introspect and have a look at how we are bringing up our children and see that we have a close contact and close parenting of the parents of the kids so that we can be able to see when the children’s behaviour starts to change.
I would like to commend His Excellency the President Cde. E. Mnangagwa for taking a step against substance and drug abuse. This has resulted in various operations being executed. I know in Bulawayo there was an operation that was executed where they were stopping cars at random around the area in Bulawayo to search for these drugs; they had police search. It helped a lot at that moment because the trafficking of these drugs was greatly reduced. Let me say we need to have a solid plan that we can follow. We do not want to only rely on operations because operations come and go, but then these people go back to their daily routines.
I am thinking as a Government, we should be very strict at the borders. At the moment, policy dogs search at random, it is not mandatory. I would suggest that maybe we would make it mandatory that each and every bag is searched as it comes into the country and each and every vehicle is searched. I would also suggest that maybe it is high time we introduce drug test kits in colleges and secondary schools. It must be mandatory for schools and colleges to have these drug tests kits which will then be used at random and at least having it available at a college or at a school will help deter those that want to bring drugs into schools or colleges.
I would also suggest that the Government increases public education awareness at schools starting with primary schools. If we intensify these campaigns at primary schools, we will alert the young ones who have not yet started consuming these drugs. If we alert them, they become aware of the consequences of indulging in this drug and substance behaviour. There was a drive that was spearheaded, I cannot remember which year, but it was on HIV and AIDS awareness. It was taught at schools and I think it has produced results. We can see for a considerable period of time, the infection rate of HIV/AIDS went down. I would suggest that we take this same approach and stance to the schools, we educate the children from primary schools and secondary schools about the dangers of one getting hooked onto drugs.
I would also encourage us, as leaders of our various constituencies, to have periodic interactions at schools, youth centres, churches, all the places where we can find people gathering. Let us try and interact with them and also share the same message of the effects of one being hooked on drugs.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I have heard and noted the concerns by various speakers before me to say that probably the police and other bodies might be involved. I would like to add that maybe we should look at remunerating our law enforcement agencies better so that they desist from taking bribes and confiscating these musombodhiyas and mutoriros and then selling them on their own because this is the practice currently happening. It is very difficult for a policeman to apprehend an offender and the offender offers the police officer maybe US$50 or US$20, in some cases and the policeman resists that amount yet in his pocket he has got 1 000 or 2 000 Zimbabwean dollars. It is very difficult. So, we need to look at properly remunerating our law enforcement agents.
I would also suggest, Mr. Speaker Sir, that we reintroduce the breathalysers and drug test kits on road blocks. I think for the past five or so years, I have not seen a road block checking for alcohol with a breathalyser or any other drug substance that one could possess. I would suggest that the Government should take seriously reintroducing these breathalysers and drug test units. At least in each and every town, the road blocks that we encounter on a daily basis, the law enforcement agencies must be equipped with drug test kits and breathalysers. That would reduce the number of offenders as well because most of these offenders, we notice from Hon. Moyo’s submission, are mainly from 20 up to about 32 years old. Most of these are the people who are busy driving mushikashikas along the city roads in Bulawayo, Harare and all these other towns. So if we are to police that effectively, we might actually curb this problem that we have.
In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I would want to submit that probably we need to review the way licencing of these night clubs and supermarkets that sell beer is done. At the moment, you see almost every supermarket is selling alcohol. Most of these supermarkets open around 7.00 a.m. or so and some open from 7.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m. From that moment that they are open, they are selling alcohol. So, we need to see how we can control alcohol being sold in supermarkets, how we can control the licencing of these chisa nyamas around the communities. Everywhere where you go, there is a chisa nyama and there is alcohol being sold there. Whether it is licenced properly or not, nobody cares. The police come there only to get bribes, not to apprehend people. If you see a policeperson around a night club or a chisa nyama, they are only looking for a bribe there.
I would really plead with Hon. Members seated here that we really look at this issue of licencing and also the issue of nightclubs around our communities. These so-called sports bars, because they have a sports bar, the assumption is that people are going there to watch football matches and other various entertainment activities, but then there is no age restriction. There is no one who is looking at who comes in and what age they are. Eventually, these young boys and girls are mixing with people 18 years and above, but because of the body structure, you cannot tell how old they are. They are also getting involved in alcohol drinking at these places which we call sports bars or entertainment centres in the community. I really implore all of us to really think deep. Like various speakers have said, we are most likely to lose a generation out of this, a whole generation. People being affected by this musombodhiya are not being productive. It means that we might have at some point the population of Zimbabwe actually shrinking because these young ones will not be able to reproduce at this rate they are going. Thank you Mr. Speaker.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. KARIKOGA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 7th February, 2024.
On the motion of HON. TSITSI ZHOU seconded by HON. KARIKOGA, the House adjourned at a Quarter to Six o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 6th February, 2024
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
ACCESS TO INTERPRETATION SERVICES
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I wish to advise the Senate that Members who require access to interpretation should approach the Serjeant-at-Arms’ office for headphones and tune into Channel 1 for interpretation from vernacular to English.
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH SERVICE
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I also wish to inform the Senate that there will be a Catholic Church Service tomorrow, 7th February, 2024 at 1200 hours in Special Committee Room 1. All Catholic Members and non-Catholics are invited.
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. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2022
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission for the Year 2022.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Madam President, I want to thank you for affording me this opportunity to add my voice on the report of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission for the Year 2022, which was submitted in accordance with Section 23 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, read together with Section 15 of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act [Chapter 9:22].
I would like to acknowledge the good work being done by ZACC which is in line with His Excellency’s vision of ending corruption. It is however worrisome to note that in 2022, Transparency International ranked Zimbabwe number 157 out of 180. Thus, much work lies ahead of us as a country to curb corruption in all its forms. Further, the report’s statistics show that 684 cases of corruption were recorded during the year under review distributed around the country, with Harare recording 70% of the recorded cases. This is quite a huge number Madam President, considering various efforts being made by the Government to curb corruption.
The report also shows that compared to the year 2021, there was a 38% decrease in the complaints received in the previous year and this shows an improvement in compliance and plugging corruption loopholes, thus reducing cases of corruption. Therefore, to increase efficiency in curbing corruption, I believe the following strategies can work in our favour.
ZACC should actively engage in international cooperation with other Anti-corruption agencies and organisations such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the African Union (AU), which have vast experiences of other countries and adopt successful approaches to the Zimbabwean context. Corruption often transcends national borders, involving illicit financial flows, money laundering, and transnational bribery. Engaging international bodies allows ZACC to establish channels for international cooperation in investigations and mutual legal assistance.
The report shows that all the Commission’s reporting offices are mainly located in bigger towns which defeats the spirit of decentralisation. As you are aware, one of the founding values of our Constitution is decentralisation as enshrined in Section 3 (20(1). In thatrespect, some of the corruption hotspots such as border towns have been left unattended fully. A lot of corruption happens around these towns and if ZACC could expand its reporting offices to these areas, this would make it convenient for whistleblowers. Such decentralisation to border towns improves the effectiveness of the Commission in conducting comprehensive compliance assessments and spot checks around these border town institutions.
The report, on page 17, also shows that the Commission is still under staffed as the Commission still falls short of its 85% staff capacity requirement. This shows the need to improve funding for the Commission to attract human resources through attractive remunerations. Overally, this will also result in the staff available putting in some extra efforts, thereby minimising corruption since it will be difficult to lure them into any corruption act. Let us advocate for adequate budget allocation for the Commission to perform its mandate with adequate human resources. NDS1 is committed to strengthening State institutions responsible for justice delivery in Zimbabwe.
As I conclude Madam President, let me remind this House that corruption does not only affect the delivery of public services and misallocation of resources, rather it decreases investor confidence which goes against our “Zimbabwe is open for Business” mantra. Hence by considering these recommendations, ZACC can strengthen its position in combating corruption within Zimbabwe effectively. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 7th February, 2024.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY FOR THE YEAR 2022
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the National Prosecuting Authority for the Year 2022.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. CHINYANGA: Thank you Madam Speaker for giving me the opportunity to add my observation on the report which was presented in this House by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs on the National Prosecuting Authority.
Firstly, I would like to thank the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for the report he presented for the period from1st January 2022 to 31st of December 2022, which covers overall analysis of cases received, prosecuted as well as postponed. However, I seek clarification on certain aspects on the presentation. According to this report, the operations are grouped in accordance to quarterly progress and it is to my notice that the clearance rate of cases tend to decrease as the year progressed.
As much as it is a slight change, does this imply that the employees of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) tend to relax and reduce their zeal? It is important for NPA employees to maintain the same work ethics yearly to guarantee progress, hence a better Zimbabwe.
Furthermore Madam President, on drug related cases, according to the report; the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs clarified that the reason why there is a very low rate of prosecuting drug cases is that results of samples taken for testing take time to be produced. In my opinion, this implies that the health sector ought to prioritise delivering samples on time so as to speed up prosecution. Thus, clearance rate will be increased. To add on, the Authority gave us a report on the overall case analysis. For the year 2022 alone, they received one hundred and ninety thousand four hundred and ninety-seven (190 497) cases. It is with no doubt that there is need for the Authority to increase its employees so as to take care of the cases and speed up the process and also to minimise postponement of cases.
Furthermore, may the National Prosecuting Authority introduce and implement new and quicker measures such as cyber laws as these can quicken prosecution.
Last but not least, over the years, corruption has been known to be rampant in the NPA from all ranks in the Authority. It is my plea that the fight against corruption in this sector be taken seriously because criminals are walking freely while victims and the society at large are suffering. Fighting and combating crime will surely result in faster and efficient services and clearance of cases by end of the year. With that, I thank you Madam President.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 7th February 2024.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE DELEGATION TO THE 53RD PLENARY ASSEMBLY SESSION OF THE SADC-PARLIAMENTARY FORUM HELD IN MAURITIUS
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Delegation to the 53rd Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC-Parliamentary Forum.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to add a few words to this motion. I rise to support the motion on the 53rd SADC Parliamentary Forum Plenary Assembly Meeting held in Port Louis in Mauritius from 21st to 26th November, 2023 which addressed the theme; The Role of Parliamentarians in Promoting Coordination for Enhanced Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery Planning in the SADC Region.
Let me highlight that Hon. Sooroojdev Phokeer welcomed delegates and made emphasis on inter-parliamentary democracy. Prime Minister Jugnauth stressed SADC unity, parliamentary cooperation and the need for adopting disaster management strategies.
I am happy to note that Hon Speaker, Adv Jacob Mudenda highlighted Zimbabwe’s strides in disaster risk reduction, stressing the need for regional coordination. Challenges highlighted include underfunded frameworks, lack of updated risk assessments, weak knowledge of systems and the importance of national contributions to reduce global emissions.
Let me conclude my speech by indicating that the Assembly focused on proposing sustainable solutions to climate change induced disasters with Zimbabwe actively participating and advocating for coordinated regional approaches. The commitment to disaster risk reduction and recovery planning was underscored by the Prime Minister’s call for Parliamentary cooperation and advocacy for global frameworks.
The overall impact of the 53rd SADC Plenary Assembly was bringing together regional leaders to address pressing issues and fostering collaboration to mitigate the impact of climate change induced disasters. Zimbabwe’s active participation and Hon. Speaker Adv. Jacob Mudenda’s impactful country report contributed to the collective efforts aimed at enhancing disaster resilience in the SADC region. With these few words, I thank you Mr. President.
HON. SEN. MBOHWA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 7th February, 2024.
MOTION
PROGRAMMES TO CURB DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE BY YOUTHS
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on drug and substance abuse by youths.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. DUBE: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 7th February, 2024.
MOTION
GBV AWARENESS PROGRMMES TO PROMOTE POSITIVE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CHANGE
Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the commemoration to mark the 16 days of activism against Gender-Based violence.
Question again proposed.
+HON. SEN. NYATHI: Thank you for the opportunity Mr. President. When we were growing up, there were aunties, grannies and boys were not allowed to sit around the fire in the kitchen. There was a place called idale. That is where they were nurtured to be boys and how to behave when grown up. The same was done to the girls. They were nurtured by their aunties and grandmothers showing them how to behave as a grown-up lady. All this was lost with time. Now people no longer trust each other, even in family set-ups. Families now live in isolation. There is no respect given to the aunties and the grandmothers. This marked the beginning of endless conflicts within the family set-up.
Another issue adding to these conflicts is, you find that the woman is employed but the man is not employed. During the time when the woman is at work, the man vandalises the property that the woman would have worked for. When the woman returns from work and finds out that the property has been vandalised, when she complains, the man becomes angry and the children are also involved in drug abuse at a tender age. You will find that children no longer respect the parents or the parents will be having disputes always. Looking at all this, it is the degradation of our cultural values. If possible, I would appeal that we revert to our cultural values because these were the basic norms of our society.
The mother respected the father and also the father reciprocated the same to the mother. Recently, we are witnessing a lot of conflicts and divorce. For now, our children do not have any respect at all. You find that the parents would go to the fields leaving the children behind doing nothing. All this needs intervention of our traditional leaders by educating our children on the importance of our values, probably this could reduce the moral decay within the society.
Families are now living in fear and spouses no longer trust each other. I appeal to the Government to give more powers to our traditional leaders so that they can help us in the rural areas. With these few words, I thank you Mr. President.
*HON. SEN. GOTORA: Thank you Mr. President. I know that in the past and even now, there are places where drugs are being sold. These drugs are no longer used for treatment. It is now up to us as leaders to ensure that we solve the problem because if it is dagger, it is not going anywhere else except where we stay. Are we not aware that mbanje is grown in the areas that we stay? I know that in the past, some people used to go to report to the chief if there was a place where mbanje is grown, but these days nobody cares anymore. People just grow it as if they are growing maize. The other problem is that it is no longer about the mbanje that we know that is medicinal, but the current drugs are very dangerous to the human body. Those substances are being sold in areas where we stay. Do you not know who is selling them? Do we not know who is selling the buns and cakes with drugs stashed in them? Some of them are being sold at schools at break time; children buy drugged cakes and buns - are we, as leaders here, as well as leaders outside Parliament not aware of all this?
Can we find ways to solve this or set up committees at various levels of society to look into what is happening? These things are affecting our society. How are they coming into the country? Who is selling them? Why is that person selling them? If we do not solve this problem now, the future of this country is going to be bleak. We do not want to have a country that has people who are crippled in mind. We should be having health-minded people who think of better things…
*THE TEMPORAR PRESIDENT OF SENATE (HON. KAMBIZI): I was listening to Hon. Sen. Gotora speaking and I realise that what you are debating is the motion that we adjourned. We are now debating a motion on Gender-Based Violence. I paid attention thinking that maybe your debate will converge but I realise that it is not. If you could debate the correct motion.
*HON. SEN. GOTORA: Thank you Mr. President. I started talking about drugs because I realised that somebody who abuses drugs is bound to be violent. Drugs cause lack of respect and people tend to be violent. Violence and harassing of each other is a disturbing phenomenon because if you are harassed, sometimes you end up thinking what wrong you have done. The harassment that I am talking about can take place between a mother and a father or amongst the children because of drug abuse that leads to lack of respect for each other. I think we must put in place laws that can be deterrent enough, be it harassment by not giving someone money or food, it must be stopped so that we accord each other the dignity that we need in life. I thank you Mr. President.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Mr. President. I just want to find out whether I debated this motion or not.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Our records show that you debated this motion. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MBOHWA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 7th February 2024.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Seventh Order read: Adjourned motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 7th February 2024.
On the motion of HON. SEN. MUZENDA seconded by HON. SEN. GOTORA the Senate adjourned at a Sixteen Minutes past Three o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 1st February, 2024
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER
ADVERSE REPORTS RECEIVED FROM THE PARLIAMENTARY LEGAL COMMITTEE
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that I have received Adverse Reports from the Parliamentary Legal Committee on the following: Death Penalty Abolition Bill, [H. B. 5, 2023] and Statutory Instrument 153 of 2023 published in the Gazette on 25th August, 2023.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: I am advised that the Hon. Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs is not here. I therefore move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 9 be stood over until Order of the Day Number 10 has been disposed of
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
UNCONDITIONAL REPEAL OF ZIDERA BY THE US
GOVERNMENT AND LIFTING OF UNWARRANTED AND
ILLEGAL SANCTIONS ON ZIMBABWE
Tenth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the illegal sanctions unilaterally imposed on Zimbabwe by the Government of United States of America.
Question again proposed.
HON. GANYIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker for giving me this opportunity to debate and to air my displeasure and bad experience that I have encountered because of these illegal sanctions. Let me start by reminding this House that as Members of Parliament, together with the peace loving and hardworking people we represent and speak on their behalf in this august House. We have, for a long time, suffered the pain caused by these economic, inhuman, brutal and unfair illegal sanctions that have been forcibly imposed on us as a people of Zimbabwe by the colonisers and oppressors, together with their partners in economic and inhuman rights crimes against humanity to the innocent people of our motherland Zimbabwe. As a result of this dragon and economic monster called targeted sanctions to the state-owned enterprises, other private players and certain individuals have caused the whole 21st century young generation to be deprived and violated of their fundamental rights of innocent children as articulated in Section 81 of our Constitution. Also, in Section 64, the economic illegal sanctions imposed on us are depriving and violating our rights to freedom of profession, trade or of employment through the brain drain as our nation is often used as a training ground for professionals by most of these countries. Most of our people are left with no option but to work or serve their country because of these illegal sanctions.
Again, in our Constitution, what has been violated are the labour rights of our own people by these illegal sanctions. Labour rights in Section 65 which says “every person has a right to free labour practices and standards and to be paid a fair and reasonable wage” yet another violation of rights through high inflation. Our Government has however been trying under unfavourable harsh and unfair economic conditions to fight poverty and unemployment through various ways of empowering its people as well as having salary adjustments from time to time. These sanctions are a cause of concern in our day to day life. The reason why I am quoting the violations of rights is that those involved in calling for sanctions will always preach about human rights often times.
In Section 72 of our Constitution, economic and inhuman illegal sanctions have deprived and violated the human rights on unfair and uneasy access to healthcare services by our people. It is so disturbing that we still have some people who do not see the negative impact caused by these economic inhuman illegal sanctions to our public health sector. Factors being man-made high inflation. There is scarcity of foreign currency to purchase drugs and even if we are to have the foreign currency our transactions have to go through third parties which makes it more expensive and we risk getting value for our money because of these illegal sanctions. There is no doubt that these economic and inhuman illegal sanctions imposed on us by the colonial masters end up violating the rights of persons living with disability in Section 83 of the Constitution and that of our own elders in Section 82, which has not been made easy. Thanks to our Government which is trying to assist the people, albeit under limited budget through the Social Welfare programme.
Madam Speaker, deprived and violated also are our rights as a country to borrow and access cheaper credit lines from International financial institutions such as IMF and World Bank. We are also deprived and violated of our rights to fairly trade, participate or trade equitably on international markets simply because we are either barred or blacklisted as a country. We are also deprived and violated of our rights through unfair and false media publications and misinterpretation of our good image and reputation as a country and its peace-loving people. Thus, often reducing our local market investor confidence to the international community. These so called economic and illegal sanctions imposed on us by yester-year by the then so called super power nations are a reflection of their desire for an authoritative and undemocratic regime change agenda and their deliberate intentions of undermining our sovereignty and once blood price gained independence.
Madam Speaker, I am reminded that I was supposed to present or to air my view on this topic last year on the 28th November, the day I was born. I have emotions around that because if I am to revert to 1976, I am sure I was conceived around March and my father immediately left to go to fight in the liberation struggle. From there my mother was left alone in the cold season without anyone to turn to up until November when I was born and only to come back in 1980. I never enjoyed what my children are enjoying today. They welcome me home every day and I share sweets with them. So whenever I talk about this, I become so emotional and I hope you will forgive me for being angry and not forgiving these people.
Madam Speaker, our beloved one and only God given beautiful country Zimbabwe that we have is being used as a sacrificial lamb and as an example to any African country that intends to go the Zimbabwean way in as far as land redistribution is concerned. The whole world knows very well that Zimbabwe has been a darling to many as a happy slave of these modern-day oppressors up until the year 1997 when we decided to finally economically liberate ourselves by taking back our land. That is the only crime our leaders of this innocent country and its people have committed up until this day which caused these economic illegal punishments or sanctions to be imposed on us. These economic and inhuman illegal sanctions imposed by the imposter are used as a nuclear weapon of economic mass destruction and sabotage with a deliberate intention to cause or inflict pain and political destabilisation which is the most common desired looting opportunity of our national natural resources by the greedy world capitalists and modern-day power-hungry oppressors hiding behind or preaching hypocrisy on democracy as they often claim that they are the world human rights champions, referees or adjudicators.
Let me touch on the issue of the land. The right to agricultural land and for rural settlement found in Section 72 (8) and (7c), and (2) which now clearly stated that the former colonial powers had and still have an obligation to pay compensation for agricultural land compulsorily acquired for resettlement through and adequately fund for the purpose, and (2) says, if the former colonial powers fail to pay compensation through such a fund, the Government of Zimbabwe has no obligation to pay compensation whatsoever for agricultural land compulsorily acquired for resettling its people. Then (8) says, this section applies without the obligation of the former colonial to pay compensation for the land referred to in this section that has been acquired for resettlement purposes. So, why should we then be suffering for taking back our land?
The other most violated rights of special people by these economic sanctions is of our war veterans. These people have been the most disadvantaged because they went to war to fight the people who decided to take our own land. When we came back, we decided again to share the land amongst ourselves which became a reason for them to punish us further with the sanctions. If our voices are not crying loud enough to be heard as a people of Zimbabwe, then let me quote our very much supporting regional bloc SADC’s recent position in his statement, President João Lourenço of Angola as the regional body Chairman, reaffirms its unwavering solidarity with the Government of our nation Zimbabwe, in calling for unconditional lifting of these economic and inhuman illegal sanctions imposed by the West.
Madam Speaker, if that did not make it enough of a collective international voice, African Union, through its Commission Chairperson, Mr. Moussa Faki Mahammat, on the 25th October, 2023 said, “as AU, we demand for immediate and unconditional lifting of the inhumane illegal sanctions imposed against Zimbabwe”. However, their Chairperson acknowledged the subsequent engagements with the EU through genuine, free and fair political dialogue with the view to end these sanctions against Zimbabwe.
Therefore, in conclusion Madam Speaker, I am in support of the motion raised and proposed recommendations by Hon. Dr. Mutodi to send a strong and aggressive delegation to the USA to ask them questions on why they have interests on our country Zimbabwe and why they want these sanctions to remain imposed on our nation while our innocent people are suffering. I propose that a delegation be sent to America and meet the political leadership and ask them real questions. I hope that delegation will include me. Thank you.
HON. MUNEMO: Allow me Madam Speaker to define and add my voice on this motion moved by Hon. Dr. Mutodi on sanctions against Zimbabwe by the EU and USA. I would like to first define the word ‘sanctions’. According to Wikipedia dictionary, it says ‘threatened penalty for disobeying a law or rule’. According to the Makerere Department of Political Science in Uganda, ‘economic sanctions are commercial and financial penalties applied by States or institutions against States or individuals. Economic sanctions are a form of coercion that attempts to get an actor to change its behaviour through disruption in economic exchange’. I have again a definition in geopolitics which says, ‘economic sanctions in essence are punitive measures imposed by one or more countries against another in an effort to alter the targeted nation’s behaviour’.
Madam Speaker, let me come onto the impact of sanctions imposed by the EU and USA on Zimbabwe. It is not a secret that Zimbabwe land reform has led the USA to impose illegal and unjustified sanctions under the so-called Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA) of 2001. A lot of tightening was done by the USA that instructed the USA Executive Director to each international financial institutions to oppose and vote against any extension by the respective institution of any loan, credit or guarantee to the Government of Zimbabwe or any cancellation of reduction indebtedness owed by Zimbabwe to the USA or any financial institution. That is how it started.
What the EU and USA wanted was not accepted by the Zimbabweans. The son of the soil has to reclaim his soil. In Shona, ‘mwana wevhu akange otora ivhu rake, ramadzitateguru ake’ – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Allow me to refer this to a biblical chapter from 1 Kings 21 vs 1, it reads - ‘sometime later, there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezerite who had a vineyard in Jezreel next to the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria. Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to be my vegetable garden since it is close to my palace. In exchange, I will give you a better vineyard or if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth”. I am much excited by the response that was given by Naboth. Naboth replied - ‘the Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers’. It touches me a lot – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
Let me now go to 1 Kings 21:12, ‘They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth in a prominent place among the people, then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying Naboth has cursed both God and King. So, they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.’ Madam Speaker, as Zimbabweans, we are refusing and should continuously refuse to be stoned by the US and Europeans. We should heighten our voice to deny their sanctions.
Let me descend on the overall impact of the sanctions on Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe has lost well over $42 billion in revenue over the past 19 years because of the sanctions. This includes bilateral donor support estimated at $4. 5 billion annually since 2001, $12 billion in loans from the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, African Development Bank, commercial loans of $18 billion and a GDP reduction of $21 billion. That means Zimbabwe was affected and is being affected much in its economic development. As a consequence, the significant progress that Zimbabwe had made in the development of infrastructure as health, education and other social service delivery systems have been severely reversed. This has resulted in the most vulnerable sections of the population sinking deeper into poverty. For instance, the proportion of the population in extreme poverty rolls in the aftermath of sanctions. To this end, Zimbabwe’s quest to attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has also been severely impacted.
Further, these sanctions against Zimbabwe are affecting the smooth running of regional groupings such as SADC, the SADC Macroeconomic Convergency Target of Low Inflation, Sustainable Budget Deficit, Minimum Public Debit, Equitable Current Account Balances as well as the formation of a regional monetary union and the movement towards attaining the region’s industrialisation agenda are being compromised by Zimbabwe’s inability to meet most of the targets. These are some of the effects of sanctions on the main sectors of the Zimbabwe economy. In a nutshell, I am just going to take the headings on the effects of the sanctions on Zimbabwe’s main sectors. The first one is Zimbabwe has to access credit lines, but because of sanctions, it is no longer accessing credit lines.
Decline in balance of payment support – Zimbabwe’s balance of payment position has deteriorated significantly since the imposition of sanctions. The combined effects of the arrears situation and the sanctions have resulted in Zimbabwean companies finding it extremely difficulty to access offshore loans, thus crippling their operations. Currently, where the private sector manages to secure offshore financing, it is usually at punitive and at exorbitant interest rates.
The impact on the financial sector – due to the absence of balance of payment support, Zimbabwe balance of payment position has deteriorated significantly since the imposition of sanctions. These sanctions have led to Zimbabwe and the entire financial linkages with the rest of world being branded as high risk. The picture that is being given by the European Union on Zimbabwe is not a healthy one because if you are branded a thief, no one would want to lend or borrow his money to a thief. That is how the EU is treating us, yet it is not justified because we are saying, the land is ours. That is why our fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers went to war.
If these sanctions continue and if we do not lament with a high voice, Madam Speaker, it means we are economically, going to decline in the economic development. The impact of international financial transactions – Zimbabwe companies and individuals have found it extremely difficult to effect payments through international payment platforms as these sanctions are intercepted and blocked in the sanctions imposing countries, especially the US. As a result, there are many cases of blocked funds or failure to transact in the business sector and among individuals.
There is also an impact on investment and growth – the negative perception that has come with sanctions has negatively impacted on foreign domestic investment (FDI) inflows. This is so because investors tend to shy away from economies that are perceived as a risk.
The impact on the agricultural sector by the sanctions – agriculture is the backbone of Zimbabwe economy providing employment and income to over 60% of the population, supplying 60% of the raw materials required by the manufacturing sector and contributing 40% of total export earnings. However, the sanctions brought a myriad of challenges to the agricultural sector. Specifically, they made it extremely difficult to access agricultural lines of credit and attract investment. This has resulted in lack of development, rehabilitation and modernisation of equipment and machinery, leading to a reduction in productivity. This has negatively affected the livelihood of households and the fight against poverty and hunger.
The market access for horticultural, sugar, beef and cotton, among other crops was also negatively affected. Horticulture was a foreign exchange earner and at one point was the second largest earner after tobacco. However, Zimbabwe lost most of its neat and lucrative markets for horticultural products, particularly in the Netherlands and the UK. Furthermore, Zimbabwe lost the preferential tariff quota export for crops like cotton and sugar to the EU.
There are a lot more effects that have affected Zimbabwe. They impacted on the mining sector, energy sector, tourism sector, health sector and the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Madam Speaker, I urge all fellow parliamentarians to heighten our voice because if we leave these sanctions like this, we are going to be led into a pitfall. Otherwise without the presence of our steward leadership, His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, this nation was going to be in a pitfall and in a shameless and sorrowful state. His Excellency managed to come up with viable blueprints strategies like in agriculture, the Pfumvudza/Intwasa initiative which has proved to feed Zimbabwe across.
In conclusion, may the United States of America and the EU remove their unjustified sanctions against Zimbabwe. I thank you.
HON. MAUNGANISO: Thank you Madam Speaker. I would like to premise my contribution on a biblical base, Galatians 3 v 28. Others would wonder why so because what we are grappling with is a problem that is offspring to globalisation.
Madam Speaker, I seek to underscore that globalisation is indeed a biblical phenomenon. Galatians 3 v 28 reads, “there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free man nor female for you are all one in Christ Jesus”. Madam Speaker, in his wisdom, the Lord deeply does equal. Politics, like religion, is analogous to a bank account and transferable from one generation to another. What we are grappling with can be well articulated or enunciated in one vantage point which is the Marxist. What we are grappling with is an ideology of accumulation via dispossession, an ideology of a capital monopoly via subjugation.
Madam Speaker, after the Second World War, what then transpired is, the world got into a recession. With the world in a recession, there is what was called feudalism that is being championed by a writer called Gramsci. Madam Speaker, what transpired is, there was massive production in the United States of America whose main tenet was preaching and enforcing docility amongst the down-trodden. It was indeed an economic issue as well as it was a cultural issue. What then followed Madam Speaker, is boosting the hegemony of military and economic power and the United States of America would then condescend their cultural systems across the globe during which period the world experienced a cold war.
Madam Speaker, the cold war, even though some believed it ended, I believe it is still in existence, it was a continuous struggle between two ideologies, that is liberalism and socialism.
Zimbabwe is in the state it is because in our international relations, America presents itself as a big brother, thereby decreeing and declaring statutes that must be followed hiding behind the notion of democracy whose main tenet is self determination.
Madam Speaker, in 1973 a writer, O’Connor, posited that the notion of democracy as I have alluded to was an illegitimacy crisis in the mid-1970s and would be overtaken by the United States of America political right whose main tenet is conservatism. An ideological counter offensive against regulation, income and wealth redistribution. I am talking of monopoly being championed but by an internationally well connected, I would want to say, aggressor. Why should I say an aggressor Madam Speaker, because one would position himself today in Ukraine, Gaza, Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan and we would wonder whether what is happening and what has happened is a form of biblical retribution by armed gods of our time.
Madam Speaker, Thomas Freedman, in his best-selling book titled Lexus and the Olive Tree, written and published in 2000 that would become the guide book to globalisation, posited that the United States neo-liberal or laissez-faire approach should guide globalisation, but what is globalisation? It is really a new phenomenon. Madam Speaker, in my introductory remarks, I posited that it is a biblical phenomenon. At one point Africa was globalised as a commodity via slave trade. In another time, Africa was globalised as colonies, today they are again Americanised, if globalised as commodities that must bend to the whims and caprices of the White House.
Madam Speaker, for Thomas Freedman, the United States was perfectly situated not only for competition, but for its role as a hegemonic power since it was an elite society. This would create a none hierarchical open democratised and a dynamic web based on the internet. In one of his most enlightened times, President Julius Nyerere would posit the question of liberalism, open market society or open market approach to economics in juxtaposition with boxing.
Madam Speaker, the rules are the same. He would go on to say, even though the rules are the same, you cannot place in the same ring, a heavy weight and a feather weight because what would then ensue is murder. I am trying here to underscore that what we are grappling with is as much an economic issue as it is a historical issue whose main target is accumulation by dispossessing.
Madam Speaker, what would then follow is that the United States of America, after the fall of the USSR, would become the only elite society that would determine what would happen not only in America but even here in Zimbabwe. What surprises one is why today would the Americans be worried about human rights in Zimbabwe. Our forefathers had to bear the brunt of a protracted armed struggle for the sole purpose of bringing home the right to self-determination. But what was the reason we went to war for if it was not land? Madam Speaker, in 1979 at the Lancaster House Conference, the land question, I am made to believe our leaders took much time on the discussions. The British and American governments then represented by Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan would promise to compensate, not for land but for developments on land that had been stolen from our forefathers.
Madam Speaker, I personally believe that we should not pay – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – but in his wisdom, His Excellency the President is generous enough to compensate. Madam Speaker, that begs a response and it is simple, if one steals your car; goes on to pirate and maybe with the proceeds, happens to put mag-wheels on your car and tints the windows, upon recovery, should you pay or reward the person? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Madam Speaker, even when murderers go to prison today in Zimbabwe, it is not a prison but a correctional facility. I think the President has demonstrated our will towards reintegration, good bilateral relations with the United States of America and the United Kingdom. However, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo would say, even if Jehovah does it, we shall never bow down to your idols –[HON. MEMBERS Hear, hear.] -
Madam Speaker, what we are faced with is a situation where Zimbabwe is incarcerated and illegally so. The main purpose of incarceration is to demonstrate that one holds power over your rights. One would ask, should a man in prison negotiate for his freedom without compromises? Madam Speaker, it is so much to welcome the idea as raised by Hon. Mutodi but maybe the question that needs an answer is: what are we ready to compromise on?
Madam Speaker, the effects of the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe are well enunciated in the SADC permanent missions in Geneva - in their paper that was submitted on 19th October, 2020. It is not for me to repeat that because it is information that we can all access. Maybe, what we should underscore as Parliament, is the idea that the untold suffering that is being caused by the illegal sanctions maybe far outweigh the genocide that America and its allies perpetrated against Japan – [HON. MEMERS. Hear, hear.] – Why should they care about us today when they do not care about the people who are perishing in Gaza? Madam Speaker, it is evident that what we are faced with is not a question of Human Rights abuses as claimed but a struggle for controlling new rules in Zimbabwe since that would be a trajectory to our rich deposits of raw materials.
In conclusion, it is prudent that Parliament comes up with a strong delegation that will go and remind these Americans that we cannot be eternally asleep. We are awake and they must unconditionally remove the illegal sanctions. I so submit.
HON. NDUDZO: Thank you Madam Speaker and good afternoon to you.
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: Good afternoon
HON. NDUDZO: Madam Speaker, I am indebted for the opportunity you have accorded me to add the weight of my voice to this very important debate that is pertinent to the livelihood of our people – the great people of Zimbabwe. To borrow from the phraseology of the previous speaker, Hon. Malinganiso, who spoke of globalisation.
In the context of globalisation, if we were to take Zimbabwe as a global village, we would look at the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act passed by the United States Congress in 2002 as a monster that we all woke to find one morning in the village, standing firm and tall at the centre of the village. Madam Speaker, the speakers who have been privileged to debate before me have aptly described in very succinct terms, the severe and ferocious nature of the sanctions that are causing suffering on the people of Zimbabwe.
The sanctions have been with us for the past 22 years and we have gone through the lives of perhaps three or four Parliaments. In all those Parliaments, we have had great speakers rise to debate and present figures, give descriptions and illustrations that have driven the point on how damaging the sanctions have been to the economy and social fabric of our nation. However, when a monster comes to your village, you go through phases. Firstly, you go through a phase of diagnoses where you are trying to come to terms with how exactly the monster looks like? What are its harmful effects? You want to go through a phase where you are able to identify its bodily and facial features and the harm that it leaves in its trail as it moves from point A to B.
In my respectful view Madam Speaker, as a nation, we have done that very well in the past 22 years. The reason why the sanctions were imposed was specifically for the people of Zimbabwe to suffer and that when they struggle to cope with the embargoes that would have been imposed on the fabric of the economy, they would then rebel against their government. Every day that passes with the sanctions in place, you can actually see that there is an annual review of the sanctions by the United States administration, to make sure the loose screws are tightened so that the people of Zimbabwe will bear the full brunt of the intended objectives of the sanctions. That they must suffer and feel that they must effect regime change to be effected in their nation.
However, what I consider to be conspicuously missing and has been lacking until the present day has been, for us as a nation, to also now sit down and say, in light of the sanctions, what are the measures that we are going to put in place in order to combat the harmful effects of the sanctions on our nation and population? – [HON. MEMBERS Hear, hear. ]- At the executive level, Madam Speaker, one would expect that at this juncture, we must formulate obvious policies and measures that spell out our approach, how we relate at a diplomatic level, how we relate at international forums, and how we utilise our membership of the various international organisations that we partner with such as the United Nations, to be able to put across the message and put across our displeasure and discontent with the continuation of the unilaterally illegally imposed sanctions against our people.
More importantly, Madam Speaker, the people of Zimbabwe have entrusted this august House with the privilege and responsibility to make laws that will govern and guide the people of Zimbabwe. If you look at other countries that have suffered from the scourge of US-imposed sanctions, countries such as China and Russia have not sat on their laurels and have continued to have conversations amongst themselves describing the harmful effects of sanctions. Still, they have also taken specific legislative measures that are intended to serve as counter measures to the effects of sanctions.
It is therefore, my earnest expectation that during the life of this 10th Parliament, we are not going to sit in this august House and continue in the description of the monster, but we are also going to sit in this House and go through specific legislative measures that will speak in detail on what we intend to do through the instrumentality of the law against firstly, those who have been active in seeking those sanctions to be imposed on the people of Zimbabwe.
Secondly, those who, through their conduct and behaviour continue to associate themselves and continue to promote and propagate the gospel of sanctions against the people of Zimbabwe.
Thirdly, we also need to make sure that our anti-sanction counter measures adequately deal with those who are the ultimate beneficiaries of the sanctions that are being imposed on the people of Zimbabwe. When people talk of regime change, they are not talking of a different group of people coming to take over the affairs of the administration of Zimbabwe.
In this day and age, we no longer talk of colonialism, but we talk of neo-colonialism, we talk of an environment that is created in a particular state that will make the people of that country feel that they raise resentment against their Government and their people so that other imposter administration can come in to further the interests of the erstwhile colonial powers.
As the 10th Parliament, we need to stand strong, we need to stand firm and we need to come up with very clear legislative measures that we should debate. We should be able to pass legislation that will speak to our will and commitment to make sure that we are not ending in the description of sanctions, but we are taking measures to combat sanctions.
Madam Speaker, those who have been privileged to read a little about Marxism will know of dialectical materialism which posits that it is not the social consciousness of a man that determines his economic well-being, but rather it is the economic circumstances of a man that influences and determines his consciousness and philosophy.
The way our economy has been buttered, bruised, and subjugated, the way we have suffered as a people must, at this point, raise clear ideas and views that should mold the way we must come up with our Zimbabwean anti-sanction legislation. If you look at the United States Congress, it has been so arrogant to the point of coming up with a piece of legislation that is country-specific to Zimbabwe's Democracy and Economic Recovery Act.
When you go through the Act itself, and when you go through the reality of what has been obtained through that Act, it is nothing but the antithesis of democratic and economic recovery. What they have sought is to suffocate the democratic space in Zimbabwe and also to suffocate the economy of Zimbabwe. With all that and the years that have passed, it would be a tragedy of unmitigated calamity if we allow time to pass without us not coming out clearly and debating with the ferocity that I know my fellow Members here are capable of bringing on critical topics if we do not come out and speak.
Out there, we have scholars of note, we have people who have written numerous PhDs, thesis that describes the great extent of the sanctions, but the distinction that we have is that whilst everyone out there has the privilege of speaking against the sanctions, people can march in the villages, people can go everywhere and speak about sanctions; we have the unique privilege of being able to come into this august House and put our ideas into law. Once that law is agreed by the majority of its Members, it becomes a law that is binding on the people of Zimbabwe. I am seeking that we go beyond the talk, we go beyond the mourning, but come up with specific counter and anti-sanctions legislation and measures.
In that law, it will also be my expectation that Members of this Parliament who are privileged to be part of international forums, know that we are part of the African Inter-Parliamentary Union where some of our Members are part of. They must know that as they carry the flag in the name of Zimbabwe on those forums, it is important to make sure that the message of the sanctions that are bedeviling Zimbabwe is put across and is communicated at all available forums. We must be able to make it a priority to always speak against the imposed sanctions.
Sanctions were imposed so that Zimbabwe, in the world of nations, would carry the bad image. As things stand, Zimbabweans are stigmatised. We are looked at as if we are a pariah state, as if there is chaos, no democracy and as if we are in a medieval clave where everything and anything goes. That has all come out as a result of the perception created when people look at a country that is looked at as lacking in democracy and measures for the economic well-being of the people.
You will recall that the former Secretary of the United States of America, Condoleezza Rice came up with what she termed, “the access of evil”. In that “access of evil”, was the mention of Syria. Today Syria lies in ruins. There was Libya and we all know what transpired in Libya. There was Venezuela, we know of the upheavals that visited the people of Venezuela. We are but one of the few remaining nations that were listed on that axis of evil. It means that more is being brewed. More will come our way and it is high time that we also take measures that are not limited to what has been proposed by Hon. Dr. Mutodi. We need to take measures that go beyond paying a visit to the US Congress. We also need to make sure that we have appropriate policies, diplomatic and legislative measures that holistically deal with the scourge of sanctions imposed against Zimbabwe.
HON. KAMBUZUMA: Thank you very much for according me time to add my voice to this important debate. I want to thank Hon. Dr. Mutodi for moving this motion that is calling on the US to unconditionally remove the illegal sanctions it unilaterally imposed on Zimbabwe and also thank Hon. Shamu for seconding the motion.
The people of Zimbabwe are a peace-loving nation. When our forefathers took up arms to fight against British colonialism, they were fighting against injustice. They were fighting to liberate the people of Zimbabwe from living in a country where there was no democracy. Harsh, severe and brutal exploitation of Zimbabweans was the order of the day. Vast tracts of fertile land were taken by the colonialists with small pieces of barren land allocated to the rightful owners of the land in the country, the people of Zimbabwe.
What is surprising here is that a country which boasts of being the city upon a hill, the beacon of democracy, and claims that its political systems were designed to defend democracy and justice for all is actually doing the opposite. Through ZIDERA, the US is breaching international rules as its inhuman actions stand condemned by the United Nations. The illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the US are a gross violation of international law and basic norms of international relations. ZIDERA is saying no to upholding of peace in Zimbabwe. ZIDERA is saying no to development in Zimbabwe. ZIDERA is saying no to equity in Zimbabwe. ZIDERA is also saying no to justice in Zimbabwe. ZIDERA is saying no to democracy in Zimbabwe. ZIDERA is saying no to freedom in Zimbabwe. ZIDERA is saying no to the common values of humanity in Zimbabwe.
The illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the US must be removed immediately to enable this country to peacefully move forward with development.
HON. TOGAREPI: I am going to contribute to this debate after the giants have contributed. I want to say I am touched and moved by the contributions of my fellow Members of Parliament. The depth at which they have discussed the effects of sanctions against our country is unparalleled and I want to say thank you fellow Hon. Members.
Sanctions are a hybrid warfare. This is a clear declaration of war against the people of Zimbabwe. Whoever mooted the issue of sanctions had nothing behind his mind. What they wanted was destruction of Zimbabwe. The only difference was the means. They did not come here with F16 fighter jets. They did not come here with nuclear weapons, but they did everything that could result in the same consequence - that could have happened had they bombed Zimbabwe.
Sanctions are illegal both in terms of the United Nations Charter, Chapter 41 which says that no country is allowed to put restrictions or embargoes against another. This was said towards developed countries of which the US, Britain and their allies are part of that world where the United Nations said you should not sanction other countries. They went on to do it on Zimbabwe. We have never demanded a piece of land or a square foot of another country. The whole of our life from the moment of independence in 1980, we never sought to take over another country. We never went to a country where we were not invited. The Americans, British and their allies would want to run the world.
I would like to put this into perspective. The reason why Zimbabwe is being attacked is about our land, the very land that we fought for. Millions of our people died in order for us to be free. The British and her allies never forgave us. They waited to say one day they would come back and fight us. We are the light of Africa. The same scenario where colonisers took our land, they took the African land throughout from Cape to Cairo. They did not want us to recover that land, the whole of Africa and Zimbabwe dared them. We were the first to take a strong position to take our land from the mighty children of the Queen – [HON MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] - For that reason, they said we must suffer. One official in the American Government said that we will make the economy of Zimbabwe scream, with a serious intention of creating havoc in this country for our people to rebel against their government. It is a fight back for us taking our land. Why do they fight us? They are not only fighting Zimbabwe; they are also fighting our ideas. What the Hon. Member said that when they say regime change, they are not talking about removing certain individuals in running the Government of Zimbabwe. They want to change the mentality, the view that Zimbabwe is ours and we have the right to this land. They want to remove that change.
If today we would have people of Zimbabwe accepting that they can have anybody taking Zimbabwe, Americans will not put sanctions on us. Why, they are looking for puppets and we happen to be difficult to be termed as puppets and they cannot forgive us for that. They are afraid that the example set by Zimbabwe will go throughout Africa because these people are looting our resources. They do not want such type of people like the Government of Zimbabwe that says no, enough is enough. The land is ours, the gold is ours and it cannot be taken by someone for free.
They do not want such type of people, they want the sell-outs like some in the Opposition who are prepared to sell Zimbabwe and they are prepared to go and invite sanctions that will disrupt the health system of their relatives, brothers and mothers will equally suffer. Those are the type of people the Americans and their allies would want to rule Zimbabwe. When we say no, we become enemies. Americans must know that we are not enemies of Americans and we do not hate the British, we do not hate any other nationality. We are saying, leave us with our Zimbabwe, leave us with our country. We will not go there and ask for an inch of those territories.
This is the reason why we are suffering. I am so happy that among the Hon. Members who were debating, are young people whose minds have been emancipated, who can define who they are and understand why we are under attack. I thank you for that and I beg you and implore you to continue to defend the land of Zimbabwe. Never apologise for defending Zimbabwe. This is our country between the Limpopo and Zambezi. It is ours and we will not extend it beyond that. Those who hate us can continue doing so and we will never apologise. We need to defend Zimbabwe. This issue of sanctions is a deliberate move to destroy our will and it is the unfinished business to reverse the gains of the liberation struggle.
As a people, I concur with the mover of the motion that as a legislature and also taking a leaf from our President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, that we re-engage and engage. As Parliament, let us go and face the same House where ZIDERA was enacted. As the representatives of the people of Zimbabwe, we want to go and ask them as to what we have done to America when we took our land that was stolen. Records are there that these people stole our land, and we are only taking what belongs to us. The people of Zimbabwe are very religious and we sought to pay them for the improvement on the land.
Otherwise like my other Hon. Members said, somebody steals your car and starts tinting it and so forth. When you get it, you take it with everything but we said no, for neighbourliness and good international relations, let us pay them for whatever they improved on the land that their forefathers stole from us. What a gesture and what holiness is beyond that? Otherwise we should have just gone there and do the unthinkable, but we are saying they can have what we can pay them for the houses that they built, dams they constructed and the roads they did. Let us give them and they should start a new life somewhere like many people who go to jail.
When they go there, they are rehabilitated and they are given skills so that when they go out of prison, they can go and start new lives in the society. Now, we give them some money and they will go out whether they want to go back to Britain or wherever they came from, they will have somewhere to begin their life from. What else do people want from us? We are not like them who have gone to other countries and destroyed - from Vietnam, Japan, Nagasaki, Iraq, Syria, Palestine and Libya. They are using sanctions to destroy Zimbabwe. We are not like them because we are peace-loving people. We want to be good citizens of the world and they must remove sanctions.
I concur that we need to come up with a really thought-out law that we fight back ZIDERA. Sometimes being a good citizen, you are punished for that. Mwana anemusikanzwa, anozivikanwa kuti ane musikanzwa, unonzwa vabereki vachiti musiyei akadaro nokuti ibenzi. Asi mwana anoteerera akangoti kanganisei, achizivikanwa asingakanganisi anobva arohwa neshamhu. Zimbabweans do not need any square foot of any other place. We have not sanctioned anybody. We have not stolen any person’s property because we are Godly people. We respect the Bible and God gave each and every human being, every race, every people their place on the planet and we were given ours and we stick to that.
We fought the British when they came to colonise us and we are justified through the Bible that when somebody takes your land and has taken your heritage, you are supposed to fight for it. You cannot sell out your heritage. We are like Naboth, we are just saying this is our land. It is very critical that this Parliament takes this motion seriously. No more talk shows, we do not want to continue talking. As Members of Parliament and as representatives of the people, we would want to complement Government. We would want to engage fellow Parliamentarians in the EU, we have to go and talk to them. We want to go to Britain and talk to them. We want to go to the United States of America and ask them the question, are we a territory of the United States of America? Why are you coming up with a law that will govern how we are going to develop our country or our way of life? How are you going to do that because we are a sovereign nation? We need to go and talk to them. I really agree with the mover of the motion that we need to go and engage them and seriously remind them that we are not a colony of any nation on this planet. We are a free people, allow us to run our country.
As a country at war, it is unfortunate to have some of our people supporting sanctions, going to these places to ask for sanctions. I want to remind this House that there was a motion that was moved to say, those who look for sanctions must never participate in the governance of this country – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – We are too democratic as a people, too democratic for comfort. Why would we even entertain an election with people who are sponsored to destroy Zimbabwe? Why would we have an opposition that is totally, clearly and vehemently against Zimbabwe and allow them to participate in a democratic election, when they are sanctioning us? We are a country at war and there are surrogates of imperialism who come here, go to an election with us, sponsored by the same people, we are too soft. We have people who died for the freedom of Zimbabwe. Some who have no limbs, some who could not even have kids, others whom we do not even know where they were buried trying to liberate this country. Somebody goes to the same colonisers to say destroy this population, destroy these people in order to give life to themselves because they are sell-outs. They are sell-outs, they are Judas Iscariots.
I want to say when that time comes that we engage these people, let us not mince our words. We are politicians, we are not Government. Government has its own descent diplomatic way of saying things. We represent the people of Zimbabwe and the people of Zimbabwe are angry. The people we represent are angry that we are sanctioned for our country. They are angry and when we talk to these people, we must show it on our faces. We must tell them the way our people tell us at home. They are fed up with these sanctions – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] - We did everything so that we mend our relations with them, all to no avail.
In 2017, the New Dispensation; the Second Republic took a stance and a policy of re-engagement and engagement. We engaged everybody in good faith but they continue to call us names. Tinonyengerera chii, if they do not like us? We continue to engage them in good will. We do all the businesses that we do, we are the most honest people in the world but these self-imposed policemen of the world continue to impose sanctions on our people. We cannot continue to handle them with kid gloves. It is time that we say this is a war declared on us and on our economy. The same people who sanctioned our country cannot come and do business here. They should stop doing business here. They cannot make money out of our lithium, our gold, diamond et cetera, while they use the same money to destroy our economy. I think this should come to and end.
I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity and above all, I want to thank the young Members of Parliament. Some of us who participated in the liberation struggle, war veterans who are here, when we go, our dream and hope is this country will never be a colony again. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – No one will sell it. When that situation comes, when there is one of us who would want to sell this country, I implore you to fight and defend the blood that was shed for the freedom of Zimbabwe. I thank you.
HON. MUTODI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 6th February, 2024.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: Madam Speaker, I move that we revert to Order of the Day, Number 4.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Madam Speaker, I came not prepared to debate, I ask that this motion be moved to next week Tuesday.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Noted Hon. Mapiki.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: Madam Speaker, I move that Order of the Day, Number 4 be stood over until Order of the Day, Number 11 on today’s Order Paper has been disposed of.
HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
GBV AWARENESS PROGRAMMES TO PROMOTE POSITIVE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CHANGE
Adjourned debate on motion on the 2023 commemorations to mark the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign.
Question again proposed.
HON. DR. MUTODI: Thank you Madam Speaker. Allow me to add my voice to the debate on the Gender-Based Violence, particularly looking on the legal issues that affect this particular subject. Madam Speaker, this is not a subject which requires that any female Member of Parliament who rises in this House will come to support the cause of women in as far as Gender Based Violence is concerned or any male person or male Member of Parliament who rises in this House will come or give the view of his male counterparts.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, the Gender-Based Violence issue should be well articulated by all of us, irrespective of our gender. We know that as Members of Parliament, we are an institution that represents the will of the people, male or female. Apparently, most of the Members of Parliament who are here will agree with me that the male Members of Parliament here present may have had more votes from the female constituents and even the female Members of Parliament have also got votes from male constituents from their respective areas, hence the need for us to adequately address this issue of Gender-Based Violence with fairness.
The main crimes that we have witnessed associated with Gender-Based Violence Madam Speaker, include assault, murder and rape. I will go into detail on these crimes one by one. On the issue of assault, an offence which is also associated with murder; we have seen the cause of this kind of Gender-Based Violence being infidelity. It is critical that I mention that in the present age that we are living in now, there are more female married persons who engage in extra marital affairs compared to the period before the current dispensation.
Additionally, there are also more male persons who engage in marriages without knowing the ultimate consequences of the type of marriage that they are getting involved in. I want to remind the House that there is a provision in our law that a person can get engaged and marry a partner under Chapter 5.11 of the Marriages Act. Under this Act, a male person commits to marry only one wife and must not be allowed to marry another woman in this entire life as long as the woman is still alive.
Madam Speaker, when that happens, any male person who therefore, after engaging in such a marriage, goes on to engage a small house or what they call these days ‘a slay queen’ or any other beautiful lady that comes on their way, will have committed an offence. They must not propose to marry or live in with another woman or to enter into a civil partnership, with any woman.
Obviously, this will result in Gender-Based Violence because the woman whom you married under the Marriages Act Chapter 5.11, was convinced that you were going to stand by her and her alone. It is therefore, apparent that Members of Parliament take note that there is another provision in our law that a man is permitted to marry more than one wife under the Chapter 5:07 of the Marriages Act. Under this law, a man can marry many wives listed as wife number one, wife number two, to any number of wives he will marry. There is an infinite number of wives that this law permits for a man to marry.
It is obviously agreed that when you enter into such a marriage, your wife would have agreed that you are a polygamous man and you will be able to marry as many wives as you want. I think this Act must be known amongst our people because this will then reduce the instances of Gender-Based Violence which have manifested through assault and through murder crimes.
It should be known to the women that when they allow themselves to be in a polygamous marriage or in a customary marriage which is called the Unregistered Customary Marriage which ordinarily allows the man to move on and marry more wives, they must not then be aggrieved when the man then moves on to get another woman if, in the first place, they would have agreed to be in such a situation. We have seen that some men have suffered from being poisoned as women try to revenge on their actions of getting another wife or wives into their marriage. This is what I thought generally we would need to understand as Members of Parliament and also as members of the public who fall under our constituencies.
The other crime that I also mentioned was that of rape. I am sure it was discussed adequately here that we need to be able to follow our cultural values. Our cultural values may not be written as law, but we follow our culture as humans, we have what is called ubuntu or hunhu or whatever it is called in our dialects. We must dress properly, exercise proper conduct at work places in various areas of interaction as this will allow our society to operate in a normal atmosphere. We do not support men who force themselves on young girls luring them with money, we do not support adult males who rape adolescent girls and so on. That must be condemned in the strongest terms and I understand that His Excellency the President has made a Presidential proclamation that he has increased the age of consent for sex from 16 years to 18 years. This should then be followed by a Bill that should be presented before Parliament to ensure that we synchronise the criminal court with the constitutional interpretation of an adult which is someone who is 18 years and above. I would like to thank you Madam Speaker for this time. I thought these were going to be important points of discussion as I addressed the House.
HON. S. CHIKOMO: A pleasant afternoon to you Madam Speaker and compliments of the new season.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you and same to you.
HON. S. CHIKOMO: With your permission Madam Speaker, allow me to add my thoughts on the debate and motion moved by Hon. Ndebele, seconded by Hon. Mutandi.
This is quite an alarming motion seeing that research indicates a huge discrepancy of women affected versus the male on matters of Gender-Based Violence (GBV). I thought as a woman, I am indebted to stand in solidarity with my fellow women and other Hon. Members who spoke before me. I am quite intrigued and provoked on the global database, be it on the reports submitted by UN and also health surveys on GBV. GBV is a violation of human rights and there is, of course, a rampant increase in GBV. This should be put to an end. His Excellency Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa has always emphasised on women empowerment, enlightment and their contribution to economic growth. For that reason, women should be protected, not only because they are vulnerable jewels who contribute to the GDP – it is also very key to also note that their lives matter.
Be that as it may, I understand that the debate delved into checking whether women or men are getting affected, but the main thrust of this motion is to make sure that there is rigorous increase in awareness in gender responsive laws, considering the provision of health for those affected by GBV matters. Of course, there is also consideration of the psychological support and the legal aid to survivors of GBV. Lastly, to also consider the mechanisms that should start at community level because there should be outreach programmes to be narrowed mainly to the victims of GBV in our communities, hence there is need to strengthen the legal frameworks by enhancing the existing laws and introducing the legislative matters on addressing GBV. This will include either, stricter penalties for the offenders or perpetrators as well as the improved definitions because each and everyone has their own definitions of what it means to experience or to understand what Gender-Based Violence is, but there is need for a comprehensive legal protection for the victims.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, let me put it to you that there is indeed a lot of stereotypes around victims of GBV. As Hon. Ganyiwa has already alluded, if one speaks out, it will be seen as shameful for a man to speak out. Mind you, these matters do not only affect women at large, but men are also affected. I suggest that every community or workplace must have a safe haven for the victims and also considering a friendly place for victims where we could have a social worker to provide counselling in handling such complex matters. We have remote areas – I will give you an example of Mwenezi East Constituency where we have Mukorsi victims moved by the disaster that happened in 2008 and they were relocated to one-hectare schemes. Not only the residents of Tokwe-Mukorsi were relocated by the scheme that is there to come – there is also an issue of residents – for instance in Macheke where there is an animal conservancy area.
I would put it to you Madam Speaker that there are many victims of GBV who are far away from local clinics and there could be many posts or police bases where they could report. In enhancing this matter on GBV, we should not only speak on these issues, but also act upon, hence creating police bases/places or mini posts or nearby clinics to assist the victims because some of these matters go for years and years without being attended to, leading to the escalation of such matters until they are uncontrollable.
As I conclude, let me state that the research and statistics indicate so many variables causing GBV. My fellow colleagues have already alluded to most of them. I will touch base on the matter of GBV on cultural practices or set ups where there is legal dis-cohesion. With your indulgence, I will say this in Shona; mutemo unoti enda uno reporter kana wabatwa chibharo asi tsika dzedu dzoti enda kwatete uvake musha wako. This is a discourse which proposes policy makers to take cognisance of such matters with immediate effect. I will repeat, GBV matters. It is a violation of human rights and it is a matter to be taken into cognisance with immediate effect. I so submit Madam Speaker.
*HON. MUDZINGWA: Thank you Madam Speaker for giving me the opportunity to add my voice to the issue being debated in this House. GBV has broken homes. It is true that there is a lot of violence which is happening within families. Hence most families have been destroyed because of violence. Grandmothers are being sexually abused by their grandsons and most families are involved in disputes because of gender violence. Long back when we were growing up, if you were to meet someone even of the opposite sex, you felt free because you felt secure as you felt the person was able to help you. But these days if you have problems and you meet someone of the opposite sex, you get scared because many of them are now thinking differently. I am talking on behalf of women and you wonder what it is we have done wrong. All these men were birthed by women even all the male MPs in this august House. We gave you life when we could have aborted you. Is rape the thank you that you are giving us for giving birth to you? Is hitting a woman the blessing that you are giving women for being there for you from pregnancy? Women are suffering a lot because of men. Even in the communities where we come from, we no longer understand the men within our communities. We are even scared to sleep first while our husbands are still awake because we do not know what is in their minds and we may be murdered in our sleep. All the men in this House - you are free to research and prove me wrong or right. Women are scared to sleep for fear of being strangled during the night or to face other consequences. What I am trying to say is that we want to thank our President Dr. E.D Mnangagwa for protecting women. Most of the time he always speaks and encourages people to desist from Gender-Based Violence. May all the men take heed of the voice of the President when he encourages everyone from engaging in Gender-Based Violence.
Pregnancy is a sign or evidence of the good thing or happiness that transpired between a man and a woman yesterday. If the evidence of our happiness is evident, why do you hit women and try to harm the child in the womb? A woman is bashed and it does not matter whether the woman is very small and the man is big-bodied, you still see the big man throttling the small woman. The woman struggles and begs the man to stop the violence but the man does not feel pity but continues being abusive. I am pleading with all men to feel pity for your women and instead of hitting them, you should protect them. I also want to say if it was possible, it is our prayer as women that men who are caught raping old women living alone or with a grandchild and sleeping in a thatched hut in the rural areas, should not be judged at the traditional courts but the issue should be attended by police officers and taken to the higher courts. We lobby for a mandatory sentence just like the one given for stock theft. Men should know that once you rape someone you will not get less than 10 years. So, this Parliament should put in place such a law. Thank you, Madam Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to air my views.
*HON. SAMAMBWA: Thank you Madam Speaker for affording me the opportunity to add my voice to this motion. I see that women think they are the only ones who are facing Gender-Based Violence. Let me say that as men, we are also facing Gender-Based Violence but most of the time we cannot garner enough courage to come out in the open and report whilst women have the courage to talk. Most men are being raped in cars and the perpetrators take what they have used, be it condoms which they collect for ritual purposes. This is another form of violence because it may cause failure to conceive for me as a man.
Madam Speaker, women may be physically abused but as men, we are being beaten every day. In most cases, we do not speak out because our fellow men will laugh at us. If we closely examine every man in this House, most of them take blood pressure tablets and most of these conditions are caused by gender-based violence.
Another form of violence happens when a woman lies to a man that a child is his. This is another form of enormous GBV which is being faced by men. A man can spend many years and a lot of wealth sending to school and taking care of a child who is not his. I pray that in the event of a maintenance case, may the law allow us to conduct DNA tests first before awarding child support.
This is another form of gender-based violence affecting many men. If a woman is forced by her husband to do sexual intercourse, a woman will report the issue and the man will be sued. The same woman left her parents’ house and came to stay with the husband so that she performs her wifely duties, but in the event, that a woman refuses to engage in sex with her husband, it is unfair to the man but there is nothing which happens to the woman. May this issue of gender-based violence be treated equally between both men and women.
Also, the way some women and girls dress end up causing GBV. Some of them wear most revealing clothes which tends to affect all man because they tend to love what they are seeing. If a woman dresses improperly, they are abusing men. Madam Speaker another form of GBV we are facing as men is on wealth. If a man acquires wealth, a woman can start to behave improperly and end up demanding divorce and the wealth has to be shared. They leave the husband and proceed to start another family. Someone close to me is saying in some instance, a woman can kill her husband for wealth.
I pray to this august House that we must unite and fight GBV because it is something which we do not expect to happen to anyone. I also encourage all man to desist from sexual harassment. In some cases, most of them agree to sex and when their indecent deed is exposed by the husband or friend, they tend to hide under rape. This issue must be looked into because most man are serving sentences of crimes they did not commit. The voice of a woman is listened to more than that of a man. Thank you, Madam Speaker,
*HON. MURWIRA: Thank you Madam Speaker for awarding me this opportunity to add my voice on the debate being discussed in this august House. Madam Speaker, GBV means dispute between man and woman, boys and girls. Let me say that GBV happens mostly to women and the girl-child. There is sexual harassment happening whether you like it or not, you face it. As human beings, who have fallen in love first, it is also very important to agree when engaging in sexual activities.
There is also another form of gender-based violence in the form of wealth distribution. If there is a boy and a girl-child who are attending school, most of the time school fees of a boy-child is paid for first before the girl-child. There is another form of GBV in terms of freedom, a woman is not allowed to go to church or attend other community activities like clubs. This woman ends up being idle, not being able to stand on herself. Most women are denied access to resources or exposure to start their own business or even to access loans. Ministries must work towards the upliftment of women and even our country will prosper.
I also want to talk about churches. There are some religions which encourage GBV. You see an underage young girl getting married off to an elderly man. This girl might be 15 years old and pregnant. If possible, a committee must be put forward and go to these churches to educate people about GBV. This will help in reducing GBV. I agree that men are being physically abused, but when they are abused, they must go and report to the police officers. They must report so that the perpetrators are brought to book, they must not be shy.
In some cases, these men are the ones who might start GBV and they end up being beaten. Sometimes women end up using weapons to retaliate while trying to protect themselves. Sometimes a husband and wife fight each other to the point of death or during the fight, a child may be injured and the household end up being destroyed. In our communities, there should be committees which are set in order to represent women. These committees must comprise of people who have the capacity to help a woman and the youth must select a committee of people who are able to help them, not drug addicts or people who are not in a position to help others.
Let us unite as politicians and traditional leaders including religious leaders, let us unite and fight against gender-based violence. As women, we are saying no to gender-based violence. Let us end GBV. If we face any form of GBV, let us go and report to the police. I also encourage the law enforcement agents to perform their duties diligently. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
HON. KANGAUSARU: Madam Speaker, I rise today as an advocate for women and children to address a matter of great importance, that transcends political affiliations and demand our urgent attention. The pervasive issue of gender-based violence is in our beloved nation, Zimbabwe. Our commitment to sustainable development and the well-being of our citizenry must be unwavering and addressing the alarming statistics and ramification of gender-based violence is an integral part of this commitment.
As we deliberate on the state of affairs, it is crucial to recognise the indispensable role that the women play in the sustainable development of our nation. Education and health empower the women and the girl-child to contribute meaningfully to their family, community and the broader society. However, the shadow of Gender-Based Violence cast a dark spell over those opportunities denying the woman and the girl child the realisation of their basic human rights. According to Zimbabwe, demohraphic and health survey of 2015, the statistics are that one in three women aged between 15 years to 49 years in Zimbabwe has experienced physical violence and that one in four have faced sexual violence since the age of 15. These numbers underscore the urgent need for a comprehensive and coordinated effort to address this deeply rooted issue. Furthermore, the empathy on mobilising men and young men to support equality, Gender-Based Violence prevention through community mobilisation and the establishment of peripherals and coordination mechanisms at the district and community level, reflects a holistic approach to tackling this multi-faceted challenge.
In times of human crisis such as those triggered by the climate change, disease outbreak and economic hardship, the vulnerability of the women and girls to Gender-Based Violence is highlighted. The impact of climate change, coupled with social culture practice, affects women and girls. Forced long distance journeys for water collection expose the girl child and the women to risk of sexual violence and some women to trade sex for basic needs. It is disheartening to note Madam Speaker that even such challenging circumstance, women and girls with disabilities are three times more prone to Gender-Based Violence and harmful practices. These trends on the health system during crisis results in decreased availability of legal management of rape services, affecting timely access to life serving support, especially in the remote areas in the rural areas.
I urge this esteemed august House to prioritise the recognition of essential Gender-Based Violence services and establishment of community-based mechanism to mitigate the risk of Gender-Based Violence and sexual exploitation and abuse. The capacity building of humanitarian acts on Gender-Based Violence, preparedness and response is vital. I applaud responsible Ministry’s leadership in this regard.
In conclusion Madam Speaker, let us collectively commit to a Zimbabwe where every woman and every girl child can live freely from the shackles of Gender-Based Violence realising their full potential in contributing to the sustainable development of our nation. Our response on this crisis defines our character as a society and our dedication to the principles of equality, justice and human rights.
Madam Speaker, I would like to speak a bit as an advocate and as a pastor in this regard that the real essence or real predicament that we face now is because of men. As you have heard women crying saying, “please have mercy on us, please, tinzwireiwo nyasha!”, it is men who have run away from their role.
Madam Speaker, us as men, have a God-given role that each man should stand, but because we have run away from our original role, women do suffer because of that. If as men we return to our original state where we shall be able to protect the woman and the girl child, then the environment and the society that we are living shall be an environment which is conducive for all of us. The reason why us men are suffering is because we have removed the person that should be making us happy. As a result, we are violating them by beating.
Even in the Bible, it is said a man should not hinder or violate his wife because God will hinder their prayer. Some of the problems that we are suffering from as men, are because we have run away from our original selves and we are busy abusing the children and the women. The women are the ones who are suffering these days because men have changed from their original status. It is time now for every man in this House to return to God and accept him as his ruler and King. When you are ruled by God, you will be able to rule and guide the woman so that our women can be the perfection of beauty and the joy of many people. That is why you see a man who can take care of his wife – a few of us who can take care of a woman – every man will emulate and will love that woman, seeing her garnished. Our daughters garnished in similitude of a palace, polished like a palace, our daughters; but what are we doing as men? We are busy abusing and looking at them tichivaita nhunguru dzaibva, so to say.
Looking at them using our money and resources in order to take advantage and to see what we can do in order to feed ourselves on our children and our women. It is time for us to take the diamond and the money that we have and garnish our women. Every woman must be carrying a diamond on her. Every woman must be carrying a precious stone on her – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – And the very people who must do that are us men, we must be able to garnish our women, polish them and make sure that we honour and respect them, then we shall have peace.
The reason why we are not happy as men, the reason why we are suffering and the reason why we see Zimbabwe in the state that we are in now, is because we have digressed from our original state. We have not accepted the rulership and the leadership of God. If we do not go back to the leadership of God, we shall find ourselves, women now revolting. That is why women are now creating a mechanism for themselves to survive from a man that has run away from home. So, when a man has run away from home, the woman will say, if you attack a woman, you have attacked a rock and women are creating a mechanism to survive in an environment of a man that has run away from his position.
It is time for us as Zimbabweans, it is time for the legislators of the Parliament of Zimbabwe to consider own homes and consider own affairs, to say, who am I? What did God create me for? I am a man of dignity, a man of integrity, I am a man of sincerity and I am a man of honesty. Then when we have that dignity, you will empower it to your wife and children. When women walk among us, they are precious stones, they are precious people. They are far beyond rubies, they are far beyond gold, but what is happening is as men, if I look at a woman, I look at the back and say ‘look at the legs instead of saying look at the people that God has given us’ because God said, ‘it is not good for a man to live alone, let him have a helper that will help him.’ Some of the problems that we are facing now are because we have not found a helper. There must be a helper to help us and our children with us, growing up and becoming adults. We thank the President so much that he has raised the age of consent to become 18. In our days, in the olden days a girl would…
*HON. MATANGIRA: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. CHIKOMO): What is your point of order Honourable?
*HON. MATANGIRA: My point of order is if someone preaches to us, the Holy Spirit will fall upon us. I think this preaching will make our eyes start seeing spiritual things.
HON. KANGAUSARU: I thank you very much Hon. Speaker. There is a reason why God is bringing us into the House, that we may have the Zimbabwe that we want, a Zimbabwe of people that fear God. When we fear God like our President Cde Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, I have seen him kneeling down and praying to God and asking God to guide him. That is why you see he is a humble leader. You cannot be a humble father if you are not guided by God. We thank God for such men. There are men who are here full of this understanding, that God must be our ruler.
There were two people, Madam Speaker. There was Paul the preacher. He said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith, I am ready to be delivered” I have walked well, but there was another one called Saul the king. He said “My son I played the fool, I erred. I have sinned. I have rebelled against God.” It is our choice, Members of Parliament and leaders of this House, you are great people. Where you are going, you represent thousands of people? If you go and deliver this message to say let God rule us. Let him guide us and then he shall love our people then our people shall live in peace. They shall dwell in safe habitation as it was in the days of Solomon that each man dwells under his own fig tree happily.
I pray that Zimbabwe becomes a place where all shall stay in peace with our women happy; rejoicing, no one raping another, no one fighting another. Our women keeping the home, cooking our food, doing well, an environment where we will be running our Zimbabwe and having our diamonds, gold and silver. God bless Zimbabwe I pray. I submit.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Kangausaru. I thought Hon. Matangira was going to say Amen.
*HON. TSITSI ZHOU: Thank you Madam Speaker for according me this opportunity to add my voice on this motion which has been raised by Hon. Ndebele. Hon. Speaker, let me thank the speakers before me including Hon. Kangausaru. In his other life he is a Pastor, he preaches the word of God.
There is a verse which says, women submit yourselves to your husbands. We have women who are not submitting to their husbands whilst their husbands are still living, this causes disharmony. Gender- Based Violence can be classified into three or four classes. There is emotional abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse and I can add another, sexual exploitation.
Many women are looking down upon their men. They expect men to provide beyond their capacity. There are women who live competitive lives comparing themselves to their next door neighbours, striving for the lives their husbands cannot provide, forgetting that they are also supposed to fend for themselves. They look forward to getting more groceries and expensive clothes which their husbands cannot afford. The other thing is women expect to have more sexual satisfaction from their men. Madam Speaker, women are pushing for sexual satisfaction up to many rounds, which men cannot do.
The leader of our country is being troubled by drug and substance abuse. Men are taking drugs which are affecting their manhood and they are not able to perform sexually. When a man and a woman get married, there is a measurement of performance which a man can do. As you grow older, it becomes less and less. Such is the war that people are facing in their homes.
Madam Speaker, I am also a leader in women. I operate in the Midlands Province meeting old and young women. Other issues that are coming up are that women are taking their husbands’ jeans, cutting them into shorts and using them as pyjamas. The way men and women were created is different, men are emotional. Men are becoming violent because they are being sexually deprived.
Madam Speaker, let me also touch on the issues of the boy child. When travelling around the country, we have seen that parents, both fathers and mothers, no longer have time for their children. We forget that children grow up and we do not have time to reprimand them. We do not have time to teach them on how to look after themselves when they are grown up. When a child reaches puberty, they do not know how to look after themselves and this is causing them to be abused by our domestic workers, so the boy-child is being raped and they suffer in silence. These are the things we should look at and make time to teach our children.
The other issue Madam Speaker, due to sexual deprivation, people now engage in small houses or extra marital affairs that are bringing disharmony in the country. This is mainly due to the meagre incomes that people earn, and it makes it difficult to sustain two households. So, when wives ask for school fees and other things that are required in the house, there is disharmony.
This is also caused by today’s young women; they lack the requisite skills to ask for money. Asking is very good and important but the way our young women do it leaves a lot to be desired. They tend to forget that the men are the heads of the house and they are supposed to respect them. Much has been said by those who debated before me, which was very profound. The mover of the motion, Hon. S. Ndebele, requested the Government to come up with certain measures. It shows that men are at liberty to report on what is happening but there are several ways of reporting. I think we should come up with suggestion boxes in all public institutions such as schools and clinics so that people can make submissions and do not continue to be troubled.
In some countries, we have seen that they have set up committees at village levels where people come together to discuss issues that affect them. I think these village committees should also be there because some people are shy to engage in violence. In some communities, the abusive person is either taken to the village chief or headman and this will reduce the cases.
I also want to thank our First Lady, Dr. Auxilia Mnangagwa. She opened an office with a toll-free number that should be known by everyone, both the boy and girl children and men and women alike. She is the one who answers the toll-free number. The tollfree number is 575, it is free and you do not pay to make the call to channel your challenges. She will then send her officials to assist. You can do it privately without anyone knowing. I thank you.
*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Madam Speaker, I feel at home when you are there following Deputy Chief Whip’s contribution. I think we should like leaders who represent all the people when we are in this House. So, we should be inclusive whenever we are debating.
I want to thank the First Lady when she talks about the violence involved in Gender Based Violence (GBV) because she does not favour any side but looks at both sides. The major issue that troubles us as a nation is of untruthful people. When we look at the statistics, we will find cases of human trafficking where women are being lured outside the country for prostitution. The main perpetrators of this crime are women against fellow women. When there are vacancies, you will find that it is women who pull their fellow women down. They are troubling themselves instead of airing and settling their differences. I asked some of the women why this is so, and they said it was because they could not say it in public yet it was happening.
When a young woman marries a widower who has children, you will find her violating the rights of those children. You will often find the children being abused by the young stepmother. When these issues are being talked about, people do not come up in the open. Even in our homes, the wife’s parents and relatives are at an advantage and the husband’s relatives are abused. So, we are saying we should remember that we represent a variety of people whenever we are addressing these issues.
Whenever you visit the avenues area at night, the streets will be full of naked women. We have not heard about men but we only find women there. The problem is, we are affected as men. So, we are abused whenever we visit the avenues area, but we do not report that yet we are abused by what we see there.
On the issue of drugs, drugs affect everyone and there are also ladies who engage in drugs. They drink beer and scientifically, it has been said that men should sleep with a woman for 21 days in a row so that they are not affected by prostate cancer and other stresses. The same applies to women though at a lesser count. So, when women do not sleep with men, they tend to become irritable. This is in reference to those men who stay in South Africa for six months or more without physically meeting their spouses. They are affected by certain diseases. So, whenever couples copulate, aspirin is produced. When the aspirin is not released, it causes pain in the woman’s body. So, we should seriously look into this issue because it affects everyone of us.
A woman becomes sick when she abstains from sex for a long time. Some of the cancers that afflict women are because of that. When a woman loses her husband, she will say I am still young but the relatives do not allow the widowed wife to see another man. Therefore, I propose that the law about that issue must be amended so that if she wants to be satisfied sexually, she should go ahead.
Most of our parents are living in abject poverty because their children are busy abusing alcohol and drugs. A lot of these young people do not take care of their parents, their earnings are wasted on alcohol and drug abuse. Some of the parents include even Hon. Members of Parliament in this august House and some very important people whose children have become irresponsible because of drug abuse. During church services, you find young ladies donating blankets to the pastor, yet their parents are living in poverty in the rural areas. So neglecting parents is an abuse on its own. Our parents looked after the seven of you but the seven of us cannot even look after one parent. These are some of the issues that we should look at which are troubling us as a nation.
Children are abusing drugs to the extent that they spend days lying motionless. The issue of drugs is also affecting a lot of men and women because a woman leaves his father and mother so that she clings to her husband, however, men nowadays are using Crystal Meth and Dagga which affects their sexual performance in the home. Therefore, women in the homes are depressed because of the lack of sexual satisfaction that they are supposed to be receiving from their husbands. So when it comes to these issues, let us come up with legislation that rectifies these anomalies in our family setups.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, I thought that the Government should come up with a law that women should be empowered so that they can go to vocational training centers where they can be trained. Some of the things that are causing gender-based violence is because when you get home, a woman cannot even buy a box of matches. As a man, when I look at her, I will start asking myself how I got married to this woman. Vocational training centers should be opened for ladies.
Drugs are the major cause of gender-based violence because children end up wanting to sleep with their parents which is a very shameless thing. On the other hand, men are not being sexually active when their women want sex. I am urging men and women to keep the fire burning as married couples. Drugs can lead to impotency in men. As I sit down, married couples should endeavour to sexually satisfy each other because this is a very big issue. If there is no sex in the home, we have a big challenge as a nation. I thank you.
*HON. KARIKOGA: Thank you Hon. Speaker and compliments of the new season. I would like to add my voice to the issue of gender-based violence. Gender-based violence problems came up from sanctions because financially, people are struggling, as a result, there is a lot of violence in the communities and the country at large.
The other challenge is these days we have child-headed families who also end up getting into early marriages as well. Child marriages have caused a lot of problems in societies because these children have no one to teach them good morals and behaviour. Someone said in the Apostolic Sect, some are married at the age of 15 years. My question is how can a 15-year-old girl be able to sexually satisfy a man?
Madam Speaker, the other challenge that we have is that as parents, we accept the lobola of a child whom we have not taught what to do in a home. At the end of the day, we end up having challenges in our homes leading to gender-based violence.
The other challenge nowadays is that married women are the ones who are more promiscuous. They are the ones who engage in prostitution, and statistics of murders or gender-based violence are because of those promiscuous women. Women nowadays love material things, though I am not putting the blame solely on women but men also have turned into drunkards. Men spent most of their time in the beer halls drinking beer. This is troubling the men because it has lowered their life expectancy. Someone said if you see dark coloured men like me, it points out to some other issues like whether they are being sexually satisfied or not.
I want to thank other Hon. Members who have spoken before me. As men, even in this august House, you may find that there is something that is lacking in some of us because of the way we were created by God. Generally, as men we do not talk that much, but in a minute a woman can say 20 000 words before a man responds. If you become talkative as a woman, men will find it difficult to accommodate you.
Twenty years ago, when ZANU PF was in control of local councils, I remember in Kwekwe where I grew up, there was a youth centre which had social workers who would help men and young boys so that they will not end up in violent circumstances. It is my plea that if it was possible, the social workers should be returned in council facilities. The other thing is that we are leaving everything to NGOs to run our homes. It does not mean that before NGOs came, men and women did not fight in the homes. There were ways in our culture on how married couples would solve issues without violence.
I had an opportunity of attending the First Lady’s programme which is referred to as nhanga/gota. I had an opportunity to attend one such programme which was held at Chief Njelele’s homestead. I went to the boys’ section and what I witnessed, boys being taught before they get into marriage was out of this world. If all the young boys would get the chance of being educated on these aspects, I think everyone would know what it is that separates men from boys. I do not know what the girls were being taught, but if it was the same like what I witnessed, I think we can come up with a very good nation because of those teachings. My plea to the Hon. Members is that we should not wait for the First Lady to teach us such programmes, but encourage our communities to teach the young generation. For this domestic violence to end, I think it only comes through education and not through NGOs.
I want to thank Hon. Ndebele for bringing this motion and I also want to thank all the Hon. Members who have spoken before me. If we keep on talking about it, I think violence would end in the homes. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Karikoga, please bear with me. The reason why I said put that other “word” in a polite manner, I am actually trying to protect you from your electorate. You know what will happen if they find out that you said that “word” in Parliament, 2028 you may not come back. I am sorry. Please forgive me.
*HON. MACHINGURA: I just have a few words to say. Firstly, I want to thank all the speakers who debated on Gender-Based Violence. My prayer is that you Madam Speaker and the Hon. Members present, are protected on everything that has been articulated in this House. All this is like war to me and it is a war between men and women, boys and girls. So, I want to take you in an imaginary world. If today our country was going to be divided into two equal parts that men should go and stay on their own and women stay on their own, I do not know who it will be between men and women to first cross the boundary to the other side.
A man and a woman are very important people who should stay together in love bringing up their family. It is said that when God created everything else, at the end he said it was not good for a man to stay alone. So, he looked at everything and put the man to sleep. There is something that he took out of the man and he made a woman. When the man woke up, no one pointed out to him that there is a woman. When the man saw the woman, he said, “this is a bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh.” That is what he said which when he saw this person, he saw that they were the same thing created at the same time.
When did all these troubles start Madam Speaker? I will not go into much details, but I have two quotations which I want to point out. This is troubling the men because it has lowered their life expectancy. Someone said if you see dark coloured men like me, it points out to some other issues like whether they are being sexually satisfied or not.
I want to thank other Hon. Members who have spoken before me. As men, even in this august House, you may find that there is something that is lacking in some of us because of the way we were created by God. Generally, as men we do not talk that much, but in a minute a woman can say 20 000 words before a man responds. If you become talkative as a woman, men will find it difficult to accommodate you.
Twenty years ago, when ZANU PF was in control of local councils, I remember in Kwekwe where I grew up, there was a youth centre which had social workers who would help men and young boys so that they will not end up in violent circumstances. It is my plea that if it was possible, the social workers should be returned in council facilities. The other thing is that we are leaving everything to NGOs to run our homes. It does not mean that before NGOs came, men and women did not fight in the homes. There were ways in our culture on how married couples would solve issues without violence.
I had an opportunity of attending the First Lady’s programme which is referred to as nhanga/gota. I had an opportunity to attend one such programme which was held at Chief Njelele’s homestead. I went to the boys’ section and what I witnessed, boys being taught before they get into marriage was out of this world. If all the young boys would get the chance of being educated on these aspects, I think everyone would know what it is that separates men from boys. I do not know what the girls were being taught, but if it was the same like what I witnessed, I think we can come up with a very good nation because of those teachings. My plea to the Hon. Members is that we should not wait for the First Lady to teach us such programmes, but encourage our communities to teach the young generation. For this domestic violence to end, I think it only comes through education and not through NGOs.
I want to thank Hon. Ndebele for bringing this motion and I also want to thank all the Hon. Members who have spoken before me. If we keep on talking about it, I think violence would end in the homes. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Karikoga, please bear with me. The reason why I said put that other “word” in a polite manner, I am actually trying to protect you from your electorate. You know what will happen if they find out that you said that “word” in Parliament, 2028 you may not come back. I am sorry. Please forgive me.
*HON. MACHINGURA: I just have a few words to say. Firstly, I want to thank all the speakers who debated on Gender-Based Violence. My prayer is that you Madam Speaker and the Hon. Members present, are protected on everything that has been articulated in this House. All this is like war to me and it is a war between men and women, boys and girls. So, I want to take you in an imaginary world. If today our country was going to be divided into two equal parts that men should go and stay on their own and women stay on their own, I do not know who it will be between men and women to first cross the boundary to the other side.
A man and a woman are very important people who should stay together in love bringing up their family. It is said that when God created everything else, at the end he said it was not good for a man to stay alone. So, he looked at everything and put the man to sleep. There is something that he took out of the man and he made a woman. When the man woke up, no one pointed out to him that there is a woman. When the man saw the woman, he said, “this is a bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh.” That is what he said which when he saw this person, he saw that they were the same thing created at the same time.
When did all these troubles start Madam Speaker? I will not go into much details, but I have two quotations which I want to point out. The book of Proverbs says “Whosoever finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favour from the Lord.” It is referring to a man and woman. The other one says “Houses and wealth, all those can be inherited from our parents, but a righteous woman comes from the Lord”. These are the quotations that I want to talk about. Today the troubles that we are facing, if we go back to the beginning, you find that it was not like that. Even children who were brought up in those houses were morally upright.
The issue that I want to give you an example comes by the Spirit because the Spirit will bear things that we cannot believe. There are two kinds of spirits. There were two ladies who were sleeping with their children and the other child died and that one with the child who died wanted to take the child of the one who had not died. So these women went to the King and the King saw that it was difficult to come up with a verdict. The King in the end, through the wisdom of God said, “bring me a knife so that I cut the child into two pieces so that I will give each of you a piece.”
The one whose child had died was happy that I can get my piece, but the mother of the child said no, instead, if you cutting this child, it means the child will die, rather give the child to this lady. So, on the issue of some ladies who say they do not have money, let us go to the story of Potiphar’s wife. She was married to a rich man and she was very rich and could do whatever she wanted. Therefore, because of the spirit that befell her, she was tempted by the boy who was in her house. She called her because she wanted to sleep with him, but Joseph refused and said no, everything in this house I can touch except you.
This woman started behaving in a way to attract Joseph. Joseph realised that what this woman was trying to do was not proper, he was able to resist that. If we let that kind of spirit grow in us and we leave it unattended, it becomes too huge that we will not be able to solve it. I think we should go back to the beginning and kill the evil spirit that is befalling upon our people. I once boarded a lift where there were ladies. I had been given a lift and they started talking about their challenges. They were complaining about men and some of the women said ah, you are having these challenges because you have not become promiscuous. You should go out so that the man would behave.
You find that those ladies who are not married are the ones who are now teaching ladies on marriage. I think we should tame them and fight against these evil spirits so that we can live well. Men and women can live well with their families without any violence, children respecting their children and parents respecting their parents. You find that people are fighting all over. If we go back to our background, you find that people are being given love portions. I do not know what we can do, but what I can only cry about is the intervention of the Holy Spirit. Thank you.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. P. ZHOU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 6th February, 2024.
On the motion of HON. TSITSI ZHOU, seconded by HON. P. ZHOU, the House adjourned at Twenty-nine Minutes to Six o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 31st January, 2024
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER
APOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM MINISTERS
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have got a list of Ministers and Deputy Ministers who are not able to attend today’s Parliament Business.
Hon. Vice President, Gen. Rtd. Dr. Constantino, G.D.N. Chiwenga; Hon. S. G. Nyoni, Minister of Industry and Commerce; Hon. J. G. Moyo, Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare; Hon. A. J. Masuka, Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development; Hon. V. Haritatos, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development; Hon. D. Marapira, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development; Hon. Z. Soda, Minister of Mines and Mining Development; Hon. Sen. M. Mutsvangwa, Minister of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development; Hon. J. Mhlanga, Deputy Minister of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development; Hon. T. Machakaire, Minister of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training; Hon. W. Chitando, Minister of Local Government and Public Works; Hon. J. G. Moyo, Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare; Hon. K. Kazembe, Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage and Hon. Brig. Gen. Rtd. L Mayihlome, Deputy Minister of Defence.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
*HON. NYABANI: Good afternoon Madam Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Home Affairs but since he is not here, I will direct it to the Leader of the House. What is Government policy with regards to the sale of alcohol everywhere in the community? People are now drinking publicly. Has the law changed with regards to the drinking and sale of alcohol? Are the police no longer arresting the offenders?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): The Hon. Deputy Minister is here, hence I will defer the question to her.
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON. SANYATWE): Thank you Hon. Nyabani for such a pertinent question. The law has not changed and it does not allow public drinking. We are going to investigate those areas where public drinking is taking place because that is not lawful.
*HON. NYABANI: Hon. Deputy Minister, this issue does not require any investigation. People should just be arrested. Investigating will take time because alcohol is being sold and people are drinking everywhere. How long will it take for you to give us feedback that you have investigated?
*HON. SANYATWE: We are going to introduce an Operation that will investigate the areas where public drinking is taking place. I thank you.
*HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: The question that Hon. Nyabani asked is with regards to the sale of alcohol that has led to our children being harmed. During the December holiday, some children from Mbare were seen drinking alcohol. The Government has come up with a Cabinet Committee which is chaired by the Minister of Defence, Hon. Muchinguri and we are investigating so that we come up with one plan which can rectify this issue. If you look closely, you will find that in the past days, those who issue liquor licences are not the Home Affairs Ministry but their mandate is just to ensure compliance. Local Government is the one that issues licences and it has already conscientised people to put their houses in order so that when compliance is being enforced, they will not cry foul. There are a lot of programmes that are taking place in order to rectify this drug abuse issue. However, what I would like to encourage Hon. Nyabani and all the other Hon. Members to do is to join hands with the Committee that was put in place by the President. They are not the only ones seized with this matter but it is for all of us to come up with ideas on how we can move forward so that the nation is not destroyed. If there are others here with ideas, please put them across so that we can rectify the issue and we can all live in harmony. I thank you.
HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: Madam Speaker, before I ask my question for today, with your permission, in the last session, I asked the Minister of Health on the issue of Obstetric fistula and he promised to bring a statement to this House but to date, he has not brought the Ministerial Statement.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you for reminding the Minister of Health about the Ministerial Statement.
*HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: My second question is in two parts and it is directed to the Leader of the House. I would like to know if Government is aware that there is hunger in the country and people no longer have food. If they are aware, I want to know what plans they have put in place so that food gets to the people quickly before they die of hunger.
*THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you for the pertinent question Hon. Nyamupinga. Government has a lot of plans in place to ensure that people are not hungry. However, Government is no longer just giving people food but we are giving people food through Pfumvudza/Intwasa inputs. We then follow up on inputs given to see if they were put to appropriate use. The Agriculture Extension Officers will also be helping us. We have realised that people in the same area- some have food while others do not have. Those in science and technology are now helping us so that we come up with a system and people do not just become lazy after being given inputs which they sell and then wait for their Hon. Member to give them food. What we know through our investigations is that some areas are drought stricken and those are the areas that Social Welfare and AREX should identify and make sure the people who were indeed affected by drought get food. However, there are other people who have just become cry-babies and are not being responsible for their actions.
*HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: Madam Speaker, if we say that Government is following up on the inputs they distributed, we should not forget that last year there was Elnino and people had planted but their crops did not mature. People did not also get AN and that means people will not get a good harvest. What we are saying is that the Department of Social Welfare should tell us if they are going to give people food because they are hungry.
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. DINHA): Thank you for the question. It is very true that maize was not being distributed though it is there. I think in the past days, we were just giving the maize to people in real need. However, from the next weeks, distribution will start because we did not have funding for the programme to start. Treasury has now availed $11 billion for the programme to start. So we are starting with the registration of the beneficiaries to enable us to distribute. People will receive grain and they will have their sadza. All Provincial heads have started the registration process and then they will follow up with distribution of the maize.
*HON. DHLIWAYO: Madam Speaker, I would also want to add my voice to the supplementary question that was asked. Should Government wait for the formula while people die of hunger? As I speak now, 15 women came to my place looking for food and they said they would sleep at my place because they did not have any food. So can you skip that formula for now and just give people food? You can then use the formula some other time or next year.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, can you please explain the formula that you want the Government to forego.
HON. DHLIWAYO: The Leader of Government Business did say they will verify who was given inputs and what they used them for before distributing the food. So that is the introspection I am referring to. I think we can put that aside and give people food in the meantime.
*HON. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Hon. Speaker. If the Hon. Member watches news, the Minister of Agriculture said that is what he is doing. If you look closely, when people are given inputs, it is social assistance. So in this country, we are embarking on a double social assistance, but we want to embark on social assistance where you are given inputs and then you plough. However, if you want us to give people inputs, then we follow and give them maize, we will be promoting laziness.
*HON. NGULUVHE: My supplementary to the Minister is; is the Government aware that the food that they take to the rural areas is not getting to the people because the transporters are not transporting for they want money? People end up using their money to pay transporters so that the maize gets to the people.
*HON. DINHA: I think that is what I said that we had maize or food, but there was no money to transport the maize to the GMBs. Now that we have received $11 billion from Treasury, we are now able to pay transporters to get the maize to the GMBs near the people so that it can be distributed to them. When transporters are transporting maize and say they are not being paid, they will be lying because Government does not give food without money for transportation.
*HON. NYABANI: I want to thank the President for giving us inputs, but I want the Leader of the House to understand what is happening in the country. We are getting inputs, but do you know that people are being given even if they do not have tractors. Someone can borrow a tractor for US$56 000. Who can be able to buy a tractor for US$56 000 when they take their produce to GMB and COTTCO, and then spend two years without being paid? Is the Government aware of the challenges people in the rural areas are facing? I think they should keep on supporting people for ten years because you are giving inputs to people who do not have the manpower, cows and tractors to use.
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: A farmer who wants to be given a tractor does not get inputs through the Pfumvudza Programme because he is a large-scale farmer. He is supposed to be given a loan where he returns the loan. These are not candidates for social welfare, but those who should do Pfumvudza do not need a tractor or cows because it requires one to dig the holes.
*HON. MUTOKONYI: My question is directed to the Minister of Agriculture and in his absence, the Leader of Government Business. We want to thank the Government for promoting agriculture by supplying inputs. I want to ask the Minister what the Government policy is when it comes to farms that are not being utilised, especially A2 farms. So, I want to find out what the policy of Government is with regards to those farms.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): I want to thank the Hon. Member for such a pertinent question that those who cried for farms and are not utilising them, the Lands Commission was going around and from what I know and heard, they are doing a land audit to find out what is happening on each and every farm. They will bring a report and that report will be given to Hon. Masuka. You will find that letters of withdrawal will come because people were given farms to be productive, not to just have homesteads. When the audit is complete, it will give us wisdom on the way forward so that people on farms use them and the lazy people are withdrawn. People will be given inputs so that they move forward.
*HON. MAPIKI: My question was meant to go to the Minister of Mines, but now I am directing it to the Leader of the House. What is Government policy on the mining of lithium because we heard that lithium is now being mined by big people who have $3 million? We want them to tell us that as the owners of the country they tell us how we can peg where lithium is. What is the policy saying because people who are growing maize but not exporting it, it can be channelled to GMB? For us nobodies, I think we should have a place where we can sell our lithium and the millionaires can be allowed to build their plants.
*THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to thank you and also the Hon. Member concerning lithium, lithium is mined by anyone, even the locals. If you want to grow our economy, you are free to join in, but if there are any examples of where the black people are being sidelined, I think that can be investigated. Hon. Minister Soda will look into that so that it can be rectified. The good part of it is that we are going to bring in a Bill, though it is late, we would want to panel beat it so that it gives us power as the children of Zimbabwe. We should really look at it so that we can come up with laws that are favourable for the black majority. In this country, we do not have a policy of discrimination. I thank you Madam Speaker.
*HON. MAPIKI: I want to thank the Hon. Minister for his answer. The issue on the ground is that people have been told that there is no issuing of lithium licences. So before the enactment of the law, in the areas where we come from, we are sitting on lithium, but we are saying, can we not expedite the passing of the laws so that as the owners of the land, we can get something? While waiting for the enactment of the law, I think it can also be treated the way we are treating farmers. Can we be allowed to explore the mineral while the Ministry is still trying to put the law in place? Many people who are mining lithium now are not Zimbabweans, but they are allowed to take the lithium. I think we should promote our local people so that they get involved. Minister, this issue needs to be looked into so that people in the rural areas also benefit.
*HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to thank the Hon. Member for saying that licences are not being given because he said no one is being given licences. If he had said no blacks are being denied licences, but only the whites are given, we would say there is an error there. The aim of our Government is that our minerals should not be exported outside the country before beneficiation. If there are people exporting raw lithium, there is an error there because that is not Government policy. For us to stop the issuing of lithium licences, we would like to stop the export of lithium in its raw stage. This is what the Ministry is doing. Citizens should wait a bit so that the Ministry rectifies the problems. Yes, they want to benefit, but if a mineral is mined, there is no more renewal of the mineral. We would want the nation to benefit from the minerals. There is a reason why the issuing of licences has been stopped. I thank you.
*HON. MAHACHI: Thank you Madam Speaker. What is Government policy on the EPOs that are pegged for the mining of lithium yet there is no mining activity taking place?
*HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Madam Speaker. What I know about the EPOs is that people are given rights to prospect for any mineral deposits underground to open a mining operation. If they found the minerals, they should go back to the Ministry and be given authority to open a mine and start exploration. The Ministry of Mines provides a tenure of three years for EPOS with a renewal option of another three years if you have evidence that you are doing something. So the EPO is not for someone to go and start mining.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Have you been answered Hon. Mahachi?
*HON. MAHACHI: I am not satisfied with the Minister’s response because the reality on the ground is that people are mining where there are EPOs and on some EPOs, there is no mining activity taking place. We think the Government should loosen up the laws when we come to that area so that our country moves forward.
*HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Madam Speaker. Our people are violating the laws a lot. If you have an EPO, it only gives you prospecting rights to prospect for certain minerals. If you have an EPO, you are just surveying. It does not give you the licence to mine. If you find that there is a mineral, for example gold, you should go to the Ministry of Mines and tell them there is gold and you now want to rectify your papers to come up with a proper mine. An EPO only protects you from others who want to come and survey on the same piece of land. If you abuse the EPO, then you should expect to be in a win it or lose it situation.
*HON. CHUMA: Thank you Madam Speaker. There is a misunderstanding on how the EPOs operate and who is supposed to be issued with the EPO. Also, there is an issue that when you apply for EPOs at the Ministry of Mines, it is supposed to take three years whilst a person is prospecting the minerals on a piece of land, but the application will be pending for another four years before it is approved. This results in the EPOs taking at least seven years for approval and that is the reason why people are worried about the issue of the EPOs. I implore the Ministry to expedite the processing and approval of the applications of the EPOs.
*THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Madam Speaker. I think the Hon. Member has really clarified. What he is saying is that there are people who are sitting on the job and then he went ahead and explained how EPOs work. I think I will engage Hon. Soda since there are people who are lazy because they are saying that if it is expedited, it will make life easier for people in the community. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
*HON. J. SITHOLE: Thank you Hon. Speaker. My supplementary to the Leader of the House is, people are crying that if you are engaging the Minister of Mines and Mining Development, you find that people have EPOs that stretch, for example from here to Kadoma and from Kadoma to Mutare, just one person. That is the issue that people are crying about because for those years, nothing is happening, no activity is taking place. If you approach the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, they will give you an address that you make an application from those EPO people but when you get there, you do not get anything because those places are ring fenced. So, I think a person should be given an EPO for two claims, not for 1 000 claims.
Just imagine if a claim is as large as from here to Kadoma for one person, is that not what we fought for during the war when the whites had taken large farms like this farm other farm which was the size of Belgium. Minister, that is what people are crying for. I think you should rectify it together with the Minister of Mines and Mining Development.
*HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Madam Speaker and the Hon. Member. It is very true that some sizes of EPOs are very large but Madam Speaker, I think we should understand how it started.
During colonial times, in this country of ours, black people were not supposed to be miners. So the whites would ring fence places then they would give land to the Africans and say you only concentrate on the surface; all this land is ours through the EPOs and it belongs to Mr. Smith. When we were being educated, we were not conscientised about the wealth that is below our ground. We were not told about the gold that is underground. It is historical. The colonialist wanted to remain with the wealth of the country.
Madam Speaker, I think the President is aware of this. There is a committee which is being chaired by the Hon. Vice President, Hon. Chiwenga. He is looking into this. Before we get to the Mines and Minerals Bill, there is an issue at hand. So, if we come with recommendations, I think it would be put in place because you did not say anything out of this world, but you have nailed it on the head. The President saw it and he said we should rectify this issue. If you see the President giving the mandate to the Vice President to look at the issue, it shows how important the issue is. That is why he chose the Vice President because this issue is at his heart.
HON. C. MOYO: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Industry and Commerce. If he is not available then I will burden the Leader of Government Business. My question is, what measures are being put in place to curtail the disappearance of basic commodities from supermarkets as well as stabilising the prices in both the Zimbabwean dollar and United States dollar? Madam Speaker, I feel business people are abusing the National Budget or they are sabotaging the National Budget which you pass. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question and the information that he has just indicated. Madam Speaker, this is extremely specific and it needs me to interrogate it to have the relevant Ministry doing an analysis of whether goods are disappearing, whether there is an impact that has happened because of the budget. Once they do that analysis, it will be able to inform Government to make the necessary interventions.
I admit what he is saying may be very correct, but I cannot answer that without specific evidence that this has happened because of this and therefore, there is need for an intervention. I thank you Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Moyo, may you please put your question in writing so that the Minister will make some investigations and come to the House with a response.
+HON. NKOMO: Thank you Hon. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife. There are some veld fires right round the country which affect the environment. What measures does the Government have to end this challenge of veld fires? Thank you.
Hon. Nkomo repeated the question upon the request by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Madam Speaker. This was deep Ndebele. I failed to get it but I was advised that it pertains to veld fires that are destroying the environment as well as wild animals. What is Government doing to curtail that? Madam Speaker, it is true that veld fires are destroying the environment and the Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality Industry has engaged communities and more specifically, our chiefs are now involved in ensuring that we fight the scourge of veld fires. It is a problem that is very difficult to eradicate without the involvement of communities because veld fires are not started by animals. They are started by us human beings and therefore, it calls upon all of us to be responsible and ensure that we do not light fires unnecessarily.
The Ministry had to engage our community leaders so that they become our champions in ensuring that they advocate against veld fires. However, should the Hon Member need specific details, I think the Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality Industry will be very happy to provide those. As a general policy, Government decided to engage communities to ensure that we deal with that. We were very cautious in imposing stiffer penalties to the communities because it was not helping - it is very difficult to identify somebody who drops a cigarette. So we implore communities to be vigilant and ensure that they have fire guards. There have been trainings to conscientise our people so that they are alert in ensuring that they curb veld fires. I thank you.
+HON. MASUKU: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. This problem happens nationwide. We request the responsible minister for animals to explain to us on what needs to be done? We have since realised that the culprits are not reprimanded.
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I think, this was a very good comment that does not elicit a response. What the Hon. Member said is very correct and that is the thrust that Government is undertaking to ensure that we protect our animals and the environment. I thank you.
*HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. My supplementary question is that there are fires that come from the mountains since long back. Now that we are at a higher level, is there anything that we can do because lives are being unnecessarily lost due to veld fires?
In terms of policy, can we get drones that are able to detect and put out veld fires that just occur? There are places that just burn on their own, then the drones can go and put out the fires before we lose lives as a nation. We also risk not getting rains due to these veld fires. Can these veld fires be extinguished when they start on their own?
*HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. Thank you, Hon. Member, for the supplementary question that there are some veld fires that start on their own in the mountains.
Hon. Speaker Ma’am, I grew up in the rural areas and fires that start in the mountains end in the mountains and do not destroy anything, especially when it is from our ancestors. Your proposal for us to have drones is a very pertinent one. I will approach the relevant ministry so that we can discuss on whether they can come up with drones that can go around watching out for wild fires. However, I think that will be good should they research and find that it is feasible. I thank you.
*HON. MUNEMO: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. My question is directed to the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development concerning our dilapidated roads. This does not only apply to our tared roads but also the dirt roads in the rural areas and bridges that have been swept away. What is Government policy for graders to maintain dirt roads? The DOR in the rural areas says they do not have fuel. This is giving us a lot of work as Members of Parliament since we cannot attend to all the roads.
*THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Hon. Speaker Ma’am and thank you Hon. Munemo. This gives me an opportunity to explain to this august House on the rehabilitation of our roads. You will be aware that since Independence, it has been extremely difficult for our country to operate under the prevailing sanctions as it differentiates us from other countries in the way we rehabilitate our roads.
In most countries, the money in the Government coffers cannot rehabilitate roads without external funding. Even in this House, as the owners of the purse and also Hon. Members because you disburse funds to the different Government departments. When we do our budget, we should be aware that the various budgetary allocations to ministries should be in tandem with the ministries various projects. Ministries, usually find that they had been allocated only 10 % of their budgetary allocations at the end of every financial year. However, we do not stop our operations despite not getting the requisite allocations.
Fortunately, Zimbabwe is in good books with other countries with whom we work together with. We approach the road authorities, we have four roads authorities that I want this House to know about. We have RIDA, which is former DDF; we have local authorities in urban areas; we have Rural District Councils in the rural areas and the Department of Roads. When we look at our roads, specifically the trunk roads, these are what the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development should look after. However, because we have a listening President, Hon. E.D Mnangagwa, we are not only looking at Ministry roads, but we are looking at several roads, especially in the rural areas where most of us come from. However, this project cannot be completed in a day. Therefore, I am pleading with you Hon. Members that we have devolution funds, some have equipment, but they do not have fuel, we have five roads in our district. If we get fuel, we can be helped, and then we can go to ZINARA. This year as a Ministry, we have a fund to supply fuel and equipment so that our roads will be rehabilitated.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, I am so thankful, as I stand here, we have a plan on how we want to rehabilitate our trunk roads. At the end of this week, you will see us going towards Chirundu Road. We want to rehabilitate that road because it has been in a bad state for a long time. We also want to rehabilitate the Chirundu Border. We are not stopping there; we are going to start from Harare going to Chirundu Road and in the next two months, we will also want to rehabilitate the Nyamapanda Border Post. Those who are aware, we are also going to Mutare and refurbish the Forbes Border Post. We also want to go towards Kanyemba so that where we come from in our rural areas, we can go there rehabilitating, but at the moment, the soil is weak due to the heavy rains. We want to look at emerging trends so that we will not have soil erosion, therefore, we are going to visit your constituencies and work with Members of Parliament.
Our roads are indeed in a sorry state, but I am asking for mercy from this House and the nation of Zimbabwe at large, we cannot fix our roads in one day because of the rains. Our roads are in a bad state, but if we put together the resources that we have, you will see us coming and rehabilitating our roads. When you go back to your rural areas and if the local authorities do not have graders, you should sit together with them with regards to purchasing of graders. This time you will not find the snow graders, but you will find state-of-the-art graders.
This year, these are the plans that we have. We want to buy graders for all the rural district councils, graders, and tippers. We also give you fuel so that you come here and report that you have rehabilitated your roads.
*HON. S. ZIYAMBI: I want to thank the work that is being done by the Ministry of Transport. They are working very hard, which is very visible to us by rehabilitating our roads, but I worry that we have so many bridges which were swept away by the river. Some of the bridges have been like that for years, up to five years going further. Those bridges are in the trunk roads which belong to the Ministry. What is the Government policy for rehabilitating those bridges so that children can cross whilst going to school? Where I come from in Makonde, some children spend the whole week without attending school because the rivers will be flooded and cars will not be able to cross.
Recently, there was a bus full of people that was swept away, fortunately no one died. So, we want to know what the Ministry has put in place, especially for Nyari Bridge which is in the Alaska Copper Belt.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: If you have bridges that you know, I think you should put that in writing so that the Hon. Minister will bring the answers.
* HON. MHONA: I want to thank Hon. S. Ziyambi for raising such a pertinent question. Our bridges were swept away a long time ago because of the cyclones and some were swept away recently. On Friday, I am supposed to see the Hon. S. Ziyambi in Lions Den, his constituency together with our engineers. However, the whole country has bridges that were swept away. Where I come from in Mashonaland East, we have Rwenya Bridge which was swept away many years ago. As Members of Parliament, I will be very happy that when we engage each other, we should convince each other that there is a provincial engineer in every province. If you write to us, write down the bridges so that we can have that information in our offices. I thank you.
*HON. GANYIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Transport. We are seeing a lot of congestion at tollgates, especially during holidays or on Sundays or Monday mornings. What plans do you have to expand the roads at tollgates to be in tandem with the volume of traffic that has increased in the country? A lot of motorists are by-passing tollgates and as a result, Government is losing revenue.
Secondly, I have realised that the Norton tollgate is surrounded by houses which are under construction, which means very soon it will be consumed by houses. Are there no plans to move it to another area where there are no houses?
*THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): I would like to appreciate the question raised by Hon. Ganyiwa. The Hon. Member has given me the opportunity to explain to this august House. Indeed, as we approach our tollgates, we realise that the roads are narrow, but recently we put a Statutory Instrument that within a 1km radius at every tollgate, it must be expanded with more lanes. We expect to put four or six lanes so that we increase our revenue collection. That is one of the plans that we have. We also intend to expand our tollgates to plazas so that they are much more beautiful and dignified.
Most of the tollgates were constructed before some of the residential areas were built. Those who may know recently, we relocated the tollgate around Seke along the Wedza Road. We realised that tollgates that surround residential areas must be relocated, but we have a problem where residential areas are also being constructed around tollgates. We will end up not having tollgates. There is need to ensure that there is orderly settlement planning. We have realised that some settlements are being planned around highways. However, with regards to the tollgates that he referred to, we have no plans to relocate them right now. We intend to relocate the Skyline tollgate to Charter Grade and the Dema tollgate will be relocated. We are also looking at relocating the Eskbank tollgate along Bindura Road.
As we go on, I will be informing you Hon. Members on plans regarding tollgates. Sometimes you may hear that a tollgate was shut down. What causes that is not failure, but we take on board concerns from people or residents. For example, the tollgate at Chivhu, we realised that the revenue collected there is less that the expenses of running that tollgate. We continue listening to concerns and opinions from the residents. I thank you.
HON. NGWENYA: My supplementary question concerns the issue of roads. We used to have maintenance units that are closer to the roads and they have since been closed. Are there any efforts towards the reopening of those maintenance units under the Ministry of Transport?
HON. MHONA: Let me thank Hon. Ngwenya from Gokwe-Gumunyu who has raised a very pertinent question. Yes, last year Cabinet resolved and directed that we must resuscitate maintenance units. The idea is that we might continue rehabilitating our roads, but failure to do maintenance will also come to the same status quo that we are in as a nation. I am happy that on the agenda as we speak again, this also falls under the purview of ZINARA and ZINARA has adequately provided for the resuscitation of maintenance units.
So you will see vibrant maintenance units together with those who will be manning those maintenance units. I am happy that you will see them well dressed. The Ministry officials are busy procuring the attire and you will see that we have these camps, especially along major highways where they would also take care of our roads and even the environment and litter along the highways, making sure that they attend to the roads structure in terms of cracks that might be cropping up so that they attend to them with speed.
Precisely, we are resuscitating the maintenance units and you have been prophetic Hon. Ngwenya because this is something that we are doing as a Ministry.
HON. P. ZHOU: My question is directed to the Minister of Lands and Agriculture. Having noted that some wheat farmers who delivered their wheat to GMB have not been paid their dues as yet, what plans does the Government have to speed up these payments and does it have a deadline as to when these farmers should have been paid.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question. My understanding is that GMB received some money to pay farmers. So the question then becomes very specific: with regards to how many have not been paid, that I cannot answer. As a policy and from the reports that we got, the Minster of Finance indicated that he had released funds for the payment of farmers. Perhaps the Hon. Member can put that question in writing so that the responsible Minister and the Minister of Finance will be able to interrogate what exactly is happening. I thank you.
+HON. F. MOYO: What are the measures that are done by the Government to prevent people from digging trenches and holes everywhere because those people are illegally mining, which is now a threat to animals, both wildlife and livestock even to the destruction of our roads?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question. There is a policy that says whoever is undertaking mining activities must comply with EMA requirements, but what we have done Madam Speaker…
HON. S. SITHOLE: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. S. SITHOLE: I am sorry Madam Speaker to order the Hon. Minister. My point of order is that the Deputy Minister of Mines is around and so he should answer the question. Thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF MINES AND MINING DEVELOPMENT (HON. KAMBAMURA): Thank you Madam Speaker. May I kindly ask the Hon. Member to repeat the question.
+HON. F. MOYO: Thank you Madam Speaker. I will repeat my question. What are the measures taken by the Government to prevent the digging of holes especially illegal mining which has caused land degradation? The holes that are left are now a danger to wildlife even to our livestock and this is a destruction to our road network? Thank you.
HON. KAMBAMURA: Thank you Madam Speaker. Unfortunately, I did not get the question in Ndebele. May I kindly ask somebody to interpret the question for me so that I can respond?
*HON. NGULUVHE: I can assist Madam Speaker. The question touches on two ministries. He is saying, what is the Ministry of Environment saying. What is Government policy with regards to people who just carry out mining activities and do not cover the pits or those open cast mines? Livestock or cattle fall into those pits and so, what is Government policy with regards to that?
* HON. KAMBAMURA: Thank you Madam Speaker…
HON. MATANGIRA: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order Hon. Matangira?
HON. MATANGIRA: My point of order is that the Hon. Member who asked the question speaks Ndebele, and the Minister concerned does not understand Ndebele. The Minister now answers the question in Shona and the poser of the question does not understand Shona. That is my point of order.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Matangira, even if a question is posed in Shona or Ndebele, the Hon. Minister can respond in either language.
HON. KAMBAMURA: Thank you very much Madam Speaker. I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the question. It is true that there has been a culture whereby small-scale miners, after digging for gold or any other mineral, they leave their work areas open and unsecured. The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development is working hand-in-glove with the Ministry of Environment to see that this is corrected. Yesterday, we had an inter-ministerial meeting together with the Minister of Environment and Ministry of Home Affairs, to find ways where we can collaborate to stop what is happening.
All the same, our inspectorate team from the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development will be going round to check on compliance with regard to securing worked out areas. The Ministry of Mines is coming up with a policy whereby all miners will have to submit a mine closure plan so that the Ministry can follow up to see that the closure plan has been implemented. It is true that communities have been losing livestock. So, the Ministry considered that and it is taking that seriously to make sure that our miners mine sustainably. Thank you.
+HON. F. MOYO: Thank you Hon. Speaker. My supplementary question is that there are now dangers that have been imposed on our environment. People now even mine on our road networks and no one has been persecuted on such matters. Others are even practising illegal mining on our railway line networks. No one is protecting our environment. We have the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Mines, why I posed the question is we have these Ministries but there is such danger and land degradation that is taking place. What are the Ministries doing?
HON. KAMBAMURA: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. Again, I would like to thank the Hon. Member for that question. Like I have indicated before, yesterday we had a meeting, our Ministry, Mines and Mining Development, Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Environment to brainstorm on ways to implement safer mining standards and also stop illegal mining, considering the havoc that the illegal miners are causing to the environment.
We came up with resolutions, chief among them was our combined teams which come from Environment, through EMA and Home Affairs, through the police to go around and check on compliance. They will be checking on compliance in terms of registration, compliance in terms of safer mining standards. Perpetrators of the law will be prosecuted and stiffer penalties will be imposed to send the right message to the people. We also deliberated on coming up with a Statutory Instrument (SI), which empowers local communities to report any unsafe mining standards in their area and wherever they suspect there could be illegal mining or unregistered mining taking place.
Further to that, our inspectorate teams would be going around again to check on compliance to the provisions of the Mining and Management Safety Regulations, which calls for miners not to enter disused mines and also to mine safely and sustainably. Thank you.
*HON. NHARI: Thank you Hon. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, with regards to the CALA requirements. The money being spent by parents to fulfil the CALA requirements is much more than the school fees being paid. The parents are not happy with the way the teachers are conducting that. What can be done to alleviate the situation? I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. T. MOYO): Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. I would like to thank Hon. Nhari for that important question. It is true that parents have been spending a lot of money on CALA. It was even higher than tuition fees, especially in rural areas. So the plan is to review the CALA issues as we review the competence-based curriculum that started working in 2015 up to 2022. This issue will be taken to Cabinet, chaired by His Excellency President Mnangagwa next week. The meeting will determine whether the CALAs will be taken out or we review them. At the moment I would not be able to respond whether the CALAs will be removed or they will remain. I can only know that after Cabinet deliberations. I thank you.
*HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would like to thank the Hon. Member who posed that question because even some of us would also like to ask the Minister, what does the CALA help the students. What are the benefits from CALA? Can the CALA help students to contribute to the community system?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Matangira, the Hon. Minister explained that this issue will be deliberated in Cabinet. The Cabinet will determine whether the CALAs will be removed or reviewed. So any other response will come out from that.
*HON. MANGONDO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Health, with regards to the pandemic caused by dirty or garbage, cholera. I would like to applaud the Government efforts with regards to the reduction of Cholera especially in Harare, where it emanated from and is now spreading. In the rural areas it is becoming serious. I understand Government is bringing Cholera vaccinations but that programme is leaving out some areas where the diseases is spreading so much, especially where I come from. In my constituency, we lost nine members of the apostolic sect due to Cholera. My question is, what is Government policy or plans to engage leaders of religious groups so that their members may accept to go and receive treatment from health facilities or at least accepting measures that may be taken instead of hiding and burying victims of Cholera. This helps us as communities to curb the disease fast. What are the measures being taken to empower the Civil Protection Unit to ensure that they work effectively in terms of equipment or resources that they have?
*THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON. DR. MOMBESHORA): I want to thank Hon. Mangondo because the issue that you alluded to is very important and a threat to our livelihoods. People are dying yet this could be easily prevented. Cholera is a disease that can be combated. Cholera is caused by consumption of contaminated food, water and lack of property hygiene. That bacteria attacks a person after eating contaminated food. The person will have severe running stomach, severe loss of water which may lead to death sometimes, if not attended to earlier. So, our first step is that prevention is better than cure.
You also asked what Government plans we have regarding the vaccination of our people. I would like to emphasise that we are starting by educating people, especially in the rural areas, educating them on hygiene and the use of clean water. People must eat well cooked food and wash their hands before they touch food. They are supposed to use clean water from safe sources. If the water is obtained from untrusted reserves, it must be boiled before it is used for drinking or cooking. They may also use water purification tables or chemicals so that all germs die. We are going out in rural areas and we are also working with CPU to reach out to provinces. We also work with Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Resettlement. We also work with the Ministry of Local Government and the Ministry of Environment so that we help each other in improving the health of our citizens.
The other measures that we have taken in rural areas is that we have sunk boreholes and we have also put water tanks so that we can put water sanitisers in the tanks. We are working with WASH who are also sinking boreholes in the rural areas under the Presidential Scheme that states that for each village, there must be a borehole before the year 2025. We have now sunken close to 3000 boreholes, but we will start sinking boreholes in areas that have been affected by Cholera.
We as the Ministry of Health, will be working in collaboration with the Global Fund and we have started a project of sinking boreholes in our clinics. We did this because if we concentrate on our homes only, people might get infected when they use unclean water at clinics and hospitals. We now have about 350 boreholes that were sunken in our clinics and this year we will be sinking more boreholes. If there are places that are going to be affected by Cholera, we will then start sinking the boreholes in those areas.
In some areas where there are a number of the apostolic sect members that do now allow their fellowship to go and seek medical treatment, we have installed boreholes totaling 14. We now want to install solar systems and tanks so that they can access clean water. If there are some clinics that do not have water, we sunk boreholes a few metres outside the clinics so that clinics can access clean water. In Buhera, we are working in collaboration with WASH and we installed 30 boreholes; now we are working on solar installation in those areas. These are some of the things that we are working on. I have just given an example of Buhera, but in Masvingo and other districts, we are going to do the same.
On the issue of vaccines, we introduced the issue of vaccines and we started this programme on Monday. We have one problem, that there is a Cholera outbreak in a lot of countries and the problem is that the vaccines are not adequate to give enough to each and every needy country. World Health Organisation is working on how to distribute these vaccines so that each country gets a fair share, we are now working together with them and UNICEF on this issue.
As Zimbabwe, we were given two million three hundred doses that we are supposed to get. As I speak, we have eight hundred and ninety-two thousand doses that we have received in the country so far. Those vaccines are the ones that we are starting to distribute. We are expecting that on the 5th of February, we will receive another batch of vaccines of more than five hundred thousand to add on to what we already have. We will be receiving these doses in batches until we get to three million doses. We are not ending there; we are expecting to receive more doses as they continue to be distributed. We know that in Zambia, they are also experiencing this problem of Cholera outbreaks and they are even worse than us, they were also given three million doses.
We were thinking that if we get seven and a half million doses, we will have reached the required target. These vaccines are not adequate, we have realised that some of our areas here in Zimbabwe are not affected by Cholera or the cases are few than others. So, we are doing what is called target approach or prioritization. We are looking at the most affected areas at districts and not constituencies. We give you PMDs and they will prioritise those areas that are mostly affected. As we receive other batches, we will be administering to other people until we reach the adequate level. This vaccine is effective for six months. Our wish is to ensure that a person gets two vaccines so that there is a two-year prevention. We are looking into how we can get effective vaccines. We are also communicating with other countries that are producing these doses, some of them may not have been approved by the WHO at the moment and still on trial. I hope that what happened during the COVID pandemic, some of the doses may be allowed to be administered even if they may not have been certified totally.
Most of the countries in Africa (SADC region) are affected by Cholera. As we speak, South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Angola, Seychelles and Zimbabwe are affected. We are trying to work as SADC region to look for the vaccine. The other problem is that we do not manufacture these vaccines here. If they become available wherever they are made, I assure you that no one will be left behind. Tomorrow, there will be a zoom meeting for SADC Heads of State with regards to Cholera. As Ministers, we met and came up with resolutions on Saturday and we have since sent those recommendations to our leaders who will then guide us on how best we can fight the Cholera pandemic as SADC. I thank you.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MACHINGURA): Thank you Hon. Minister. Have you answered the question on what measures are going to be taken about church leaders who do not allow their congregants to go and seek medical treatment?
*HON. DR. MOMBESHORA: I am sorry I had skipped that because the questions were too many. It is true that we face big problems, especially when we get outbreaks that need vaccinations, be it Measles, Cholera and the like. We find resistance from some religious sectors. We are engaging them through various emissaries. I have also had conversation with the leaders and we agreed that they should allow our health workers to teach their congregants each time they gather.
Secondly, if anyone in their household suffers from Cholera, they should take sugar and salt solution in order to rehydrate and we agreed on that.
Thirdly, we told them to inform health workers if one of them gets sick because sometimes one would die at home suffering from Diarrhoea without seeking medical attention. That has helped us a lot. I went to Buhera, Marange and Chimanimani where these religious sects are predominantly found – we realised that most areas that were affected by these outbreaks were places where those religious sects gather. We have taken a measure that every Province must do outreach programmes to educate the congregants, starting with their leaders because if you do not engage the leaders, no one will listen.
So far, I think we are progressing well though we have not reached the level that we are totally satisfied. As a Ministry, we are also looking into legal measures or powers that we can use. We have not given up on engaging them. We are continuing because there is progress.
*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Mr. Speaker…
*HON. MANGONDO: On a point of order, I am the one who asked the question first and I expect to ask a supplementary before any other Member.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I am sorry. You can go ahead Hon. Mangondo.
*HON. MANGONDO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Thank you, Hon. Minister, for all the details about the measures being taken by Government as well as what is happening in SADC. I asked a question on what Government can do or is doing to ensure that the Civil Protection Unit can get adequate resources to enable them to respond to these emergencies. We realise that they do not have resources to operate in conjunction with the Ministry of Health.
The Cholera outbreak is a big issue. You get into an area and people look confused that sometimes no one volunteers to dig graves for those who die from this pandemic. May the Civil Protection Unit be given adequate resources to work with? I thank you.
*HON. DR. MOMBESHORA: The Civil Protection Unit is under the Ministry of Local Government, but when there is a pandemic, we operate under this unit and they chair the coordination. Since we will be working under them, we will also look at measures that we feel may be used to prevent pandemics. I do not know what you mean exactly by saying they do not have adequate resources. At this moment, we are trying to work with other partners such as WHO and UNICEF who have helped us to source resources used to fight Cholera. Treasury also allocated us funds to be used and we have received eight ambulances from the World Bank. These are some of the resources that we will be using. We also got tents and water and all these resources are under the Civil Protection Unit, which is the commander of the operation in order to ensure that the resources work in collaboration with the district or province as they have the oversight role. Maybe they may still have some resources that they may need, but I wanted to demonstrate to you the measures we are taking and how the emergency and epidemic preparedness is taking place.
*HON MAPIKI: My question to the Hon. Minister is, is your Ministry working with traditional medicines researchers so that like what happened during the COVID-19 pandemic, you work with traditional medicines providers? Are you doing the same to fight Cholera?
*HON. DR. MOMBESHORA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. The questions are very difficult but I will respond. We have a Traditional Medicines Department as alluded to by Hon. Mapiki. This comes under the Ministry of Health, but we cannot prescribe to them what to treat. We can only say all those with knowledge of traditional herbs should register and they can come to us and tell us what they can cure. At the moment, however, no one has come up to tell us that they are able to treat Cholera. This is not a new disease, but we have not heard anyone from traditional medicines telling us that they are able to treat this disease. So, we cannot go and tell them to treat the disease because we need to do the necessary researches before the medicines can be administered. The same applies to modern medicines, research is done first and the WHO has to certify the use of any medicines. So, in short, we do not know any traditional healer capable of treating Cholera. If they are there, we expect them to come to take the necessary research steps.
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE TEMPORAY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order No. 68.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Before you leave Hon. Ministers, let me thank you and all the Hon Members very much for a very productive question and answer session.
ORALS ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
PLANS TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF JOBS
- DR. MUTODI asked the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to inform the House on the plans being put in place to improve the quality of jobs in Zimbabwe.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. DINHA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. In response to the question raised by Hon. Dr. Mutodi, let me start by saying that the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, through the departments of Employment Services, Promotion and Labour Administration, are contributing towards improving the quality of jobs through the following:
The review of the National Employment Policy. The Ministry, with the support of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and its tripartite constituents, conducted the Zimbabwe Labour Market Diagnostic Analysis Report in 2021. The study had three specific objectives.
- To map current labour market dynamics and to identify the main constraints to the creation and access to decent and productive employment.
- To identify economic factors and activities with the highest potential to create higher quality jobs for Zimbabwean workers.
- To identify policy intervention that can support strategic investment in these sectors with high employment prospects and contribute to support formalisation strategies and local economic development. The LMDA presents specific recommendations of sectors with potential for employment creation. This will ensure we achieve our set target of 760 000 jobs as stated in the National Development Strategy 1 and contribute towards the achievement of Vision 2030. The Labour Market Diagnostic Assessment conducted in 2021 will inform the review and development of a new National Employment Policy. The objective of the National Employment Policy will be to place jobs at the centre of economic and social policies and to put decent employment at the centre of economic development. The National Employment Policy will provide a platform for coordinating macro and regulatory policies, fiscal and monetary policies, labour policies and programmes as well as sectoral policies and programmes to promote employment creation and improve the quality of jobs including the informal economy.
*HON. MURAMBIWA: On a point of order Hon. Speaker, Sir. I saw most of the Ministers going out yet there are so many questions with notice under their purview that need to be responded to. Please call them back so they can respond to the questions. I thank you.
HON. DINHA: There is also the National Strategy on the formalisation of the informal economy. Informality remains an obstacle for descent work for all. Workers in the informal economy experience most severe descent work deficit such as limited access to social and labour protection, and unsafe working conditions without social security.
In view of the above, the Ministry was mandated by Cabinet to develop a national strategy on the formalisation of the informal economy. This is a strategy that seeks to facilitate the transition of workers and economic units from the informal to the formal economy while respecting workers’ fundamental rights and ensuring opportunities for income security, livelihoods and entrepreneurship. It also seeks to promote the creation, preservation and sustainability of enterprises and descent jobs in the formal economy and the coherence of macro-economic employment and social protection and other social policies.
A draft National Strategy on the formalisation of the informal economy is in place following wide consultations and validation workshops of the draft were conducted. It is now awaiting adoption by Cabinet. There are also labour inspections. Inspections are carried out by the Labour Inspectorate from the Ministry. The inspections are carried out in terms of the Labour Act Cap 28:1 which is elaborated in the Statutory Instrument 154 of 2003. Focus areas for inspections are hours of work, wages, safety, health and welfare, the employment of children and young persons, among other issues. These are carried out with NSSA and National Employment Councils to ensure adherence and prescribed conditions of service.
There is also social security coverage for the informal sector. The quality of existing jobs that can be improved by expanding the coverage of social insurance in the informal economy. The National Social Security Authority of Zimbabwe is currently developing an informal sector scheme to extend coverage to the informal sector. This contributes highly to promoting descent work within the informal sector.
There is also Descent Work Country Programme for Zimbabwe 2022 – 2026. The Descent Work Country Programme seeks to promote descent work namely; opportunities for work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the work place and social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration, freedom for people to express their concerns, organises and participate in the decisions that affect their lives and equal opportunities and treatment for all women and men as a key component of national and sectorial development plan.
The tripartite partners agreed on the following priorities for Descent Work Country Programme for Zimbabwe which is running from 2022 to 2026; employment promotion and also, they agreed on social dialogue and international level standards, to strengthen social and labour protection. The DWCP is running under the theme “Zimbabwe Working Bringing Together People, Practice, Policy and Partnerships to Deliver Social Justice Through Descent Work – A Fair, Inclusive and Secure Future of Work with Full Productive and Freely Chosen Employment and Descent Work for All”. Thank you.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: Mr. 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. KARIKOGA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
GBV AWARENESS PROGRAMMES TO PROMOTE POSITIVE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CHANGE
Eighth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the 2023 Commemorations to mark the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence Campaigns.
Question again proposed.
*HON. GANYIWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for giving me the opportunity to debate and also give my opinion on the motion brought by Hon. Ndebele on Gender-Based Violence between men and women. Mr. Speaker Sir, I thought I heard a lot from Hon. Members who debated earlier on Gender-Based Violence (GBV). I think the major bone of contention from men is that they are a bit more suppressed. I think there is need to ensure that there is equality.
When GBV is debated, it looks as if it is giving an impression that it is only to do with women, yet it affects both men and women. I think sometimes we tend to take it for granted that only women are vulnerable to violence. Through research, we also realised that men are also affected and are suffering from this problem – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – This is linked to suicide being committed by men. It is coming from those being affected by Gender-Based Violence or women. Mr. Speaker Sir, I realised that people tend to be swept away by rivers or just follow what is regarded as international best practices, this is leading to people being biased with regards to this debate.
Like I said, men are also suffering especially through emotional abuse. They are being affected very much by this. Our research revealed that – I do not know whether experts will satisfy this. This is my opinion. There is a time when I was working for a Radio Station for so many years and I was experiencing these issues. I used to meet men and women who used to testify personally that men are the ones who are actually suffering more of the emotional abuse. From our research, Mr. Speaker Sir, at some point, a woman can utter 50 words when a man has not said a single word – [Laughter.] – He ends up not saying a word and that leads to that abuse.
I once attended another workshop when I was still working on research of such issues and I was a participant there. I asked what men can do to avoid suffering from emotional abuse, how men should handle this situation and the response was - a man should just stand up and walk around or jog, but I realised that it cannot be a permanent solution to this problem. Men are being beaten physically by women. Mr. Speaker Sir, the reason why men are being beaten is not necessarily because they cannot fight back, but they try not to go against the law because once they fight back, it becomes chaos. When they are beaten and they try to go and report to the police, they are laughed at although they will be trying to respect the law.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I found someone who needed help after he lost his wife. He comes from the same rural area as myself, Masvingo. I went with him to the rural areas and his in-laws refused to bury his wife. What I realise there was that this was serious emotional abuse to this man. He cried so much that so many people were touched by this because he had nothing else to do. So this often happens to men and it is affecting them.
Mr. Speaker Sir, may I also add that according to our laws, men are the only ones who perpetrate sexual violence, but if you want to be truthful in work places, men are being approached. Women come to sit on men’s desks when they are skimpily dressed and that is abusing them. This is happening, including Hon. Members who are here, the female legislators who are here understand that this is happening, men are being approached. They are also victims of sexual harassment because men are triggered by what they see, which is not supposed to be seen at that time or something unusual.
When it comes to sexual harassment or violence with regards to rape cases, women, since they cannot penetrate the male, they cannot be said to be able to rape a man, but we can only lie to each other to say that there is no man that has ever been raped in this country. Mr. Speaker Sir, if we do not spell out these issues and speak about them as they are, we will not be representing all the stakeholders who send us here because there are some who may have been imprisoned because traditionally, if a woman slaps your head with her underwear, that is enough evidence to say you did it. So, we find that happening. The underwear is used to testify that this is the man who slept with the woman and it is regarded as the sole evidence that cannot be denied.
Men are being unjustly condemned because they do not have proper interpretation of GBV. I used to fail to find respondents to researches at my previous job. There were some women who used to assist us. They had a lot of facilities where they used to get assistance for free, but for men, there were no such facilities be it lawyers or NGOs. For women, there are safe houses to house women if they have been harassed at home. They are kept there whilst the so-called perpetrator is being looked for whilst they get counselling, but I have not seen safe houses for men. After being beaten, they are told to go back to their homes where they will probably be beaten again.
Mr. Speaker Sir, these issues are very troubling. I made a research because there is evidence that there are people who have been condemned unjustly. We have a musician who was arrested and convicted for rape although he was blind. So we try to analyse the type of blindness whether it was partial or total, he was totally blind. The question then is who approached the other or who held the other? How did that happen? Here I am trying to say for argument’s sake, sometimes men are condemned unjustly.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Ganyiwa, you have only five minutes to go – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – You can propose that his time be extended.
*HON. GANYIWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Let me wind up although I wanted to proffer more evidence on the harassment of men.
*HON. MUGWADI: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir. May you please give him 10 more minutes for him to debate?
*AN HON. MEMBER: I second.
*HON. GANYIWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Mr. Speaker Sir, the issue that we are debating on also speaks to our culture. So, we should consider both genders and discourage violence on both men and women. When you walk around town and you find a man being pulled by the belt, whether to true or false allegations, women just assist in that perpetration even when they do not know the real issues on the ground.
In conclusion, since you said I will get another opportunity on another day, there are words that can affect anyone’s restraint. I was once asked by someone, ‘You, as Sekuru Ganyiwa, expect me to control myself. How can I do that when I am told that my maternal mother is a witch by a woman that I married?’ I advised him to go out and jog but the truth is, I realised that we had nowhere to go for recourse whenever we are affected by this issue. Even on social media, there are programmes that seek to determine a child’s paternity, it is the men who are mostly affected.
So, I would like to clearly state that violence affects both men and women, and the girl and boy child too. In conclusion, I say we are all counsellors chosen in accordance to our culture. We need to preserve our culture in regard to this issue. For example, when counselling is being done, we realised that some counsellors encourage couples to fight, thus exacerbating the collapse of marriages even after going for counselling. I also realised that even when it comes to driving, only qualified drivers can be professional driving instructors. So, I think marriage counsellors should also be aptly qualified and be people of integrity.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Ganyiwa, you touched on a lot of issues. I heard the whole House laughing especially when you said that men are also being beaten up.
*HON. P. MOYO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I also want to add my voice to this debate on Gender Based Violence (GBV). Although it affects both men and women, it mainly affects women. Looking at this country, as we consider my predecessor’s debate, if we are trying to compare between men and women, we will make a big mistake.
According to our culture, violence is often swept under the carpet. I was aggrieved by a one-year-old baby girl who was raped. How can such an atrocity happen yet this country is full of single women who are looking for men? How can a mature man do that to an infant? This is not a minor issue but a major one. I call upon this House to reconsider the number of days that we commemorate GBV going forward. I think the details of these issues must be considered.
When we look at secondary school going girls, they will be youngsters but they are falling pregnant. Those are very young girls. We also need to consider university girls or ladies; they are also being subjected to violence or harassment. They are being harassed by their lecturers in order for them to pass. The girls are caught between a rock and a hard surface because they are afraid of failing in their studies. Although boys also fall prey to these harassments, it is lesser when compared to girls because they do not fall pregnant. Girls easily fall pregnant because most often they do not even know how to prevent it – that is harassment.
Let us also consider a household set up. A wife or a mother can not speak out on violence because the whole family will turn against them for speaking up. So, they suffer in silence. I think we need to give them time to find ways for solving their problems. We may spend a lot of time debating about this, but as long as we do not delve into the finer details on how best to solve these problems, it remains that way. GBV does not end within the family unit because sometimes girls are being forced into marriage. We may think this is not happening but it is happening in our country. Girls are getting married before attaining the age of majority. Sometimes they are forced to marry someone they may not love, so we need to be looking into how best we may solve that problem.
Going into forced marriages, these girls may fail to settle down properly in these marriages because of the forced marriages and that leads to conflict in that family, leading to divorce.
The other problem is that we need to have a lot of education on gender-based violence. When a girl child falls pregnant, the girl is the one who is targeted and blamed, simply because she fell pregnant. Nothing much is said or done about the boy. The boy may proceed with his education whilst the girl is affected, hence, there is a lot of violence taking place against women and girls.
I therefore request this august House, especially with regards to women, sometimes we harass the girl-child who would have fallen pregnant yet we are supposed to look at both sides, male and female children.
I would like to thank the Government for legislating that a girl may proceed with her education even after falling pregnant. Although they may be affected when they go back to school after giving birth, they face the challenge of stigma. So there is a great need to prevent pregnancies at schools.
Furthermore, I would like to talk to the fathers because you are the leaders of the families. We have seen the older men who want to hang around younger girls even in this august House. It affects me because that young lady has the potential to settle down in her marriage but some men in this august House abuse young ladies and affect their growth path. My recommendation to the young female legislators is do not be fooled by these men because tomorrow they will be the ones bad-mouthing young female legislators. We have a lot of young female legislators who may not have money today but you as an older male legislator are busy stalking these young ladies. There must be a law that addresses this issue.
We have noted with great concern that a lot of the female legislators are not getting the chance to rest properly in their rooms at the hotels. They are being stalked by older male legislators who leave their wives in their rural areas and want to stay here in Harare in the hotels with young females. I am very much affected by that behaviour of men. I have realised that there are very old men in this august House who are no longer fit to be having affairs with young girls yet they are busy harassing these young ladies. If you cannot control or discipline yourselves, why not bring your wives to the hotels, it is allowed.
Therefore, I am recommending that the young ladies or girls grow properly. Those who know the laws are the biggest perpetrators of this violence because they know how to go about it. Again, these young ladies who would have been harassed must receive counselling and be educated properly so that they may not be harassed again. You find that these girls when they are raped, are further harassed by the kind of probing questions asked by the police. So those questions must be revised.
Mr. Speaker Sir, this is an issue that affects me so much that I may spend the whole day lamenting over it. As a mother, the pains of giving birth are always in the mind. Men, may you not harass girls because they are human beings like you. This august House must not take this lightly, it is a very serious issue. How can you say a woman can beat a man yet naturally a man is more powerful than a woman? I thank you.
*HON. MUTOKONYI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for giving me the opportunity to debate. Indeed, the issue at hand is quite critical when it comes to violence between two genders. Sometimes you find that at the end of the day, people die because of Gender-Based Violence. In a particular case in Marondera, there was violence between a man and a woman. This man had his schemes, he invited the wife to go and collect firewood. He took an axe, but he had ulterior motives. He chopped the wife using the axe three times. After doing so, then he called people and told them where to find his wife. The people came and found the wife unconscious. They looked for the man and they found him hanging after committing suicide. This is an issue of domestic violence. There was no communication and in this case, there was no transparency between the parties. I am informed that the wife is still in hospital, but in a critical state.
It is important that we look at the causes of Gender-Based Violence because identifying the causes would give us the solution to the problem. This is quite a serious issue which is leading to loss of lives and it is resulting in children being orphaned. There are a number of causes to Gender Based Violence.
When we look at the issue of drug and substance abuse which is quite a serious issue and one of the causes of Gender-Based Violence, you would find that sometimes one party will come home drunk, either the man or the woman and this causes violence when children are watching. We want to encourage each other to be quite observant in order to reduce violence.
The other issue which is causing Gender-Based Violence is the issue of multiple partners amongst married couples. Infidelity among married couples, whether they are men or women, is resulting in death. We also note that in many marriages where there are polygamous marriages, there are a number of issues which happen. It is important that when there are polygamous marriages, there should be transparency and clarity because this is leading to marriages breaking down. It is also affecting children.
I want to proffer a number of recommendations regarding domestic violence. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs has quite a big responsibility in terms of educating the public, particularly in the communities where we come from. It is important to educate people on the negative effects of Gender-Based Violence. From my point of view, there should be community leaders or focus people at ward level who have the responsibility of educating people regarding domestic and Gender-Based Violence because this is what is happening and sometimes people might not have the correct information whilst knowing that there are cases of rape and abuse which are happening in their communities.
As an august House, it is important that we support the Ministry of Women’s Affairs in their quest to reduce Gender-Based Violence like what His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa normally says, that it is our responsibility to build our country because a country is built by its own people. It is our responsibility to enact laws which protect the people and we do that because the Constitution requires us to do so.
The other thing is that we need to empower the people with income generating projects which will keep our young people busy and productive so that they stay away from drug and alcohol abuse. I also want to request that different departments, particularly the community development aspect of the Ministry of Women Affairs, to start a lot of income generating projects such as baking, community gardens and others. This is quite beneficial in that it keeps people busy and takes away the aspect of violence.
We also need to form support groups for men who are being victimised. It is our responsibility to create such support groups which will cater for men who are being taken advantage of. I do not want to take much of your time, but I believe that as Parliament, we have to work together for the development of our country. I thank you.
HON. KARIKOGA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. S. SITHOLE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 1st February 2024.
On the motion of HON. KARIKOGA, seconded by HON. S. SITHOLE, the House adjourned at Twenty-Four Minutes past Five o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 30th January, 2024
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER
SWEARING IN OF A NEW MEMBER
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that on the 13th of December 2023, Parliament received a letter from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission advising that Muchimba Chineka had been elected as a Member of the National Assembly for Binga North Constituency with effect from 10th December 2023. Section 128 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that before a Member of Parliament takes his or her seat in Parliament, the Member must take the Oath of a Member of Parliament in the form set out in the 3rd Schedule. Section 128 (2) of the Constitution states that the Oath must be taken before the Clerk of Parliament. I, therefore, call upon the Clerk of Parliament to administer the Oath of a Member of Parliament to Chineka Muchimba.
Order, the Clerks at the entrance there, can you make sure that Hon. Members do not go through that door.
NEW MEMBER SWORN
HON. CHINEKA MUCHIMBA subscribed to the Oath of Loyalty as required by the law and took his seat – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
CHANGES TO THE MEMBERSHIP OF PORTFOLIO COMMITTEES
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have to inform the House of the following changes to the membership of Portfolio Committees. Hon. P. Sakupwanya will serve on the Committees on Mines and Mining Development and Local Government, Public Works and National Housing; Hon. T. Ndou, will service on the Committees on Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare and Primary and Secondary Education; Hon. C. Muchimba, will serve on the Committees on Sport, Recreation, Art and Culture and Information, Communication Technology and Courier Services; Hon. A. Munjeyi will serve on the Committees on Local Government, Public Works and National Housing and Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare; Hon. P. Machangu, will serve on the Committee on Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development; Hon. A.T. Mavhunga will serve on the Committees on Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture and Youth Empowerment, Development and Training and Hon. R. Bila will serve on the Committees on Health Care and Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare.
*HON. NYABANI: Greetings to you Madam Speaker. I stand here as a Member of Parliament for Rushinga. It is my wish that our children should be the leaders of tomorrow. The way our children are abusing alcohol is not right and it would be sinful for us not to talk about this issue and try to resolve it as Members of Parliament. Children are abusing alcohol called mutoriro and this is killing a lot of people in my constituency.
Beer used to be sold in beerhalls but now it is sold everywhere and it is sold to almost any age group. Some are saying this mutoriro is being abused because people have no jobs but I asked myself what the twelve-year-old child needs employment for. Some are saying alcohol brings in tax but who will benefit from that tax if all people have been destroyed? Therefore, Madam Speaker Ma’am, I urge all Members of Parliament in this House to take cognizant of the need to make useful laws. The abuse of alcohol is now at a high level and is killing a lot of people hence bringing underdevelopment to this nation.
Laws should be enforced or implemented to enforce shops that sell alcohol to have liquor licences or that it should be sold at the right places. As Members of Parliament, we should not relax without protecting this nation. I thank you.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Nyabani, it was going to be good if you come up with a motion so that everyone can debate and contribute to this very important issue.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: 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. KARIKOGA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
UNCONDITIONAL REPEAL OF ZIDERA BY THE US GOVERNMENT AND LIFTING OF UNWARRANTED AND ILLEGAL SANCTIONS ON ZIMBABWE
Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the illegal sanctions unilaterally imposed on Zimbabwe by the Government of the United States of America.
HON. MUTOKONYI: Thank you Madam Speaker. Compliments of the new season. I rise to debate on the affirmation motion on illegal sanctions imposed against Zimbabwe by the West. Just to look at the background to that, I have defined the sanctions in three terms where we have the first set of sanctions which are the British sanctions. The second set of sanctions are those from the European Union and the third set of sanctions were placed by America. At the peak of the land dispute between Zimbabwe and Britain, we saw Zimbabwe going ahead to distribute the land without compensation and that set the tone of the first set of sanctions. What is the effect of the British sanctions and what are they? The background of that is that Zimbabwe was colonised by Britain on 2nd September 1890 and was ruled by Britain from 1890 to 1980. It is in this period that the British people suffixed their economy, industries and agriculture. Almost everything was maybe linked in terms of the systems and machinery. The British sanctions cut that umbilical cord which was there and had been there with Britain. They imposed sanctions and in those sanctions, that is when we saw the country failing to get the machinery or spares for the repair of the equipment because almost all this equipment was coming from England. This then affected the industries and we saw things changing.
I am sure at that time, the British Government was paying the suppliers not to deal or to supply spares to Zimbabwe and this led to the collapse of the industry. Companies stopped producing and some of the companies were paid to stop operating since they were British owned. The closure - and I remember there was the whole Air Force of Zimbabwe Squadron which used to fly the Hawks. The whole squadron was grounded because of lack of spares to run that Squadron unit. The effect of the British sanctions is that most of the machinery in Zimbabwe were made in England.
Therefore, Britain romped in its neighbours, the EU which set the second set of sanctions. What are they and what are the effects? The EU market was our cash cow for our Foreign Currency because Zimbabwe was selling beef, citrus fruits and flowers. Therefore, we lost that market which was our main cash inflow in foreign currency to boost our reserves. Thus we no longer get foreign currency that we used to get from the EU. Germany also drifted from Zimbabwe on an agreement that was signed in the 1930s in which Germany was providing paper to print the Zimbabwe dollars. That is where we see the effect of the second set of sanctions.
The third set of sanctions, which are on the motion, are the United States illegal sanctions. What are they and how did they come to be? A third set of sanctions was imposed by the USA which is called the Zimbabwe Economic Democracy Recovery Act (ZIDERA) which was enacted under Senate Act Number 494 effective on 21st December 2001. Hon. Speaker, ZIDERA condemns Zimbabwe for the economic doldrums we are already facing now. They were put by this Act. What does ZIDERA say and what is the effect on Zimbabwe? It says all countries with relations with America could not do business with Zimbabwe. It went on to say no International United Nations Monetary Organisations in USA were allowed to extend credit facilities. I remember it was actually written in that Act where it says that the US Secretary or Treasury is instructing all directors of international institutions to vote against Zimbabwe not to forgive their debt and not to allow the credit lines. It is very clear that whilst some other term is targeted sanctions, the Act is also very clear that the sanctions were made and are made to affect Zimbabwe economically and this is how they came to be.
The International Monetary Fund, World Bank and other credit institutions were instructed to do so. There is a saying that he who pays the piper calls the tune. It then meant that those who own these institutions sit in boards where most of the funding comes from (USA) hence we see them instructing other institutions which are thought to be independent but we can actually see that America is instructing not to support in terms of the credit facilities. It is very difficult for a third world country to operate without these credit facilities. A lot of other countries have been bleeding through their national budgets and part of the budget is funded through the debt to make sure that the debt enables them to achieve all their planned programmes. This is where we saw a lot of infrastructure not being handled properly in terms of development particularly from 2001 because of these illegal sanctions. Therefore, the Zimbabwean Government failed to fund a lot of its projects because of such. We saw infrastructure development was very minimal up until March when we started witnessing the coming in of the Second Republic where a lot of infrastructure has been put and we need to give thumbs up to our President Dr. E.D Mnangagwa for ensuring that whilst the country is still bleeding with sanctions, we are witnessing a lot of infrastructure development, from power, road to airports, and this is happening whilst the country is still under the illegal sanctions. So, it went on to say whilst the USA placed the country under sanctions, it is on record that annually, the country funds the so-called NGOs to the tune of US$60 million to ensure for democracy and related other projects in the country. It went on to say US$60 million will be channelled annually to Zimbabwe. This is the money that is used by USA foot-soldiers to move around the country under the cover of NGOs.
We are saying the same Americans who imposed sanctions against us now give aid as NGOs. We are saying whilst they are now giving us aid, why can they not just remove the sanctions instead of channelling the aid and at the same time, instructing all these international institutions not to fund Zimbabwe. How can this be? If you impose sanctions on us and give us aid, it is difficult and why should it be like that? So, the USA soldiers are operating in this country, the foot soldiers under the disguise of NGOs because if they love Zimbabwe, they have to remove the sanctions instead of bringing much of the aid with the sanctions still in place – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –.
Why we then term them illegal sanctions - these sanctions were never agreed by the United Nations. The Security Council sat, China and Russia vetoed the imposition of the said sanctions and that is why up to today, we term them illegal sanctions because they were not agreed and vetoed by the UN Security Council. These sanctions were never imposed by UN because Russia and China voted against these sanctions, therefore, we call them illegal sanctions because Zimbabwe is not sanctioned by UN. Surprisingly, the US, Britain and its allies continued to impose these illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe, but the important thing to know about these sanctions is that they were crafted or the draft was crafted here in Nyanga by fellow Zimbabweans and unfortunately, we are in these sanctions though some of the Zimbabweans were part of the drafting of these illegal sanctions.
However, I want to categorically say that the USA and its allies should unconditionally remove the sanctions because the sanctions are illegal and the sanctions are causing devastating effects to ordinary Zimbabweans. What it then means is that whilst we are not going to fold our hands as Zimbabweans, Madam Speaker, I remember reading a journal from the Ministry of Agriculture in which Hon. A. Masuka stated that sanctions or no sanctions, we are going to make sure that Zimbabwe is food secure. We are witnessing that and we actually know that the objective of the sanction imposers was to make sure that if people get hungry, do not get jobs and money or work for them to survive, they can rise against their Government, but we want to thank our good Lord who loves Zimbabwe that whilst the sanctions are there, the good Lord ensures that we receive good rains. We also want to thank the Government of the day for ensuring that we keep on moving forward as we are witnessing that a lot of development is taking place. We are seeing it whilst the country is still under sanctions. I want to say, the USA and your allies, can you remove your sanctions because the sanctions are hurting the ordinary people?
HON. S. SAKUPWANYA: I would like to extend my gratitude to Hon. Mutodi for raising the motion seconded by Hon. Shamu. Sanctions have had an impact that is detrimental to the growth of our economy. In so much as we have found ways to get our economy growing, the rate would have been much faster had it not been for the impact of these illegal sanctions. As a whole, sanctions have an impact that is felt even among the youth. Today, we live in a technology-driven global society which has veered from the traditional media streams as sources of information and entertainment, having transcended to social media through social networks such as Facebook, YouTube and “X” formerly known as Twitter.
Content creators from Zimbabwe have been disadvantaged as they are unable to monetise their content directly into Zimbabwean bank accounts and this is a direct result of sanctions. For as long as you want to use a Zimbabwean bank account, you will be unable to monetise your views on social media networks, something which can be easily done in South Africa. This results in our young creative minds being forced to leave the country for them to attain value for their shared content on the global social networks. Should we therefore keep quiet when a deliberate brain-drain is caused by sanctions? No way!
Madam Speaker, as we speak to the effect of sanctions, it must be noted that these have a negative bearing as well on our ability to export. I come from a province where many indigenous farmers have embarked on farming macadamia nuts. While the global price for macadamia nuts is going up, our farmers are put in a choke-hold because the European channel of export has been closed off to them due to sanctions for the simple reason that if you produce macadamia nuts from a land reform farm, then the produce is not taken up by the EU market. This means our ability to compete fairly on the global market is hammered and this is an infringement to our rights as global citizens.
I now want to speak to the inclusion of individuals placed on the sanctions list who have never themselves been tried or convicted in a court of law for the alleged crimes that warrant their presence on the sanctions list. I would highlight that my own father was on the sanctions list yet right up until the time of his death, he was the most honourable man that I knew who never stole anything from anyone and his only crime was to fight for this country and its land, him together with other stalwarts who are living and deceased – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – He was supposedly removed from these sanctions some years ago. However, today because I share both his name and surname, if I were to attempt to receive or send money outside the country, it will be blocked just because I share both his name and surname. Speaking to the fact that when the Americans say they have removed him from the sanctions list, it is a public relation move to hoodwink the public that sanctions do not exist. In the same vein, when they say sanctions hurt only a few, they do so to push a narrative that is far from the truth.
Madam Speaker, it is imperative that the individuals targeted on this list be removed as there is no basis under which they have been targeted. It is in no way beneficial to the people of Zimbabwe. In fact, it appears as a means of coercion by the Western forces for us to remain slaves and be subservient to their agenda which we need to consult and find out what it is. Madam Speaker, the purpose of these sanctions does not benefit Zimbabweans in any way. When they were instituted, elements within the Zimbabwean opposition of the time were used to justify their initiation. They were hoodwinked to believe that sabotaging the economy is the only path to power and to this effect, there is still a video of the former Opposition leader, Mr. Tsvangirai asking for South Africa to cut off electricity to Zimbabwe as a form of sanction to our country.
I want to state that during the GNU era, the same Tsvangirai went on a crusade to have sanctions removed. It was a rare moment where everyone in the country from all political divides agreed that sanctions must be removed. History teaches us that the failure to remove sanctions at a time where Zimbabweans were united against them, brings the reality that these sanctions are there to benefit a western agenda which is a priority seemingly over our own. It shows that they were never about human rights but only about the wealth of the then white minority at the expense of the black indigenous majority. It is about land to which we cannot and will not reverse the gains of the liberation struggle – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Without land, then we would never have been free.
Madam Speaker, if we were to scrutinise further, it must be highlighted that when we did the Land Reform Programme, we did it against the British and not the Americans. The whole purpose of the liberation struggle was against our suppressors then, who were the British at the time. As history would teach us, our war was never with the Americans, but the British and their descendants who stole our ancestral land, forced us into small non service towns and abused our mineral wealth. The question must be asked of the American Government why they would institute such harsh sanctions against us where their citizens were never involved. America itself, was in world wars reparation for the loss they incurred during the world wars against Germany who eventually paid them up in 2010, and yet today they want to demonise Zimbabwe for correcting a colonial injustice. This is before we even bring forward the question of reparations that Zimbabweans need to ask from those who colonised us.
Seeing that the American Government has sanctioned us due to Land Reform, they can then be questioned if they ever indeed fully supported a liberated Zimbabwe. If they really wanted the black Africans to be given the right to self-determination, be it political or economic, then it must be asked of them why they instituted these sanctions. Such an action shows us they would have preferred for us to be under colonial system that is Rhodesia where all the means of production were owned and controlled by descendants of the colonial masters. The determination of which would mean that we would need to correct our history and teach our youths that when we talk of colonisation, we should not talk about the British alone, but they also had allies who supported their calls for blacks to remain subjugated.
I want to reiterate that we fully subscribe to the mantra as espoused by President Mnangagwa, that Zimbabwe is a friend to all and an enemy to none. So, Madam Speaker, I do agree with Hon. Mutodi’s suggestion that a delegation must be sent to the United States of America in a bid to determine if indeed it is still their objective to cause suffering amongst Zimbabweans without having to hide behind the false narrative of human rights abuse. It is also important to act upon the means of engagement, the results of which should allow us to properly assess our relationship with the United States of America.
I would lastly, like to highlight that the enemy of every Zimbabwean is poverty and anyone that promotes poverty against Zimbabweans is our enemy. With that, I humbly submit. Thank you – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
HON. M. NCUBE: Thank you Madam Speaker. Good afternoon and compliments of the new season.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Good afternoon. Thank you and same to you.
HON. M. NCUBE: Thank you Madam Speaker for affording me this opportunity to add my voice on the motion moved by Hon. Mutodi, supported by Hon. Shamu on the removal of illegal targeted sanctions. Madam Speaker, since early 2000, Zimbabwe has been under sanctions imposed by the United States of America and the European Union that has shaped Zimbabwe’s domestic politics as well as the country’s relations with the Western nations. It is therefore imperative that as we debate this motion, we put in mind that there is no country that can survive as an island. The UN and its allies say the sanctions were introduced as a response to serious electoral irregularities and human rights abuse in the Parliament and Presidential Elections while it was very clear that these interventions were not targeted and were not a response to the State, but were a response to the State led land acquisition process which unfolded from March of 2000, which radically transformed the property ownership structure on the land in favour of small scale farmers and the majority of black people.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 was enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress to support the people of Zimbabwe in their struggle to effect peaceful democratic change, achieve broad based and equitable economic growth and restore the rule of law. What is not clear in this policy Madam Speaker, is the statement of the Act, what it means by the people of Zimbabwe that is whether it also included the democratic elected sitting Government of the day because the Zimbabwe Government is made up of Zimbabwe, by the people of Zimbabwe and for the people of Zimbabwe.
Again, Madam Speaker, the Zimbabwe Democracy and the Economic Recovery Act of 2001 clearly states that the President of the US is authorised to provide financial backing under Part I and Chapter IV of Part 11 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to the Land Reform in Zimbabwe, provided certain conditions are met. As much as we appreciate that ZIDERA is US policy, where have you seen a president of another country having individual powers over the affairs of another independent union? According to Whites (2003), sanctions are a war without guns and bloodshed and have limited, if any effectiveness for changing behaviour or governments of target countries. Sanctions may be regarded as an implicit declaration of war by the sanctioniers to the sanctionee. We may try to talk politely about these sanctions but they remain a cold war by one nation against the other only because of the big brother mentality. Why am I saying Zimbabwean sanctions are a war as a result of big brother mentality? Zimbabwe has done nothing against America to deserve this war but America wants to be the overseer of humanity abusing other sovereign nations.
Madam Speaker, sanctions against Zimbabwe qualify as war against a nation. The fact that besides the provision of humanitarian assistance, ZIDERA prevented any substantive new investment from entering the country. It also set out that America will pause any new loan credit facility or debt reduction initiative being carried out by the international financial institutions. Humanitarian assistance is mostly associated with war. We have recently seen countries sending humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, DRC and Palestine because there is war against humanity hence it should be agreed that USA realised that ZIDERA is war against Zimbabweans not political leaders, thus the reason for accepting provision of humanitarian assistance.
Madam Speaker, even though economic sanctions are an increasingly common tool of coercion in international disputes, their implementations may not cause the desired outcome by the imposer. For example, sanctions that may be targeted at specific individuals may end up negatively affecting the very people that the sanctions were intended to protect from the actions of the allegedly bad governance. This is exactly the case of Zimbabwean sanctions said to be initially targeted at ZANU PF leaders who are the same democratic elected leaders of Zimbabwean Government, but end up affecting the general public.
The general populace, unfortunately, became the major victims of targeted sanctions given that the country was denied lending rights from international institutions and political leaders and their sympathisers were slapped with travel restrictions, thereby crippling their ability to deal with pressing national issues in a globalised world. Leaders may also find ingenious ways of lessening the bad part of sanctions on them while the ordinary citizens bear the negative impact of targeted sanctions.
Madam Speaker, how do you ban Government leaders from attending very important international forums if the same leaders are supposed to be talking and listening on behalf of their people? How do you block a nation from obtaining finance or credit facilities from international lenders to inject into the developing economy if you do not intend to worsen the economic challenges for the poor people of that country? To make matters worse, these same finances were plundered from the same country you are denying access today. That is far from the claim that sanctions in Zimbabwe are ring fenced and targeted at a few individuals. The reality on the ground is that the tight grip of the declared and undeclared sanctions is being felt throughout the entire economy and affecting women, girls, widows, orphans, civil servants and businessmen. I would say specifically in my district Tsholostho and other districts like Nkayi, Binga, Rushinga, Mutoko, Muzarabani, Gutu, Bulawayo and Harare.
Madam Speaker, the imposition of targeted sanctions on Zimbabwe brought with it bad publicity, a record low credit rating and the pariah State tag. Investors willingly pulled out of the country, avoided making new investments or were commanded by their countries not to make new or further investments in Zimbabwe. Targeted sanctions led to sustained disinvestment and de-industrialisation in Zimbabwe that severely weakened the economy with negative consequences for the citizens.
Madam Speaker, the Second Republic led by His Excellency the President, Cde E. D. Mnangagwa has, on the onset, been clear about engagement and re-engagement. This was because the President and the Government noted that sanctions against Zimbabwe are unjustified and not supported by the United Nations, African Union and SADC. The President has also realised that these sanctions came as a result of misinformation to the US by the colonisers who had lost land after the land reform. The President has applied for Zimbabwe’s readmission to the Commonwealth showing commitment to good governance. He has also called on for a round table discussion with US and its allies to resolve the economic sanctions but alas, the imposer is not harkening to the call.
Madam Speaker, we are grateful to our neighbouring countries for maintaining that sanctions must be removed because they do not contribute constructive solutions and their removal would recognise progress made and be an important confidence building measure. Had it not been for the support from the SADC, our all-weather friends and the ingeniousness of our President, the Zimbabwe economy would by now have totally collapsed and resulted in insurgence against democratically elected ZANU PF Government to the celebration of USA and her allies.
In conclusion, Hon. Madam Speaker, I support the motion moved by Hon. Dr. Mutodi to have a Parliamentary delegation to travel to the US to meet the President of the USA and the House of Commons to advocate for the removal of these illegal sanctions against Zimbabwe. As alluded to earlier, the sanctions were imposed in the first republic yet we are in the second republic. The sanctions were targeted at individuals but with economic impact to all Zimbabweans. The sections were said to be a measure of good governance but have become a cold economic war against the poor majority of Zimbabweans. The sanctions were imposed without any engagement of the Government of Zimbabwe but the second republic is ready for re-engagement. The sanctions have crippled our economy by not allowing Zimbabwe to search for financial loans from financial creditors, banning international trading and travel by our leaders.
Madam Speaker, as a mother and as a woman, I call upon those who are busy campaigning against the removal of sanctions to join hands together and ask for the removal of these illegal sanctions. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Twalumba! Siyabonga!
HON. MUGWADI: Thank you very much Madam Speaker. May I take this opportunity to convey my compliments to you in the new season.
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Mugwadi and same to you.
HON. MUGWADI: Madam Speaker, allow me to add my small voice to the debate under discussion on sanctions. Firstly, while thanking so much three colleagues who spoke before me and contributed immensely to this debate. I want to take this opportunity to qualify what sanctions are. My small understanding tells me that where sanctions are supposed to be imposed on a State, they must follow the protocols and legal requirements provided by the United Nations (UN) Charter, such that for those sanctions to be able to pass the test of legality, they must be multi-lateral and not unilateral.
What we have on the Republic of Zimbabwe and its people are unilateral sanctions by former erstwhile colonial masters, the British, Americans, Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders. Therefore, because they were unilateral and were not imposed following the provisions of the UN Charter, we have illegal and unlawful sanctions in this country and its people. Therefore, by all standards, they should be removed because they have no space or place in the community of nations – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] -
Madam Speaker, to that end, we have the African Union. It has made its voice categorically and unequivocally clear that the sanctions regime on the people of Zimbabwe, their leadership and country are illegal and must be removed. We must therefore, as Parliament, give a strong commendation to the entire African Unions for standing with the people of Zimbabwe. The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) has set aside and observes the 25th of October as a special day annually, as a day of regional solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe in calling for the removal of sanctions which we now call, the SADC Anti-Sanctions Day.
Madam Speaker, not only them, powerful nations that sit in the UN Security Council, China and Russia and other progressive Nations, have joined hands with the people of Zimbabwe, SADC, African Union, the non-aligned movement, in calling for the removal of these illegal sanctions. Now, therefore Madam Speaker, it is important to qualify in this House why these sanctions were imposed. I was still very young when these sanctions were imposed. In fact, if I recall very well, I was still nursing my Zimbabwe Junior Certificate (ZJC). Now, I am almost 40 years old and have grown to understand that there is so much opportunity in this country because of the yoke of sanctions which our people, leadership and nation has had to needlessly carry because of irresponsible actions of counterproductive and counter revolutionary Zimbabweans who, on a normal day, should be seated on the opposite benches. They called for these sanctions and must be called out – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]
Madam Speaker, it is not speculation. We have video evidence of people receiving khaki envelopes from white men calling for these sanctions – it is there on record. We can even quote them in verbatim saying in one of the instances with Morgan Tsvangirai, may his soul rest in peace. The former leader of the opposition MDC, which of course stands against our goals, has fractured several times such that we do not know what character it takes at the moment. He said, at one point in time in 2003, that this regime in reference to the ZANU PF Government, the people’s Government, a democratically elected Government which, thanks to God, is still there, that this Government does not understand any other language than having sanctions on it. He said that very clearly and the videos have been circulating. I am privileged to have a director of information from one of the progressive revolutionary practices of this country and have access to that information. I have it and if Parliament wants it, I can bring it here, it is there for the record.
They called for sanctions and when these sanctions were called Madam Speaker, we must be very clear as parliamentarians and as the people of Zimbabwe just as our leadership is very clear that these sanctions were not imposed yesterday for reasons that we are now raising today. At the time that these sanctions were imposed, the reasons were very clear, and of course, those who imposed them were the administrations of George Bush and Tony Blair and were not smart enough as to hide the reasons. We must not pretend or assist them to hide those reasons today because the reasons were very clear. Number one of the reasons was that the Zimbabwean Government should not have proceeded with redistributing land to address the historical colonial imbalances over the ownership and possession of land in Zimbabwe.
Therefore, because it has taken this giant revolutionary decision towards completing the process of decolonisation in Zimbabwe, this Government must be punished because it is a bad influence between Cape and Cairo. All other African Governments, bad people and Africans outside of Zimbabwe who have no access to their land because the white men in their countries are still holding onto it. Do not go far away, go down Limpopo, you know the land question has become topical today because the people of Zimbabwe and their leadership were brave enough to draw the first line and bring back land to the people. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
These sanctions were imposed not for the Human Rights that they are talking about today, not for stage-managed disappearances that they allude today; and not because of the elections that were held in 2008, 2018 or 2023. These elections have already taken place and they called them uncredible and unfair and therefore reasons for keeping the sanctions. No, that is a lie and we can not be lied upon as to the reasons why they imposed sanctions. It was because we united our people with their land, the land which our forefathers fought for. The land, today, that so many souls are lying in unmarked graves for, we have it and others do not have it. Therefore, Zimbabwe needed to be punished according to the white men because it was becoming a bad influence to other African Governments.
This is why we are proud as one of the few or, if I am not mistaken, the only African country where the process of decolonisation has completed when others are yet to. We therefore were sanctioned for taking this brave decision. We must remind our colleagues who should be, on a normal day, seated on the other side, that today amongst them are a rapacious clique of land barons in the cities. They are now preying on that land that we had to forcefully take from the white people – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – they are building their houses and communities on top of that land which we have made sure that they are united with. They must reflect and understand that we must speak with one voice when it comes to the question of sanctions.
Madam Speaker, the sanctions were also imposed for the second reason that I am going to allude to, that the ZANU PF Government elected by the people then, is no longer desirable for purposes of the white people and therefore needed to be replaced and for all intents and purposes, the sanctions were put in place for regime change. They said this Government has become too revolutionary, that this Government is too brave for a black Government, that this Government is daring, that this Government is abandoning useless Lanchester provisions of willing seller and willing buyer and therefore must be punished. What should we do? Let us form an opposition party to pamper and give it all the support to wrestle power from ZANU PF legally or illegally. That is why the leaders used to say, we will remove the ZANU PF government constitutionally or unconstitutionally, violently or non-violently. They were very clear on that – [HON MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – It is because the sanctions were put in place to remove this Government. Thank God we still have a Government almost 23 years later.
Madam Speaker, the third reason why sanctions were put in place is there in black and white in one of their Senators who used to sit in the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations of the United States of America Congress. It was apparent, we had imposed a sanctions regime on the people of Zimbabwe, not on targeted individuals. They were obvious that on the people of Zimbabwe, on the State of Zimbabwe, on the Government and economy of Zimbabwe, such that their economy shall scream and people should start to ask where the problem is because there will not be bread in the shops. “We will attack their finances and inflation will be the order of the day”. “We will make sure that their economy gets to the fundamentals for people’s survival”. “There will not be fuel, they shall not produce anything from their land”. “We will cut their access to farming equipment and at the end of the day, people will say what do we have with ourselves except that it has become a life and death situation”.
Therefore, let us overthrow this Government. The people therefore in Zimbabwe are supposed to be screened and made to scream according to these sanctions’ regimes. Thank God that even as they scream, they continue to scream in revolutionary terms, that is why they failed to achieve that, but they were very clear. I am just trying to bring these things Madam Speaker, to the fore so that everyone including those on a normal day would have been seated on the other side, must understand that even if they are there, where they are based on other reasons than what I am saying, then they do not know exactly what kind of an animal they have become part of and that is why there is a lot of chaos in their party.
Our economy has been made to scream Madam Speaker. There was a time when we could not count quintillions and they were almost closer to achieving that because the whole purpose of these sanctions was to cut the umbilical cord between the people and their revolutionary party such that when that happens, Zimbabwe becomes a country of what I would call wada watonga, anyone could be anything in Zimbabwe because the fabric that keeps it intact would have been destroyed. Thank God, twenty-three years after the sanctions, we are still breathing.
Madam Speaker, the sanctions were put in place to isolate Zimbabwe and allow me to go into unchartered territories. For this, I want to salute the former President of South Africa, President Mbeki who was very clear and there were things that he declassified which are essential indeed that at one point in time, he had to be engaged in a lot of series of diplomatic engagements and series assisted by the then, I think British Chief of Staff Defence. When the British were now closer to contemplating an invasion of this country, he assured them that they were not going to get out of the terrain in Zimbabwe because the liberation generation veterans were still active enough and they would wipe them away within 24 hours and they will regret any decision to invade Zimbabwe. He had to stop an invasion in Zimbabwe, Russia and China had to play a very fundamental role in the Security Council to stop those machinations. We owe them a salute as the Parliament of the Republic of Zimbabwe.
Madam Speaker, President Ramaphosa continues to take every global and international stage given to him to call for the removal of sanctions on the people of Zimbabwe. President Samia Suluhu, picking on the late President John Magufuli of Tanzania, continues to shine on every global and international stage so given to her that the people of Zimbabwe must be removed from the yoke of Zimbabwe. President Nyusi of Mozambique continues to call for the removal of sanctions on the people of Zimbabwe. Former President of Zambia, Lungu, was very clear that sanctions on the people of Southern Zambezi needed to have sanctions removed from their necks.
I do not know Madam Speaker, of course just as you are, what the other presidents out there think about, it is not for me to discuss. I just do not know, but I must be very clear. I knew that President Lungu was very clear on sanctions on Africans in Zimbabwe that they must be removed.
I want to thank President Joao Lourenco of Angola who was very clear that sanctions on Zimbabwe must be removed. President of Malawi, His Excellency Chakwera, was also very clear that sanctions on Zimbabwe must be removed. President Hage Geingob from Namibia was very clear that sanctions on the people of Zimbabwe must be removed. President Mokgweetsi Masisi from Botswana is very clear, that sanctions on the people of Zimbabwe must be removed.
Madam Speaker, the King of Eswatini was also very clear that sanctions on the people of Zimbabwe must be removed. President Paul Kagame is very clear that sanctions on the people of Zimbabwe must be removed.
Having said all this, where are my fellow Members who must be seated opposite to me on this debate? Are all these people who are saying these sanctions must be removed not on ZANU PF, but even on their necks? Are these people men? Where are they in this debate when everyone who matters is saying the sanctions must be removed? They cannot even utter a single word that sanctions must be removed on all of us including them too, but when the price of bread soars, they are the first to complain. When our currency is attached, they are the first to complain and they would want to hoodwink the people of Zimbabwe to think that it is incapacity of our Government yet they know exactly where the elephant in the room is. They will tell you that sanctions on the people of Zimbabwe are not effective in causing the challenges that we are having. The question that I want to pose to the opposite bench as I sit down is that if these sanctions were never meant to achieve anything of all that I have alluded to, why do you want those sanctions to be still kept in place if they were meant to achieve nothing?
Madam Speaker, in short as I sit down, sanctions, as Hon. Nyoni has said, are part of what is called high-breed warfare to belittle other States. I would suggest that before a delegation is sent to the United States of America to debate and discuss with them about sanctions, we have the leader of Government Business here to provide us guidance. The Ambassador of the United States Government must be here first to answer the basic question of whether he knows the land between Zambezi and Limpopo better than we do. We have never been in the United States of America to comment about their elections. Elections in Zimbabwe take place according to the laws of the jurisdiction of Zimbabwe and not theirs. We were not there at Capitol Hill when they were at each other’s throats. We did our swearing-in ceremony very peacefully and in love at the National Sports Stadium. So, we do our things according to our systems. However, notwithstanding that they still try to find and scavenge for a reason to suggest they are still keeping sanctions on us, we must summon them here and have a discussion even a breakfast meeting in this building. I so submit Madam Speaker.
HON. A. MPOFU: Allow me to add my voice to the debate on the illegal sanctions that have been imposed on our country by the United States of America. It is common cause that the sanctions have severely affected the viability of the Zimbabwean economy since the time they were imposed. Zimbabwe has experienced high levels of inflation, currency instability and other macroeconomic deficiencies. The family unit has been broken as most men and women of the economically active age group have left the country to the diaspora seeking jobs and better living standards. There has been a skills flight from Zimbabwe and such brain drain has affected all sectors of our economy.
It is important to note that the illegal sanctions are a crime against the people of Zimbabwe by a powerful state which is imposing them, fully aware that they would affect the voiceless ordinary people. Women in particular, have borne the brunt of the sanctions as they have been left to take care of children and other dependent family members while men cross borders to South Africa, Australia, United Kingdom and other international spots where they never return.
As a Parliamentarian, I am persuaded to support this motion by Hon Dr. Mutodi. It is the right thing to do for Parliament to confront ZIDERA in the manner proposed. I wish to agree with Hon. Dr. Mutodi on the irrationality on the US Foreign and Defence policy which he mentioned in this motion. It is true that the US has over the years, developed irrational policies that have seen them invade many foreign territories. Look at what they did in Japan where they detonated nuclear bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing millions of innocent people. Look again at what they did in Iraq and Iran. They have maintained a wholesale policy against Palestine and as I am speaking, there is ongoing genocide against Arabs living in Gaza and those in the West Bank – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] - For how long would the US continue to destroy innocent lives, destroy sovereign countries and push Arabs and Africans to the brink of extinction? There must be a stop to this.
Our country has suffered enough. The evil and unjustified sanctions imposed by the US on Zimbabwe must end now. I hope that the delegation to the US President and Congress will be highly powered with you Madam Speaker Ma’am being part of it in order to send a message that Zimbabwe is united against sanctions.
The youngest Parliamentarian in the Tenth Parliament has debated. I thank you.
*HON. MAPIKI: I want to say compliments of the season. You have come back whilst some Hon. Members in this august House have left. To me this means all is well. Let me start by saying I am happy to debate on the motion which was moved by Hon. Dr. Mutodi regarding the illegal sanctions. I want to look at the causes.
Historically, we know that in 1884, the partitioning of Africa was planned by colonial imperialists. There were British, French, Belgians, Americans and other westerners. Zimbabwe was allocated to the British. One big issue which we noted is the distribution of wealth in Africa. The purpose of doing so was to take advantage of the natural resources that are found in Africa. In Zimbabwe, there is vast land and other resources which were supposed to benefit Zimbabweans, but which eventually benefited them.
In 1887, there were men and women, for instance there was Mbuya Nehanda who came from Mazowe, just like yourself Madam Speaker. Mbuya Nehanda resisted the imperialist powers. In our culture, when someone is found with a human head, it is seen as witchcraft, so the British are wizards because they confiscated her head. Zimbabwe should not have a deep relationship with witches. No matter how beautiful a snake is, you cannot put a snake in your pocket.
In 1890, they sent their hero Rhodes who came to implement what was planned at the Berlin Conference. From 1890 to 1924 we were not led by the British, but by the Anglo-American Company. The Anglo-American Company was being supported by the British. What they took from our land was being repatriated back to their homes. You find that some organisations were formed to support them and not us. For instance, the United Nations is meant to support their programmes. This is not a secret because we have African leaders like Patrice Lumumba and Gaddafi who were killed because there were resolutions which were meant to give power to kill such people. So because Africans do not have the power to veto UN resolutions, you would find that it is difficult for them to oppose such resolutions. The land issue is the one which led to sanctions being imposed and not what people say. Some people were just used to implement other people’s programmes. Madam Speaker, this is what we look at because it pains us.
We know that there was the Second Chimurenga where our nationalists like the late Dr. Nkomo participated in. There were organisations like Oppenheimer which is led by former Nigerian President Obasanjo. Such organisations are meant to indoctrinate very intelligent young people like Chamisa, Bobby Wine in Uganda, Odinga in Kenya and in Zambia there are some leaders there. Such people are brainwashed to turn against their Governments. That is why we struggle with opposition parties who are meant to protect American and British ideologies. We need to take a holistic approach. If we do not stand like we did during the 2nd Chimurenga, sanctions will remain in place but we need to be bold. The Land Reform was carried out and you find that in other countries, there were implications of soldiers working together with Guzman in their Land Reform. In Russia, as we speak, it is not that there is bad leadership but it is because American interests have been tempered with in Ukraine.
So, the Americans are against the Russians. There are other countries like Mali and the other North African countries which have agreed to move out of ECOWAs. Even regarding SADC and the African Union here, you would find that there was a consensus. We had an incident with Hichilema and some people who were coming from Zambia to say negative things about us. If Mbuya Nehanda said that my bones will rise, you would find that what is happening in the SADC, we need to be very careful. If we go to the African Union, there are a lot of people who are not serving African interests.
Before I sit, let me say that the British will remove sanctions when we have addressed the issue and a colleague spoke about African leaders. They spoke about the removal of sanctions and you would find that in other countries, military bases were established in Africa, in SADC States where they infiltrated and they have their people who are serving their interests. Even in Botswana, now we have quite a good leader. In Zambia, there were some issues also, but the issue of bases is not good.
As Zimbabweans, we need to really think deeply but I want to thank our ancestors because in 2000, there was an American funded opposition and this is the situation which led to the Americans working with Botswana. If they had decided to come, then things were going to be something else. They have a base in Botswana but we had oil in Muzarabani and from Muzarabani, it is around 50 kilometers. I want to say that we need to take a holistic approach and instead of just brushing the issue aside, you find that there is no charity when we talk of westerners.
You find that in the Opposition, some are giving up, some are forming new parties and others are making different decisions. These are the spirits of our ancestors, Mbuya Nehanda, the Nkomos and others. Young MPs in this august House should stand united and protect the heritage of Zimbabwe because you find that there are some Opposition members who are not clean, they are like snakes that cannot be put in pockets. You find some selling out our heritage which was led by the Nehandas and others. I thank you.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Mapiki. May you correct that there is a base in Botswana and that there was oil in Lusaka? May you please correct such anomalies.
*HON. MAPIKI: I am sorry, I wanted to say that their military base is in Zambia. From Zambia to Muzarabani just across Zambezi, it is just a few kilometres. It is not very far but in Botswana, there is another base. They say these are military bases. I just wanted to allude to that. I thank you.
HON. KAITANO: Thank you very much Madam Speaker and compliments of the new season to you and all Hon. Members.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you and same to you.
HON. KAITANO: I rise to put my contribution to the motion that was moved by Hon. Mutodi, supported by Hon. Shamu. I acknowledge the contributions that my fellow Hon. Members have already given and I have seen a number of issues that I wanted to debate on. They have been shared by my colleagues. My contribution is going to be more biased towards what Hon. Mugwadi has said, but I am going to give some biblical reference as a launchpad to my argument.
I am going to give you a passage of scripture. Jeremiah Chapter 29: Verse 7. I have got two Bible versions. The first one says “Pray for the country or the city you are living in because if good things happen to it, good things will also happen to you”. The NIV says, “Also seek for peace and prosperity for the city or the country where I send you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it because if it prospers, you too will prosper”.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, the first thing that you did when you opened your mouth was, let us pray. It tells me the high significance of prayer, probably emanating from the Holy Bible. I have also heard many people at many various organisations where they start by praying and many quote the Holy Bible in whatever they do, needless to say His Excellency the President of this country has said to the nation of Zimbabwe, speaking of a very critical mantra that says “nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, igotongwa nevene vayo, igonamatigwa nevene vayo’, bringing the importance and significance of the Bible. Now this Bible that has been given so much significance is requiring of all the people, be they Zimbabweans, be they non-Zimbabweans, as long as they live in this country, they are being asked to pray for the prosperity of this country; to intercede for the prosperity of this country and not to call for sanctions [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
Our President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa is in line with what Jeremiah 29 :7 talks about. He has the right to quote the scriptures because he continues to ask us to pray for the prosperity of Zimbabwe but Alas! Madam Speaker Ma’am, we have many Zimbabwean citizens of this country who claim to be sent by God. They even use words like ‘God is in it’ but God is not in the calling of the imposition of sanctions on Zimbabwe. He is not in that. God is in the prosperity of this country. I think this is why they are disintegrating because they are not in line with what the word of God says. It says pray for the prosperity of Zimbabwe.
The first passage that I read talks about people living in that particular country, not the citizens of that country. It therefore means, if anybody, be they Zimbabwean or not, as long as they live in this country, they must call against the imposition of sanctions in this country. They must call for the removal of sanctions in this country. How much more for Zimbabweans? The scripture says, when Zimbabwe prospers, you too will prosper. Like what Hon. Mugwadi has said that the other side must call for the removal of sanctions because if Zimbabwe prospers, they too will prosper. Not just Zimbabweans, even non-Zimbabweans, as long as they are living in this country. The American and British alike, they must also call for the removal of sanctions because the scriptures are encouraging them for the prosperity of this country. Therefore, Parliament must be unanimous in calling for the removal of these unwarranted …
An Hon. Member’s cellphone having rung.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Members, let me remind you to switch off your cellphones or put them on silent when we are in the House. Thank you.
HON. KAITANO: Madam Speaker ma’am, as I conclude, God is never in the business of imposing sanctions on this country. Whoever calls for sanctions and continues to do so, should not claim to be a Pastor, should not claim to speak on behalf of God. In fact, the Bible says, he or she is off-side and we want to thank the visionary leadership of our President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, for if there is somebody to claim to lead and to speak the oracle of the scriptures of God, it is him because what he says is in line with what the scriptures say. I say to this Parliament, let us continue to speak against the imposition of sanctions on this country. Let us continue to speak for the removal of sanctions and as we continue doing so, we will certainly win.
As I began with a passage of scripture, I am ending with another passage of scripture, Numbers Chapter 13:30 that says “let us go up at once and posses our land for we are well able to overcome” I thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am.
*HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am, for awarding me this opportunity to debate on this motion because those who sing and advocate for democracy saying we know it best were there when the liberation struggle started when the whites came to this country. No-one was under sanctions although they were fighting the blacks and killing them. That was the time when it was mentioned by our ancestors that our bones shall rise. The bones have arisen and democratically, people have raised their voices and said that they want their country. The blacks did not wage war against the whites, but they demanded their farms and resources peacefully.
In English, the definition of war is not action. It is something that comes to remove obstacles although there is bloodshed which is going to happen. The liberation struggle was fought so that our country which was colonised must be returned to its owners. The democratic people supported that there be a liberation struggle. They supported that the country and its resources must be returned to the rightful owners even those who know about the laws supported that. For example, if your car is stolen and you search and find it in Victoria Falls, it is no longer your duty to know how the thief is going to go back to Bulawayo. As the owner of the item, your role or purpose is to take your car. We took our country through the liberation struggle. We waited for the oppressors to peacefully and rightfully hand over what belongs to us without fighting them. Today is our day to take back our country and resources. Those who fought the liberation struggle sat down and agreed that everything that belongs to us must be rightfully given to us. Our parents supported this initiative. We want our country, including everything in it, rise Zimbabwe! What was said by Mbuya Nehanda has happened. For 20 years, you have stolen my hoe, I am kindly requesting you to return what rightfully belongs to me. The oppressors did not want to return. They were given an opportunity to give us the other portions which they were not using. They refused although they were given the opportunity to sell even though the land and resources did not belong to them, they still refused.
In English they say, “we will buy the land even if it belongs to us on the basis of willing seller willing buyer”. The country was ours, but they still refused. They started to use other means to recolonise our country. That is when the Zimbabweans rose and refused oppression, in order to reclaim our farms. You are now imposing illegal sanctions, where is the democracy you are talking about? The illegal sanctions were imposed to us because we have taken back our land, including all the resources. We are not going to bow down. Sanctions are not a new thing in Zimbabwe.
Some countries including Guatemala were sanctioned because they were talking about their wishes and aspirations. Illegal sanctions were imposed on Cuba because they wanted their resources. Iran was sanctioned because of oil. Gaddafi was killed because of oil.
Zimbabwe, let us be united and remain resolute. Let us go to our mines so that we mine and overcome the sanctions. As a country, we are going to discover more minerals in the near future. These countries which are imposing sanctions will come back apologising to us that they were wrong about these sanctions. Right now, they are allowed to mine and operate their companies in Zimbabwe because our leadership and us as Zimbabweans are not people who revenge. If we are revengeful as a country, we would not have allowed them to continue operating in our country, including those who support them.
Our President, Dr. Mnangagwa is a good leader. He encourages us to work hard. We can not run away from our country because we are facing difficulties, we continue to work hard and God is providing. May God protect us from diseases. Our President is encouraging us to work hard in our farms, produce and manufacture for the prosperity of our country. At some point, China was faced with a very difficult situation where they reached a point of eating donkeys. Even us as a country, we are going to overcome this. God is for us all. I thank you Madam Speaker.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 6 to 10 be stood over until Order of the Day, Number 11 has been disposed of.
HON. T. ZHOU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
GBV AWARENESS PROGRAMMES TO PROMOTE POSITIVE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CHANGE
Eleventh Order read. Adjourned debate on motion on the 2023 commemoration to mark the sixteen days of activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign.
Question again proposed.
HON. NKOMO: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am and compliments of the new season.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you and same to you.
HON. NKOMO: Thank you Madam Speaker for allowing me to add my voice on the issue of Gender Based Violence (GBV) on the motion presented by Hon. Ndebele on behalf of Hon. Sen. Mbohwa. I want to particularly talk about sexual abuse of girls and women…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Nkomo, the motion was introduced by Hon. Ndebele and not Hon. Sen. Mbohwa.
HON. NKOMO: Thank you for the correction. I want to particularly talk about sexual abuse of girls and women as these cases have been rising at an alarming rate in Zimbabwe. According to WHO Global Status Report on Violence Prevention 2014, one in three women and girls will experience physical, sexual or gender-based violence (SGBV) in their lifetime.
Unfortunately, only four percent of these women/girls will report this violation to the police due to stigma or fear. Rape and sexual violence are especially under reported. An alarmingly high proportion (43 percent) of adolescent girls in Zimbabwe aged between 13-17 years reported that their first incident of sexual intercourse was unwanted and unplanned. The cultural, social, economic dynamics in Zimbabwe creates an environment where sexual abuse often goes unreported and victims face numerous challenges in seeking justice and support. Understanding the context of sexual abuse in Zimbabwe is crucial for addressing this pervasive issue and implementing effective interventions to protect and empower girls and women.
Hon. Sen. Mbohwa, on page 4, highlighted that sexual abuse statistics among girls and women in Zimbabwe has sky-rocketed on a staggering rate. In 2019, there were several high-profile cases of sexual abuse and exploitation in Zimbabwe, including the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl by a prominent businessman and the abuse of women and girls in a religious cult. These cases highlighted the ongoing problem of sexual violence in the country and the need for greater awareness and action to address the issue. Comparatively in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the problem of sexual violence in Zimbabwe as lockdown measures and economic instability led to increased vulnerability and exploitation of women and girls. According to a report by the Zimbabwe Gender Commission, there was a significant increase in reports of sexual violence during the COVID-19 pandemic with many cases involving minors and vulnerable individuals.
Needless to say, the actual figures may be even higher due to under-reporting, stigma and cultural barriers that prohibit victims from coming forward. Despite these challenges, there were also some positive developments including the passing of the Domestic Violence Act in 2007, which provides for stronger legal protection for victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Additionally, civil society organisations and other stakeholders continued to raise awareness on sexual violence and advocated for greater accountability from perpetrators.
If I may add that there are several factors that contribute to the high frequency of sexual abuse in Zimbabwe. These include gender inequality, entrenched patriarchal norms as well as power imbalances whereby the Zimbabwean culture exposes women and girls to exploitation and abuse. In reality, economic hardships and poverty also worsen the situation. Young girls and women resort to exploitative means for survival. Additionally, lack of understanding of sex education and awareness programmes leave many girls uneducated on their rights and how to protect themselves from sexual abuse.
Victims of sexual abuse in Zimbabwe also encounter numerous other challenges relating to fear of stigma and retaliation, limited access to support services and inadequate legal protection. Stigma surrounding sexual abuse often leads to victim-blaming and social ostracism, further traumatising survivors. Additionally, the lack of specialised support services and counselling facilities hinder the recovery process of survivors.
Legal frameworks for addressing sexual abuse exist in Zimbabwe as shown by our supreme law which is the Constitution as well as our very own Criminal Law Code. However, it is trite for us to agree that enforcement and accessibility of justice remains a significant challenge for victims due to cultural norms as well as other areas which are too remote to access, hence it is vital to work on improving so that in every corner of the country, no stone is left unturned. Moreover, various organisations and initiatives are working towards preventing sexual abuse and supporting survivors in Zimbabwe. Private Voluntary Organisations (PVOs) such as Musasa Project and Padare/Enkundleni/Men’s Forum on Gender are actively involved in advocacy, awareness raising and providing support services for survivors. These efforts aim to challenge societal norms, provide education on consent and gender equality as well as offer safe spaces for survivors to seek assistance without fear of judgement.
To sum up, sexual abuse against girls and women in Zimbabwe is a complex issue deeply rooted in societal norms, gender inequality and systematic challenges. Addressing this problem requires a multi-faceted approach that encompasses legal reforms, comprehensive support services, education on consent and gender equality as well as efforts to transform cultural attitudes towards Gender-Based Violence. To effectively tackle this problem, we ought to partake comprehensive legal reforms like making laws that make some cultural norms illegal and punishable as well as social interventions as law alone is not effective.
Be that as it may, I second Hon. Sen. Mbohwa for pushing for the alignment of GBV laws with the Constitution, for example filling the gap between the age of consent to sexual relations and the age of marriage as it leaves those between 16 and 18 vulnerable to abuse so as to cover and fill in the gaps that can be seen as loopholes and challenge discriminatory social values so as to promote gender equality.
HON. CHAKUKURA: I want to thank you for allowing me to add my voice to this important topic on Gender-Based Violence. Let me also take this opportunity to thank the chairperson of the Zimbabwe Women Parliamentary Caucus for the initiative to move this motion in both houses as ways and means to raise awareness and instill debate amongst us on the hot topic. This motion is still appropriate, despite us having passed the 2023 commemorations held from November 25 to December 10, 2023, with the campaign theme, "UNITE! Invest to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls." Let me hasten to mention that awareness of Gender-Based Violence, must be an all-year-round programme given that we witness and experience GBV daily here in Zimbabwe.
Mr. Speaker Sir, my focus today will be on intimate partner violence which is a form of Gender-Based Violence and also known as part of domestic violence. It has greatly affected many women in our nation. This has resulted in some victims experiencing physical violence, emotional violence, spiritual violence and many more forms of Gender-Based Violence. Women are being raped by their intimate partners, but because he is the one who provides for the family, they are being forced to keep silent.
This has resulted in a rise in incidences of emotional trauma, which has resulted in a slew of mental health concerns such as despair and anxiety. Most women are suffering in silence and if they do not seek help, they may commit suicide or even suffer mental breakdown. According to statistics published in The Chronicle on November 30, 2023 by National Police, it was noted that there were 17 244 cases documented countrywide from January to October, with 15 462 reported by women against men and 1782 reported by males against women. This demonstrates how gender-based violence disproportionately affects women.
Madam Speaker, intimate partner violence (sometimes called passion crimes) is real and has contributed to many of the broken homes and marriages and/or divorces, trauma on the victims and in some instances, death of victims in Zimbabwe. Intimate violence has also resulted in the violation of the human right to religious freedom. Spiritual violence refers to the misuse of spirituality to control, manipulate, or harm individuals. It can occur in various forms, including religious coercion, cultic practices, and spiritual manipulation. Spiritual violence can take place in any spiritual or religious setting, including churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, and cults.
The perpetrators of spiritual violence may be religious leaders, gurus, or individuals who use spirituality for personal gain or control. Because of the constraints that some religious practices impose, women have been obliged to engage in abusive practices. This includes forced marriages and child marriages.
Therefore, we should also consider women's freedom of worship,
regardless of their relationship status, as this will reduce concerns related to child and forced marriages. As such, if we all work collectively to support such efforts, we will be able to eradicate the problems that have emerged as a result of intimate partner abuse as a type of gender-based violence. Together as a people, we will aim for and work towards attaining United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No. 5, which deals with ‘gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.'
Given the tragedies that have befallen women, I am to implore that our Government implements legislation to fight intimate partner violence. It can be accomplished by imposing tougher punishments such as increasing jail sentences for perpetrators of gender-based violence and reconsidering that mass pardons should not include perpetrators of gender-based violence, which will contribute to eliminating this type of gender-based violence.
I also recommend that the legislation enact a Bill that would support unpaid carers by withholding a certain proportion of their monthly expenses from their employed partner's pay or compensation. Lastly, I also propose a review of legislation that supports those in a relationship recognised by law and are employed to get a specific percentage of their wages, monthly income, compensation or pension in support of their spouse. I thank you.
HON. CHAIMVURA: Thank you Madam Speaker for allowing me to add my voice to the debate on gender-based violence tabled by Hon. Ndebele, the Acting Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Women Parliamentary Caucus. As part of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, l want to look at the effects of gender-based violence on boys and girls in Zimbabwe.
Gender-based violence (GBV) has significant and long-lasting effects on both girls and boys in Zimbabwe. It refers to harmful acts directed at an individual based on their gender. It includes physical, sexual, psychological, and economic abuse, and can occur in both public and private spaces. In Zimbabwe, GBV is a pervasive issue that affects the well-being and development of children and adolescents.
However, for girls in Zimbabwe, the effects of GBV are particularly
devastating. According to a study conducted by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), approximately 1 in 3 girls in Zimbabwe experience some form of sexual violence before the age of 18 (UNICEF).
This statistic highlights the alarming prevalence of GBV against
girls in the country. The impact of such violence on girls can be profound, leading to physical injuries, unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and long-term psychological trauma. Furthermore, GBV often disrupts the girl child's education and therefore, limits their future opportunities, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and inequality.
Madam Speaker, on the other hand, boys in Zimbabwe also experience the detrimental effects of GBV. While there is less data available specifically on GBV against boys, it is important to recognise that they too are often victims of various forms of violence based on their gender. This includes physical abuse, emotional manipulation, and societal expectations that contribute to toxic masculinity. Such experiences can have lasting consequences on boys’ mental health, relationships, and overall well-being.
The impact of GBV on both girls and boys extends beyond individual suffering to encompass broader social and economic implications. It undermines efforts to achieve gender equality and sustainable development in Zimbabwe by perpetuating cycles of violence and inequality. Addressing GBV requires comprehensive strategies that encompass legal reforms, access to support services for survivors, educational initiatives, and community mobilisation efforts.
In conclusion, gender-based violence has profound effects on both girls and boys in Zimbabwe. The available statistics underscore the urgent need for concerted action to address this pervasive issue and mitigate its far-reaching consequences. I thank you.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. KARIKOGA: I second.
Motion put and agreed.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 31st January, 2024.
On the motion of HON. TSITSI ZHOU, seconded by HON. KARIKOGA, the House adjourned at Half past Four p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 19th December, 2023
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE in the Chair)
MOTION
SUSPENSION OF PROVISIONS OF STANDING ORDERS Nos. 32 (6), 52 (1), 65 (2), 67 (5) AND 137
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): Mr. President, I move that provisions of Standing Orders No. 32 (6), 52 (1), 65 (2), 67 (5) and 137 regarding the reporting of the Parliamentary Legal Committee, the automatic adjournment of the House at Five Minutes to Seven o´clock p.m. on sitting days other than a Friday and Twenty Five Minutes past One o´clock p.m. on a Friday, Private Members motions taking precedence on Thursdays after Question Time and Stages of Bills respectively, be suspended with effect from today and for the next series of sittings in respect of the Finance Bill [H. B.7A, 2023] and Appropriation Bill (2024) [H.B.6, 2023].
Motion put and agreed to.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE
BILLS RECEIVED FROM THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have received the Finance Bill [H. B. 7A, 2023] and Appropriation (2024) Bill [H.B.6, 2023] from the National Assembly.
Second Reading: With leave, forthwith.
SECOND READING
FINANCE BILL [H. B. 7A, 2023]
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): Mr. President, on the 30th November, 2023, I presented to this august House the 2024 National Budget under the theme “Consolidating Economic Transformation”. The 2024 National Budget amounts to ZW$64,2 trillion comprising Vote appropriations of ZW$50,8 trillion and constitutional statutory appropriations totaling ZW$13,4 trillion.
In section 3 of the Appropriation Bill (2023), charges the Consolidated Revenue Fund with a sum of ZW$49,5 trillion which relates to the 2024 Vote appropriation.
Section 4 of the Appropriation (2023), charges returning funds with a sum of ZW$1,3 trillion Zimbabwe dollars which relates to the 2024 Vote appropriations.
Mr. President, the purpose of this Bill is to give effect to the 2024 estimates of expenditure that were presented to the National Assembly. I seek approval for the National Budget of ZW$50,8 trillion to cater for provisions and reforms towards the achievement of Vision 2030. In this regard, the Vote appropriations present an opportunity as guided by Vision 2030 as well as the NDS1. Vote appropriations also seek to ensure realisation of the overall objectives of programmes and projects being implemented by Government under the NDS1.
Mr. President, the successful implementation of the 2024 budget is hinged on the following assumptions. Firstly, that we have normal to below normal rainfall season. This is due to the El Nino effect. I must say I am pleased, Mr. President, that in these last few days, we are seeing some rains. It is pleasing indeed, but we cannot assume that it is now business as usual. It is still business unusual.
Secondly, also assuming that there will be declining ratio commodity prices. Thirdly, we had a slow in the global economy amid even some geo-political tensions that persist. Fourthly, we are assuming that we will continue to use the multi-currency. We already issued an appropriate Statutory Instrument to that effect. It is also in the Finance Bill. Then we will also continue, Mr. President, to exercise tight fiscal and monetary policies and make sure that they are well coordinated.
The budget priorities, Mr. President, focus on again supporting economic growth, the micro economic stability, supporting productive value chains, infrastructure and ICT in the digital economy, the empowering of women, youth and supporting SMEs. It also seeks to support our devolution and decentralisation agenda as a country. The budget will also support the vulnerable, investing in education, health and wellbeing. The budget seeks to support and strengthen our social safety nets, be they pure consumptive social safety nets or productive social safety nets such as the Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme.
The budget seeks to enhance production right across our various sectors of the economy. It seeks to support effective human capital development and innovation capabilities of our citizenry. The budget will also support our image building agenda, engagement and reengagement.
Mr. President, Section 6.1 of the Bill empowers the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion to transfer funds already approved by Parliament through Votes in respect of a functional responsibility transferred between Ministries and departments during the course of the fiscal year.
Section 6.2 of the Bill allows discretion to the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion to transfer funds from the unallocated reserves which appears on the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion’s Vote to any other Vote as and when the need arises in order to meet inescapable expenditures.
Mr. President to support these Vote appropriations, the 2024 national budget statement that I presented did indicate areas where we need to raise additional revenue but giving relief to our citizenry where it is necessary. Starting with the relief measures, Mr. President, for example, I want to highlight the issue of the tax bracket that we have increased the tax bracket for nontaxable bracket in terms of income tax to 75 000 a month and we believe that this will go a long way in supporting our employees right across the board, be they in the Government, be they in the private sector.
We have sought to introduce certain revenue raising measures. For example, one area is that of the introduction of a wealth tax because we sought to simplify the word tax. Ordinarily when you introduce a tax such as wealth tax which is meant to redistribute wealth from those who are more endowed to those who are less endowed, we tend to consider whatever the person owns. It could be the amount of money in their bank account, including the number of houses they own, the number of cars that they own, the number of shares and the value of shares they own on the stock market, all manner of investment. You will consider the total amount of wealth that a person owns, but it is because we want to simplify the process. Since we are introducing this for the first time, we decided it is just cleaner to use the value of their investment in the property sector. That is easy to follow, the data is easy to find. We want to use this as a proxy towards understanding one’s wealth. So primarily, this tax is not really a property tax, it is meant to be a wealth tax but simplified.
I must say after a robust debate, Mr. President, debate is public, it is either consultations and the robust debate in the National Assembly, in the Lower House, we all agreed that the threshold for the wealth tax which is linked to property should be raised from 100 000 to 250 000 below which it is not then administered, but also we recognise that the retirement age should be brought down from 70 to 65 in line with the Government and that the primary dwelling of an individual should not be touched. It is sacrosanct. We only care about property number two, three, four and so on and so forth, but the primary residence is not taxed. So that is on the wealth tax. I thought I should highlight that.
Also, in the budget statement and in the Finance Bill, Mr. President, we sought to introduce a sugar tax. Initially there was an error, I must clarify that, a typing error actually in our statement. It should have been 0.2c per gram of sugar. Mr. President, we want to really deal a blow for this issue called cancer in the sense that the cancer drugs are expensive, cancer machines are expensive. Besides, over consumption of sugar does lead to some of these non-communicable diseases such as cancer. We want to create a cancer fund that will allow us to then acquire the drugs, subsidise drugs, acquire the equipment to support the cancer agenda. Yes, we introduced the sugar tax at 0.2c per gram. It means then if you have let us say a can of 300ml of drink, be it Coca Cola or something else and there are 35g of sugar in it at 0.2c tax per gram, we are going to increase the price of that can of drink by only 7c. We believe that if one is paying an additional 7c for the sake of creating a cancer fund, that is a noble way to spend our taxes or to contribute to the fiscus.
You recall, Mr. President, that years back, we introduced the AIDS levy. We see this as a similar type of scheme. That Aids levy has stood the test of time and has become an example to the world on how we should, as a Government, contribute our finances to financing and responding to the HIV pandemic.
Let me also highlight other revenue programmes, including the increasing of toll fees on our roads. Although this is not in the Finance Act. Usually the way it would happen is it is debated here in Parliament, but we then end up using a Statutory Instrument, in fact use regulations. That is how the law works. Again, we had proposed something and we all felt in the end that perhaps the proposals were rather too high and we have since halved the extent of the increase on our toll fees. We have also halved the extent of the increase on our premium roads. The reason why we need these extra revenues, Mr. President, is to support the budget estimates that we have presented here so that we can revamp our roads, build more roads and we can do road maintenance. We are not very good at road maintenance. We build a beautiful road from Beitbridge to Harare but then in a few days, line maintenance becomes an issue. Why? Because we have not budgeted adequately for it. These toll fees will be ring-fenced for those specific roads so that we are able to then support that kind of expenditure.
Then on the minerals Mr. President. Again, we have sought to make sure that our tax system, through the Finance Bill, we are able to use it to stimulate beneficiation. I will give the lithium example where we are saying the export tax should increase to 6% for any company that does not then beneficiate the lithium to the level of lithium carbonate so that we know that we are maximising on the value of our production resources that we have introduced. We should be concerned about the fact that when these minerals are extracted from those communities, they never go back and that land loses its minerals, they are gone and are never replaced. We are proposing that a 1% community charge be levied to these companies as part of corporate social responsibility for the development of the area from which these minerals are extracted. There is quite a bit in our Finance Bill and we will go through these issues one by one as we debate. Our view is that what we propose in terms of revenue measures including some of the tax measures, should be sufficient to support the expenditures that we are proposing through the Appropriation Bill.
Mr. President, I now move that the Finance Bill, but also the Appropriation Bill be read a second time.
*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Mr. President. My question is directed to the Hon. Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion. The Hon. Minister introduced what is known as sin tax for tobacco smokers. This tax is concerned with health issues. If these funds are deducted, I was suggesting that the funds be directed to where they are supposed to go just like we do with the AIDS levy. The levy is directed to the Ministry of Health instead of the money being kept in the Consolidated Revenue Fund, and if it is directed there, the channels needed to re-route it to the Ministry of Health might take a long time. I thank you.
HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: Thank you Mr. President Sir. I would like to appreciate the clarification the Hon. Minister has made regarding the budget. I have got one or two points to raise, firstly, looking at the budget lines. I realise that employment costs in the past year were on 9.1% and in the current budget, it is proposed to go to 8.8% which is a reduction of 0.3%. Out there, we know very well that our civil servants are mourning for more, teachers for example are crying out that it would be appropriate if their salaries are pegged at 540USD or equivalent.
I wonder whether it is possible for the Hon. Minister, if he has cut cloth elsewhere, could he add it to issues of compensation of civil servants?
Secondly, I realise that the Hon. Minister has set out certain programmes that we enjoy a prescribed assets status, namely infrastructure for health delivery and other infrastructures. I noticed that the big outcry out there in this country is the problem of water delivery in our municipalities and indeed, even in our district councils, the issue of potable water is presenting a problem to this nation. Indeed, water is life as we all know. I wonder whether the Hon. Minister could not include infrastructure for water delivery in local authorities and indeed in rural district councils to be listed to benefit from prescribed assets.
Thirdly, the Hon. Minister talks to issues of the mining industry as the backbone of our economy, together with agriculture of course and then His Excellency the President is pushing very fervently for a two-billion-dollar economy from just mining. One of the facilities that can assist mining in a major way is the metallurgy lab which is just down the road. It is in an appalling state it cannot analyse a lot of minerals and in the process, the country loses opportunities to extract and exploit some of the minerals that we do have. Mr. President, I thank you for this opportunity.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHIKWAKA: Thank you Hon. President of Senate. My question to the Hon. Minister of Finance is on the tax that he wishes to introduce on sugar to those who consume sugar as the AIDS levy was introduced to cater for those who suffer from HIV/AIDS. My question is, yes if we introduce these taxes, I am seeing that we might end up having a problem for us ordinary people. If we look at the ordinary men, they are already heavily taxed, especially in the rural areas. For example, tax to be introduced on houses, it will be a burden to the ordinary citizens because we will keep on burdening the ordinary men. New diseases will continue to come and we will end up introducing tax again for those diseases. The burden then lies on the poor because those who are producing sugar are not affected, the cost is affecting the consumer/the buyer, and they will just add the tax to the cost of the product.
On rented property, the property owners will include that tax on rentals and the ordinary man will continue to suffer. This will lead to price increases because once tax is introduced, everything goes up. I was suggesting that as a country, we must start to industrialise than introducing taxes. The introduction of taxes will continue to affect the poor. Hon. Minister, please help us in clarifying this issue of tax. I thank you Hon. President.
HON. SEN. ZINDI: Thank you Mr. President. I also rise to pose a few questions to the Minister of Finance, Hon. Mthuli. My issue is mostly to do with the strategic reserve. Similarly, like what Hon. Sen. Chikwaka was saying, that we are raising or we are taxing for purposes of catering for the challenges that we are faced with. With regards to this strategic reserve and levies or taxations which are being proposed, what I want to ask the Minister of Finance is that Zimbabwe is on record, I am sure he knows that we have over 60 different minerals. With those 60 different minerals, why do we not look at taxing the investors as they come into this country rather than coming back to the same people to raise revenue in this harsh economic environment?
I am saying so because we have given too much tax rebates and tax havens to the investors as they come into this country. In my own view, that is where we should be focusing on. Yes, I have heard the Minister making reference to the issue of value addition, but we have platinum which has already been mined in this country. I do not know for how many years now. They are still taking and processing that platinum outside this country and yet not being accountable on the extra minerals that are found in that platinum which could also be a source of revenue as well to fund our social services. Why do we not come up with a template where we say for any would be investor that comes into Zimbabwe, for example desiring to invest in mining, this is the template?
Firstly, social responsibility has to be mandatory. I want to give an example of diamond mining in Manicaland. We have had diamond mining Mr. President and I do not know how many years now, but as I am speaking today, the road that leads to Marange where diamonds are being mined has no proper bridge that can allow two cars to pass at the same time, it is a gravel road. We do not have a template as a country that has got so much wealth, but we are not exploiting that wealth as investors come into this country. I am proposing, if it is possible, through you Mr. President, that we need to have a template on corporate social responsibility. We need to remove the tax havens that we give to investors.
Conclusively perhaps, with that in mind, we may not find ourselves coming back to the Zimbabweans, taxing them ivo vatosvinika kare maZimbabweans and we allow the rich who do have the funds to just mine, take and send back the wealth to their homes. That is my proposal, through you Mr. President. I thank you.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: Thank you Mr. President. Mine is a quick one, but it also relates to taxes. First and foremost, I want to acknowledge and agree that for a country to run, it only gets its revenue from the taxes that must come from us the citizens and all the other stakeholders, including the internal mines, internal companies and the external ones. The bottom line is that, we must pay taxes to our Government because it relies on the taxes to run. That is my first contribution.
The second one is on taxation of COVID-19 allowances. I have got no problem with that, but what I want the Minister to clarify is, COVID-19 has been taxed. When it comes to payment of pensions, already, we know there is a tax in local currency. When it comes to payment, is any civil servant going to get two types of monies as pension – one in Zimbabwean dollars and one in United States dollars? I think that clarification will be important.
Lastly, I have a contribution on the passport fees. There are many reasons Mr. President, why somebody needs a passport. One person might need a passport just to show their citizenship that they are Zimbabwean. The other one wants a passport for a work permit outside Zimbabwe. That passport gives him or her a lot of money when they are outside. Leveling the fees of a passport for somebody who is going to Australia for business and my own mbuya who only needs a passport to go and buy milk just across the border, I feel is a bit too much. I suggest that those who can afford to pay a lot of money for a passport, because it will give them tens of thousands of USD outside the country, those people can afford to buy a passport for even a thousand. There are local people - citizens who want to go and visit South Africa for just a day and would not afford to pay USD150 for a passport. Why not peg the passport fee at USD52 for the local citizens who would want to just go and visit and then peg the fee higher, even to two, three, five thousand for those who want to go and make a lot of money? Thank you Mr. President.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: Thank you very much Mr. President. I have a couple of issues to raise. The first one is about beneficiation of our natural resources. We seem to be concentrating on beneficiating lithium only, yet we have black granite in this country which is being mined in Mutoko, Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe (UMP), Mudzi and Rushinga. It does not even come to Harare, it goes straight to Mozambique, raw as it is. Nobody knows what weight that black granite is. When you go to Venice for instance, it appears like the Italians are mining black granite more than Zimbabweans. There is more black granite today in Venice than we have in Zimbabwe. Just like we now have more gold in America than we have in Africa where the gold is mined. Why do we not make sure that we beneficiate everything that is a natural resource in this country so that we only export finished goods? Black granite is selling at a very high price in Venice. Even if you go to Dar es Salam, the new Dar es Salam Hotel is completely built of black granite, when our poor airport is built on imitation black granite. Why do we not get all our natural resources beneficiated?
The next one is timber. In the world, we have hard wood forests and the largest hard wood forest is in Brazil. The next one is in Mozambique and the third one is in Zimbabwe, in your home district Hon Minister. What are we getting out of it? Nothing. Someone is just looting the black granite. I may differ from my colleagues who were a bit against the issue of taxation. Look, we cannot survive on donations, neither can we survive on loans and grants from other nations when our people are building 27 roomed houses yet they can only use a kitchen and a bedroom. What is the benefit of having a 27 bedroomed house when we can live in a three roomed house? If you go to Madagascar for instance, it looks like all the houses are built by one person because they have a standard module in which they live. Likewise, if you go to Rwanda, it is the same thing. What is the point of me having seven or nine vehicles parked in my yard when others are walking on foot, when we do not have medicines in the hospital yet someone owns seven Rolls Royce and seven Mercedes Benz?
I am saying the Sovereign Wealth Fund can be created locally using the money that we see being splashed around in the country. There is too much money. If you go to Mbare for instance, the people you see there do not stay in old bricks. They stay in affluent suburbs and yet their money is not taxed at all. There is the issue of taxing vendors who are very difficult to tax and yet in the olden days in this country, we had cards which were issued by local authorities. Harare had its own card, Masvingo had its own card and so on. Why do we not have one standard vendors card in the country which will make the register of those vendors simple to be managed by the Ministry of Finance because there is a lot of money in vending. Some of us went to school through vending and we are graduates. I am saying we need to standardise certain things and be self-containing in terms of how we develop our country.
There are issues with some of those taxes. When you tax people, they do not see where the money is going. People must see where their money is going. We need to ring-fence those monies so that when you tax people in Mbare, there are good roads there. If it is Mtapa in Gweru, when you tax their houses, they must have ring-fenced money which is going to work on their roads so that they do not move on dust roads where there were tarred roads. This business of throwing all the money into one kit as it were, discourages people from paying taxes and then they feel they are being robbed. My suggestion is that if you want to tax houses, let the money be ring-fenced for Mtapa, if it is Mtapa. If it is Sakubva, it must be Sakubva. The people of Sakubva must see where their money is going.
The issue of corporate social responsibility in this country is voluntary. We do not have a law that forces people to be involved in corporate social responsibility. Why can we not have a law that makes sure that those people who are exploiting our natural resources are forced by law to do corporate social responsibility in addition to the taxes that my colleagues have spoken about in this House? If you go to them today, they will tell you that we are paying taxes to Government, so there is no need for us to work on the roads. What I am suggesting is that we need to realise that Zimbabwe is a rich country already but we need to make sure that those riches are directed where they are supposed to be directed.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to say a few issues pertaining to our Budget. First and foremost, I want to thank the Minister who brought this Budget Bill to this august House. I agree with you Minister that as Zimbabwe, taxes have to be there. When I say I agree on that issue, I have other issues that I want to talk about because we ought to have strategies on how we want to manage the taxes. If it is not done, you will find that at the end of the day, we have nowhere to go or what to do. There will be no development as most of the time we will be consumed by talking and negotiating all the time.
The Minister talked about the toll fees. I agree that toll fees have to be in place. In some cases, there are people who live around those tollgates and they pass through the tollgate three or four times a day. Some even go through the tollgate to look for their cattle or pass through the tollgate to fetch their inputs from nearby towns. I think there should be an exemption or a reduced fee for the locals so that they can do their errands unhindered. Still on tollgates, you find that there is a tollgate just when you enter Masvingo and another one as you leave Masvingo. The tollgates are within a distance of 20km in-between. I think there should be a relook on that one.
Apart from the tollgates, I also want to add my voice on the minerals. There are some people who come genuinely looking for a specific mineral but at the end of the day, they go away with that specific mineral without anything that has been done to it, yet they know that it contains other minerals. There is much need for us as a country to look into that issue. There are so many people today who are coming into our country, as you know, we have a lot of coal, but within coal, you will find that we have other hidden minerals that need to be extracted before these people take it away but because they are making a raw deal, no one will ever ask them, they are the ones who benefit.
There is also the issue of community beneficiation, our communities are benefiting nothing from the minerals that are being extracted. There is also the issue of indigenisation which I do not think proceeded as planned, whereby the custodian of that issue was given to local chiefs. Ten percent of the minerals is supposed to go towards developing local communities, but that does not happen. As a result, nothing goes towards our communities. It could be a miner just wishes to build a pre-school or a classroom block after extracting our minerals, there is need to look into these issues holistically in order to increase our taxes rather than over-burdening the disadvantaged. People end up not benefiting due to some of these issues.
Lastly, Mr. President, there is the issue of seizure of goods. You recall that I come from the border of Zimbabwe, that is Beitbridge. I would urge the Hon. Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion to look into the issue of seized goods. It seems as though there is no definite period whereby these goods should be held before being auctioned, auctions are done haphazardly. There is need for these goods to have a definite time and pricing. When goods are seized, the person whose goods have been seized will go to find money but if the seized item is wanted by a friend or relative, by the time the owner returns, he or she will not find the goods due to lack of time limit. There should also be a standard of how the auctions are held.
Mr. President, there are goods that have been seized since 2018 and are currently still within Government warehouses. Some of the goods have been eaten by rodents and others have rotten. If at all these things had been done properly, our Government would have benefited from them because they belong to no one. The goods cannot have owners especially after being kept in the warehouse for up to five or six years. It seems as though they are just goods that have been thrown away but are still in our warehouses.
Mr. President, I would go on and on, but once again, I thank the Hon. Minister for crafting a way for us to put our views forward. With these few words Mr. President, I thank you.
HON. SEN. SHIRI: Thank you very much Hon. President and thank you Hon. Minister for tabling such an inclusive budget. May I take this opportunity Hon. Minister, to remind you that in June, 2021, His Excellency the President launched the Disability Policy that proposes the facilitation of a disability levy. The fund was supposed to be funded through the sale of fuel.
Hon. Minister, you also introduced a raft of tax measures to the proposed 0.03% tax policy that would be obtained from the sale of fuel to go towards infrastructural development, together with the Wealth Fund, which is commendable. What about the Disability Levy Hon Minister? When will this fund be operationalised? What does it take for such a tax policy to be put in place? Hon. Minister, may you also extend exemption fees for persons living with disabilities who own their own cars? Some persons living with disabilities cannot rely on public transport because it is not easily accessible to them. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Thank you Mr. President Sir. I would like to thank the Hon. Minister for giving us that good budget. I have three comments that I wish the Hon. Minister to look into. I think in order for the Zimbabwe Dollar to strengthen, we need to back it up using our natural resources, as has already been alluded to by my colleagues. We have close to 60 types of minerals in this country, so if that were to be done, it would save us a lot of challenges.
My other point is, is it possible to tax Zimbabwean citizens living in the diaspora, because other countries do that? Unless, of course, if they have renounced their Zimbabwean citizenship, then they will be exempt. Also, I am not sure if I am correct, are our teachers who went to Rwanda paying local tax or they are paying tax in Rwanda? I thank you.
*HON. SEN. MBOHWA: Thank you Mr. President. I would like to thank Hon. Prof. Ncube, the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion for presenting the Finance Bill. When the Bill was presented, we noticed a lot of issues. However, I would like to appreciate that when the Minister was reading the Second Reading speech, he corrected a number of issues which shows that he is a listening Minister.
However, we continue to plead with you Hon. Minister; the cake is small, yet there are a lot of Ministries and departments which need to feed on the small cake. His Excellency the President said that nyika inovakwa nevene vayo…
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order! May I remind Hon. Members to put their phones on silence or better switch them off.
*HON. SEN. MBOHWA: I was saying that His Excellency said nyika inovakwa nevene vayo. We need to embrace this statement and understand that this is the way we need to go for us to resuscitate the economy, making it a vibrant one. I believe that as Zimbabweans, we need to give out input and assist the Hon. Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion so that His Excellency’s Vision of resuscitating the economy is achieved.
Mr. President, Zimbabwe is a rich country. I have been to so many countries and I have noticed that Zimbabwe surpasses other countries in terms of its wealth. However, our money is being siphoned out and not going through the fiscus. There are many latest and luxurious cars in the country which you may not find in other countries like South Africa. If you get into towns, the consumption of food in expensive restaurants is quite amazing. You wonder where people are getting the money from. Even the fashionable trends in Zimbabwe’s towns are also quite amazing. Zimbabwe is endowed with a lot of minerals and other resources. So, there is great need to work with the Minister of Finance to see how money is being channeled through different sources, and that the money goes through the fiscus in order to resuscitate the economy.
What was said by Hon. Sen. Zindi is indeed true. We have more than 60 minerals in the country and there is need for beneficiating such minerals so that we benefit as a nation first before exporting, instead of importing raw ore.
It was mentioned that there are so many rich people referred to as Mbinga in the various communities who are not remitting taxes. These Mbingas have luxurious houses on mountain tops, some of them destroy mountains to construct their mansions, so there is need to tax them. Average citizens build their average houses which accommodate their families, so there is need for taxing such luxurious properties.
I also want to say the sugar levy indeed had amazed us when it was mentioned, but after clarification, it then became clear to us what it means and we understood that. It is important that Zimbabwean locally produced products should be correctly priced. The 0,02% that we are charging, you find people charging 10% on cheap products. As Zimbabweans, we have a norm of charging 100% on all goods despite the cost of production. If sugar had a marked price from Triangle, with the Coca-Cola that we are taking, it means the 2% is lower than the figure that is being charged. So, there is need for us to work with the Hon. Minister so that the money that is being realised from minerals is taxed.
Looking at fuel prices, the percentages are negligible, they are not quite big margins, but what raises them is the mentality of Zimbabweans who, when they hear about the 0,02% rise, they hike prices by five dollars. So, it is important for us to work together with the Hon. Minister.
Hon. Minister, I want to thank you. I am a leader in the Women’s Caucus in Parliament, and it is important that I mention that we appreciate that you increased our Vote as Women’s Caucus. Through you Mr. President, women constitute 52% of the population of Zimbabwe. Women are the ones who brought gender equality after noting the gender imbalance. Therefore, sometimes I will be afraid that the budget might not consider the gender imbalance in terms of allocation of opportunities. Looking at the fact of who contributes to the fiscus; let me digress a little bit; if you want a country to develop, it is important to empower a woman. So, my plea is that may you empower us as women so that we have working spaces where we will be taxed. It might help different women, some maybe helped by the construction of industry companies.
Every five years, the number of women representations in Parliament is going down. The reason is that women are poor, because election requires a lot of women. However, what do we do then when the budget does not address the gender imbalance? During elections, those who vote are women, which shows that women are the majority…
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order! Hon. Mbohwa, do not code switch, choose the language you want to debate in, please stick to one language.
*HON. MBOHWA: I was saying, we do not give each other positions as women because politics is supported by money. It is important for women to be empowered through the Women’s Bank. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs should be capacitated with enough funding so that women are empowered. You find that most small to medium business enterprises are in the hands of women. When you go to such small to medium enterprises, this is where most people are employed. We appreciate the allocation you gave us, but we would not mind in terms of funding. Last year the issue of Parliament, if you are called an Hounourable Member, you have the crown of the nation. However, you find yourself being chased away from hotels, something which is quite embarrassing because people will laugh at you. Indeed, people have laughed at me, this is an embarrassment to the nation. Parliament needs to be funded, it should have money for operations, funds which should be there three months in advance. As I speak, sitting allowances for Hon. Members from the last Parliament have not been paid. You find that as a parent, you cannot do anything for the festive season during Christmas because Hon. Members have not been paid. Some have to pay rentals, but their monies have not been paid, now it is six months. When Parliamentarians work with proper motivation and incentives, they are able to expedite their duties with due diligence.
Mr. President, I am not just talking, but we have Hon. MPs who hike to their constituencies on Thursdays. Some hiked in large haulage trucks and this is embarrassing. It is important that this is addressed. I want to thank the Hon. Minister because he listens and he has corrected a lot of issues. Indeed, I thank you.
+HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: Thank you Hon. President of the Senate. I have a few questions and ideas that I want to share on the budget. I took a tour around Matabeleland South in the past few days before the falling of the rains. What I noticed is that we do not have water sources, we do not have dams, and we are in a dry province. In Ward 1, there is a dam called Dubangwe Dam. I have been calling those from ZINWA, I feel that the dam is under utilised. I would want to remind the Hon. Minister of the President’s mantra of having an upper-middle class economy by 2030. For us to have enough water, first of all water sources will help us.
Mr. President, the irrigation schemes that we have so far are not enough, they outnumber the irrigation schemes that we have. What I noticed is that we are known in Matebeleland South by the President as a cattle ranching province. We do not have enough water in that province. In the past few weeks, farmers were losing livestock due to starvation and this was perpetuated by the shortage of water. I know that the problem is not for Matabeleland South only, there are other provinces - throughout the whole region of Matabeleland which do not have enough water. Bulawayo is currently getting its water supply from Mzingwane Dam. Even in Matabeleland North, people are also crying because of the death of livestock due to water shortage. Minister, I pray that devolution funds be channeled to water sources. As for the dam which is in Matopo, if you have this mantra of having an upper-middle class economy, why do we have to fetch water from the dam? You should have piped water so that we can have a developed lifestyle in Matabeleland.
Mr. President, as for now, there was not enough water, the dams were full of mud. We are asking you Hon. Minister to attend to the water issue in Matabeleland South. People in Matabeleland are very active, they are not lazy people, they are hard workers. I can give you an example that in Matopo, we have Matopo National Game Park. The road which goes to the game park is in bad state, there are a lot of potholes. You cannot drive on that road. May you look into that issue so that cars that are coming from South Africa and Botswana can pass through Matopo to Bulawayo.
On the issue of tollgates, the charges should remain at two dollars so that we upgrade our roads because there are a lot of accidents along this road that are caused by these potholes. In Matabeleland, we also have a shortage of electricity. A lot of development is going on, especially on infrastructure. People are building houses in Gwanda and Matopo. We want enough electricity in Matabeleland South or if there can be a fund so that people can install solar for themselves.
My last plea is that we have the Grain Marketing Board, is it possible that maize be consumed in the same province? We have noted that there are a lot of trucks that are carrying grains from the irrigation farms and people are left behind starving. Thank you Mr. President.
HON. SEN. S. MOYO: Thank you Mr. President of the Senate. I thank the Minister of Finance also who is present when we are discussing the budget for 2024. People everywhere are crying and this is perpetuated by the fact that we are suffering in Zimbabwe. Everyone wishes that things be operational and go according to plan.
I will look into three issues. First of all, I will look into healthcare. I am really worried and pained by the issue that this country is rich with a lot of resources but our hospitals, specifically with mention of Matabeleland South, the people in hospitals are crying a lot and those in diaspora are trying to construct clinics. Even though these clinics have been constructed, we also want to know if there is a law that can assist us on how we can access medicines after constructing these clinics. We do not have enough medication in the clinics. We also note that there are no ambulances that can ferry people from their homes to the hospitals.
Last week when I was coming from my rural area in Plumtree, I found a lady walking with a 19-year-old daughter and they had been discharged from hospital. They were told that they need to go home but there was no ambulance to ferry them. When I arrived at Plumtree, there were about ten ambulances which were parked. All these ambulances were down and others do not have tyres, their engines were down.
On the ambulances, you could see that they need a little attention so that they can be attended to and start working. It is not only in the hospitals where we do not have enough vehicles, but there are vehicles in the Government that are taken for auction. Other vehicles stay for a long time idle and they say that they are broken down vehicles. They are being sold for peanuts. Can we not be able to sell these cars and take the funds to procure ambulances so that we can have medication in the hospitals?
There is also an irrigation at Gampu. There was a child who was bitten by a snake. There is a clinic that is 100 metres away from that place, but when he got to that clinic, he could not be assisted because there was no medication even staff. We want more staff to be recruited especially the nurses. This child that I am talking about did not get assistance and unfortunately, he was buried on Sunday. This was as a result of failing to get medication at the clinic and there were no nurses there.
I want to talk about mines. I have heard a lot of Hon. Senators mentioning that our country is rich in resources but what pains me is that if you go to other countries and tell them to come to Zimbabwe, they will take you as a joke. We see machinery everyday coming through the border and the mines are being opened. I really wonder what these mines mine that we do not get in this country when in this budget we talk of mines.
On Hwange Colliery, I believe that the Minister knows that Hwange Colliery has a lot of machinery that broke up before it was used. I believe that these machines are from Russia or China but are they paid for in full? The miners that are working in the mines say that they have not been paid for. I also want to know whether it is possible that they get this money to revive our mining industry. We see a lot especially on the budget of mines and transport that when the funds are released, do they go through the previous budget to see whether it was used effectively?
The money that has been disbursed is very little compared to the money that is needed for these mines. Does the Audit know that these funds that were released were disbursed and used accordingly? I feel that we have got a big problem especially in the Ministry of Mines. There is a lot of corruption in the Ministry of Mines. For example, when the cars are being auctioned, those cars are not bought by the poor but by those in managerial positions because they are the ones that are able to pay for them. They are supposed to pay up to $80 000 but they only pay $1 000 knowing that the car would be worth a lot more than that. We feel that the Minister should look into this and put his office in order.
On the issue of transport, it is really painful looking specifically at borders. Matabeleland South. SADC trucks are moving day and night, causing accidents. They are carrying machinery from Zambia, Malawi and others, do they have permits so that they pay to refurbish our roads? These trucks are damaging roads and we will not have money to maintain our roads. We also have the Malaichas who are from the diaspora, Manicaland, Chipinge, Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North and Bulawayo who travel using their cars. I want to know where the money they pay is being taken to. We also want to benefit from the money that they pay so that we maintain our roads which are dilapidated. This will assist our citizens from Matabeleland and other provinces to have passable roads.
I also heard one Honourable Member saying that with the drought we are facing currently, there are seeds that you are giving people to plant. There is a traditional way where we used to plant before the introduction of Pfumvudza/Intwasa. What amazes me is that our elders are now suffering from backaches, where are the tractors for ploughing which we used to get from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture? Can you resuscitate that programme so that people do not go back to digging? Here in Parliament, we heard Hon. Members saying that the Minister has been given USD500 000 and the Deputy Minister USD350 000 but there are no medicines in hospitals. Why do you not look at this as we do not have medicines in hospitals, as our senior officials? We say our economy is not performing well but we have got a lot money that we give precedence to other issues.
With these few words, I am disappointed to hear that some people in Zimbabwe are lazy. If I want a stand, it costs USD13 000. After building that house it takes me years to complete. Why do we have to charge exorbitant figures for the land that we call ours? Taking a closer look there is a former Minister who had more than 200 stands, which I do not understand if he had paid for them or they were issued for free. However, if they were paid, where were these funds acquired from? Thank you.
HON. SEN. NCUBE: Thank you Mr. President. I would like to thank the Minister of Finance for crafting a transformative budget, under very difficult circumstances. It must be appreciated that as Zimbabwe, we are under sanctions. It means that everything we do, we have got to rely on ourselves.
I would like to comment, particularly on revenue lines, the tax-free threshold. In actual fact, wider than that Hon. Minister, through our President, where we have got the tax-free threshold as Z$750 000.00. Would it not be possible to actually benchmark the Zimbabwean dollar component within the budget to the USD because we see that every Tuesday, the inter-bank rate changes. What does that do to the buying parity of the Zimbabwean dollar? That is one.
I would also like to appreciate the fact that there is a provision to build 500 dip-tanks country-wide in this budget, but every dip-tank must be accompanied by a borehole because I have seen a situation where people have got to ferry water 10 km to the dip-tank. Hon. Minister, just make sure that we integrate the construction of a dip-tank with that of a borehole.
You have also made a provision to buy or acquire a thousand buses over a period of time, 4 to 5 years, in order to assist in terms of transportation issues. Hon. Minister, if we actually want to decongest cities, particularly Harare, the addition of more buses is not the solution, without taking care of the routes of strategic planning within the city. What I have noticed is that some of the roads are already saturated and you find that it becomes even more convenient to use mushika-shikas or even the combis which are very dangerous.
If you add more buses for inter-city travels, that is ok but for de-congesting crowded areas like Harare, we need to look at this a bit more deeply. We need to introduce bus-rapid transit as the solution. We have seen it being introduced in Cape Town, Cairo, Casa Blanca even in Lagos, it works. The transport efficiencies in Harare are actually going down. So if you add more buses, which actually increase the grid-lock, you actually reduce efficiencies.
Hon. Mbohwa was very passionate about gender issues. If you travel through Harare around 10 p.m., women will still be waiting for transport to go home and they will be expected again tomorrow at 0800 a.m. at work. We need to look at this in terms of the requirements, which are necessary in improving transportation services. It is just like a cake, there are a number of requirements which are needed. Pushing in more buses is not the solution without looking at other demands and they are a number which I can touch on very quickly. Reliability, accessibility, integrated roads, integrated network et cetera. Those have got to be looked at very carefully. There is space for that in Harare but transport is a nightmare. Accidents are many because of the indiscipline of kombis and mushika-shikas. That is an area which needs improvement. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: Thank you Mr. President for the opportunity to contribute towards the 2024 National Budget which was presented by the Minister of Finance, Hon. Prof. Ncube. Firstly, I want to thank the Hon. Minister for the various taxes which were proposed so that the Government can fund its different programmes in line with fulfilling Vision 2030 which will give every Zimbabwean a decent livelihood.
Secondly, I concur with Hon. Mbowa on what His Excellency said that a country is built by its people, especially pooling resources for building the economy of Zimbabwe. I want to talk about the sugar levy which will be beneficial to those who suffer from cancer. Cancer is indeed a scourge and you find that among other diseases like diabetes and cancer, people are suffering because of over indulgence in sugar. You find it is difficult for some to access healthcare, particularly those who come from rural areas. Some come to us as Hon. Members facing different ailments and chronic diseases and the Member of Parliament might not be in a position to assist.
I believe that the AIDS levy has been beneficial to a lot of people, which culminated in the procuring of different medication. You find that the prevalence of HIV/AIDS has gone down because of the funding which comes through the levy. I believe the same can happen through the sugar levy which will be channeled towards cancer. This should happen and I say that this tax is going to help people who suffer from cancer which does not select, even Hon. Members have also been affected by cancer. So, I want to propose that if that money is collected, then it should be channeled properly to those who are suffering from cancer.
I also went through the budget as well as the taxing of luxurious houses costing US$250 000. Indeed, the Minister raised the bracket in a meaningful manner because this is found mostly in our urban areas where you find service delivery being affected by opposition politicians who are running urban councils. So, the Hon. Minister proposed something which should uplift our urban centres because service delivery has been deteriorating.
We want to appreciate the Hon. Minister’s proposal which is meant to uplift our urban centres. At the moment, especially during the rain season, it is difficult to travel because there are a lot of potholes and the drainage system is not working properly. Sometimes you have to wait for the rains to subside because the drainage is poor and people face challenges when going to work. Having observed all that, I want to thank the Minister and I propose that when the money is collected, people should understand and see tangible results of how the money would have been used.
I also want to look at the Parliament budget. The Hon. Minister increased the Vote allocated to Parliament from the initial proposal, but looking at the operations of Parliament, we have external assignments where we engage with the people we represent. We have consultations which are done and all these things need to be funded, and there is need to continually increase the budget so that we meet people we represent. There is also need for us to be properly funded so that we execute our duties. We need induction and hearings, including other programmes that are done outside Parliament Building. Parliament is one of the three arms of the State, together with the Executive and Judiciary, so we need to work to fulfill the national duties.
Again, you find that we have staff and there is need for proper remuneration of Parliament staff because it is their own source of livelihoods and this will help them because Parliament employees depend on Parliament and the welfare of parliamentarians should be looked into. Hon. Sen. Mbohwa mentioned that you find Hon. Members failing to have proper accommodation, and sometimes some people do not even recognise the former Members of Parliament because they cannot even afford decent clothing for themselves. It is important to have loans for building houses so that once you are an MP you build your own house. We do not want a situation where former MPs do not have houses and they live like destitutes. So, may the Hon. Minister relook and reconsider the Vote allocated to workers and Members of Parliament in the budget.
Hon. Minister, I want to appreciate that indeed, you are working to improve the economy of Zimbabwe. People might be pained by the taxes, but looking at the different countries, you find that taxes that are paid might even be lower than the taxes we have here. It is important that such taxes are paid so that we meet Vision 2030. With those words, I want to believe that the Hon. Minister is going to consider some of the points. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank you Hon. Senator, please remember that you address the Hon. Minister through the Chair.
+HON. SEN. RICHARD NDLOVU: Thank you Mr. President for the opportunity that you have given me to add my own views on the 2024 Budget that was presented by Hon. M. Ncube before this august House.
First of all, I would like to thank my fellow Hon. Members who contributed before me to the salient issues of this budget. Worldwide taxes are paid. Taxation is something that exists and it is usually uncomfortable, but it is done such that every country can develop and it is also a means of making sure that people develop their own country.
When you are talking about the budget, you are discussing issues that relate to the development of the country. Looking at the budget, a lot of issues have been mentioned, but I do not want to repeat these issues.
An Hon. Member having passed between the Chair and the Hon. Member speaking
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order! Sen. Gotora go that way.
+HON. SEN. RICHARD NDLOVU: People are suffering in different provinces. I will give an example of Matabeleland North. There is a lot of timber that is being harvested in Tsholotsho and Lupane, but I do not know what is happening. Community members just see big trucks carrying timber from Lupane and Tsholotsho and are told that these trucks belong to high ranking officials and Ministers, but the residents in these places do not get anything. There is no proper development that is being done in these areas. Does the Minister take note of such things? What is the Minister’s efforts on developing the areas from where this timber is being taken and also improving the lives and the livelihoods of these people?
I come from Matabeleland South. We have a boundary with Hwange National Park. We also have a boundary with Botswana. We are a tourist country and we have a lot of wild animals. Elephants have left the national park and have escaped to Botswana. There are now a lot of elephants in Botswana. Even to travel around the area, the elephants come to our dams in Plumtree and they finish all the water in these dams. What measures do you have in place Minister? There used to be electric fences in these game parks to reduce the human wildlife conflict, but for now, these animals are just moving around freely. Elephants have a lot of freedom. They graze until they get to Plumtree and harm people. What are we saying as a country? We do not want to hear that people perish or are being killed by these wild animals.
An Hon. Member having passed between the Chair and the Hon. Member speaking.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order Minister! Please go back. You cannot cross the line between the Hon. Member and myself. You can pass through behind him.
+HON. RICHARD NDLOVU: I wanted the Minister to take note of what I was saying, I wanted to say it in his presence. Talking about these elephants that have become troublesome, they are breaking open the granaries. Every day, they break into people’s huts and even get buckets of water out. These are the animals that bring a lot of money into the country, but we do not take note that we are supposed to prepare sanctuaries for these animals such that we can enjoy the money that they bring into this country.
In Plumtree, we do not have anything. There are only elephants, but we do not even have water. There are small dams that when the elephants come to drink the water, they finish all the water at once. We want them to erect electric fences so that elephants can remain in their and do not come into contact with human life.
We have the country’s Beitbridge border post which everyone is applauding, for its majestic construction, but where I come from, the Maitengwe border which was constructed in 1995 to 2000, our neighbouring country constructed a tarred road to the border post. We only constructed a border post before a tarred road. There is no tarred road such that people just come and get money from there. Could we not prioritise the Maitengwe Border Post and also the road that leads to Maitengwe Border Post as it passes through Mahlambuzi, Tekwane, Dokotele until Plumtree so that even the tourists from the diaspora would not have their wonderful cars damaged when they are on their way coming to Zimbabwe because they bring with them, a lot of foreign currency to this country? You are not taking note of the roads that they are using. We are asking for the Hon. Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion to look into this issue because it portrays a good future for the country and we will therefore enjoy the future.
Also coming to the taxes which the Minister has mentioned, we are accepting them, but we want to know are these taxes being used effectively or they are being abused? If you look at Harare City, it has a population of over 1 000 000 people, but if we say US$10 each, how much can the Minister make? Looking at the roads that are in Harare, we are asking that the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion be a supervisor and overseer to make sure that the funds that are allotted to different Ministries and the departments of the Government, whether these monies are being effectively used or they are being abused. If the oversight role was being done by the Minister, we could have seen that our cities would have had a great difference.
As I have mentioned, the Beitbridge border post is an example of great construction and effective use of funds. Everyone is admiring that place, but in some places, there are a lot of indicators that funds are not being used effectively. There is a lot of abuse of funds. I am appealing to the Minister to look into this.
We accept and applaud you for preparing such a budget, but we want to make sure that everyone does not abuse his or her office and money is not abused. I will not repeat what has been said already. I want to thank the Hon. Minister for presenting such a brilliant budget. Thank you Mr. President.
+HON. SEN. CHIEF NGUNGUMBANE: Thank you Hon. President of the Senate for this opportunity to add my voice to this budget. A lot has been mentioned and I will not repeat. My first point to the Hon. Minister is, I thank the Hon. Minister and his team for doing such a good job and for bringing this budget. I thank him for listening to us. When this budget was prepared a few weeks back, there was a lot of issues when it comes to taxation that people were supposed to pay. I want to thank you for listening to the concerns of the people.
I have quite a number of issues that I would like to talk about. The first issue would be that you presented your budget in Zimbabwean dollars. I would want to buttress the point by Hon. Sen. Mackenzie that every week we have the auction system where they will be valuing our currency against the US dollar. It is not possible to tell us the value of the budget in US dollar. In some areas, people do not understand such issues. We have services that are only paid in US dollars and here the budget is presented only in Zimbabwean dollar. We would want you to tell us the amount of the budget in US dollars. There are some services that only require US dollars, why not pay for the services in Zimbabwean dollars at the current prevailing bank rate? The other issue is of the stadium. You promised us that you would refurbish the National Sports Stadium and install the bucket seats that are required by the FIFA Board and CAF.
Mr. President, it is really embarrassing that such a country like Zimbabwe, with a lot of minerals and such intelligent people, the national team is said to go and use Rwanda as its home ground. That on its own does not portray the image of Zimbabwe well. I want to thank you Hon. Minister; we have failed so far to play other games in this country because of this issue. I want to applaud you for your effort of refurbishing the stadium. Looking at other grounds which were constructed a long time back, grounds like Rufaro, Gwanzura, you would ask yourself if it is still a football pitch or it is now a farm because the weeds have overgrown the lawn. What measures do you have Hon. Minister, of developing the infrastructure even other recreational services? Gone are the days where we used to take sports as recreation facilities whereby we would be just having fun. Sports can be likened to an industry. If you take a look at the rich people in this country or in the world, they are from the sports fraternity. If you look at the boxers - Tyson, the money that he earns for one round, all the Senators here, our salaries cannot match with the money he gets and this shows the importance of Sports, Arts and Culture.
Arts and culture are not just for recreation where people will just go and meet up for socialisation and where people just do traditional dances and go back. Our people get opportunities to be employed, get income and mingle with other high-profile artists. This encourages and gives them better ideas.
Still on the point of grounds and football pitches, there is an outcry on the problem of ownership. Most of our grounds that belong to local authorities, only the National Sports Stadium, Magamba and Khumalo are the ones that belong to the Government.
Mr. President, if you look at the people that use these grounds, they have to pay taxes, if I am not mistaken, out of the gate-takings, they pay 32% for example in a football match. If there is a match between Dynamos and CAPS here in Harare, ZIFA will take 6%, PSL will take 15%, SRC will take part of the percentage. The police will take their part also. Police are part of the uniformed forces or security forces and their role is to protect citizens in the country including the people that go to these recreational facilities. Amazingly, those that were there before us saw it fit that the police, when they go to the recreational facilities, are supposed to be paid. I feel that this is not correct, a police officer is supposed to do his duty accordingly.
We know that there are challenges in getting money but even the money that is paid there is not enough, including this 32%. There are other responsibilities that have to be paid for, for example transporting players and so on. We are kindly asking you Hon. Minister to critically analyse these levies that are paid as gate-takings. The Hon. Minister must take sports as an industry not as just recreation. I am not sure of the year where Dynamos was supposed to play with CAPS at City Sports Stadium but when they got there, they found out that the ground had been hired by Prophet Magaya. If we built a ground, what is its priority? Is it for the one with money or it is for the one who wants to do sports and some form of recreation? This should be looked into.
There are a lot of things Hon. President, there is also the issue of borders. This has been mentioned a lot, especially the good work that the Government has done. If you go to these borders, we are facing challenges of smuggling. What measures is the Minister taking pertaining to curbing the issue of smuggling? The income that could have been obtained by the Government from the goods that are smuggled is very high. If we relax on protecting our borders, we will end up giving our enemies an idea that we are easy to be penetrated for attack. I want to encourage the Minister of Finance, Hon. Ncube to prioritise the protection of our borders and make sure that porous points are taken care of.
There are issues of road network. The Minister of Finance has brought before this House ways and measures that he wanted to use to develop our roads using the money from the Government fiscus. We thank the Government for the Beitbridge-Bulawayo Road. The Government has constructed the road and it is very nice. However, Mr. President, there are some other roads that were included in the budget which were not attended to. If I recall well, the Minister said that they cannot do this all alone. They said they will find partners to work with in developing these roads. I wanted to know Mr. President, what is the position pertaining to obtaining partnership and also working with other companies with respect to the rehabilitation of the other roads that have not yet been attended to? There is only one road that comes to my mind, the Buchwa-Rutenga Road.
When we grew up, we were told that this road will be tarred but only a piece of the road was tarred around 5km or 6km. To-date from 1980s, nothing has happened. That road is important when goods are being transported from Chikwarakwara to Rutenga and taken to Zvishavane. This road is shorter and quick also. It even lightens the load and shortens the travelling distance taken by transport. It reduces traffic load in other roads. I appeal to the Hon. Minister to look into this issue.
I will go on to the issue of electricity. We witnessed that we once had a time that we have electricity and now we are back to power cuts. They once went to attend to the power plants in Hwange which is sometimes on and off. This might be a sign that these machines might be old. For these machines to operate now, it costs a lot to us. I now want to ask the Minister…
[Time Limit.]
The Hon. Minister once said they will be working with independent power producers. What is your position pertaining to this issue? I have been asked by other chiefs from Midlands to enquire on the issue.
I cannot take my seat without mentioning the issues around history or heritage. There is a Vote on the national chiefs’ council which was passed by this House in 2013. It is almost 10 years now since the vote has been passed. There is no clarity Mr. President on how this money is being used. If you look at the Chiefs’ Council at the Appropriation Bill, we have got what we call Independent Bodies, Human Rights, National Chiefs Council, National Peace and Reconciliation et cetera. They have a department that looks into the Vote of the Chiefs’ Council. I want to know Mr. President, when is this Vote going to be given to its appropriate people? It is almost 10 years now.
I remember the other year when Minister Chinamasa was the Minister of Finance, we almost failed to pass this Bill because this Vote was not mentioned in the Appropriation Bill. I want to know Mr. President, when would this Vote be fulfilled. Where there would be secretariat that looks into the tasks and duties of the Chiefs’ Council.
Mr. President, I would also want to discuss on the issues of welfare of all the citizens in Zimbabwe. We thank the Minister for the good work that you are doing. We know that your hands are tied, you do not have enough resources but you are expected to cover every possible area that the Budget is supposed to cover including the civil service, the Members of Parliament and everyone else. The 2030 vision of the President that no one and no place should be left behind, we need someone to champion the President’s vision.
For the vision of the President to be fulfilled, the civil servants are supposed to be motivated and have enough energy to move on. I do not know how civil servants are surviving. I honestly ask myself, from the beginning of the month to the end of it, that person goes to work, pays rentals and a lot of things. We know that there is not enough money but we would want you to look into the salary that you pay the civil servants, including our chiefs, kraal heads and village heads. For the first time, Minister I want to thank you. You gave the chiefs, kraal heads and the village heads bonuses. This is the first time and we want to thank you for this. Let it not be only an issue of this year, we want it to be always done.
Did you know Hon. Minister that if you are going to have review for the civil servants’ salaries, the chiefs and the traditional leaders are not recognised until the chiefs in this House alert you. We appeal to you Hon. Minister, that may the chiefs be given what is due to them. I know that my time is up but I want to talk about the welfare of MPs and the staff of Parliament…
THE DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order! Your time has expired. Thank you very much Hon. Sen. Chief Sen. Ngungumbane.
*HON. SEN. MUZODA: Thank you Mr. President for affording me this opportunity to contribute to the 2024 National Budget which was brought to this august House by the Minister of Finance. I want to say a few words about the Budget, looking at mining. Indeed, we agree that Zimbabwe has over 60 minerals which can contribute to the sustenance of the day to day operations of Government. The challenge that we face is that the extraction of these minerals is done by foreign companies. I want to ask the Minister whether we have a law which looks at foreign investors and miners?
Sometimes we see trucks full of mineral ore from different mines crossing our border into Mozambique. Do we have a law which helps us as a nation to see whether we have an inventory of the minerals that we have? I want to ask the Hon. Minister to look at this issue because we have a lot of raw minerals leaving the country without any beneficiation. I want to add by saying everyone knows that every mineral is associated with other minerals which are found in our soils. You cannot find one mineral, but you find different minerals. If we extract raw platinum and ferry it to South Africa without processing, who benefits from that process? Is it the Zimbabwean people or the miner who is exporting the mineral ore?
I want to say a few words on devolution. Since 2013, we have seen people being elected into provincial councils, but they do not take their positions. Government is saying that we need devolution. People are elected into provincial councils, but they are not given the task of exercising their duties in the provincial councils. Who is taking over their responsibilities?
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order. You are asking a very important and topical issue. That issue does not reside with the Minister of Finance. That is actually an issue which resides with the Minister of Local Government. You should ask it at the relevant time. They will give you an explanation I am very sure.
*HON. SEN. MUZODA: I thought that since we are discussing the budget, it might be necessary to get an explanation. I want to come back to the welfare of civil servants. Indeed, my colleagues in this House have mentioned it that Government does not know how civil servants are surviving. This is painful because corruption starts with underpaying workers. You expect them to come to work everyday, but you do not pay them well. They earn meagre salaries which cannot pay their rentals. In most urban areas, there is no accommodation which is less than $100 a room per month. This is quite concerning.
I want to say that the monies that are being given to civil servants and Members of Parliament are very little. The RTGS component is only meant for doing shopping at OK supermarket. Our request is that please look at the plight of Members of Parliament because the money that they are getting is quite meagre as you know that our exchange rate is very unstable. You cannot use RTGS to board buses to rural areas, you have to use US dollars for public transport. This needs to be looked at so that Members of Parliament may have sustainable livelihoods. I thank you.
HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: For the benefit of the Minister and our legal drafter, let me debate in English. First of all, I want to thank the Minister because during the Pre-budget presentations and discussion, you displayed a very good attitude towards the advancement of this country. You were in attendance all the time and I want to thank you for that. You sat and listened for four days, we never missed you. That shows that you are serious. For some of us who have been in this Parliament, we have seen different Ministers, how they behave and how they perform. A number get bored and think this is monotonous and they disappear and let the wheel just run on its own. I want to thank you for the commitment. I also want to reiterate the point that has been made by others which is very important, issues raised with regard to the budget you presented. The National Assembly raised issues regarding the housing levy, tokens, passports and others – and you have basically acceded, climbed down and made adjustments already. I want to be open, some ministers do not want to change anything, we have seen ministers even in the Senate, arguing that whatever they table, should at all cost sail through and they are prepared to fight Parliament at whatever cost. The fact that you have climbed down shows that you are a very serious and listening minister. The more you listen, the more the economy will improve – that is my introduction.
I also want to advise on the issue of post-budget review - it is very useful. I do not know why this time around we kept postponing until the budget was presented. So budget debate commenced in Parliament without the Post Budget Seminar - that is a very valuable contribution to the budget. Next time, we should not debate the budget without conducting the post budget review.
Hon. Minister, I was looking at the statement that you presented on Page 218 with regards to mining. The heading is, Mining Tax Revenue Contribution. A number of Hon. Senators have already mentioned the fact that we are a leading mining country. Here, you are saying that the total revenue of the mining sector has remained subdued and I am very concerned. You stated that platinum as number one, contributed to revenue and that the contribution of gold remains insignificant at 0.33% despite accounting for about 32% of mineral exports - that is a serious contradiction. I believe as Parliament, we are meant to pursue this issue and ask why. How can gold contribution remain insignificant when we have said we have moved from 12 tonnes and we are now at 32 tonnes per year? Why would an increase in the production tonnage lead to insignificant contribution? You said exports account of 32% of mineral exports from gold. I think we need to look at that. This is a subject that needs a whole day.
Hon. Minister, when we say mining tax revenue contributions, unfortunately, the documents that I have are your documents – we do not have the absolute figures. It is all in percentages and that is hiding something that we think we should have benefitted from. What are the absolute numbers in terms of contribution? How much did mining contribute? I am raising this issue because in one of the Hon. Minister’s presentations in Parliament a few years back, the Hon. Minister reported that between January and July, the mining sector raised about 600 million in revenue, but Government got 15 million out of 600million. These are the issues that we need to be addressing if we are going to improve our economy. Where is the money going to? Out of 600milion, the money that goes to Government is 15 million. Who takes the rest? Is it the companies that own the mines?
So our celebrations that we now have diamond, platinum and lithium are actually premature because the real benefit from these minerals to Government and the people of Zimbabwe is negligible – it is insignificant. Indeed, I can use the word insignificant if out of 600million, 15million goes to Government - that is insignificant. Why are we saying we have so many minerals when we are not benefiting anything? This is a subject that I think, as a country, we need to sit down and say this royalty’s business of companies is trying to make value out of the minerals.
I now move to Social Protection and you start in your paragraph by saying, “in line with NDS1, the theme of leaving no one and no place behind …” ; we want to thank you for most of these social protection measures and it reminds me of ESAP. I know you were very active when they were saying, adjustments with a human face. So there are reforms with a human face where you are giving us various programmes.
The issue of Basic Education Assisted Module (BEAM). Thank you very much for the very noble programme for the vulnerable. One critical issue is, when you pay BEAM to the beneficiaries – that has remained a challenge. The release of BEAM funds has remained a problem because some of the beneficiaries sometimes cannot pay for their examination fees because the money would not have been released timeously. Can we address the issue of timeous release of money?
The levy or tax on sugar – a very noble idea. The reasons are well accepted, but in the last six months, we were meant to understand that our local sugar is more expensive compared to imported sugar. The Hon. Minister even gazetted allowing the importation of sugar in order to bring down the price. Now, with this tax, our sugar will even be more unaffordable and attract more importations. You know the effects of that, it means demand for local sugar will be lower and we will lose out on various fronts. I am not sure how you are going to reconcile the already high price of our sugar viz-a-viz those of other countries and the tax which is going to make it worse.
I want to move to the issue of the Chief’s Council Vote, my brother, Hon. Dr. Sen. Chief Ngungumbane has just gone out, he did come out very well on this issue. I am happy that the staff from the Attorney General are in this Chamber. The Vote for the Chief’s Council is a constitutional Vote unlike other ministries’ Votes. It is a special constitutional Vote. It is an obligation; it has to be there. Ministries can even be abolished, changed, you can give them a Vote and still move them around but Chief’s Council, ZEC, Human Rights Commission and similar bodies receive constitutional Votes. However, this Vote is being spent unconstitutionally.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order! Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira, you will get the opportunity to debate the Votes when you are at Committee Stage. This is really supposed to be a section whereby we take the Minister to task on policy issues. However, you may carry on but you are going to have the opportunity when we go into Committee Stage to go Vote by Vote and scrutinise the Votes, each as it comes. I thank you.
HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Thank you Mr. President. I stand guided. I thought I was not debating the Vote but the principles behind the Vote, which is that this is a constitutional Vote, no number but I still stand guided by the Chair.
On the issue of the exchange rate, all said and done Minister, I think the greatest area where things have gone wrong is the issue of exchange rate. Our USD vis-a-vis our own currency and I have said this before that we are lucky to have a person like Hon. Prof. Ncube as our Minister of Finance. Those who know your curriculum vitae will agree with me. You have an impeccable curriculum vitae across the world. Few Ministers will have such CVs like you have. I know it in detail, that we cannot take it away from you. If those who know what you have done, where you have been, where you have schooled, where you have lectured, where you have worked including the African Development Bank and the boards of banks you sit on, we cannot wish anything better, of course with our Reserve Bank Governor who is now retiring, you were such a very formidable team.
May you help us Members of Parliament and Senators on what we should do to assist you to ensure that this runaway inflation caused by the depreciation in our value of our currency is dealt with? I know we stand here and raise issues for your attention but some of it, may you share with us, we need to help you. This issue of the rate changing everyday is the only demon in our economy and we have to expose that demon and make sure that we stabilise the exchange rate, thereby stabilising the economy. The value of this budget, what you have given us will be more useful and achieve better results. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE): Thank you Mr. President. I thank the Hon. Senators for their contributions. I also want to thank them for their quality contributions which are very helpful and will advance the quality of the budget as a policy instrument that will advance the development of our country.
When I was presenting, I noticed that there was a textual error where some number was not properly captured. The drafters actually made an error regarding the amounts for the unallocated reserve. I just want to state that for the record that figure should be 6338345501000…
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Minister, may you stick to the Finance Bill.
HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE: Let me turn to the input from Hon. Sen. Tongogara who commented on the Aids Levy initially and then juxtaposed the sugar content tax to say this is a good idea if it is going to target cancer but it should be managed appropriately so that it really targets the cancer scourge. I think I want to make it clear to the Hon. Members of the House that this tax is not a sugar tax. We are not taxing sugar; we are taxing sugar content in drinks because you have a choice as to how much sugar you put. Having produced sugar, how much do you put in sugar drinks, it is the content that we are dealing with. So, that is what is linked to certain non-communicable disease such as cancer. We want to make sure it is managed appropriately so as to compensate society and citizenry for suffering from this disease.
Let me turn to Hon. Sen. Zvidzai regarding employment cost and civil servants’ salaries. What we have proposed in this budget and this is at the request of the leadership of civil servants; initially, I resisted it for last two years when we introduced the Aids levy. We wanted it to remain an allowance because we thought that really it is better feeding the employee. However, eventually they convinced us that this 300USD should be included as part of salary and then it is pensionable. I argued that what we are trading; you have a trade between the pensionable benefit in future for the benefits now. I asked them, is that what you want and they said that is what we want. It was a result of a long conversation of the Tripartite Negotiation Forum. If you look at how this is going to be taxed Mr. President. The first hundred dollars in this USD300 is not taxed but the next USD200 is taxed at 20%. Those are our tax laws so we want to be clear, that is the tax that is in place. You can think of it then as a tradeoff between the 20% that they are losing now in taxes versus the future benefit pension because Government will contribute towards their pension. That is the tradeoff that we should debate and this was requested by civil servants’ leadership.
On the issue of the prescribed asset status for health infrastructure, I am pleased that Hon. Sen. Zvidzai is supportive that we have extended this benefit. Hon. Sen. Zvidzai was saying can we extend the provision towards water delivery infrastructure as well. I agree with him, we will. I thank him for that proposal – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – This will ensure that we can crowd funds and investments from our institutional investors. In fact, they are short, they are all not meeting their prescribed assets, set up targets that we set annually through IPEC. For them to comply, we have to include issues such as the water infrastructure.
On the issue of the mining industry, I think we have a multi mineral ore bodies and the proposal here is that we really must pay attention that most of our all bodies have multiple minerals not just lithium. It is lithium and something else or coal and something else or gold and something else. We should be alert and make sure that we maximise on the benefit of all minerals. In fact as I speak, we have a new policy or rather I emphasise that if someone has an exclusive prospective order, it should be for a specific mineral. If it is gold, then it is gold, if you find the gold, you say yes I have found the gold in such and such a place. You cannot say I have found but also some lithium, platinum so can I mine, we will say no, mine what you asked to mine.
The lithium and the other things belong to Government. Someone else will come along and mine those items. We want to be very tough on the EPOs and how they are awarded and how then minerals are exploited once they have been discovered.
Let me turn to Hon. Sen. Chief Chikwaka. He started by going back to the issue of sugar tax, again I want to emphasise, it is the sugar content tax. Also, he thought that the taxes will be heavy for citizens, we have already reduced the taxes. Also the world over, all governments have a problem with noncommunicable diseases. These are very difficult diseases to deal with. We are looking at cancer, cardiovascular diseases. We have found a way to deal with HIV but even HIV, it is causing comorbidities, cardiovascular morbidities including cancer itself. We always need to find a way to respond and the way we can respond as Government is to target what we call sin taxes because we could not find a better word. It is about alcohols, sugar, cigarettes and so forth. This is part of that sin taxes agenda where we target these taxes to enable Government to respond effectively to the scourge of these non-communicable diseases. One thing that is coming out, may be real experts will bear me out is that COVID, MCD cases across the world seem to have gone up by as much as 50%. It could be the issue of long COVID factor, I do not know what is going on but we have a challenge.
Hon. Sen. Chief Chikwaka also mentioned the issue of the licencing of the informal sector to make sure that they are VAT registered before they can source goods for manufacturing and that may be the system will become cumbersome. That is what we want, that is how we formalise the informal sector. We have to find a way to make sure they contribute, they stick to our laws, they know the laws, they are clever entrepreneurs and so forth. Let us try to formalise. If this fails, we will adapt maybe the other ideas that will come through until we get it right of making sure that the informal sector contributes to the fiscus, to the economy in a traceable formal way.
Then Hon. Sen. Zindi, the issue of strategic reserves, she made a very important point that we also need to find a way of capturing revenues from investors as they arrive in the country not to wait. This is a good idea, we will investigate this issue, already we are looking into other issue of EPO licence fees. If a foreign investor is only paying US$1 500, that is a very low amount and we ought to raise it. I am aware that the Ministry of Mines is in hot pursuit on this issue. I thank her for that issue.
The other thing that we have done is we have removed the special economic zone status provisions for any mining project. No mining project can be awarded special economic zone anymore, it is gone. It was passed in this House as you recall two years ago. I know that those who had received SEZ status, actually there are three mining companies. They have been trying to persuade us to stay but then we have said to them look, you need to beneficiate, if you show us your beneficiations plans, what you produce in the end, we are happy to extend special economic zone status to only that portion of your business which is doing beneficiation. For instance, you can imagine, if it is a steel producer, we cannot give them; SEZ status for the mining of the ore. That aspect no, but for the actual production of the steel in a linked business, in a factory, personal manufacturing, we have become very clear, we are going to revise the framework for the mining sector going forward. Then they need to create a template for how these investors should conduct corporate social responsibility. I agree, what we have proposed in this budget was the initial one percent tax or levy which will be ploughed back into those communities but a more comprehensive framework should be developed. As I speak, the President has set up special Cabinet committee to look into these issues around mining sector, the incentives, revenues, contracts, will be reporting to the President in the next few months. I am a member of that Committee. Once that Committee has met and go through the issues, I can assure you, there are no more tax heavenlies in mining, it is a thing of the past.
I now turn to Hon. Sen. Kambizi, he mentioned that for us to run a country, we need tax revenues even more so for Zimbabwe under sanctions, under various credit situations where we are unable to access credit easily globally because of arrears, clearly we need to rely more on domestic resource mobilisation. That is why in this budget, we tried hard to find ways to increase revenue so that we can finance development.
Also there was the mention of US$300 that we have now included the salary for civil servants which is taxable, but pensionable. When it comes to pensions, as we do now, pensions are payable in both USD and ZWL. We will maintain that arrangement for civil servants.
On the passport fee, we have reduced this and we are differentiating between those who want urgent passports. Typically, they are business people who have emergencies. They can afford and they are paying more than ordinary citizens. On passports, we were very convinced by the strategy that we need to catch up with the other nations. We are trying to introduce equipment at the airport, since now that we have got the e-passport with a chip and so forth that the machine should be able to read that chip and you should be able to walk through the gates without talking to any individual. It should be fully automated. The same that you find in Dubai, we want that to be introduced in Zimbabwe by end of 2024. We will use the money for that.
Hon. Sen. Gotora was very eloquent on the issue of beneficiation that we must insist on the beneficiation of every mineral. I think that should be the goal. I really agree with that and thank him for that proposal. We are already insisting on lithium, platinum, granite and chrome, but it is a blanket request from him and I concur. I think as the Cabinet Committee that the President has set, we will go through the motion. This is one of the things that we will feature highly. I must say that when we sit here, I listen very carefully.
Some of these ideas that we are proposing, not only will you find them in the budget or with amendments, you will also find them in the way we set other policies beyond the budget. So, we listen carefully. This issue is already an idea for our Cabinet Committee of imposing beneficiation blanket across everything. It applies to timber as well which is found in Lupane and other places like Tsholotsho. We need to beneficiate and I fully agree.
The issue of taxing vendors was also mentioned and again it is our hope that the measures we have put in place should allow us to make sure that the vendors contribute their fair share to our taxes. In the proposals, we heard that there should be hawkers’ licences, those cards that he mentioned will be introduced. We used to be there and so we will go back there and it works.
On the issue of the wealth tax, I can assure the Hon. Sen. that this will be ring fenced. We have said this should target urban infrastructure. What is happening at the moment is that Government is called upon from time to time to intervene to develop infrastructure in our cities, but that is typically not properly budgeted for. This will solve that problem. If you look at the growth of countries, cities ought to contribute a lot to the growth of an economy. We want to make sure the infrastructure is quality infrastructure and then the city can really contribute to the gross of the economy.
We do not want to deprive areas which are contributing, let us say less this wealth tax and say since you contributed very little, we cannot give you a lot of money, we will give it to those who are contributing a lot. There is also a redistribution aspect that we must consider. For instance, you can imagine Mr. President, we were taxing people in Mbare, it is just an example. We will not tax them, this is just an example. The value of their houses is not as high as Borrowdale, then we say you Mbare people are contributing rather little, so the allocation for infrastructure will also be low.
We are suggesting the exact that what people at Borrowdale are contributing, a good part of that should go and support those who are in Mbare, but quite a bit should also be using Borrowdale itself. We need to strike a balance between redistribution and revenue contribution, area by area.
On the (CSR) Corporate Social Responsibility, again I agree that at the moment, it is a voluntary issue. Going forward, we should make it compulsory across the mining sector. For now, it is already there because we have got the 1% tax and it is for lithium sector and granite sectors. So, we are getting there slowly, but eventually, we have blanket low to say there must be CSR.
I now turn to Hon. Sen. Mohadi on the toll fees for the infrastructure upgrade and maintenance of our infrastructure. She mentioned a very important point that there are some citizens who naturally live near a tollgate and we should make sure that they are not overally taxed because they go through that tollgate many times a day. Should we not make sure that we lower the toll fees for them - we are already doing this. What happens is that there is a monthly fee that is negotiated with ZINARA which is lower than for the normal motorist who uses the toll gate once as opposed to our citizens who live near these tollgates.
It is already in place, but Hon. Sen. Mohadi will take a look and see if we have done enough or we should lower further and we make the necessary adjustment, but this principle is accepted. The spacing of these tollgates, you mentioned Masvingo that there are two tollgates that are 20 kms apart, we should look into that. You emphasised the issue of the multiple mineral ore bodies where we should be alert and make sure that we are not losing other minerals.
For example, if you look at Zimplats here in the Ngezi area, we think of it as a platinum producer, but there is a more valuable mineral that they produce called rhodium, which overtime, we will wake up to it and then discover that there is rhodium. So, now we are alert and we are making sure that the understanding of what is exported is clear that those minerals are also in there and they pay royalties accordingly. We are now alert, but we will continue to do more. There are always leakages and we want to make sure that we plug the holes.
She also mentioned the importance of CSR for the benefit of the communities. The issue of seizure of goods, here it is ZIMRA which is really up my ally, ZIMRA reports to me. The goods are kept for six months and not auctioned on time. I will really investigate this issue and I thank Hon. Sen. Mohadi for raising this. There must be some inefficiency somewhere, it ought not to be the case.
I now turn to Sen. Shiri who talked about the fuel strategic levy which she thought was a good idea, but also mentioned the issue of the disability levy and perhaps a discount for those with disability at our tollgates and make sure they pay a lower toll fee. These are good ideas and we will look into this and see whether we can extend these benefits to those who are less abled. We already have this benefit when it comes to importation of goods and so forth, but why not toll fees? It is a good idea and we will look into that.
I now turn to Hon. Sen. Muzenda, regarding backing our currency using our natural resources. In a sense, this links to what Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira talked about in supporting our domestic currency and dealing with stability issues. In a way, this also kind of motivated the introduction of our gold coins as a store of value as an investment asset, then digitising it into what we now termed ZiG which allows us to transact and use it for buying goods and services in our shops. Basically, the idea here was having a gold backed medium of exchange which can support value of a currency. That is the idea. These ideas are going the right direction, which is that our natural resources can be used to back a currency.
In any case, when we are building reserves, we ought to also build gold reserves because that is a physical asset to back a currency. We will think of other ideas and other proposals. If you have other proposals, we are happy to take those on board. Also, Hon. Sen. Muzenda made a proposal that perhaps we should think of taxing the diaspora. I think that is something to think about. Other countries do that, as long as someone maintains the citizenship of whether it is United States, wherever, the taxman follows you to say, we know you are Zimbabwean but you ought to pay your tax because you are a citizen over here too.
The issue with us is slightly different. We receive about USD2 billion from diaspora in remittances. That goes directly to support families. It supports valuable and targeted form of aid. I am not so sure that we want to perhaps tax it. Even on IMTT, we remove the 2% tax, even for those remittances to say we appreciate that the money is coming here to support us. Besides, indirectly it ends up paying tax anyway, because if it is coming to ambuya somewhere in Gokwe, that ambuya will end up going somewhere to buy sugar, this and that. As they do that, they pay things like VAT. So it ends up being netted into the tax bracket indirectly through the recipient on the ground. So I do not think we want to go beyond that. I think we should be clear that the USD2 billion is coming in every year.
There are teachers that we sent to Rwanda, I understand that they are paying their taxes in Rwanda. I think they will only stop paying when we then have this avoidance of double taxation agreement, but I will also stand guided by my staff on such issues. My understanding was that they would pay at the source of their salary. The source of their salary is in Rwanda.
I now turn to Hon. Sen. Mbohwa who was pleased that I was able to make some adjustments to some tax proposals in response to the debate in the Lower House and also to the public contributions. Certainly, I had to do this, but also because the budget proposals are exactly that. These are proposals, when we present a budget you make proposals and you should be prepared to adjust in response to certain segments and new ideas. Some are very good ideas to input and that is what we did. Thank you very much for the public knowhow, especially for their contributions.
Hon. Sen. Mbohwa also mentioned that we are a rich country and these taxes that we raise, should be directed at the needs and I agree with her on this. It should be targeted, let us say for example, the sugar content tax is targeted at the cancer scourge. Sen. Mbohwa also talked about – I think she used the word mambinga, I do not think we have got any other word to describe the phenomenon that they have got to pay their fair share of taxes. That is why the wealth tax is a starting point. Sen. Mbohwa also said that we should make sure that the use of the sugar content tax is really monitored and not abused. She also welcomed the increase of budget for the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, which I increased last week in the Lower House. We will go further and also introduce prescribed asset tax so that we can support women entrepreneurs. Actually, that bank is an example to the world. We should even do more, it is either capitalise the bank to keep going. I said to the management that they must look at other models where they can expand their reach out there by partnering with the POSB bank, which is a bank with more reach than they currently have so that they can provide services to women all over the country.
This bank needs support, so if we can cow the investment from pension funds through the prescribed asset status, I think this will go down well, it is an example to the world. She also talked about investing in more space for women entrepreneurs who are vending. I fully agree and then supporting our women politicians because the population of women politicians in our Parliament is dwindling. I agree with this. She then talked about supporting our Parliamentarians with hotel accommodation. I think we have had some systems that have glitches, but there is an issue about sticking to a pre-agreed three months – we agreed as Parliamentary Standing Committee on Standing Rules and Orders (SRO) that the budget should be given three months in advance by Treasury. We stand committed to that, we just have to implement this. It will assist in managing issues regarding hotels.
Then on transportation, Hon. Mbohwa talked about this issue that Parliamentarians need their vehicles, we will deliver. As we recall, in the last Parliament we made an adjustment at the end and each MP is allowed to bring in two vehicles duty free up to an amount of USD60 000. That provision still stands. We will continue so that any Member of Parliament can bring a second vehicle through that window.
The Hon. Sen. Mlotshwa, I heard what you said, but I am not going to use Ndebele, there are technical terms. I will speak in English. Hon. Sen. Mlotshwa mentioned issues of water challenges in Matabeleland South. She is right and when she mentioned a specific dam called Lubango Dam which needs to be better utilised. I will discuss these issues with the Minister responsible for Water and Agriculture. I will alert him to this issue. The issue is that we are going to do to deal with the water challenge. We have in this budget, a borehole drilling programme of 35 000 boreholes. Of course, we cannot do it in one year. In fact, I worked it out that we are targeting to import 80 drilling rigs, where 35 000 villages will benefit. If each rig is doing about two boreholes a week to get water, it is going to take us about four years to drill these boreholes. So expect this to be a multi-year programme.
I must say that also in Matabeleland South, there is an exemplary project, where there is an irrigation project at Antelope Dam. This is an exemplary project of rural development. In fact, there are two examples, there is Antelope Dam and there is Bubi-Lupane Dam, where the Ministry of Agriculture is irrigating wheat, maize and also, I think around the Antelope there is also cattle but not yet in Lupane. The idea is that we will get to a certain hectarage after which we will then invest in agro-processing facilities in the area. So, bread we will then get it made near Antelope and Lupane. However, there is a certain critical acreage that must be under tillage before we get to that programme, otherwise the beneficiation aspect, agro-processing is not commercially viable. That is what the experts are telling us.
Going back to the dam issue, we have the Thuli-Manyange Dam, which is under construction. Again, we will go into 2024, we will budget for it so that it is completed. I think also for Matabeleland South and other areas where we have good livestock and quality beef, we need to invest in pasture development. Once you have got a dam, we should open up land and just grow lucerne to feed cattle and also have a grass cutting programme from provinces with grass. I recall that three years ago, we pushed as Government on this but I think we slowed down. At least I am not getting information that we are still pushing on it whereby we cut grass from Mashonaland East, Central and West where we have better rains. It is baled and sent across to provinces like Matebeleland where there is need under a programme by Government. So, growing cattle feed and bailing feed from provinces that have better rains maybe a way to deal with the livestock food issue.
The issue of piped water, I am reminded Mr. President; I was speaking to the Member of Parliament for Lupane East, there is a place called Lake Alice. When the MP facilitated the drilling of a borehole which is solarised and they put tapped water into one or two villages, villagers cried. I saw the video myself, tears streaming down their cheeks because children had never seen tapped water. So, the issue of tapped water is impactful in the rural areas. We have to make every effort to invest in easy access of water so that women do not go around carrying buckets. It is such drudgery to go and fetch water, put it on your head and so forth. It really affects women’s health and is not gender sensitive. Piped tap water is gender sensitive.
The road to Matopo, I fully agree and it is a tourism area. I know that Bulawayo-Kezi Road very well and it is in a bad state and needs to be attended to. I think your sentiment that perhaps could a road be done under public-private partnership as mentioned by Hon. Sen. Mlotshwa, where we can then toll the road is a very good suggestion.
Supply of electricity for housing in Plumtree, Gwanda and so forth, I agree that we really need to do something about this but then we have an electrification challenge overall in terms of the amount of electricity produced. Now, we have issues with Kariba catchment area and it will be until April before we know whether we have got some recovery in terms of electricity production or not. Hwange 1 to 6 is coming under upgrade, which is a good thing. Over time, we know we will increase the amount of electricity but we are also encouraging independent power producers to invest in electricity generation.
We have improved our framework which is made up of three pillars. We now have an economic tariff and we believe that at 16.88 cents per kilowatt hour, most solar power investors are profitable. Most of them are profitable at 9 to 10 cents per kilowatt per hour, so they are okay. We are also providing Government guarantees for power purchase agreements so that if ZETDC cannot pay for the electricity, Government will step in to pay for that electricity. We are allowing for these investors to access foreign currency to service their loans and that is called foreign currency convertibility and access agreement. We are doing something about it and over time there will be an increase in electricity production and hopefully these houses will be connected.
I now turn to Senator Moyo who talked about the health sector and need to invest in hospitals especially in Matebeleland South. We are going to build a new district hospital in Umzingwane District. We are on to it already. It is part of a programme that we started in Harare South, Hopley area when we built a polyclinic there. That is done and then we moved to Cowdry Park, Mataga area in Zvishavane and we have now finished the polyclinic in Chimanimani in a place called Runyararo. Our next target is that district in Matebeleland South where we are now going to build a bigger hospital which is a district hospital but also in Wedza. We are doing those two simultaneously.
I know that programme so well because I negotiated it. What we did for that programme is, we sourced almost US$200 million from South Africa. That arrangement was funded by South African banks and we persuaded the South African Government to give a guarantee to their banks to lend us money. So, the South African Government was very critical in delivering this project. We are going to build 30 polyclinics and every province will get at least two, maybe three and then six district hospitals. The same company called NMS from the UK has built over 60 such facilities in Zambia and I sent a Treasury and Ministry of Health team to go and see the district hospitals in eastern Zambia and they were blown away by the quality of the equipment.
If you go to Hopley or Mataga now, you will be amazed at the quality of the equipment. I had never seen a mobile x-ray machine which comes to you. You do not go to it and whoever is using it is able to do whatever diagnostics and it is shown on a screen or sent by bluetooth to a printer for printing. I am just describing high-quality world-class machinery. So, we are coming to Umzingwane District. We will procure ambulances.
On drugs, we have received 460 tonnes of drugs from Egypt. Basically, Vice President Chiwenga and myself made arrangements in Egypt for these drugs to be sourced. We spent US$16 million on that. They have all been delivered. Some of them came by sea, air and the last delivery was about three weeks ago. As I speak, I hear NatPharm do not even have space to store these drugs. I am waiting to see these drugs being moved around our hospitals and supplied to our patients but I agree with Senator Moyo that we have to stay focused on supplying public hospitals with drugs. It is important.
On mineral beneficiation, he touched on this issue that I already tried to deal with that let us beneficiate our minerals. On Hwange Colliery, he asked whether we are giving support or not. Hwange Colliery is a corporatised entity which is listed for a start in the London Stock Exchange, Johannesburg Stock Exchange and here it is suspended but technically it is listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange. It is a serious corporate and one of our most illustrious corporates but it is under administration or curatorship because of issues with creditors and so forth. We are now working on a programme to get it out of administration just like we did with AirZim two and half years ago. The Treasury team led that exercise and I will tell my team to get on to Hwange and fix it.
If you look at Hwange, it is more than a mining company which owns houses, hospitals, schools and the city. There is no City of Hwange without Hwange Colliery, but when we restructure this company, we have to think about whether we need to keep the houses on the balance sheet of the company or those houses should be under the local authority. Should the hospital be on the balance sheet of the company or it should be under the Ministry of Health and Child Care. You see where I am going with this. Cleaning the balance sheet of the company should be one of the things we do. We should think through it but we are on to it to resuscitate Hwange Colliery.
On the trucks that are plying our roads causing accidents and so forth. I think this is a case for rail. We are also on to revamping the NRZ. There is an agreement between, for a start, our three Presidents, President E. D. Mnangagwa, President Nyusi of Mozambique and President Masisi of Botswana to harmonise our railway system so that we have the same gauges and wagons can move across the three countries easily. What I am really trying to say is that this matter of the railway line is high on the agenda. If we can fix NRZ, upgrade it, then we can say all these trucks carrying these heavy minerals and so forth please use the wagons on the rail to move these minerals and stop damaging our roads and causing accidents, we will get there. We are determined that in 2024 we will make progress in supporting the NRZ.
The Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme, the need for mechanisation again, I agree with Sen. Mbohwa that the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development is working on this programme to mechanise. You have got hand held tractors Mr. President. You can hold them along and they can do this. Even for Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme where you drill a hole, there is also hand held equipment which can drill that hole. It is available. I am aware that the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development is pursuing this. We will have an improvement going forward.
Hon. Sen. Mackenzie Ncube is again grateful that we are really trying to cast a transformative budget. A budget that will transform the economy under pressure from sanctions and the credit squeeze. He wondered whether we should benchmark the Zimbabwean dollar element of the tax-free budget. We should benchmark that on the United States dollar exchange rate. That is exactly what we did in this budget. You will find that that threshold is as close to US$100 as possible and we are saying that anything below US$100 should not be taxed. We tried to do that, but as a principle I accept his proposal and we will try to implement it.
He argued eloquently that when we are developing dip tanks let us make sure that we also drill boreholes. Those should be integrated. I fully agree. Now on the issue of buses, we talked about 1 000 buses. He is right that over time we might feed into the congestion of our cities. We are aware of that but we still feel that there is a gap in terms of just the number of buses that still need to be filled. Going forward, I can assure him that his idea of developing a light rail system is well received. In fact, as I speak there is a project that we are supporting as Treasury. My deputy went all the way to Marrakech to the IFDB Africa Investment Forum to support the project. I asked him to go and support a project and they are trying to raise capital to build a light rail system within Harare. I am not allowed to reveal the project because it involves a private company, but we are in hot pursuit of this issue. There is the issue of dealing with the ring rod around Harare. It is about 110km or so. We tried to do it before using support from Japan and others, but we need to go back to it and redevelop our railroad to manage the traffic situation around Harare.
Hon. Sen. Mavenyengwa, the issue of sugar tax. Again, it is a tax on sugar content if I may clarify. Maybe we were not clear. I really want to clarify that he also was happy that we will use the wealth tax revenues to support infrastructure development in our urban areas.
Then the adjustment to the Parliamentary budget. Yes, we adjusted it by 225 billion last week when we were debating in the Lower House and one of the reasons was because of the cost of constituency visits for example. There are a few things that are needed. It is the issue of the constituency visit, the constituency office and then the CDF. Three things that caused us to revise the budget and we think that we did quite a bit to accommodate those three additional issues. Then the salaries for staff. We certainly want to make sure that they are well supported through the budget.
Hon. Sen. Ndlovu, the issue of timber beneficiation. I can only agree with you. It is very critical. Then the Maitengwe border post. It needs to be developed. I know it was in 2019 I think and I am committing things to memory, we actually set aside a budget to do this border post but it was not done. Maybe it is an issue of prioritisation. I have taken note, Mr. President. We will deal with it.
Hon. Sen. Chief Ngungumbane was happy with the adjustment that we did. We listened through the debates of the public, from the Lower House. We adjusted our proposals on the national budget. Then perhaps I gave the budget in Zimbabwean dollars and perhaps he was wondering why set it in Zimbabwean dollars. I should be giving a United States dollar equivalent. That we can do. There is no problem but then we must accept that the Zimbabwean dollar is our domestic currency. So that is our starting point. We can always give the United States dollar equivalent.
He made a very important point that we should insist that certain services be paid for in domestic currency. I agree with him. That is why we have tried to say corporate tax, for example 50% of it should be paid in Zimbabwean dollars and we will keep expanding the type of services that ought to be paid in domestic currency.
The renovation of our stadiums, we are supporting this. We are quite happy with that and we will expand the programme to other stadiums but also crowed in the private sector. In the National Sports Stadium, we are also working with a private company that is going to assist us to revamp that stadium. Sports after all is a business. It is not just some social activity. It is very serious business. He mentioned a very interesting point, I was not aware of this Mr. President, about the takings – ZIFA 6%, PLC 15% and others, SRC and then the police also take something. I thought that they were already covered somewhere, I thought rather the budget. This was a surprise they take a part of gate takings. Maybe there is some rational for this, but I am equally surprised. Maybe we will look into it and see whether we need to make adjustments here.
The smuggling through our borders, we are trying to create a border authority. Government is working on that. We have a drone monitoring programme. We have acquired the drones that will monitor our borders. We are trying to make progress to deal with this issue of smuggling. It is never easy at all.
Then on the PPPs, working with the private sector to develop certain roads. Yes, we have approached some companies. We are working on some agreements. Hopefully we will be successful. We are looking at for instance the Beitbridge-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road. It is a prime target for a public private partnership arrangement. You mention the Buchwa-Rutenga Road. I have taken note. I will discuss with the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development that it should be a priority road.
The issue of electricity, we are working on revamping Unit 1 to 6 having concluded 7 and 8, which is under way and this will improve our electricity output.
On the Vote for the National Chiefs’ Council that we need a secretariat, I agree, it has taken long. The leader of the Chiefs’ Council, Hon. Sen. Chief Khumalo, deputised by Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira, came to see me with some of the senior leadership within the Chiefs’ Council and I support the proposal that we need to establish a secretariat, so that Vote can be managed by that secretariat.
On the welfare of civil servants, yes I must thank also Hon. Sen. Chief Khumalo and Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira for insisting that even chiefs ought to be paid a bonus. They came to see me and I listened and we paid bonuses for chiefs, headmen and those below that structure. Also, on salary adjustments, we have a formula where the salary of a chief, at least the entry salary, is linked to that of a teacher. We have used that as a default position. We have to start somewhere, otherwise it will be difficult to see where a chief should belong. We said a chief, at least in terms of the entry level, should be almost the same as that of a teacher. We start from there and then make other adjustments. It means that whenever we adjust a teacher’s salary, we should also adjust the chiefs’ salaries and those in the structure below. That is how we have constructed it. We may seek improvements from that model. We are happy to listen to some ideas, but that is how we have structured it for now.
Hon. Sen. Wunganayi, the Senator argued eloquently about the issue of beneficiation that we ought to insist on beneficiation and also that there are some smugglers. You see trucks full of ore leaving our borders, we should really police this. There should not be anybody exporting anything without MMCZ export licence and on this, we go back to our enforcers to make sure they do their job. They should again be careful and monitor multi mineral ore bodies.
The swearing in of provincial councils again is an important issue. I thought this was also linked to the issue of the Devolution Bill. Once that is sorted out, then we can do the swearing in because those two are linked.
Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira, I thank you for recognising my commitment. Mr. President, I must thank him for recognising my commitment to the process. After all, that is what the Hon. Minister of Finance should do, to show commitment to the budget and that is what I do for a living as long as one is Minister of Finance.
The adjustment we have done, we have been listening to the debate, public, Lower House and made the adjustment before we came to the Upper House in Senate. He bemoans the absence of Post Budget Seminar; he is right, it is always a useful thing to have a post-mortem of the budget and I think this ought to be done.
On the contributions of gold, specifically 0.33% to the coffers when it in fact contributes to 32% of export revenue, that incongruence needs to be understood and fixed. I fully agree that we need to revisit some of these minerals to make sure they contribute fully to the fiscus. You need actual figures for USD, we are happy to provide them offline. I just do not have them. I checked with my team and they also do not have them at the back. So, we are happy to provide these Mr. President.
On social protection, with regards to the timely payments of the BEAM funds, I fully agree. We are having a few challenges with BEAM. For some schools, you will find the entire school is on BEAM. Then you say, what criteria did they use to select the right students who are deprived and need to be supported. Someone says that the, SDC which is the School Development Council, should be more active in supporting the leadership to select students who need to be supported through the BEAM programme. So, these are some of the administration issues that we need to fix, but there is no excuse for untimely release of BEAM funds.
Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira also agreed with the sugar content tax, but we should just check that it does not affect our sugar price. This is a sugar content tax not tax on sugar, so it should not affect the price of sugar at all.
On the issue of Chiefs’ Council budget, it is well made and I have already responded to that. On the issue of exchange rate, he is correct, I think looking at most of our fundamentals, we have managed to put everything in place Mr. President. In the last five years, we have run a budget deficit along the lines that are considered to be global best practice, budget deficit of below 2% on GDP, look at a current account and the similar part where again it remains in positive parity. All that is commended, but the issue that still bothers me, the Senate and everybody, is the issue of the exchange rate instability. That is our ultimate challenge that we need to deal with and it is linked to the past, the hyperinflation, the past that we have lived through. The fact that we did not for 10 years have a domestic currency, we had a US dollar and now we have ours and some feel that it is not good enough, those are the facts.
The fact that we have not been able to access credit lines easily for balance of payments support, once you have a hard currency as part of your domestic currency, it is even harder to build foreign reserves because your US dollar is domestic currency, it is not even foreign currency. So how do you build foreign currency reserves when the currency that you ought to be using for building reserves is domestic currency? So, you can see how complex this issue is. I must say that we have a few strategies and plans going forward for dealing with this issue of the currency and the exchange rate. I cannot say more because whenever we say something about exchange rate in currency, it is just having fun, so I will stop here for now. We are happy to receive any input, ideas and any suggestions from Members of this Senate and the public for us to move forward on the issue of the currency.
Mr. President, I think I have covered good ground in terms of the input for Members of this august Senate. I thank them for their input and debate, I thank you very much Mr. President of Senate.
Mr. President, I move that the Bill be read a second time.
Motion put and agreed do.
Bill read a second time.
Committee stage: With leave, forthwith.
COMMITTEE STAGE
FINANCE BILL [H. B. 7A, 2023]
House in Committee.
Clauses 1 to 16 put and agreed to.
On Clause 17:
THE CHAIRPERSON: Hon. Minister, I realise that on Clause 17, amendment of Part 2 of the Schedule to Chapter 4 of Chapter 23:04 is repeated. Can you make that correction on page 16 and page 18?
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. MUTHULI NCUBE): Yes Mr. Chairman, there is a repetition there. Clearly, that is an error. They should be renumbered Mr. Chairman. This correction was in the Lower House. So the latest Bill should have been corrected. I do not know what happened, but clearly, from 17 to 20, those were renumbered and then from 21 onward, it is okay. This was corrected in the Lower House. I think it is just one of those errors in printing that was made.
Clause 17 put and amended to.
Clauses 18 to 58 put and agreed to.
House resumed.
Bill reported without amendments.
Third Reading: With leave, forthwith.
THIRD READING
FINANCE BILL (H. B. 7A, 2023)
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. MTHULINCUBE): I move that the Bill be now read the third time.
Motion put and agreed to.
Bill read the third time.
SECOND READING
APPROPRIATION BILL (H.B.6, 2023)
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): Thank you Mr. President. On the 30th of November 2023, I presented the 2024 national Budget proposals under the theme Consolidating Economic Transformation. The budget that I proposed is ZWL$64.2 trillion. I can say that we really tried hard to balance the attention to support those who are less deprived, the poor and also to stimulate growth. If you consider what we have allocated for productive Social Protection programmes such as Pfumvudza/ Intwasa, the health sector, the sugar content tax, what we have allocated for the education sector which is the largest recipient of the budget – it is fair to say that this budget tries hard to be pro-people and pro-poor. At the same time, we have not forgotten that we need to continue investing in our public sector investment programme, our infrastructure where some of the toll fees will be directed to upgrade that infrastructure to maintain it – that is where growth comes from.
We have not forgotten our industries Mr. President, where we continue to have various incentives to support our industries for purposes of retooling. For example, the tourism sector, we have extended the duty-free provision for equipment and tools of trade in the sector such as tow trucks and so forth to support our tourism industry. We feel that this budget with the amounts that are being proposed are targeted to support the development of our country. If you look at some of the critical areas of support in terms of votes Mr. President, we are very sensitive to the needs of women. We have increased the budget allocation; we have also been sensitive to the needs of the youths – where again we increased the budget allocation. In the area of disability, we have allocated an additional budget to the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development for supporting infrastructure development for disabled learners within institutions.
When it comes to oversight institutions, we have also increased the budget for the Auditor General’s Office so that she can carry out this oversight function including the digitalisation that they need to do. When it come to Parliament, we are very sensitive Mr. President, to the needs of our parliamentarians, constituency visits, building constituency offices, CDF and so forth and we increased that budget last week by a further 47% which amounted to ZWL$225 billion.
When it comes to war veterans Mr. President, we also increased the budget by another ZWL$4 billion to cater for funeral expenses of war veterans. I think it is fair to say that there are certain areas where we have been sensitive to make sure that those areas receive adequate budget within our envelope and our envelope is constrained by our domestic resources that we are able to marshal within borders. We are focusing on domestic resource mobilisation and also the constraints we face abroad.
Mr. President, given that the economy will grow at 3.5% next year compared to 5.5% - last year we had 6.5%, then in 2021, we had a growth rate 8.5% - we feel that at 3.5% rate of growth, this is the size of budget that the economy can carry on the back of revenues that are about 18% of our economy or the Gross Domestic Product. We feel that we have made appropriate allocations through the Appropriation Bill.
Mr. President, I now move that the Bill be read a second time. Thank you.
*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Mr. President. My contribution is about the Ministry of War Veterans. As a new Ministry that has just started, I am appealing to the Hon. Minister if the Vote allocation can be increased so that they can have something to quick start them.
On the Ministry of Health and Child Care, I am seeing that on the curative section, a large allocation has been given. On the public health, we have realised that a number of diseases are coming out which need to be prevented instead of waiting for these diseases to be cured. Why are we not going with the mantra that we prevent instead of curing? I thank you.
HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: Thank you very much Mr. President. I would also like to thank the Hon. Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion for the Appropriation Bill for 2024. Looking at the Ministry of Local Government, particularly with respect to disaster risk mitigation and in view of the changing issues around climate, disease, carnage on the roads, would this envelop suffice to deal with the challenges that we face around disasters in a country?
Secondly, in the past five or so years, we have lost more than half a million herd of cattle to January disease which I think can be classified as a big disaster and perhaps, the Minister would have increased the allocation there so that the January disease can be dealt with once and for all. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Mr. President. Once again, I want to thank the Minister of Finance. We have seen the budget here, we also encourage for the disbursement of these budgets because you will find that maybe after a quarter or end of year, most of the ministries will not have half of what has been budgeted for, which may portray them to be inefficient. So we encourage that disbursement for these budgets should be done timeously, if possible quarterly. I thank you.
HON. SEN. ZHOU: Thank you very much Mr. President for giving me the opportunity to appreciate the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion for this pro-poor Appropriation Bill (2024). The Government and the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion have prioritised cross-cutting issues, things like persons with disabilities, the youths and women. This way, Zimbabwe will be able to achieve the goal of an upper middle income by 2030.
I also noticed that under Higher Education, the Appropriation Bill is targeting persons with disabilities and introducing some stand-alone budget provision that are aimed at establishing disability resource centres, especially in universities across the nation, which is really best practice in inclusive budgeting.
I also want to thank the Hon. Minister that this Appropriation Bill 2024 on Health Care talks about providing resources for the assisted medical treatment orders. Most of our vulnerable members of society will benefit not only by consulting doctors, but also will have access to medicines. With these few words, I am very pleased that this is a very pro-poor Appropriation Bill (2024). I thank you.
*HON. SEN. KATUMBA: Thank you Mr. President. I would like to say a few words thanking the work that the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion is doing. I want to concentrate on the Industry and Commerce that if the Minister could carefully scrutinise that area in order to revive the industries in our country. Most of our industries are closing, many youths are at home jobless. I am therefore saying that the Minister should put more allocation to the industry so that we broaden the base of taxation.
HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Thank you Mr. President. I am back to continue with my previous contribution in which you advised that I should rise at Appropriation Bill Stage. My issue is to do with Vote 31, National Council of Chiefs. I had mentioned that this Vote is a Constitutional appropriation. Going into figures, this Vote being a Constitutional Appropriation, over the last ten years, I believe we have been doing things unconstitutionally. I want to raise the issue to all the legal minds in this room to go and relook at this issue where you provide a Vote for the National Council of Chiefs but those who administer the Vote are not the Chiefs Council itself. I think it is a serious violation of the Constitution and it has to be addressed. I thank you.
THE HON. MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): Mr. President, I thank the Hon. Senators for their inputs, questions and suggestions. Starting with Senator Tongogara, in terms of the War Veterans Budget, we did debate this at lengthy. We also listen to the public and I also hear what the Hon. Senator is saying. We felt that the area of need was really around the funeral assistance issues. That is where we added an additional 4 billion. We feel that with what we have allocated, we were going to make progress in supporting the Ministry. Also, Mr. President, Government donated 21 mining claims to the War Veterans Fund to make it 6 farms to the war veterans fund. I am aware that they also want to set up a bank, they have got some hunting concessions as well. They also want to set up a real estate company and a financial services company and also a veterans hospital overtime. They have got big plans, so we think that it is worth supporting them on that agenda, 6 farms if they run properly. In fact we have two provinces that still have not given us farms because each province is supposed to give a farm. Two provinces need to give us farms.
Mr. President, we feel that supporting this investment company can really profit the War Veterans Department. We feel that both those assets plus what we have allocated in the budget would carry the day in terms of support for the Ministry. Through the Ministry of Health again we have allocated quite a bit on the creative side, perhaps we should add more. What happened in the Ministry of Health is that there are two additional sources of resources which are not in the budget. As I said for instance for the NMS hospitals, we were actually borrowing almost 200 000 000, the amount is not in the budget, it is actually going to benefit the Ministry. We look at what we are receiving in terms of the resources from the global fund for HIV aids, from GAVI for vaccination and contributors to our dedicated health fund. So there is quite a bit of resources going to the Ministry of which resources are not accounted for in the budget.
Mr. President, we feel if these resources are used well, the Ministry has quite a bit of resources. Also we have worked hard to meet the Abuja principle target that the budget should be 15% of the overall budget. Mr. President, when you look at the above the line budget of about 40 trillion and we are talking about the kind of allocation we have in health, it amounts to about 14% of the budget. We feel we worked hard to get to the Abuja target, probably, this is a highest level we have reached since I started budgeting for the Ministry five years ago.
Hon. Sen. Zvidzai, the issue he raised was to do with disaster risk mitigation. I am sure looking at the El Nino issues and what happened in 2019 that again we need more budget. Again we have reflected on this. We feel that we have allocate quite a bit of budget but besides, for disasters we always have the unallocated reserves as our back pocket because we do not know when they will occur and how they occur and how much is required. So, we always have that contingency plan. I can assure him that we will apply adequate resources when such disasters occur.
Hon. Sen. Mohadi on timeous disbursement, I agree with her. Actually we have a new system we are putting in place now where we will consider the cashflows available for the next week or two in the first place before we trigger the budget releases. Currently, in terms of our system we do the budget releases and then wait for the cash to come through. The Ministry then is expecting money, then money does not arise for two to three weeks, then it becomes a problem. So, to lower expectations or to align expectations it should be the cash availability first that should be communicated. We will manage this as we go forward.
I agree with Hon. Sen. Zhou that this budget is pro-poor as it is supporting social services, social infrastructure, looking at what we did for education, health and social protection programmes. The issues of health budget for assisted medical orders again when we come to execution, we will make sure that we really focus on that so that we deliver approximately for this sector.
Finally, Hon. Sen. Charumbira on Vote 31, you are right, this is a Constitutional Vote, it should be administered accordingly. I agree that going forward, let us set up a secretariat which is under the National Chiefs Council to manage the budget, let us develop that capacity because at the moment we are saying there is no capacity, therefore, it should be done through the Ministry of Local Government. I agree with Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira’s sentiments. I thank you Mr. President.
I move that the Bill be read a second time.
Motion put and agreed to.
Bill Read a second time.
Committee Stage: forthwith.
COMMITTEE STAGE
APPROPRIATION (2024) BILL [H.B. 6, 2023]
House in Committee.
Clause 1 put and agreed to.
Clauses 1 to 5 put and agreed to.
On Clause 6:
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): Hon. Chair, on that clause, there is a correction which was done in the Lower House but was not captured. It is a textual amendment that needs to be made. There is a figure in that paragraph 2 of 6.7 trillion. It should read - ZWL6 338 345 501 000. Thank you.
Clause 6 put and agreed to.
Schedule put and agreed to.
House resumed.
Bill reported without amendments.
Third Reading: With leave, forthwith.
THIRD READING
APPROPRIATION (2024) BILL [H. B. 6, 2023]
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): Thank you Mr. President Sir, I now move that the Bill be read the third time.
Motion put and agreed to.
Bill read the third time.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank you very much Hon. Minister and I would like to thank the Hon. Members of the Senate for the hard work which you have put in today. Your dedication, patience and determination to ensure that today’s main Orders are concluded. I would like to wish you Merry Christmas with your families until we meet again next year.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE), the Senate adjourned at Eighteen Minutes past Seven o’clock p.m. until Tuesday. 6th February, 2024.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 14th December, 2023
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
SWEARING IN OF NEW MEMBERS
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Members, I have to inform the House that on Wednesday, 13th December, Parliament was notified by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission in terms of Section 46 (17) (b) of the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13], that Sakupwanya Pedzai…
HON. MAHERE: On point of order, Mr. Speaker Sir! – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible injections] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, Order, please take your seat. Do not be over excited please! Sakupwanya Pedzai was duly elected unopposed as a Member of the National Assembly for the Mabvuku -Tafara Constituency.
Parliament was also notified by Zimbabwe Electoral Commission in terms of Section 67 (3) of the Electoral Act – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible injections] – Order! Do not be over-excited. Sakupwanya Pedzai of ZANU PF Party had, with effect from the 9th of December, 2023 been duly elected unopposed – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – please do not invite me to take drastic action against you. Sakupwanya has been duly elected unopposed as a Member of the National Assembly for the Mabvuku-Tafara Constituency. Parliament was also notified by ZEC in terms of Section 67 (3) of the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13], that with effect from 10th December 2023, the following Members were duly elected as Members of the National Assembly for the specified constituencies. Hon. Thusani Ndou of ZANU PF Party, as a Member of the National Assembly for Beitbridge West Constituency; Hon. Chineke Muchimba of ZANU PF Party, as a Member of the National Assembly for Binga North Constituency; Hon. Rajeshkumari Modi of ZANU PF Party, as a Member of the National Assembly for the Bulawayo South Constituency; Hon. Arthur Mujeyi of ZANU PF, as a Member of the National Assembly for Cowdray Park Constituency – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Hon. Members on my left, you are aware of the Constitutional processes that took place and the courts also determined.
The next is Tendai Chitura Nyathi of the CCC Party, as a Member of the National Assembly for Lobengula-Magwegwe Constituency; Hon. Phatisiwe Machangu of ZANU PF Party, as a Member of the National Assembly for Lupane East Constituency; Hon Charles Moyo of CCC Party, as Member of the National Assembly for Mzilikazi Constituency and Hon. Albert Tawanda Mavunga of ZANU PF Party, as a Member of the National Assembly for Nketa Constituency.
Now, Section 128 (1) of the Constitution provides that before a Member of Parliament takes a seat – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order, Order!
CCC Members broke into song: ‘Ndimi makauraya hazvina mhosva pahukama’ …
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! Three Hon. Members from the CCC Party sitting next to Hon. Mahere and those three immediately behind, leave the House – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]
All the CCC Party Members left the House still ‘Ndimi makauraya hazvina mhosva pahukama’
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! Because of your singing and disturbing the peace of this House, you are suspended for the next four sittings of the House.
Section 128 (1) of the Constitution provides that before a Member of Parliament takes his or her seat in Parliament, the Member must take the oath of a Member of Parliament as set out in the third Schedule. Section 128 (2) states that the Oath must be taken before the Clerk of Parliament. I therefore call upon the Clerk of Parliament to administer the Oath of Members of Parliament.
Before the Oath is administered, where is the Serjeant-at-Arms? Advise the Serjeant-at-Arms that these Hon. Members have acted dishonourably and I do not want to see them within the precincts of Parliament and they should checkout immediately tomorrow morning. As I indicated, they will not have four sittings in attendance. I thank you.
NEW MEMBERS SWORN
HON. SAKUPWANYA PEDZAI; HON. THUSANI NDOU; HON. CHINEKE MUCHIMBA; HON. RAJESHKUMARI MODI; HON. ARTHUR MUJEYI; HON. TENDAI CHITURA NYATHI; HON. PHATISIWE MACHANGU; HON. CHARLES MOYO; and HON. ALBERT TAWANDA MAVUNGA subscribed to the Oath of Loyalty as required by the Law and took their seats – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, Hear.] -
CCC Members having returned to the Chamber
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Members on my left, I have ruled that you leave the premises of this august House. In terms of your behaviour against Order No. 114, can you peacefully leave the august House? Can you peacefully leave the august House? Can you leave, please? - [AN HON. MEMBER: That arbitrary behaviour must stop in this House] - Can you leave the House? – [AN HON. MEMBER: Do not turn this House to a massive crime scene. It is wrong for elected Members of Parliament, we have a right to be in this Parliament, you cannot rule arbitrarily. We must express ourselves in this House, Masaya died. We have a right to express ourselves Hon. Speaker]- Can you leave the House! - [AN HON. MEMBER: You cannot throw us out of the House because we are expressing ourselves – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -Do not entertain him – [AN HON. MEMBER: There is nothing honourable about Scott. Scott killed people in Mabvuku, Masaya was killed by Scott in Mabvuku. There is nothing honourable about Scott. He should leave the House, he is an intruder. We were truly elected here and we must express ourselves. Scott has got blood on his hands. Scott killed Masaya in Mabvuku – [AN HON. MEMBER: Hapana zvaurikutaura ibva ipapo!] –
Opposition Members having refused to leave the House.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Sergeant-at-Arms, escort them out! Can you leave the House peacefully please! – [HON. KARENYI: Mr. Speaker Sir, we were not in the House, we have to defend the rights of the people in our constituencies. Where is democracy, where is democracy, this is not right. On a point of order Hon. Speaker. What have we done?]-
Police officers entered the House and asked the Opposition Members to leave the House. Some Opposition Members having refused to leave the House willingly were forced out of the House by police officers.
MOTION
FINANCE BILL: BUDGET DEBATE
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion that leave be granted to bring in a Finance Bill.
Question again proposed.
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you Mr. Speaker, that I get this opportunity to debate this very important phase which is the formulation of our budget that deals with how Government is going to spend, get the revenue to then finance its expenditure. I would like to start with looking at the background of us having a tax revenue on behalf of Government. The Government must provide utilities and it must provide many things that individuals cannot provide for themselves. It must provide infrastructure like roads, dams, look after civil servants who work to provide services to the people of Zimbabwe.
For it to be able to finance all that, it must be funded and the financing must come from the people of Zimbabwe who are individuals like ourselves and like any other employee or any person who earns an income like corporate organisations. They must contribute in terms of tax or in a form of tax. When we look around ourselves and when we see infrastructure like roads, dams, hospitals and the security that we get, we should also be able to ask ourselves as to where the Government gets all this money to finance those services.
I would like to focus mainly on the revenue and tax policy measures that our Minister has proposed. The Minister has shown a lot of dexterity and initiatives that will help Government to have funding or revenue to use to help Zimbabwe grow and develop. There is no country that can develop without its citizens paying tax. Tax is very necessary and we should know that whatever luxury that we get, it has been paid for by somebody. Whatever Government provides, it means it has either borrowed or we have contributed to income tax, corporate tax or sales tax and all that is mobilised to pay tax.
We are in a unique situation as a country where we are sanctioned. The other source of revenue would be donor aid from international governments coming forward to help us as a country. We have a situation that we are under sanctions and that source of revenue is not there. It brings us to our present war cry. Our present war cry is Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo. How do we build our country if we are not contributing to mobiliisation of revenue…?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order Hon. Member, can you address the Chair?
HON. TOGAREPI: I looked at tax thresholds that were proposed by the Minister, ZW750 000. I looked at it vis-à-vis what other people are saying in terms of our budget being poor-friendly or very harsh to the poor. I realise that most of our civil servants are in this bracket and the Minister has said these will not pay tax, meaning in his structure of the budget, he is already exempting those who are earning less. This will bring in our civil servants and low-income earners. So, by this, already the Minister is demonstrating that he is pro-poor and these people, because of their position in terms of income, will not be paying tax. I feel that this is very critical and the Minister must be applauded for including this measure as a way of cushioning the low-income earners of our country. Minister, what I would also want to encourage you, I was very excited when you said the $300...
THE HON. SPEAKER: Please, do not address the Hon. Minister. Address the Chair.
HON. TOGAREPI: Mr. Speaker Sir, I am sorry the Minister is very close to me, next time do not sit close to me. Mr. Speaker, the $300 that civil servants are getting as a COVID allowance that the Minister has now said is now going to be pensionable, it means members, the civil servants, those who would be in this same bracket will have their future looked after through a deduction on this amount towards their pension. What I would want the Minister to assure us is, if this amount remains an allowance, that makes it untaxable so that it does not destroy the good measure of $750 tax free threshold. If the $300 is also not going to be taxed, we have fully cushioned the low-income earners. So, that area, if it can be looked at. Also, if the Minister can confirm to us in his responses that, that is covered, then this budget is one of the best and responsive budget I have ever seen.
In the Budget Statement, the Minister spoke about increase in toll fees. I know very well nobody wants to pay but people want to travel. They travel on the roads that have been built by Government and they think that those roads maybe came from heaven. Those roads were paid billions of dollars for them to be there. It is critical that we ensure that these roads are maintained. We also ensure that we do more roads. It is a marvel when you travel along Masvingo- Beitbridge Road today, surely you can sleep. I was talking to the Clerk, he said he can afford to sleep from Harare to Beatrice because the road is very smooth but it costs money. For you to have that road and those who are using that road must be prepared to pay. When you pay, you will maintain those roads, you keep the roads smooth and you are going to be safe from accidents. Even when investors come here to explore opportunities, they look at your road infrastructure. Can we come and do business where there is no road? When they see roads, it means many people would want to do business with you.
My plea is, there are two ways of dealing with toll fees. The $5 that the Minister is proposing is, it maybe very expensive to others. You go to other countries, people do not even go into town using their own cars because it is expensive. They use toll fees to exclude people from getting into town. People will not travel willy-nilly to Masvingo, to Harare to Bulawayo. They will not travel because if there is a cost, that is a point of opportunity for us to protect our roads. Many people who travel long distances are those people who have money and tax has a function of distributing income from those who have, to those who are poor. That is why I recommend to the Minister that registered public transporters are those that are registered through the Ministry of Roads and Transport; that are registered as buses carrying members of the public. Those must not have their toll fees increased. That is my recommendation. Those kombis that are not registered are the source of accidents. They are sources of indiscipline on the roads, let them pay. If they decide to also then want to benefit from that concession, I recommend that they register. If they register, it means the Minister collects more but they just use roads, those Mushikashikas and so forth but the Minister does not collect. This will help the Minister in taxation.
There is one important thing the Minister must pursue; any Government, any tax collector must have a register of the people of that country who pay tax. Do we have it today? The best way of doing it is to ensure that everyone who does business in Zimbabwe is registered and if those people are registered, it means the Minister will then follow and get the dollar. Tax did not start today. By the way, in the Bible there was Caesar who was paid tax. So, pay unto Caesar what is due to Caesar.
The other issue is about passport fees that the Minister raised. Hon. Minister, I have no problem in us charging economic fees on passports but I was going to recommend, despite that I support the issue of increasing, but it must then be proportional not in a way that would discourage people from getting a right. Having an identity document is a right. I was going to recommend that the Minister keeps maybe the passport fees for those who are prepared to wait for a month or two to get their passport at the same rate. For those who would want those passports yesterday, they must pay. It means they want a passport for some economic value. How do we share if they get that passport and fly out of Zimbabwe and start making millions out of Zimbabwe? How will Zimbabwe benefit after running around to give this member of society a passport that he wants so much?
I would recommend, if it is good to the Minister, to have a three-tier pricing system. One for those who are prepared to get the passport because they want it as an official document in this country, they can have it. If you want to give them in three months’ time, they apply, get it in three months but do not charge these people because they are the poor. Those who would want it yesterday, let them pay very economic prices.
I now go to the wealth tax I have friends who are very rich who work in Mbare and Magaba area. That place used to be for small and medium enterprises. Those were the people who were working in Magaba and Mbare, but the same people who are running Magaba and Mbare today are people who stay in Borrowdale, who are flashy but they carry their monies in sacks. Ma card box anenge akazara mari. When they bring that money in the economy, they distort prices without paying tax. I recommend that the Ministers wealth tax, US$100 000 cannot define a rich man. If you have a principal house, I think that must be exempt. Let us exempt a principal house. Secondly let us look at higher figures. Someone who has a US$300 000 or US$400 000 house must pay something.
I was going to recommend that we have a register of all house owners in Zimbabwe. Let us produce it and let us create a culture of paying tax. If each of those people in urban centers, because of their location would pay $10 and those in higher income areas pay more. How much will the Minister collect? After collecting that, we will see better roads in urban areas, we will see an improved environment in terms of service delivery. As we speak, our Government, because of failures of local authorities, has taken up that responsibility to rehabilitate roads. If the locals in those urban centres are not paying tax, what will happen to those roads and facilities that are not supposed to be given to the people of Zimbabwe?
I want to conclude Mr. Speaker, by talking about the sugar levy. Surely people enjoy sugar, but the consequences are very high and they strain the health system. When you have diabetes, cancer, and many of these non-communicable diseases, you have some relationship with your consumption of sugar. The figures in terms of the percentage that the Minister would want, maybe, he may then look at the figures and their implications but the principle must not escape us. Let us ensure that we do tax those people so that we pay our nurses ,doctors, police and soldiers well. We need to tax our people and progressively those who are rich must help everybody so that we have a decent economy.
In Shona kune mumwe mutauro unoti, kana uchida kufara, idya nevarombo. Those Hon. Members who have money here, for you to be very happy, enjoy that money with the poor. And the other best way of enjoying with every poor person is just paying tax and their roads and clinics will be done and they have no reason to then envy you or start challenging you on your wealth.
In conclusion, let us have a culture in Zimbabwe of paying tax. Every Zimbabwean must feel responsible that he must pay tax. The courage our Minister has shown in coming up with these revenue measures has never happened. Let us not talk about politics when you are talking about building Zimbabwe and financing Government expenditure. Whatever we get today is from our own sources. We cannot build this country running away from paying tax when our neighbours in South Africa pay 60% in income tax. They pay 28% in sales tax. We pay 25%, we pay no tax in Zimbabwe on income tax. We have companies that are very rich Mr. Speaker, who are not paying a cent. They hide because we put an exemption on dividends because we want to encourage investment to come to Zimbabwe. They come here and dig holes, take our diamond, take our gold and dig big holes in our country. What are we going to be left with? Mazikomba, but we do not have good schools and good roads. However, if we tax these people and they do not want to do business with us, it is better if they go. We will live with our gold, diamond and lithium. If a new generation comes after us, they will find our lithium there instead of having a situation where all our lithium is gone and we have nothing to show.
I support the proposal by the Minister. Mr. Speaker Sir, I would want to say through your office, encourage the Minister not to be scared or intimidated by people who have so much money such that they do not want to pay tax. He must not be apologetic. This money will see us moving a step ahead. We have no source of money because we have few friends. We want to stand on our own using our resources. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: What was your Shona idiom?
HON. TOGAREPI: If you want to be very happy kana uri mupfumi, idya navarombo because they will protect your riches.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I get it. I wish to remind Hon Members that in terms of Section 111 of our Standing Orders, go for virgin land and try not to repeat what was reported by the Chairperson of Committees or the debate that ensued yesterday. Come up with something fresh. Go straight to the point and in 5 or 10 minutes you are finished. Please be guided by Standing Order No. 111.
Hon. Chiduwa having stood up to debate.
THE HON. SPEAKER: You are the Chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee. You debated yesterday and the Standing Orders do not allow you to have a second bite. I now call upon Hon. Ncube.
HON. TOGAREPI: Mr. Speaker Sir, she was listed but I am told you advised her not to debate because she is a Presiding Officer.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Correct.
HON. TOGAREPI: But they have been debating all along.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have ruled because all along we were sufficient.
HON. MAKWIRANZOU: Thank you, Mr. Speaker Sir, good afternoon.
HON. SPEAKER: Good afternoon.
HON. MAKWIRANZOU: I rise Mr. Speaker Sir, to add my voice on the War Veteran Affairs Vote. Mr Speaker Sir, this is a new Ministry whose mandate covers several issues of which I shall only repeat the significant ones.
The Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Act [Chapter 17:12] needs to be operationalised. Mr Speaker Sir, this Act is pregnant with issues that include the registration of war veterans, the maintenance of accurate records of war veterans and repatriation of deceased war veterans. Mr Speaker Sir, these war veterans made the ultimate sacrifice – sometimes they think we sidelined them, I think we should honour them.
I am in the Committee that caters for war veterans’ affairs and they are very grateful that the Hon. Minister ring-fenced for their Ministry. However, out of the proposal or bid, only 4,4% was awarded. Mr. Speaker Sir, the surviving war veterans should be empowered. The current freedom and sovereignty that we enjoy today is because of the sacrifices made by these war veterans. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] - It is for this very reason that His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, established the new Ministry of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the allocated funds are not adequate. For example, regarding social issues or social benefits, there was no allocation for funerals of war veterans. Mr. Speaker Sir, medical expenses for war veterans, most of whom are now above 62 years and their dependents, were only allocated 7%. This is unattainable Mr. Speaker Sir. Heroes dependents as well as their statutory requirements, only 3% of the bid was allocated; school fees for war veterans’ dependants, only 15% of the bid was allocated. Mr. Speaker Sir, what was allocated can only pay for half the school children for only one term.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the lowest was the War Victims Fund where only 6% was allocated. The war veterans of the liberation struggle and war collaborators and non-combatant cadres brought this freedom which we take for granted and so lavishly enjoy.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I have a few recommendations. War veterans are a disciplined group, they take leadership as they did during the war. There is a fund termed, ‘Veterans Investment Cooperation’, and this fund, if adequately capitalised, will enable war veterans to start their businesses, mines and farms. Mr. Speaker Sir, I am appealing to the Hon. Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion to look at this particular fund deeply and try to uplift the lives of war veterans.
Mr. Speaker Sir, war veterans should be taken seriously and the funding be increased upwards – not 4.4%. Indeed, through you Mr. Speaker Sir, War Veterans Fund and Heroes, Patriots Assistance Fund should be raised, Medical, Education and Funeral Benefits Fund should be raised, and Compensation of War Victims Fund should also be raised. War veterans are pleased that there was a mop-up fund for war collaborators vetting, but this is just a process. To date, 110 000 war collaborators, and 10 000 non-combatant cadres have been vetted. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker Sir, these people have not received the benefits.
I propose, Mr. Speaker Sir, that while we are waiting to do the rest of the vetting for unestimated 119 000 war collaborators and non-combatants, that those who have been vetted should now be paid, otherwise we would not be serious. Mr Speaker Sir, I submit my comments. I thank you.
HON. S. SAKUPWANYA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank you for the opportunity to add my views on the proposed 2024 budget. Firstly, I want to highlight that the projected reality of the upcoming 2024 year will form the premise of my debate.
The anticipated effects of the El Nino drought which we can feel even now, means beyond food security, we have to consider the massive drop in water levels which will have a ripple effect on the ability of the Kariba hydro plant to supply adequate electricity, thereby also affecting manufacturing and industry, coupling this with global challenges that we expect to be facing next year. It is a marvel that the Hon. Minister has projected that we will reach 3,5% growth in the 2024 year. In light of this, I must applaud the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion for including the $300 COVID Allowance towards the pension as this will protect our Civil Service and encourage the aspect of proper budgeting.
On the Wealth Tax, this is by definition, a proper initiative and I would like to thank our Minister for the proposition. However, I would like to propose that the tax condition should be limited to those who have two or more properties, the first one being exempted as a primary residence. This will ensure that you are not just hitting someone who has had his primary residence and who has worked hard for that particular residence out of the blue, but instead, you are saying who is going to enjoy further investments from additional residences out of their primary residence will be falling under that Wealth Tax.
Given the difficult year ahead and with our challenges to have access to finance due to the punitive sanctions, again I applaud the Ministers for finding ways to finance our road infrastructure. In Manicaland, we have a big challenge at the Forbes Border Post, the massive increase in productivity has led to long queues that lead to Mutare Town. All this is happening before the Sabi Star Lithium Mine in Buhera starts exporting its product at full capacity. This means that at its full capacity; we will have more than 100 trucks in a month, working our roads and extending the queues at the Forbes Boarder Post.
To this effect, the proposed marginal fuel levy is a welcome development. I support that it be ring-fenced towards road infrastructure. In the same vein, the toll fee increase suggested is also a welcome initiative to add to the funds needed for road infrastructure and development.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I must say that adding to road infrastructure should not just be on a quantitive basis, but on a qualitative one. It is not enough to say that we need to add on to the roads, but we must also need to maintain the roads so that we have a standard that cuts across as our economy grows.
I want to take in the recommendation again of the Finance Committee that the public transport would ordinarily carry the low-income earners, that they be exempted from this toll fee increase. Mr. Speaker Sir, I agree with the two cents per gram levy on beverages. This is not a sugar tax itself which is a basic necessity, but on the beverages that are not classified as basic commodities. Having heard sentiments alluding to the probability of smuggling, one should not be afraid to implement a progressive policy out of fear of illegality. This is why we have our security sector at the border post and to ensure we protect local industry from the effects of smuggling. So, I propose that the Minister, in the same vein, also increases the budget of the Ministry of Home Affairs which deals with border control and smuggling which was originally allocated 3,9 trillion against the budget requirement of 9,5 trillion.
As we consider the sugar tax, which is a progressive tax, I would also, in the same vein, highlight to the Minister of Finance that drug and substance abuse is a scourge that has affected our nation. So whether it be under this budget consideration or future consideration, I suggest that the Minister must look into creating a fund that is directed towards drug and substance abuse. In this vein, the Minster must consider putting a tax on alcohol in the same way that he implemented towards sugar tax.
Mr. Speaker Sir, as a youth, education is a priority for the future of our country. In this light, I want to highlight under the Ministry of War Veterans Affairs where they stated that under their education, only one billion was allocated out of a requirement of 136 billion. This is only 15% of the students that are already attending school. In the first term of 2024, only half of the students that go to school would have fully paid school fees. The rest will not have fees paid for them and this is for War Veterans, people who went to war, and people who suffered injuries only for their families to be insulted in that way.
Mr. Speaker Sir, it is my humble plea that we urge the Ministry of Finance to put more weight, especially on the Education of the children of War Veterans, and meet the demand to show our appreciation for their efforts of having gone to the war. We know they did not have the opportunity to go to school themselves, but at least let us allow their children to get a decent education without any disturbance.
Last but not least, I would want to just say, having heard all the arguments that I appreciate the Minister of Finance for continuing with a pro-poor budget, and I recommend that the Minister of Finance must be behold in ensuring that mechanisms are put in place, especially for the ring-fenced taxes that he suggested. If indeed we are talking about ring-fencing for mining communities, let that amount go back to the mining community, be it Penhalonga, Buhera, or Mashonaland Central - it must follow that the last person on the ground can feel that the taxes are working. With that, I humbly submit.
HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for giving me this opportunity to also contribute to this 2024 National Budget. I am going to focus on three ministries.
I will start with the Ministry of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture. Mr. Speaker Sir, let me start by applauding the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion for the budget that shows great commitment to service delivery and economic development in a very challenging environment. The revenue measures, broadly speaking, are a call to great sacrifice and tightening of our belts to reach our destination.
The Ministry of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture is a crucial ministry to economic development. There are quite several countries that have prospered on the back of sports. It is a contribution to GDP and how we fund it matters. I acknowledge the allocation by the Hon. Minister, but still appeal for a review to ensure that sports will be able to make an effective contribution to economic development. It starts at a very local level including rural areas which is only possible through funding. As you know Mr. Speaker Sir, that talent is only being identified in the urban setups, towns and cities, it is not being identified down in the rural areas where there might be a lot of talent that is hiding and going unidentified.
However, without funding, it would be difficult for the Ministry to visit all these areas and identify talent. Once we identify good talent and nurture and develop it, it will be easy to market and the country will get returns from sports. On the issue of retention, we know quite several people who have made it in sports, but if you ask, they are playing for so and so team somewhere. We are not retaining the talent that we have developed and nurtured because there is no talent attraction. I think the Ministry of Finance, through you Mr. Speaker, needs to look at how to retain and attract talent that we would have developed in our country.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the issue of Arts and Culture defines who we are in the world. These days because we have lost the culture, we are now having challenges of drug abuse and early child marriages. We used to play nhodo, pada and so forth. That is where we would spend most of our time, but now because we have totally lost our culture, a lot of our people, not only youth, but even adults are now resorting to drug abuse and also child marriages. So without funding, it will be difficult for the Ministry of Sport to go down there and encourage that type of sport, pada, chikokoko and things like that, that we used to do. These days they say we do not have a ball, what can entertain us, we would rather go to the bar and we would rather go to these different clubs. Once that is encouraged and is seen as something that is recognised by our Government, you will see that people will go back to that and we will reduce drug abuse.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the Ministry requires effective funding for setting up and coming up with a structure following its separation with the Ministry of Youth. Hon. Minister, may you please review the 10.18% allocation to reduce the 89.825 deficit for the Ministry to be on the right track. The Ministry of Youth is now the original Ministry and Ministry of Sport is now being taken as the new Ministry. It does not have furniture, transport and all sorts of things that make the Ministry going. That will also capacitate future fundraising by the Ministry for its activities. If it gets adequate support from the onset through effective budget support, surely it will be able to raise and contribute to GDP. For example, our National Stadium, once we have funding for the bucket seats, our national team will start playing at home. That will raise funding for this Ministry to be able to uptake some of their programmes.
Let me move on to the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development. I will only reign in on the issue of National Railways of Zimbabwe. It is a national priority. The Second Republic has scored highly on infrastructural development realising it is the driver and base for economic activity, the National Railways of Zimbabwe is lagging behind yet it would lower transport cost, improve efficiency and have very positive impact on the economy. Refurbished and new wagons will mean most of the businesses will use cheaper and reliable NRZ away from expensive haulage trucks that damage the roads. It will mean employing more people and more tax for Government and improved livelihood. An 8.1 allocation for requested budget means not much will be achieved and NRZ will continue to slow down the current momentum of infrastructural development. The public-private partnership model needs to be speeded up by the Ministry of Finance and that will rescue Treasury from having to fund NRZ and not being able to do it adequately. The continued overdependence on road haulage will continue to damage the roads currently being modernised.
NRZ also has assets including houses. Mr. Speaker Sir, we have heard a lot of people saying we live in the houses of NRZ but they are not paying rentals. There is need for the management of NRZ to look at this because some of them are not leaving those residences because they feel they were not being given their packages when they were laid off by the NRZ. If this issue is not fixed in time, it means management is holding the whole country at ransom by continuation of loss of revenue.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I will not conclude without saying something on the very important person in this nation, important to me and important to you, who is a woman. I would want to say just two issues about the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Zimbabwe Gender Commission. Mr. Speaker Sir, women constitute a bigger component of economic drivers now working in various sectors of survival families. They also suffer the most from GDP. I make this point to underscore the importance of making sure the Ministry is capacitated to provide for the security and safety of women. The current allocation of the Ministry does not reflect the commitment to GBV initiatives. The prevention of GBV and safety of women needs adequate funding for construction of the stop centres for victims of GBV and safe shelters.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the GBV theme of ‘Invest to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls’ is not misplaced. The budget allocation for the Ministry needs to be reviewed and increased. I am also appealing to the Hon. Minister to follow through on Government commitment on women empowerment. The Women Micro-Finance Bank is a key institution in the process of empowering women but that will not happen if the bank cannot even meet the RBZ capital requirements and risk losing its licence. An allocation of 10 billion out of the request of 100 billion is a let down to the women who are the backbone of our communities and society. We cannot, at this stage, lose sight of the objectives of setting up a separate bank for women by not funding it adequately. Once the women are able to access funding and set up businesses, they will grow the revenue base for Treasury and grow the economy, reducing poverty and over-dependence of Government.
Mr. Speaker Sir, in conclusion, I would want to thank the Minister for including the budget for sanitary wear for the school going girls. It will give dignity and confidence to our young girls in school. It will help them even excel in their schoolwork. If most of the recommendations made by the Committee on Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development are met, the Minister of Finance would have scored high on gender budgeting. I thank you and I so submit Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Members, we are debating a very important aspect of our nation. When you whisper, please keep your whispers low so that the Hon. Minister of Finance and his deputy can hear what the Member on the floor is saying. Thank you.
HON. MUKUHLANI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir and a very good afternoon to you. Let me thank you for giving me an opportunity to debate on the 2024 Budget proposal tabled before us by the Hon. Minister of Finance. Mine are proposals to the budget allocation for the Ministry of Health and Child Care. Mr. Speaker Sir, the old adage says prevention is better than cure. If that stands true, it will then mean our preventative budget would be much higher than our curative budget. I fully understand and appreciate the thinking behind having a higher allocation of the budget to the curative sector, mostly because that is where we procure medicines and associated accessories.
My proposal to the Minister Mr. Speaker Sir, is that we start a process where we shift more towards preventative by investing in our public health sector and also investing in our primary healthcare. Yes, it is good to have medicines on the shelves of our hospitals. That is what is increasing our budget allocation for the curative sector. It is so because we are not preventing what is preventable. Therefore, if we invest more or allocate more funds to our preventative sector through the public health care and the primary health care, we will gradually reduce the amount of money that we are putting on the curative sector. I have heard a lot about the 15% of the budget meeting at the Abuja Declaration. It is a good wish but I want to applaud the Minister even though he has not met that target, because the Abuja Declaration has 39 items on its wish list, of which the 15% allocation is just one of them. If you look back, it was signed on 27th April, 2001; exactly a year after this country was put on sanctions. The Abuja Declaration takes the assumption that it is an ideal world. Zimbabwe is not operating in an ideal world. Therefore, what the Minister has put before us is practical and possible.
I now turn on to the sugar tax. It achieves the public health element of controlling non-communicable diseases which are associated with the intake of sugar. I appreciate the cry from the House for probably reducing the percentage. Having said that, we already have in place the Aids Levy which we were using for the fight against HIV and AIDs and the opportunistic infections that come along with the condition. We have fought the HIV and AIDs pandemic very well using the Aids Levy but we have today, the same patient for HIV and AIDs are now the new patients for the non-communicable diseases.
You will appreciate that the same patient now has hypertension, cancer and diabetes. While we request for the Minister to look at the percentage for the sugar tax, probably the proposal I will put before the House is that we look at using part of the Aids Levy to deal with the non-communicable diseases as the same people are also affected by the same conditions of non-communicable diseases.
Let me conclude by commending the Hon. Minister of Finance for having come up with this budget in a very difficult space. As I have mentioned, the issue of sanctions, unpredictable climatic conditions, unfavourable and unstable international markets and economy and yet he has come up with the budget that speaks to the aspirations of the greater populace of this nation. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Mukuhlani, did I get you right that your prayer to the Minister is that he reduces the tax on sugar drinks and supplemented with the Aids Levy?
HON. MUKUHLANI: Yes, Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. NDUDZO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I do not envy the invidious position of the Hon. Minister of Finance who has to discharge in these circumstances, what is palpably an invidious mandate, faced with expectations amounting to ZW110 trillion. You can imagine even if he were to introduce all kinds of taxes. Anyone of us put in his position and given this mandate, even if we were to invest all kinds of taxes, even if we were invent a rate tax whereby you pay the rates you have to pay a tax for those rates, it is a mission impossible to raise ZW110 trillion.
This is in the context of the size, shape and circumstances of our economy. That notwithstanding, we must commend the Hon. Minister for going out of his way to present the budget as we have it, which goes a long way to bring on board the expectations of the population and the expectations of Hon. Members. There must be an acceptance that for the Hon. Minister to raise ZW59 trillion as he has proposed, he inevitably must cast his fishing nets deeper and wider. He has to cast those nets deeper in going along the traditional streams and making sure that there is a raise on the amounts he raises from those streams, which finds justification in the raising of toll fees, passport fees, vehicle licence fees, corporate tax and the other tax streams where the Hon. Minister has proposed an increase.
I am, however, of the view that the budget proposal as we have it, though to some extent, has endeavoured to widen the base from which the Hon. Minister is collecting revenue, the budget has not widened the scope of where we can possibly collect revenue as much as would be possible. I say this because we must accept, as a nation, that for all the good things we wish to have, there is no such thing as a free ride anywhere in the world. If we want good schools Mr. Speaker Sir, we must pay the price. If we want good health care facilities, we must pay the price. If we want to cruise on good roads: we must, of necessity, pay the price so that we get good roads infrastructure.
The widely and universally acceptable principle for infrastructure development the world over is the user pay principle model. If you want to use and enjoy something, you must be ready and be prepared to pay the price. In my observation, if you look, for example, at our roads, the greatest population of motor vehicles is concentrated in urban dwellings, you have far more vehicles in Harare than in the rest of Zimbabwe yet you will not find a single tolling facility in Harare. Our reality Mr. Speaker Sir, is that our inter-city and our intra-city road network carries the biggest number of motor vehicles. So, I would urge the Hon. Minister to be bold, to be courageous and cast his net wider and make sure that we also have tolling within our cities and intra-city tolling because that is what the situation so demands.
In life and in business, there are two ways of raising revenue even if you are running your own business. The first way is to make sure that you push the volumes. If you have more volumes, even if your margins are few, you can still realise a good bottom line at the end of the day. You can simply push your margins and my fear is that the budget is more along the lines of pushing the margins than pushing the volumes. Let us have as many facilities as possible so that we receive as much revenue as possible for us to have the roads we all wish to have. I think it is a very bad experience that every motorist who comes into this big city, from whichever direction, if you are coming from the eastern side, once you are along the Goromonzi area, traffic starts to move at a snail pace. If you are coming from Bindura, once you pass the tollgate, you suffer the same fate. We need to be able to account for those huge volumes with corresponding revenues by making sure that we also collect from those quarters.
I now want to address the issues that have to do with our justice delivery system. I am happy, I note that not only do we have the Minister of Finance in the House but we also have the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs in the House. I wish to pose a question to you Mr. Speaker, which I believe you can also pose to the two respectable Ministers. The order that says, he who pays the piper, chooses the tune. We must ask ourselves the question, if we are not adequately remunerating our prosecutors and our judicial officers, we must ask ourselves the sober question of how they are able to sustain their livelihoods.
In our study of jurisprudence, we learn one very critical aspect, which is that judges and judicial officers are human beings. They live in society, just like all of us. They purchase whatever they require for their livelihood from exactly the same shops that we all go to, yet they are having to deal with the temptation of very rich criminals, with deep pockets who everyday are dangling carrot in their face. That affects our justice delivery system. In that regard, it is my view that the exclusion of our magistrates and our prosecutors from the payment of retention allowances that I understand is now centralised to the Public Service Commission and certain other professions have been given worth of receiving that retention allowance. The exclusion of magistrates, where perhaps 90% of our people resort to, for their access to justice and matters prosecuted by our prosecutors, that exclusion must be reviewed and must be looked at as a matter of utmost urgency.
Secondly and equally important, we know that when our courts convict offenders, fines are paid. It is saddening to note that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has been excluded from benefiting from the Court Retention Fund. So, the prosecutors who actually do all the work make all the arguments, fight with the lawyers and fight the criminals until they secure a conviction, nothing comes to the NPA to support that great work. In my respectful submission, I would urge the Hon. Minister of Finance to make sure that he allows the NPA to retain part of the funds.
As I conclude, let me categorically state that we must all bear in mind one important fact, whether we are politicians or whether we are high-heeled or whether we are privileged in the society or not, we must take into cognisance one fundamental fact that we are all going to be clients of our justice delivery system, one day or the other. Either, we will need the services of our courts as clients being complainants and God forbid, perhaps we will need the services of our court as actually suspects or accused persons. What we need is to make sure that when we access our courts, justice is not just done, but justice is also seen to be done. Therefore, we must pay a fair compensation to those who operate and those who run the justice delivery system.
On the basis of what is already allocated, I humbly beseech the Hon. Minister of Finance to make sure that we adequately take care of those who are steering the ship. If we do not do that, we run the risk that other vultures and other nocturnal creatures will move in and take care of what ought to be our responsibility.
I thank the Minister of Finance for having taken into account all the considerations. I want to applaud him as I speak and I want to say in Latin, this is the kind of budget we could call pro bono que budget. It is a budget which has been made with the interest of the public at heart. I thank you.
HON. FRED MOYO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I think comments on the tax issue have been adequately dealt with by my colleague Hon. Members. I would like to approach my comments from a different point of view. I think we all need to accept that what we have been debating are issues to do with the one-year budget. However, this one-year budget is actually a one in two-year budget. In other words, if we are looking at the NDS1, we must realise that this year’s budget is in fact anchoring the last part of NDS1. We also must realise that this year’s budget actually also anchors the National Vision of 2030. If it does not work, then everything above it or that follows tends to also take the same trajectory.
I therefore, look at how we should project our view of this budget taking us forward, through NDS1, through to 2030, which is a National Vision that we must achieve. I would like to indicate to
the Minister that perhaps he should also look at revenue collected from business efficiencies and not necessarily direct taxes. We can get as much tax as we want, but if businesses that generate those are not being run efficiently, we will not win. In the private sector which I am familiar with, efficiencies are not being really looked at effectively the way we are running businesses at the moment.
Let me look at the mining sector which I am very familiar with. You look at some of the mines that we look at as big and try and analyse how they generate revenues and how they are structured from a manpower point of view and human resources – you will see clearly that the companies are simply going for quick gains. Let me put a poignant example. Our Government will operate on a five or ten year economic plan, that is how Governments are run, is it not really quite true that we could go to private businesses which anchor the economy and ask them for their five and 10 year plans and they will not be able to produce those.
What we are saying is that the Minister is assuming what he thinks is happening in industry, but in fact that is not what is there. It makes the plans that we are talking about to say Government has got a five year plan, maybe there are none, because it is based on information that is not credible. From a private sector point of view, I would be very happy if the Minister was able to base his future projections on real business revenue plans.
I listened when our Ministers made the presentations when we were discussing budget issues, I was a bit disappointed that efficiency issues did not come to the fore. I also realised that e-business as a strategy by Government, was really not discussed to a large extent. E-business is meant to create an ease of doing business environment in our country. We have had this strategy for the last five years and for Hon. Members who are in this House, it would be interesting for them to indicate whether they are now feeling that they are doing business by Government in an easier way than they were doing before. Are they visiting Government offices less, are they being received better, are they filling less forms, are they still fighting for services? If that is the case, then we need to try and get Government to look at efficiencies and also look at the ease of doing business because when that happens, then it allows citizens and private business to reduce losses and in fact generate better returns on their businesses. People are still battling to get efficient services from some of our Government Ministries.
I am a consultant, I go into coffee shops and I listen to those who come in trying to bring FDI in the country. These people still stay in hotels because we are not an efficient system. I would like to encourage the Minister of Finance, if he could possibly have a unit that checks whether in fact Government is doing business in the most efficient manner and benchmark with neighbouring countries whom we are competing with for markets.
Let me zero in on whether in fact the Ministry of Finance has got adequate watchdogs over industry and whether they are having a research unit in most of our key ministries. I say this because you get the feeling that we are not looking at where we could gain, where we are making losses. Let us take an example of the last ten years when task force after task force was sent into Bulawayo to go and resuscitate the closed industries. People went in there and came back. We saw reports and communication, but it is amazing that we are not able to realise that in fact, Bulawayo industries cannot be resuscitated unless the businesses that made it are resuscitated. Bulawayo industries were simply what they were because they were supported by CSC, Railways, ZESA, Shabani and Mashava Mine, Triangle and Hippo Valley, ZISCO Steel, Zim Alloys, Bata, ZimCast, Hwange Colliery and Zambia industries. If those industries are down, you cannot resuscitate Bulawayo.
It would also be interesting for one to visit just one of those industries I have mentioned like ZESA Hwange and look at the technology that they are using today and then go into Bulawayo and say which company in Bulawayo can produce an item that Unit 7 and 8 can service, zero. So, you cannot resuscitate Bulawayo. I am simply saying we need to be able to research and get to the bottom of issues that affect our economy.
Let me go to Ministry of Mines. I want to touch on the Ministry of Mines because we have said 80% of our forex comes from minerals. If 80% of our forex comes from minerals, we actually have a concentration risk. In other words, if something goes wrong with that Ministry, then the whole Government is in a domino effect. If you go into our districts, you find that each district under the DA, every ministry of Government is represented in the district. They have meetings daily, weekly and monthly, the only ministry that is missing in districts that are now devolved is the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development. Miners who are bringing in 80% of our forex from the districts are the only ministry that has to travel to provincial offices because they are not in districts.
One does not understand why we devolve business, why every Government office is in a district, but the most critical one is missing. When we get farmers and miners fighting for claims, they are fighting in the districts. The Agritex officer is there, JOC is there and they do things every day, but the Ministry of Mines is missing and they are not looking at the claims that are being fought over.
The other day I went to district offices and I saw the CEO of Rural District Council and I said by the way, you are a very busy district mining wise and he said yes. I said how many claims do you have in this district? He looked at me and he mentioned three mines. I said no I mean claims – working or not working? He said, I do not know. I said, are you aware no mine should operate and work in a district without your authority? I have heard about that. Are you authorising or not? No, they just go to province.
So, these are things Hon. Speaker, that we should attend to. They could augment the fight that we are having over taxes by bringing in the invisible or hidden tax revenue that we are looking for. I calculated and I think we have close to half a million claims, if not more in this country but only about 30 or 40% are inspected. They are officially invoiced by Government to pay the regulated taxes. The reason why that has not been happening is because the Ministry does not have vehicles. So, all the staff that we are employing in the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development are sitting idly in the provinces and not going on the ground. When we inspect a claim, we go to the ground, look at the corner pegs of the claim, and make sure that you take the owner to sign things off before invoicing them - if you do not do that, you cannot invoice them.
So, provinces are running with single vehicles to look after mining engineers who must look at safety, metallurgists, geologists, and surveyors. Hon. Speaker, if we bought a hundred vehicles, put each into our hundred or so districts, decentralise and move mining officers from the province to the district - those vehicles cannot cost us more than the revenue that is sitting in uninspected claims which I calculated. I may be wrong, and I may be right, would equal anything up to 300 to 400 million dollars (USD) per year but we are not collecting that because we cannot afford a Barkey to give to an officer to go to a district and inspect claims.
When I talk of research Hon. Speaker, we must always, I think, try and understand the business in which we are in. I listen with interest the hype that we have on lithium. I also understand that it could be a bubble that will burst anytime now if we do not get certain fundamentals in place. One fundamental that we must put in place Hon. Speaker, is that the Minister of Mines and Mining Development must do everything that needs to be done to make sure everybody who is producing lithium is producing it at the right cost. Everything must be made; we must help them, that is why we have got engineers in the Ministry to make sure that minerals are mined at the correct cost. If we do not, this whole hype is going to be a bubble that will burst because cheap producers have just emerged. They have entered the market and we are under threat. I was saying to myself, so as lithium takes this high ground, what happens to poor platinum because they work opposite each other? So, as lithium takes its place, platinum is under threat – we must also look at it and say, how do we protect our platinum?
Let me also say that other countries have industrialised their economies on the back of mines. Eighty per cent (80%) forex from one sector is not good – why are we not able to say any big mine that comes to invest, if it is a lithium mine, they must indicate what technology they are going to use, they must be made to put aside 5% of the capital that has come in, select their local players and be given that money to bring in the equipment that manufactures spares that are going to be needed for the technology. That way, the forex that comes in from our exports does not come in today and goes out tomorrow because the Hon. Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion received that 80% forex in the country, but I think 60% goes back to re-service those mines. So, I think he remains with 20% but if there was a way of creating input spares by bringing technology that is funded on the back of that capital into the mining business, then the money does not go back.
My final comment is on industrialisation…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, Order, Hon. Member, you are left with five minutes. You may proceed.
HON. FRED MOYO: Thank you, if we do not bring enough forex into the country, than we send out through ports, we will never succeed. The only forex we talked about, I looked at it and I think it was around nine billion from mines and the Hon. Minister remains with one. I also looked at Agriculture and Mines – very smaller amounts. How do we make sure that our import bills are smaller than our exports?
I think to play the regional game which did not come with our ministries, they are expected to sit out of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We need to do very detailed research of economy from our surrounding neighbours and see how we are going to compete. We must compete on quality, price and should be able to position our products in neighbouring countries. Sometimes one gets the feeling that we do not even understand which sectors of the economies of neighbouring countries we must attack.
Mr. Speaker Sir, that point is something that the Hon. Minister and his colleagues must look at and say, how do we industrialise our economy at the back of mining and agriculture? Interestingly, it is only in recent years that we have allowed companies to import anything that they want. We used to run a system that said if it is public transport, we knew that there was a kombi and a bus followed by a 35 or a 45 seater and that made it easier when we got spares, engines, gearboxes costing the country fortunes. At the moment, industry is not supervised to ensure that we aggregate the technology that we are using. If we go to mines and say vehicles of mines will be certain sizes and forced industry so that the country is not burdened by whoever wakes up today and decides to bring in the small components, they will do so but we will still have to support them.
My last comment is to applaud His Excellency for bringing up the Ministry of Skills Audit and Development. We have an interesting situation in the country Hon. Speaker Sir. At the moment, believe it or not, universities are producing more graduates than colleges – it is unheard of, if we are going to run our industries effectively. You cannot produce more doctors than nurses but that is what we are doing. We have 10, 11 or 12 universities issuing 3000 to 4000 degrees annually. The pyramid of skills is normally 1 to 5 or 1 to 10. So, how are we going to function when we turn our pyramid upside down? More skills up and less below – so we will get five engineers walking around with one electrian because we have done things the wrong way.
The degrees that are being championed, some of the degrees that we are doing at the moment have nothing to do with the direction in which the Minister of Finance is trying to take the economy. The economy is emphasising these schemes and technologies, universities are probably producing something else. We need to look at that and the skills that we are producing at the moment are not skills that have been used. Producing somebody who has a diploma, or a degree and deploying them to run an industry is not the same thing. I do not know how many of us would like a doctor who is qualified and never works to take you to the theatre.
So the industry will not run efficiently because our people are not skilled. I hope this Ministry is going to be supported by industry so that all our young people coming out of colleges and universities find somewhere where they can do industrial training. At the moment it is sad because 70% of them, if not more have nowhere to train. They come out with a degree but they cannot practice anywhere, so we are not doing anything.
Finally, Hon. Speaker, can something be done to make sure that the curricula of the various colleges and training institutions are all commonised? We do not want an industry where you talk of a nurse, all of us know what we are talking about but we must be careful that in the future when we say ‘nurse’, it is not the same animal because they were trained from different colleges with different curricular, different skills but they wear the same uniforms and we assume they are nurses as we know them. This is happening across all skills. I thank you.
HON. MATEMA: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker. I rise to lend my voice to the budget that is before this august House. We are here to interrogate and dissect the budget so that we offer informed advice to the Minister of Finance. I will not belabour the points that have been raised concerning taxes. I just have two points which I want to plead with the Minister of Finance.
Point number one is the Vote relating to Research and Development. I believe that the future lies in research and development and it is the future. The allocation of 456 billion…
HON. JOSIAH SITHOLE: On a point of order! Hon. Chiduwa wanted to debate but the Hon. Speaker said Hon. Chiduwa had no right to debate because he is the Chairperson of the Committee on Budget and Finance.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: So, you are saying Hon. Matema is a Chairperson and he is enveloped in the same ruling of the
Speaker.
*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to thank the Speaker who was saying the spirit of Nehanda is getting involved in this House from the opposition, she is intervening. As we are debating our budget, the people who are misbehaving in this House are being chased out of the House.
I want to thank the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, Hon. M. Ncube for the Budget he has presented in these trying times when Zimbabwe is under sanctions. I want to entrust the Minister that when the country is under sanctions or let me say when soldiers are in the battle, they are supposed to feed themselves whilst they are standing. I say this because in the proposal that you have put in place, you are supposed to stand by them because these are not normal times. You are not supposed to turn left or right, otherwise you can end up turning into a pillar of salt as Lot’s wife. What you have decided, you are supposed to stand by it because a lot of people are saying remove this and this but you are supposed to stand by your words and maintain what you have said. Do not let people undermine you but keep on doing your work. Much of the proposals that you have done, you are supposed to put them in place.
I would like you to dwell much on mines because there is a lot of money in mines. I heard the Chairpersons of Mines that there are low-hanging fruits, in other words eating whilst you are asleep. There are a lot of resources in mining but people are not bringing them for your consideration. The issue of issuance of licencing in mines has to be looked into. Someone pays 300 dollars and yet they get millions and millions of dollars. This means in the gold claims people are supposed to look into and the gold buyers are also supposed to be looked at because they are supposed to pay large amounts so that they can help in financing the budget.
Some people are buying mines for 300 dollars and the following week he sells the same mine for 90 000 or 100 000. The local authorities are not benefiting from these transactions and even the Government from such. There are a lot of mischievous, corrupt people who are stealing from the Government. I wish the Minister would put a closer eye on this one to make sure that he also has a hand and gets something from it.
There is a law which says work on it or lose it, some people have more than 30 claims of mines which they bought for 200 dollars. We are now complaining about the issue of a passport that you get for 200 dollars but there is someone who has 30 claims which has millions of dollars just lying idle. We want that law to be implemented, that person should pay tax which is more than 50%, these mines are not supposed to be idle. For the gold miners or other minerals who had these laws of Community Share Ownership Trust, that person who had 10 billion for example in Shamva - so is that classroom or school worth the billion that they would be taking from mining? We want to remove the 49% and we want the 10% from each and everyone who would be investing in that area. If you are saying 10%, the 2% should remain with the immediate community because some of their trucks are carrying more than 10 tonnes of ore but the roads that they are destroying need millions of dollars to be repaired.
When we went to the Conference, we raised the issue of community share ownership trust that communities should benefit from those companies. We are not supposed to be struggling when we have resources. We mentioned something to do with resource mobilisation which says we are supposed to rely on our country.
On the issue of Lithium, we want a clear-cut policy on the mining of Lithium, we want to know where we are going. Looking at the Northern region from Harare going to Dete, Mashonaland East and Mashonaland Central, it is Lithium. We do not even need surveyors to mine this, we just go with our hoes and wheelbarrows to the farms and get the lithium.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Mapiki, I left you to debate, but what you are saying, most of it has been said by Hon. F. Moyo. What you said earlier on about claims was correct, but now you are repeating what Hon. F. Moyo has said that supervision of mines should not be done whilst people are here in town. They should go to the grounds where these mines are found. I urge you to contribute differently from what the previous speakers have said.
*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Hon. Speaker. May be he debated in English and that skipped me. Moving on, the issue of small and medium enterprises is contributing to the fiscus. To the people who are selling in the streets, those vendors used to get licences from the local authorities. If we sell them for a dollar and we have six million vendors, we will have six million dollars in a month. I think that this is another way that can help us to raise income. We need to have measures put in place such that we can raise money through this initiative. People are supposed to pay, do not hesitate to make them pay saying that people will complain because even in the Bible, people were paying tax. We want the small and medium enterprises to pay. I heard that we want to do away with vendors in the coming year, but we want to have places that are designated for such vendors.
On the issue of sugar tax, in Kenya, they also implemented a policy that anyone who is bringing in any beverage with more than eight percent alcohol is supposed to pay tax. We can assist the First Lady in this because all our medication is now being exhausted, pending to diseases that are caused by consuming a lot of sugar. We were even encouraged by our parents that we are not supposed to consume a lot of sugar because it affects men, it can lead to impotence. We are suffering from bedroom problems due to such issues. We want people to do away with this.
Everyone is going to Cuba and other Asian countries, we want people to register and pay money to go to such countries and Government raises money from that. These people who say they can find jobs for you online from abroad, they charge you a lot of money.
Mr. Speaker Sir, let me talk about the issue of ICT. Our parastatals do not have a clear communication policy. Police are struggling to arrest people that go through red robots, but if there were cameras installed at robots, they would go to arrest these people who break the law. We even want cameras in parking bays so that someone can be given a ticket after committing an offence. People are breaking laws, but there are no tickets that are being issued. If we get drones, we can be able to monitor those tickets. I want this to be implemented. If you go to Harare and Rezende, there are people who are selling goods, with the receipts that are being prepared, you do not even understand how the Government is going to tax such people.
Let me move on to the issue of defence. I want the Minister of Finance to look into this. If you hear that a country has gas or oil, it means that you are igniting war. When we discovered gas in Muzarabani, we heard that there was a base that was opened in Botswana and another base erected in Zambia. We want the Ministry of Defence to be equipped with the latest technology. Thank you.
HON. GANYIWA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. Let me take this opportunity to debate on the budget presented by the Minister of Finance. I might need to start by reminding this august House of a basic financial accounting principle which says, you do not increase the expenditure budget before increasing the income base. Hence, the reason for us to overally support the budget presented by the Hon. Minister of Finance. Mr. Speaker Sir, we have to consume what we have gathered ourselves as a country, my constructive proposal, but kind of unavoidable painful solutions and recommendations are as follows;
For light motor vehicles, I think to increase by 50% from two dollars to three dollars, which is 50% but quickly allocate a special fund to ZINARA for a quick erection of new more tollgates in all tarred highways of our country and making sure that we do so at each and every 80 to 100 kilometre peg at most, like what other countries have done. Mr. Speaker Sir, it is commonly known that an effective medicine that cures is usually sour. If we want good and better infrastructure in our country, like most of our Hon. colleagues who have just gone out because of misbehaving, they always give an example of colonial master countries, but in those countries, their tax base is bigger than ours and that is a fact. Public transport like buses and omnibuses - if they can be allowed to charge as little as one dollar, considering that we are going to construct more tollgates. They travel on a daily basis so they will also be paying that dollar at each and every tollgate unlike private motorists who do not travel on highways every day. That reduction of toll fees will cushion as well as protect our travelers, especially when the transport sector decides to increase fares, coupled with further duty free on all public transport motor vehicles.
Private players will come in and invest more in the public transport sector and that means this will promote a culture of opting to use cheaper and easily available public transport for our citizens because of competition. In the first world, even whenever we travel to other countries, we use public transport and it is efficient. Let me repeat what I often say in corridors when we are discussing about this. It is true that going on a journey is not a choice. You can either travel to attend a funeral, wedding and for anything, but how you go there, is a choice. For example, I usually use the Masvingo road, you take an hour only to pass through Mbudzi because of so many buses and kombis passing there. This means there is a sharp increase in public transport on our roads, hence it cannot be a justification by many to say there is no transport.
If you decide to use your own vehicle for a reason best known to yourself, you must be prepared to pay for a price. Let me give an example that I often give – I do not think it is fair for a road that was constructed in 1984, which is Gutu-Zaka-Jerera to Chiredzi from Harare or Harare-Nyamapanda, whereby a motorist can only pay US$2 on exiting and travel 500 kilometers after exiting or paying one tollgate. Where on earth surely, Mr. Speaker Sir, the medicine that cures most is sour.
On that the Ministry responsible for SMEs in conjunction with ZIMRA and company, let me make it very clear, and I hope through you Chair or through you Mr. Speaker Sir, I hope the Minister is listening. The Ministry responsible for SMEs in conjunction with ZIMRA and most importantly companies with products commonly sold in the sector should physically go on the ground and assist the authorities on how best they can politely create a database in harmony with the sector without being too harsh. The sector can be easily integrated into the mainstream economy and at the same time, create a revenue collection conduit for them with a new and more friendly working model that promotes growth to their operations.
Let me talk about wealth tax and I repeat wealth tax, although we may need to rephrase it so that it does not sound as if we are the first country to take revenue from properties that generate income for companies or individuals, there is a difference between a necessity and an asset which brings in the question. Should we talk of property value that we kept, apply wealth tax on or what the property is being used for? I am sure that is where the question is Mr. Speaker Sir.
A necessity is something that you cannot live without, like shelter or a house. As per our Constitution, it is a basic fundamental right to have shelter. An asset is something that can bring income in your pocket. I am sure we all come from a background of business. There is a mushrooming of cluster homes that are coming by virtue of investing money by individuals and they will be getting rentals from those houses. Surely, I think the discussion should not be of taxing an individual home. The discussion should be around the taxing of rentals collected by those individuals.
I have got a background in the construction industry. Let me talk from experience, whenever you construct or come out with a project of a cluster home, when you go to ZIMRA, the number of cluster homes that you have built are considered as stock and you have to pay VAT. How come people can build houses? Let me give a word, if it is a house like every speaker said, a first house which you will provide shelter to your own family, fair and fine. If it is a second home or third house, it should only apply if one has got an official polygamy – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]- if not because otherwise people will lie to us that I have got two or three wives. So, there is a system that officialise that through our Constitution, which is the proof of paying lobola. This means if we debate on the issue of wealth tax, as far as I researched, it is not applied as such in first world countries. A wealth tax has another definition and applied differently, which might be subject for another day.
Actually, here in Zimbabwe, this is necessary to charge rentals that are collected by each and every person who use any other house to collect revenue. The danger now on allowing….
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, remember you are left with five minutes. Can you just wind up, I am giving you one minute?
HON. GANYIWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I hope may be you will just add two or three minutes. The issue that we are talking about is very paramount. If we say let us focus on a value of a house that should be taxed, what will then happen is, people will shun buying high value properties. The international mortgage scale states that value of a replacement caused by each and every property should give you 0.1% of rentals paid vis-a-vis, the first value, meaning to say if one has got a house worth half a million in Borrowdale, the normal international mortgage scale in rentals should be $5 000 per month. Years back, like in 2010, one could get that $5 000 rental. Now, you cannot get it. So, what will then happen is, people will sell houses and deprive the poor and go to the high density suburbs and buy $35 000 worth of a house in Kuwadzana and Warren Park and put tenants, where they can get $350 monthly, and easily. They can run away from this tax and run away from the areas which you intend to tax.
Let me talk because you cut me, I want to abide by your rules. I leave others but I thought they were of paramount importance. Let me just talk about the issue to do with Home Affairs, Defence and Security apportioned budget because of time. I would not do justice if I sit down before I talk a bit about that. I heard and it is very easy to come up with vocabulary whenever we are debating and phrase whatever we talk. With all due respect, I have heard so many phrases from one speaker to another and the one which I got yesterday and it was repeated today was of Ministry of Mines and Mining Development. It was referred to as the industry of the low hanging fruits. From my research, you can only get the low hanging fruit in a peaceful environment, even if it is low, you can runaway for your life and forget to eat. Hence the importance to look at the issue with these two ministries because in as much as we can lobby for education, health, Ministry of Agriculture, et cetera, if we do not have peace and security, we are most vulnerable and we cannot enjoy our economy. I rest my submission.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I move that the Hon. Member be given more time to debate, may be 10 more minutes.
HON. SHAMU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Ganyiwa, I am giving you an extra five minutes.
HON. GANYIWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker for extending my life-spun to debate. The area that I did not do justice was the area to do with the importance of embracing this budget as it speaks widely on the revenue collection. The reason why I mentioned the SMEs and street vendors, in order to conform with His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa’s mantra of living no one and no place behind, we should now know and accept the new world order in economic and business pattern that SMEs and street vendors do not in any way reflect poverty or the level of unemployment rate in any country. In actual fact, this is the new world order but these important people, they are an alternative, easier and faster ways and mobile distributors, helping many companies to channel their products, reaching and getting to the end users to all corners of the country, regionally and globally.
Now, the reason why we say ZIMRA together with the Ministry responsible for this sector should compel the companies that we often see their products moved and distributed by these vendors, is to make these companies pay them handsomely. We should make sure we protect vendors from being exploited because to some extent, we feel they are just being used. You will see them pushing at times mid-night, some scotch-carts of certain branded companies, without having meaningful or anyone who can check how much they are given as a percentage of volume that they push. You cannot distribute things such as bread on your own as a manufacturer. You need this sector. You cannot distribute water, drinks and fruits on your own as a company without having to make use of this industry. The reason why we want these companies to accompany ZIMRA is to make sure that they know whom they are giving certain quantities of products. They are the ones who know which vendor operates from. If I start opening another can of worms at this juncture, we will not finish. Thank you very much.
HON. MUGOMO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for giving me the opportunity to add my view on the 2024 Budget. First and foremost, I would like to congratulate the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, Hon. Prof Ncube on the international recognition he got by being named the Best Finance Minister of the Year – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear]. It speaks volumes on his stewardship of our economy and the trust bestowed upon him by His Excellency, the President especially as we chart our course and destiny towards attaining a middle class economy by 2030.
I would like to applaud him on coming up with a pro-people budget that speaks to the majority of the people of Zimbabwe. The targeted revenue would assist ordinary Zimbabweans through various initiatives from infrastructure development to the health delivery system. I would like to specifically mention the 1% increase on VAT with 50% of that revenue going to the rural development fund as a highly commendable move, especially with the motive to equip rural hospitals, clinics, schools and maintenance of roads in remote areas. Utilisation of revenue in this way is excellent and people centered.
The creation of a cancer fund from a special levy on sugar drinks is a great move to double the effort on our fight against cancer and non-communicable diseases. It is not a fight against our beverages industry but to reduce sugar related diseases expenditure on our health system and also change our consumption behaviour. I would like to applaud Government on this well thought out intervention which is not regressive but good for our health. I so submit.
HON. CHIWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for allowing me to add my voice on this important national debate. Most of the points have already been submitted but it is now a reality that the El Nino induced drought is a threat and as such, I urge our Hon. Minister to plan in advance for this disaster which is coming. I have noted that on the budget for Ministry of Local Government, there is no specific allocation towards this imminent disaster which is coming. This disaster is associated with destruction. We have already experienced so many destructive hailstorms in our constituencies and the challenge that we face is that there is no allocation. I hope this is the time and chance for the Minister of Finance going forward to reconsider this position.
It is also important to note that this is a real drought which is coming and we need to plan ahead. I come from the lowveld where we have the land earmarked to be irrigated from the Tokwe Mukorsi Dam. Our Government has done what even the previous colonisers have failed to do. We have a full dam but we are not tapping into the waters of that dam and yet we are facing a serious drought. Unlike in 1992, we are in a better position if again our Minister of Finance put a specific programme of irrigation development ahead of this drought. The land and water are available and our people are hard working but the challenge is we need funds to tap into this Tokwe Mukorsi.
I want to thank the Minister of Finance for the measures that the Ministry has taken on basic goods. I want to emphasise that I am coming from a sugar producing constituency, worldwide all sugar producing countries primarily produce sugar for their nation and the surplus is exported. When the borders are opened, and sugar is included, it is a direct attack on a product and industry which is sustainable as long as its economy is managed internally. Our sugar industry currently employs 25 000 who are paying tax and another 10 000 that are coming from our indigenous farmers. When the borders are opened, there is a serious threat on the future of farmers or economy because given the challenges that we are facing as a country, we are unable to compete with other countries.
In other countries they actually get the incentive to export as they dump their sugar into this country. In other countries they are getting subsidies for producing their sugar but here in our country, whilst we are happy that it is now a strategic crop, there are no benefits so far that have come along with that position. We depend on inputs that actually go down to the farmers or producers on a black-market scale. I would like to urge the Ministry of Finance to consider sugar for funding like many other strategic crops. I thank you.
HON. MUSANHI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, I actually came in through the back door to be able to add my voice to this very important subject. I would like to thank the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion and his team for compiling the budget at a very difficult time when our country is bleeding through sanctions.
Mr. Speaker Sir, we are in these sanctions because of the Land Reform Programme that was done in 2000. So, our country needs to be protected. I know a lot of things have been debated, but I only want to emphasise to the Hon. Minister that this time around, the budget is done and it is difficult to try and revise it. I know next year we are going to be having another budget. It will be very important to consider the industry because this is where a lot of revenue comes from through Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and through corporate tax. Our industry is bleeding, it needs retooling and a lot of capital to take off and compete with other industries.
Mr. Speaker Sir, for as long as Zimbabwe is exporting its jobs and taxes to other countries, it will be very difficult for the Hon. Minister to craft his budget on annual basis. What do I mean by exporting jobs and exporting taxes? When someone imports a sweet from another country, the country that made the sweet employed people and those people paid tax to their Government. So, it is important to look at our industry and make sure that we collect all the revenue that is supposed to be collected in this country.
It will be important for me to add my voice as well. We have a war that is looming ahead of us. I was looking at the sky the whole day and noticed pregnant clouds, and by pregnant clouds, I mean these clouds have signs of water. When they are induced to bring that water down, it will rain in the country. For as long as we do not gear up for the climate change, we are going to be in dire problems.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I once mentioned during Caucus, that countries under aggression will go to great lengths to protect their sovereignty, definitely billions of United States dollars will come out to defend our country. So, if we treat this threat ahead of us and treat it as if we are going to war, we will definitely win Hon. Minister. If we construct dams as fast as possible, we will be able to provide irrigation for our farmers and provide more irrigation to everybody around the country in the farms, we will be able to surpass our grain reserves for the year. So, in that way we will have won the war.
Cloud seeding Mr. Speaker Sir, though people think I am conflicted, this issue is a very important issue that should be looked at in this country to make sure that all the clouds that are pregnant, when they pass through our country leave rain. There are a lot of pregnant clouds that are passing through and we are just watching them without leaving any rain. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): Mr. Speaker Sir, I thank Hon. Members for their robust contributions in the debate on this budget. I must say this, may be some of the older Members may not like it, but I have noticed something. I have been in this Parliament for the past five years, to me, this is the first budget debate I have experienced in five years – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] - the quality of contributions is absolutely incredible. I will not say why I think so, but that is how I feel. I think some of you really agree with me in hitting the table, it is really fantastic. I thank you for this quality debate.
Mr. Speaker Sir, naturally, we are constrained for resources. So, you will find that our approach in this budget has been to deal with that, to raise as much resources as we can. We have sanctions and constraints globally, in terms of access to credit – that is really what has driven us. We also want to move our country to the next level as we try to achieve the 2030 Vision of being an upper middle-income economy. Let me go formal having made those cursory remarks.
Mr. Speaker Sir, allow me to express my appreciation to the various Portfolio Committee Chairs for their constructive comments on the 2024 National Budget Statement that I presented to this august House on 30th November, 2023. The 2024 National Budget Statement running under the theme, ‘Consolidating economic transformation’, seeks to deepen and implement reforms that will ensure progress towards the achievement of the nation’s vision as reiterated by His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa’s inaugural address on 3rd September, 2023. Hon. Chairpersons of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committees made presentations on their analysis of the 2024 National Budget. I also wish to commend Hon. Members who made their excellent contributions on the same, during parliamentary sessions since yesterday.
Mr. Speaker Sir, allow me to respond to issues raised by various Portfolio Committees and Hon. Members. I will start with a broad brush in connection with expenditure management, focusing on expenditure first then I will transition to revenue measures. Let me start with the issue that has been mentioned by almost all Portfolio Chairs, that there is no adequate budget in terms of the initial targets that the various ministries were expecting. Well, this comment was obviously made during the budget retreat vis-a-vis the budget circular ceilings. We listened carefully as Treasury and increased the allocation, almost to the expectation of each Ministry beyond the ceiling and this is what I presented on the 30th of November. I heard the Chairperson that when they said they wished they were at the level of what the Ministry desired to have in terms of budgets, but this could not be done simply because given the size of our economy and the constraints, we can only go as far as 60 trillion while the requirements are well above 110 trillion. The economy cannot just support the expenditure requirement – that is a simple constraint.
When we look at our tax revenues, we can only raise about 18% of our gross domestic product. The economy right now is unable to easily move above that ratio, we are working on it. So, some of the measures we have introduced are trying to address that. Other countries such as, South Africa, are closer to 30% if not higher, and Kenya closer to 25% have done better than us. Uganda has kept up, I think they are almost at 21%, Ethiopia has also kept up, and we are also working on it to see if we can continue to raise more revenue. Some of the measures cause pain here and there and debate, but that is part of the process. We will try to balance between revenue-raising measures and incentives so that we can incentivise our economy.
Mr. Speaker Sir, there is an issue that was raised regarding the accumulation of arrears across various MDAs, across various ministries. We intend to deal with this matter in 2024 and try to settle these areas. Some of them have to do with cross liability, across agencies, I am sure there is a way in which we can rationalise this so that there is minimal movement of cash at least from Treasury through rationalistion and harmonisation. We are working on this in 2024.
Having said that of course, we have a limited budget envelope, so we cannot go towards the target of 100 trillion. I listened carefully to the contributions from the Committee Chairpersons and some of the Members, particularly from the Chairperson of the Budget and Finance Committee, Hon. Chiduwa. He passionately made a plea that we should increase the budget for ZIMRA and I concur with him, therefore I propose that we increase the budget for ZIMRA by 70 billion dollars.
Equally, there was a passionate plea to increase the budget for one of our oversight entities the Auditor-General’s Office especially in the area of digitalisation. So again, I propose that we increase that budget for the Auditor-General’s office by another 10 billion – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] -
Coming to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs budget number 17, Women’s Affairs, Small and Medium Enterprises development. Again, there was a plea that this Ministry needed more resources to support the cause of women and gender equity in the country. SMEs need to be supported by building stores, that way you can actually formalise them and we can even collect taxes in a more orderly manner. So again, I was persuaded by that argument and we are proposing an increase to that Ministry of 20 billion Zimbabwe dollars.
Then is the Ministry of Youth Empowerment Development and Vocational Training again there was a very passionate plea that we should increase the budget for this Ministry. I think it was Hon. Ziyambi who had a passionate plea that we should do something after all the youth are the future, with the issues regarding substance abuse and so forth. So, we felt that we had to do something here, the building of vocational training centers. I propose that we increase the budget for the Ministry of Youth, Empowerment Development, and Vocational Training by another 50 billion ZWL.
There is the Ministry of Hospitality Industry, again the portfolio Chair argues that what was done here, is that we continue to treat this Ministry as if it is a department and I accept that. I see great potential going forward, tourism numbers are looking up, and more hotels are going to come up. It is a sector that I also know well, have been an operator in the sector. I must say that we had to do something for this Ministry so I propose an additional 10 billion ZWL towards the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry.
An issue was then raised by the Chair of the Higher Education Ministry, Professor Murwira’s Ministry that we needed to do something about investing in infrastructure to assist disabled learners in our tertiary institutions. Again, as Treasury, we were persuaded by this so we have allocated an additional seven billion towards infrastructural support for this Ministry.
I also listened to the Chair of the Portfolio Committee that covers Defence and Security in the area of War Veterans, Hon. Nguluvhe, and other contributors. Again, there is an oversight where there was no budget for the funerals of war veterans. An allocation will be extended towards that Ministry again to deal with that matter and the other matters within that Ministry.
I also listened carefully to the contributions regarding the companies that are under this Ministry that they should be supported to take off. They will be supported; just to say a few things, I was personally involved in the creation of these companies. I know the whole history. We have currently six farms and we expect eight farms. Two provinces have not yet given us towards war veterans. I am still waiting, a lot of cities have no farms so we include Harare and Bulawayo. We have 21 mining claims and they are mainly in the gold sector under that comfort. We have a hunting concession that is under that sector and then we have also a financial institution under the umbrella fund that we are also supporting.
The War Veterans Welfare has the intention of creating a real estate company. They also want to create a health facility for war veterans and we as Treasury, are supporting so again going forward, it is a Ministry that can lean on us after all the Permanent Secretary of that Ministry was my former staff in the front office. So, I think I feel obliged to support it as we support the war veterans in general.
I now turn to the issue of budget releases and it is a fair comment that budget releases are often not followed up by cash releases. Cash releases are what matters when we prepare the budgets. That is correct, we have created a new system where we want the cash releases to lead budget releases, it does not sound quite right, but at least they should match. We asked the Accountant General first how much cash they are expecting in the next week. Therefore, we can only do budget releases to this amount. That way, budget releases will not run ahead of cash releases because budget releases are done by our expenditure department within the Treasury while cash releases, which is what matters, are done by the Accountant General’s office. We will have that alignment going forward. It will remove all the headaches and not raise expectations for additional budget and then it does not come because no cash is released. Devolution programme has achieved a lot. If I can urge our MPs, especially the new MPs that there is a trick to this. Let me put it this way, they can speak to Hon. Chiduwa or Hon. Mayihlome, Hon. Paradza lost but they can still speak to him on how to access the Devolution Fund. There is a trick, it involves you the MP, you should be active, you have to involve the relevant chiefs in your districts, they are very important because the projects have to come from the bottom. Do not forget the CEO of the Rural District Council. The CEO is a very important person who can actually frustrate you. So, you need all these pieces but you as MP drive the agenda. Do not leave anybody behind and you should access those devolution funds having agreed on the projects. I really want to give you some advice on that.
On ZIMRA, I think we have dealt with this one. I have written it on another part of my document here, we have increased the budget for ZIMRA. Then, there were comments about alignment of our budget allocations, for instance for the health budget alignment with the Abuja target of 15% of the budget going towards health. There was also the Dakar target issue regarding the education sector and then the Maputo principles regarding agriculture, that for agriculture 10% of the budget should be focused on agriculture and then 20% of the budget should be focused on the education sector.
Hon. Speaker, I think I can advise the Portfolio Chairpersons to do the following. The budget that matters in allocation is what we call the above the line budget and not the below the line budget. The below the line budget includes interest payment. It is not a productive budget allocation, chikwereti, urikubhadhara chikwereti, is it not? So, what you should do when you calculate the percentage, let us say health has been allocated about 6.5 trillion for example, you must divide that by the 44 trillion and not by the 60 trillion. If you do that – so for health what you will get is a percentage of about 14.3%. So, 14.3 for health is as good as 15%, it is very close.
Then for education sector, you have to do the following. You have to take Primary and Secondary and Higher Education; it is about the sector. Again, you do the same at those two budgets, divide by that 44 trillion, what you get is a percentage of about 23%. It is over 20% over the Dakar target. The same thing applies to agriculture, I can do the same for agriculture. You will get a figure of about 10%. Really, we have actually met all those targets using the methodology that I have just explained. In fact, I was very strict about these allocations Mr. Speaker. I said to my team, we have to meet the target. We were very methodical and that is the methodology we used. So it is above the line budget and not the below the line budget that you use as a denominator.
Let me comment Mr. Speaker Sir, on the issue of urban transportation system. A comment was made that certainly we need more public transport. We commit in this budget to procure another 1 000 buses, over the next two years and the first batch of 250 buses will be expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2024. We are committed to this. I have emphasised to my Permanent Secretary, Mr. Guvamatanga and the ZUPCO executives that some of these buses need to be green buses, we need some buses that use batteries. We must show that we also need some progress as a nation. We need some green buses; I think they have committed to 50 at least that will run on batteries.
I will now turn to the issue of decentralisation of administrative functions. I also note the request by the Portfolio Committee to decentralise administrative functions of various ministries and MDAs, in particular the Independent Commission. Whilst decentralisation of administrative functions is central to efficient service delivery, that is largely dependent on availability of resources to cater for employment costs operations and attend to infrastructure that includes office space among others. The source requirements, thus significant hence decentralisation cannot be implemented on big approach, this has to be done on a gradual approach. The point is well taken and again overtime, we will make the resources available for these gradual decentralisation.
Mr. Speaker Sir, those were my general comments regarding the expenditure side. I now turn to the revenue and tax policy measures. Let me start with the domestic minimum top up tax. Again, there were comments from Hon. Chiduwa, the Chairperson of the Budget, Finance and Investment Promotion Committee. These were commendations that we have done the right thing by plugging this tax arbitrary problem presented by multinationals who want to pay more taxes elsewhere and not where they are making money from which is Zimbabwe. We are plucking that hole to make sure they comply with the 15% threshold globally.
I will now turn to the levy on sugar. On the sugar issue, I have been focusing on the cancer machines. We are determined that we must create a cancer fund to deal a blow on cancer, at least ameliorate, give some relief to our sufferers whether in the form of affordable diagnostics, drugs and all that. In my previous life, I spent a lot of time studying the economics of HIV. I know a lot about the economics of HIV. One thing that is clear is that it does have some unpleasant comorbidities. One of them is cancer. So, I feel very passionate about the issue, that is why we need to make sure that we have support for our cancer sufferers. I think now the machines at least in Mpilo and Harare are working and if they are not, please let me know. But now, we want to procure a gamma knife. A gamma knife is what is needed to deal with intra cranial cancers in your brain, in your sensitive organs and so forth. We have to move up and make sure we procure the right equipment.
We need this sugar tax to pay for some of these critical infrastructure and drugs. I must say that the original two cents, actually that was a mistake, we made a mistake in that calculation, those are the facts. It should actually be 0.2%, which means that if you have got a can of coca cola, if it is 300ml, it has got about 135 grams of sugar in it, so 0.2 cents, that means an extra seven cents on that can of coca cola, that is what it translates to. I do not think seven cents is a big deal Mr. Speaker Sir. Surely that is affordable, let us support this cancer fund effort.
On the wealth tax Mr. Speaker Sir, again I accept the contributions from the public, from the Portfolio Chairpersons and Members of Parliament that we need to move the threshold. Some Members suggested that the 70 years exemption should be brought down to 65, again I agree with that, that we must exempt the primary residence of an owner of a property – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] - I agree with that, actually it is just that when we announce these things sometimes we use a broad brush but we already had this in mind to make these adjustments when we come to this Statute and make it clear, so the primary resident is secluded. In fact I am proposing a new threshold of US$250 000. I am also proposing a limit as to how much any person can pay. No one should pay more than US$50 000 per annum. That pertains to a property of about US$5 million. In other words, if you have a property worth about that value and beyond, really you should not be paying more than that, there should be a cap somewhere.
On passport fees, we have listened carefully to the contributions from the Portfolio Chairpersons and Hon. Members that the US$200 is on the high side, we agree with that. It is just that when we were having the discussions about modernising our borders, we wanted to be the first country outside Dubai to have an unmanned border post where you can walk in because now we have an e-passport with a chip in it. You can walk in and the gates open your passport is read. You do not talk to anybody. We want that equipment here by end of 2024. We have to be modern. That is what motivated us. It is the kind of thinking to say we need resources to support the Ministry of Home Affairs and we thought that increasing passports was one way to do this. Someone proposed that rather USD120 for an ordinary passport, let us make it USD150. It is a proposal, but for the express passport, the 24-hour passport, anyone who needs it urgently is often those who can afford it. That one should be USD250. I know one Hon. Member who proposed USD350, but let us make it USD250 and I think USD250 is okay.
I now turn to the issue of duty on basic commodities. As Government we will do whatever we can to make sure that basic commodities are affordable to our citizens. So we always try especially when prices shoot up, we will open borders. We have seen that is almost like our default reaction because we think that is the only way to support our citizens to access cheaper commodities when we open up. We are also aware that we do not want to kill our industry. I heard the plea from the sugar sector for example and we will be careful.
This is why whenever we open up borders, it is always temporary and it is never permanent. We open and we close and we watch the price. We have done the same right now with fertilizer. Initially, we allowed the manufacturers only to import when we realised that they will not reduce their prices. Cabinet made a decision to say any farmer can import fertilizer. Of course, there is a limit cap and that was helpful and prices started coming down.
The same thing applies to cement and now we had cement selling at USD20, then it came down once again, we open those borders, but it will not be a permanent opening. At some point we will shut when things equilibrate and then they stabilise. A comment was made on rebate on ICT equipment. This came from the Chair of the ICT Committee. We already granted a low duty on ICT equipment and continue to work with the sector on items that may still be outstanding. We can take another look and see whether we need to do more for this sector, we will look into it. After all, digitalisation is a key pillar of our Vision 2030 which will deliver us there.
There is a comment that was made by the Chairperson of Transport, Infrastructure Committee, Hon. Kaitano regarding the issue of toll fees. We are proposing that rather than increasing the basic toll fee by 100%, I am now proposing that we increase it only by 50%. We have lowered the increase. The same applies to the premium roads, again I am not proposing the full amount but only half of that. So, we have lowered these toll fee increases.
I also listened to a comment that perhaps tollgates that are closer to the city should have lower toll fees than elsewhere. We will look into this. It sounds like a noble proposal because some of the people who live out at the edge of the city or those who work in the city, if they are having to pay high toll fees, we do not want that. We want it to be fair and reflect the fact that the work here we do not want to overly penalise those individuals.
On registration fees from Number Plates, thank you for these proposals. This is under review and we will review it and see what we can do. For some of these proposals and suggestions from colleagues, these we proceed by way of regulations, Statutory Instruments and things like that. It does not necessarily have to come into a Bill although we may need to confirm by Parliament but it does not necessarily have to come through a Bill in the first place.
On the issue of the informal sector and formalisation, we believe that the proposals we have in the budget about ensuring that before they can access goods from manufacturers or retailers, they show that they are VAT registered. That is how we begin to formalise them. We think that this will do part of the trick but we need to build stalls as Government so that it is easy to find these SME operators. We will do that but we feel that the measures we are proposing, if fully implemented, will need to contribute to the formalisation agenda.
On the issue of the 1% levy on lithium, I know one colleague talked about this and I will find out who it was. They proposed that we increase the community investment levy from the 1% proposed to 10%. that is quite a bit. We like this but the industry will be very unhappy. The royalty for the lithium sector is 7%. So proposing 10% for the community levy is quite too much. Let us see how the 1% levy is doing and then we can adjust as we go forward. Anyone who does not comply with the beneficiation tax by the say or rather beneficiation imperative is forced to pay a tax of 5% which I want to increase to 6% in this proposal.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I do not want to leave any interest in points out. I am just going to run through the comments from the Committee Chairs and Members of Parliament. I am looking at Committee from Budget and Finance under Hon. Chiduwa. I think the issue there was the ZIMRA budget and that is one thing I wanted us to act on and then the Youth budget, we have dealt with that. DMTT was complementary sugar tax, we have dealt with the adjustment. On the wealth tax, we have made the adjustments and the comments. Passport fees, we have made an adjustment.
Turning on to Hon. Mudekunye, Industry and Commerce Chair, he made a comment about rural industrialisation. We will not have a policy that any company that establish a facility in the rural area in processing in value addition or whatever they are doing, we will accord them special economic zone status. We have that policy but the industry had been slow to take it up but it exists. We are supporting the rural industrialisation that way. We have been requested to have a budget allocation for ZITF, we will do it and we agree Hon. Mudekunye.
On Environment and Climate, the issue there was to make sure that we pay the carbon collections to EMA and we agree. On Tourism and Hospitality, we have dealt with the budget and we have increased it so that we should do something about that. The Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, the big point was about the budget for the Auditor General’s office which we have increased. So, Auditor General’s Budget has been increased, again on the request of the Chair of the Committee and other contributors. On ICT, Postal Services, again we responded to this. I must say that for this Ministry, the budget is actually kind of split because we have got the Ministry itself and then we also have the department that deals with ICT issues under the Office of the President and Cabinet. So, some of the budget tends to split. Therefore, when we look at it, we need to look at those two together to see how much we really allocate to the ICT sector. Besides, this is a profitable sector for commerce, for private operators, so investors also play their part in investing in ICT. I have also taken note of the arrears of $31 billion on TelOne. Again, it is one of those arrear issues that we are going to deal with as we rationalise this issue.
The Chair on Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, I think a big issue here was raised. The recommendation came on the fact that we have included the USD300 as normal salary which is pensionable, but a point was made about the review of salaries for the uniformed forces, making sure that again, we comply with military salary concepts, I agree with this. I think we have started on that concept. I have worked hard I must say, but the issue has been the erosion of the Zimdollar component. That is the issue, but in terms of the items, currently, Defence Forces have about 11 items under the military salary concept that we are trying to capture. Special Services, I think it is about seven issues and then Police and Prisons cover again about 7/8 areas. I am not free to say it publicly what they are, but if you ask me in private, I will tell you, certain areas that we cover. I will give an example; it matters whether you are a paratrooper or not. If you are a paratrooper, it is considered to be more dangerous, so you are given an allowance. Also, if you are a marksman, it matters whether you really shoot straight or you do not shoot straight. So, it is better you rather shoot straight so that you get an allowance for more accurate shooting. We are really trying to impress the military, maybe we need to do more and we will look into it.
The issue about BEAM that there are arrears, these need to be cleared. They will be cleared. Digitalisation under the Media and Broadcasting Services, I agree. The Chair for Justice, and Legal Affairs, again making sure that the judges are more comfortable, they need to be better paid, allowances, housing and vehicles, et cetera. I think we have tried, especially on accommodation and vehicles, we really tried. I know that the magistrates, I think and Prisons are also included in the salary that we call staff retention scheme.
Looking at Sport, Arts and Recreation, there is the issue of the stadium refurbishment, the Chair raised this. On that one, let me say it was not in the budget. We have actually struck an arrangement with a private sector investor who is going to help refurbish the National Sports Stadium. Government is also chipping in with its budget and we expect that in the next three months, everything will change. We are acting on it.
Coming to Chair on Health and Well-being, I have dealt with the issue around the Abuja target of 15%. Sugar tax, may be something is that the alcohol levy that was introduced last year that perhaps should also be targeted towards the substance abuse issue among our youth. We will try to target it towards that. Let me say this, when we look at the health sector budget, there is a bit that is not in the budget. For example, the USD200 000 that was spent building the polyclinics, we built one in Harare South, Hopley area and then in Cowdray Park. Now the one in Mataga area in Zvishavane is complete. One also in Runyararo is also complete and ready for launching.
We are now moving on to building two district hospitals in Hwedza and Umzingwane. So, overally, we are building 30 clinics with the best equipment and six district hospitals again with the best equipment. That is not in the budget because we borrowed that money. There is a lot that is happening in the health sector that is not being captured. If you look for instance, even the Aids Levy is not properly captured in the budget allocation, but is hidden off to supporting the sector.
Then Chair for Higher and Tertiary Education Committee, I have highlighted the infrastructure for the disabled that we are going to support and also support the increase in lecturer salaries so that we can match the regional ambush to stop the brain drain into the regional universities. We have taken note of that.
I think something was raised by the Chair of Energy and Power Development Sector, the issue regarding strategic reserve levy. He was supporting and that we should do more and build our reserves towards the bad days cover. That is accepted.
On the Foreign Affairs Committee, I think we have come a long way with this Ministry. I recall a time when Ambassadors were not getting their salaries, staff being kicked out of residences; kids not going to school, out there. We have moved mountains in terms of procurement of vehicles, clearing the arrears, in fact with arrears, when I came in, we had outstanding arrears of about USD85 million. When I last checked, about two weeks ago, we were down to USD3 million. We have cleared arrears in the last five years. -[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
I passed through the South African Embassy and UK, I can see that right now we have to do something about vehicles. So, I propose that we should buy them another multi-people vehicle, 7/8 people. They need that. Most embassies need that. Secondly, refurbishment, well in South Africa, the residence of the Ambassador is done. In the UK, the Ambassador’s house is about to be done. Then the Chanceries as well, we are making a lot of progress. We involve the private sector when it comes to renovations in UK and also in New York because those are highly potential profitable reimbursements on a PPP basis and get a developer, they can help in supporting the custom running. So, we are clear, also other embassies under critical need is Ethiopia. We will deal with it. It is in a bad state. We also have to deal with Geneva as well. We have a programme, we will get there and we really want to support the Ministry on this. I can assure Hon. Shamu that we are on it.
The Local Government Chair, talked about raising funding for ZUPCO. She said something about 1000 extra ZUPCO buses going forward.
Maybe I can give a comment on the wealth tax on how it is done in other countries. They do a whole lifestyle audit of an individual – how many houses, how many cars, how much money you have in your bank account minus your liabilities which are mortgages and things like that. What we should do is for us to adopt the French model which is simpler. We target one major asset of an individual which is a house beyond their primary dwelling, that is what I propose. If you check the new French wealth tax, it looks like that. There are other models as I said for Spain, Switzerland, Columbia and Norway. Those are the leading ones. Take a look at them if you have time to see the variations. I think that ours and the French are the simplest because you focus on the one type of asset and concentrate all your systems around it.
Turning to youth empowerment from Hon M. Ziyambi, the issue there was the toll fees having to prejudice the youth. We have lowered the increases. We have responded.
For mines, one issue has come up Mr. Speaker Sir. The issue of the Cadastre system. Maybe this was not loud enough in the presentation. There are some brilliant ideas coming from your Chairs and backbenchers. They are proposing that we should set up a national Cadastral system which should not be under the Ministry of Mines, but perhaps under the Surveyor General’s Office and then make use of Zimsat, our space agency to then do the mapping. They did a great job in Caledonia in terms of mapping when we were trying to see which are the wet areas and which ones are no, I bought into this. We are not having much progress with this Cadastral system. We have been on it for the last seven years and there is no progress. What I am hearing now might be the best way to go. Let us consolidate these budgets and focus on building one national cadastral system.
It is worth mentioning that I got a very professional contribution from Hon Wilson Mhuri who is the Member of Parliament for Shurugwi South. He gave a very professional contribution on how this could be done. That Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development, Hon. Maburutse also made a comment about the Cadastral system as well as the other comment that we must climate proof our agriculture. I think we are working hard on this one because El Nino is upon us. Investing in irrigation and supporting Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme as well as matching the type of seed to the agro ecological region, we have done that mapping and the Ministry of Agriculture has that map which I think is a good idea. All that is being done.
We have also been speaking to the Ministry of Agriculture to say could you find another 100 hectares to put maize under irrigation in this season. Can you imagine our average yield for maize is about 5 tonnes per hectare? We are talking about 500 000 tonnes of maize that we could harvest under irrigation. That is our typical reserve that we always target at GMB. Just by doing that, we would have solved the reserves issue and cushioned our citizens who may need food because of this El Nino issue. I fully agree with what Hon. Maburutse is saying and we are doing everything we can.
When we came to the open debate, Hon. Mushoriwa made the point that we should budget in US dollars. I want to say Zimbabwe dollar is our currency. So, we are budgeting in our currency.
Hon. Mukomberi’s comments were around the wealth tax. Again, that is a welcome development, but we needed to make adjustments. We have made some adjustments. The same applies to the sugar levy that he mentioned. The issue around being focused on taxing the SMEs, eventually they will contribute to the fiscus as well.
Hon. Zhou, you made the comment about increasing the budget for Tourism Ministry and we have done that. Hon. Bvute was very supportive of the budget trying to raise revenue relying on domestic resources because we are under sanctions and credit squeeze globally. He welcomed again the wealth tax with some adjustments. He was very clear that actually, this budget is pro-poor because of its strong focus on the social services sector and also on social protection, that is pro-poor.
Hon. Dhliwayo again highlighted that the BEAM programme is a pro-poor programme and so is Pfumvudza. The wealth tax is also seeking to redistribute from those who have a lot to those who have less. This is a pro-poor strategy as well. He also made a proposal about paying for claims in gold. I thought it was an interesting idea, but I will engage him privately. This is something that we can pursue. I did not fully follow it.
Hon. Hamauswa made a comment about changing the wealth tax and charging US$2 per household. We have about two million houses or so and I am not really sure about that. It cannot be the same figure for all. It has to be something like what we have proposed that there is a threshold and only those who are above a certain threshold pay the wealth tax. It cannot be uniform, otherwise that will then be what others have been calling a hut tax.
Hon Togarepi, welcomed the incorporation of US$300 into the main salary and that it is pensionable. He further said toll fees ought to be paid.
Hon Ndudzo, made a plea like the other two colleagues who made very passionate arguments that we need to toll more roads around the country then raise revenues to build more roads. I think it is a good principle that we should do that and we will look at that going forward but make sure that these are also affordable toll fee levels.
He also made a comment about the judiciary perhaps not being on the retention scheme they are. Maybe I will ask my colleague to furnish him with some of the details of this so that he is fully satisfied.
I also note the positive comments from Hon. Mapiki who was supportive of the general thrust of the budget and I really appreciate the contribution from Hon. Ganyiwa regarding toll fees that maybe we should do a 50% increase and that is what we have done in actual fact. There is also the issue of the SME Ministry and ZIMRA working together to integrate SMEs into the formal sector. I fully agree with this. He presented a very interesting argument about how we should think through a wealth tax versus a property tax. That is helpful to think through these things but who knows, going forward, sometime in the future, then we can refine it and take into account some of his thinking in this.
Then Hon. D. Chiwa said we need to look into the budget for disaster management. I thought we had some decent allocation in the Ministry of Local Government but maybe we will take a look and see if we can top that up. The thing is, you cannot really plan for disasters because they just happen. So maybe what we need to do is to make sure in our back pockets in the unallocated reserve, we have something to meet whatever disaster may hit us. But this is a very important point that he raised and I fully take it on board.
Also, in terms of investing more in irrigation, I agree with him. If you recall colleagues, we sat aside fines from the SDRs to develop 18 new irrigation schemes. I need to check with the Ministry of Agriculture how that is going. We will need two per province, so we are focused on this issue and I concur with him. Then the issue of sugar because perhaps he comes from the sugar sector, that next time we should consider not to open up for sugar. However, these are always temporary border openings to manage prices but we have taken into account what he said.
Then Hon. Musanhi, regarding the support to industry as we work through the budget, that industry needs to retool which is supported. I agree with him and if you consider some of the ways in which we have done it - just having an auction in the first place which industry can access US dollars to import. Most of those resources have gone to retooling and that is why our company has been labelled retool through access to resources through the auction. We also set up a retooling fund for industry again using SDRs but we will continue to do more. So, we agree with him that we need to retool our industry and we could do more going, forward such as investing in them, making sure that when it comes to cloud-seeding, we do not miss an opportunity. Let us do cloud-seeding and harness that water for agriculture.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I think I have tried hard to cover quite a bit of what was contributed from the floor, the chairs and individual contributions. If I left out anyone, it is not because we do not want to answer but maybe we felt it had been captured elsewhere by other speakers. But largely, I am very impressed with the quality of contributions from this side of the House. In the last five years, in my view, this has been the best contribution. I think I should end by saying, I move that the Bill be read for the first time. I thank you.
FIRST READING
FINANCE BILL [H.B. 7, 2023]
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. NCUBE) presented the Finance Bill [H.B. 7, 2023].
Bill read the first time.
Bill referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee.
COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY
MAIN ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE
Second Order read: Committee of Supply: Main Estimates of Expenditure.
House in Committee.
Vote 1: Office of the President and Cabinet $2 157 038627 000, put and agreed to.
On Vote 2: Parliament of Zimbabwe $475 112 468 000;
*HON. CHOKURURAMA: For the Parliament budget, it is not quite sufficient. May it be increased a little bit because Parliament is the one that runs and oversees all the ministries. So we need to be fully resourced so that we can be able to execute our mandate effectively.
*HON. CHIDUWA: I think the issue that is being raised by the Hon. Member is that the figures should be specific. On the welfare of the Members of Parliament, I think everyone is looking at the issue of vehicles which enable us to carry out our mandate. If last year a vehicle was pegged at $50 000 or $80 000, in this 10th Parliament, what is its value? The other issue pertains to our salaries, are we still at $300 or it was increased. If we know that, it might help us to decide because right now we do not know the amount and we need clarification. Maybe the SROC knows.
*HON. S. ZIYAMBI: To add to that, the Parliament budget figure includes the CDF, so we would want to know the figures so that we know if the funds are still at the same amount or it was increased as per our request. We note that the budget for $475 billion needs us to look at it closely so that we know if it’s in line with what we requested as parliamentarians. At the same time, we raised a concern that our constituencies do not have constituency offices such that most of us do our parliamentary work from our cars or such other dilapidated structures. We need to look at the CDF figure so that it can be reviewed upwards to enable us to build the offices and do other developmental projects in our constituencies.
*HON. HUNGWE: I want to make my contribution on the Parliament budget looking at the issue of accommodation which has posed a major challenge as some Members of Parliament end up sleeping in cars. There is a lot of uncertainty pertaining to that issue that if one is to come to Harare for sittings, sometimes hotels refuse to accommodate parliamentarians. I would like the Minister to clarify on the issue of hotel accommodation so that we have a lasting solution in that regard.
On the issue of vehicles, most of the newly elected Members of Parliament including the youths and others, no one has a vehicle to take them from one place to another and bundle up in one car. We want the Minister to make it clear when we should expect the release of vehicle funds giving us a timeframe and how much each vehicle will cost. Also, we want to know the amount that we are going to receive as increment on our salaries in USD even if we are to receive at interbank rate to help us understand.
Coming to CDF, if it is said to be $50 000, let it be at the current interbank rate of the day when it is finally released because we notice that there are delays in releasing CDF such that when you finally receive it, say in October, it will be equivalent to about $1 000 , yet in January it was $50 000. Thank you.
*HON. SAMSON: Thank you Madam Chair, I want to talk in relation to Members’ accommodation because if we rush to conclude that everything is fine, we will end up being in trouble. Last time, on the issue of hotels, it was resolved that Members of Parliament will be given money to secure private accommodation, but it never happened. There was a time when we came here and failed to secure accommodation, like now, some of our colleagues do not have anywhere to put up. When the hotels are fully booked, Members of Parliament are advised to secure private accommodation which becomes a challenge to us because we do not have relatives in Harare. We, therefore, end up living as squatters.
Secondly, I want to talk in line with Members of Parliament with constituencies. What happens is that the Member in his or her constituency. – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Order, Order, Hon. Members. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] -
*HON. SAMSON: I was talking about Hon. Members who have constituencies. They can go to their constituencies without anywhere to point to as their offices, which ends up becoming difficult to go to the constituency and also accessed by the people in the constituency because they do not know where to find them. Sometimes people may end up looking for the Hon. Member at his or her home when they are supposed to go to his or her office and have a field officer at their disposal. These issues should be looked into as well because the field officer will also be expecting a salary from the Member of Parliament. It is very difficult to deduct wages for the field officer from the Member of Parliament’s salary.
Again, there is supposed to be analysis for the women’s quota. The constituencies that we cover, for example, if in your district you have five constituencies, you are supposed to reach out to all the five constituencies, yet you are not being considered. Instead, it is only the sitting Member of Parliament who benefits. I propose that the budget revisits the welfare of all Members of Parliament. It should be looked into thoroughly because once the budget is passed, we will not be able to revisit it.
*HON. SAMAMBWA: Thank you, Mr Speaker Sir. Let me first thank the Hon. Minister for considering our plight. Let me first remind the Hon. Minister that a home is taken care of by the maid and caretaker. Our staff, Hon. Minister, are getting very little as their salaries considering that sometimes they go up to 24 hours at work with us here. It is not good because, like yesterday, they started at 7 am and they finished at 0100 hrs the following day. Let me say Hon. Minister that in order for our work to flow smoothly, we must consider the welfare of our workers.
Secondly, Hon. Minister, let me talk about our salaries. We have become a laughing stock in the villages because our salaries are the same as those being paid to ZESA interns.
We also want to know Hon. Minister, before we pass this budget that, is duty free still applicable in the Tenth Parliament as it was in the previous Parliament? We also want to know if Members of the Ninth Parliament got USD40 000.00 loans, are we also going to get them?
*HON NYABANI: Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Hon. Minister had promised to review Hon. Members of Parliament fuel coupon allocations depending on mileage and constituency size. I would like to speak on the issue of fuel coupons for Members of Parliament. Hon. Minister, you had promised that you were going to review the liters and I propose that the fuel coupons should be given according to the size of the constituency.
I would like to talk on the issue of the welfare of Parliament Staff. May the Minister give car loans to the staff of Parliament? The staff of Parliament use staff buses and have to wait for each other, so instead of waiting long hours after finishing business, give them car loans so that they can go home early.
On the issue of the Constituency Development Fund, let it be given consistently and on time. I thank you.
+HON. S. SITHOLE: Thank you Hon. Chair. In the previous Parliament, the 5th Session, you promised us vehicles which were at $80 000.00, but at the end of the session, you said the vehicles were now $50 000,00 so there was a difference of $30 000.00 which we thought we would be given as cash. So as we are passing this budget, are we going to be given that difference?
Hon. Minister, may we also have a benchmarking analysis like in South Africa in terms of Hon. Member's remuneration? May we also be given the privilege of bringing our spouses so that we stay together in the hotels? I thank you.
*HON. TSITSI ZHOU: Thank you Hon. Chair. I would like to contribute to the issue of the accommodation for Members of Parliament. We are being offered poor services to the extent that at one point, I was bitten by mosquitos. May the Hon. Minister have a dialogue with the Central Bank so that we get loans to buy houses for our accommodation instead of being accommodated in hotels? At a decent accommodation, we can cook healthy food and we are also able to provide ourselves self-service.
Furthermore, on the issue of sitting allowances, they should be disbursed timeously. We have a lot of work to execute in this House, for example, we go out for public consultations, and thus we appeal to the Minister to consider our plea for the timeous disbursement of allowances.
*HON. MAKOPE: Thank you, Madam Speaker. My issue is on the welfare of Members of Parliament. I want to look back, during the Ninth Parliament, there was an issue of outstanding vehicles for the 26 Members of Parliament who had joined lately. My question is, has the issue been included in the 2024 budget?
On the issue of duty-free, Members of Parliament had no money to go and import these cars to the extent that the duty-free certificate expired without Members purchasing those second vehicles. I thank you.
*HON. MASVISVI: Hon. Chair, we used to have Parliament Sitting in the Central Business District, however, since the relocation of Parliament, we have not been cushioned for our traveling on the extra 30 kms that we are traveling. The fuel coupons that we are getting are now insufficient.
*HON. MUCHEMWA: The Parliament administration is working towards going paperless; however, we do not have tools of trade such as tablets or even airtime.
*HON. MAHACHI: My contribution is to the Constituency Development Fund. I am requesting the Minister that, some Members did not receive CDF in the last session, so, Hon. Minister, may we have those constituencies prioritised in this Budget? I thank you.
*HON. MARUPI: Why is there a selective application in terms of loan amounts? For example, Hon. Ministers get $500 000.00, Deputy Ministers get $350 000.00 and the Member of Parliament gets $40 000.00
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE): Thank you Hon. Chair. Let me start with the duty importation of motor vehicles. I must say that the facility for the second vehicle is still in place, so you are free to import a second vehicle. Those from the Ninth Parliament who could not bring in cars before Parliament was dissolved. We are going to extend the Statutory Instrument so that you can bring in your cars – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – I have already received a letter through the Clerk, of Members who have been affected. We are processing that as Treasury. In terms of Parliament Staff, they also have access to duty free motor vehicles just like any other civil servant.
On the issue of remuneration of MPs, Parliament and Treasury are working together to review the framework and improve the salaries of MPs. On the issue of the budget itself, I am aware that we need to increase the budget for constituency offices and constituency visits. Also, in the past, we have talked about research officers to support MPs and also to bolster the CDF Fund. With that in mind, we have done some calculations with my staff. I propose that we increase the budget for Parliament by another 225 billion so that it becomes 700 billion in response to those needs. There was a question specifically about vehicles, we have budgeted 132 billion at the current exchange rate, it converts to about USD60 000 per vehicle. We have done that but I think the main issue is that we increase the budget for Parliament to 700 billion. Thank you.
I put the amendment to increase the budget for Parliament to 700 billion:
*HON. HUNGWE: Thank you Hon. Chair. I want to take the matter back to the Minister. Can the issue of the Hon. Members be further clarified as the majority of the Members in this august House would want to understand in US dollar terms? If we go to salaries, how much are we going to get? If motor vehicles are going to be 60 000, what amount is being looked at for salaries?
*AN HON. MEMBER: Thank you Madam Speaker, we ask that the amount that the Hon. Minister of Finance has mentioned, of US$60 000 should be increased for each Member of Parliament and not in the budget itself. If possible, if we would be allowed to buy motor vehicles of our own choice based on the amount because we could get off-road motor vehicles at a cheaper price.
On welfare for Members of Parliament, we ask the Hon. Minister to clarify if it is still work in progress. What are the timelines? We also want him to come up with disaggregated figures because you should also look at best practices in other countries. I will give an example of Kenya, their salaries compared to ourselves, there is a large gap. They are respected more than ourselves, we are disrespected because we do not have sufficient earnings. We ask the Hon. Minister to look into that issue so that he can come up with a clearer position. How much is that increase going to be?
HON. MHURI: We would like to thank the Hon. Minister for being a listening Minister. I know the Hon. Minister knows the percentages and the figures, that is why he was the best Minister a few days back. It is my plea that the Hon. Minister can give us percentages so that we know whether the salary increase is 20%, 50% or 70% and that we know how much is going to be allocated to salaries. Finally, I would like to end by saying that the motor vehicles that we use are not in good condition since most of our vehicles broke down during campaigns, what motor vehicle does he have in mind? I am not looking down upon the vehicle but vehicles for US$60 000 are not befitting of the stature of an Hon. Member of Parliament. I thank you.
HON. TOGAREPI: My issue is related to how you fund Parliament. Why are we not paid immediately, we were always told ten days after sitting for a month, Members of Parliament must receive their allowances. We still have former Members of Parliament who have outstanding allowances – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – so when the budget is approved, I know obviously monies have to be mobilised, there should be a way to create a good relationship with the service providers. In my view, I am sorry to say this, it looks like Parliament Administration, to some extent, has given up on protecting the interests of Members of Parliament. Parliament must intervene.
Let me say to my colleagues that the US$60 000 he is proposing is duty free, meaning you can import a car of US$80 000 to US$90 000. Let me give you an example, top of the range GD 6 ,the most expensive is 40 000. Fortuner, you can still get it plus or minus 45 000 – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Order, Hon. Members, let us accord him a chance to speak.
HON. TOGAREPI: The only car that has gone out of the range at the moment is Prado which is about 60 00 to 70 000. I just want to open your mind so that when we are talking about the vehicles, we know what is due to Members of Parliament then you raise your issues knowing exactly what is in the market. Some of the Hon. Members who are here are suppliers of the same vehicles. Hon. Minister, we had a challenge of procuring vehicles in the last Parliament. We still have 26 Members who are yet to get their vehicles. Some obviously came through by-elections but we also have those who came in 2018 who have not received their vehicles. Let me request the Minister to find the best ways to secure those vehicles and members get them. Parliament only helps the Hon. Members to identify as to who can supply us and so forth. The payment needs to happen directly at Treasury level. You will see that we will not have Members who will go throughout the five years without their vehicles being procured. I think Hon. Minister is very practical in terms of the image of Members of Parliament. Our other colleagues were there and for them to remain relevant in their constituencies, they must go there every so often.
They need reliable vehicles to go home. They do everything and this needs flexibility. I was looking at the budget items. I saw a fixed figure related to your Members of Parliament. I think we should not take it in the view of the budget, but also to be practical and sit down. Every service that are supposed to be given to MPs must be practically looked at. If we say we have given whatever we have given, the issue of hotels is too expensive for Government.
One of these hotels was charging USD1000. When USD100 was equivalent to about USD100 000, Parliament was being charged USD358 thousand and a room was now USD400. They take advantage of us because we pay them very late and we have no cash. I want to suggest that you were generous through the President last time, that you gave support of that figure to Members of Parliament. Why do we not take that figure and go to a building society and deposit it.
Instead of giving us because they have precedence and they will say you gave others, but it was best for Members of Parliament to buy houses. Why not take that money to a building society and get accommodation and not go to these hotels?
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Hon. Chief Whip. I want you to address the Chair. You can go ahead Hon. Togarepi.
HON. TOGAREPI: I have raised the issues to the Minister very well and the issue is just being practical. If we go to a hotel or any service provider, our people should get value for money. There are hotels that we pay so much lump sums who are now saying when Hon. Members go there, they do not give them dinner. They just tell them that we are not going to give you dinner. Hon. Members were booked in a certain hotel and we were told they had booked to check out tomorrow. Yesterday because there was COSAFA youth tournament, they were followed one by one and told to leave the hotel.
All this can be solved by Parliament. We know these are administrative issues and we are telling you Hon. Minister as the owner of the pace, but not to say that you should be doing it for us. I think you should facilitate enough leeway for the Hon. Members or for the Administration of Parliament to be able to do these things and serve your MPs so that they perform. You can see the cooperation with your budget. We are saying this budget maybe it will give you enough resources to improve our welfare. We are chasing a loan target that was set sometime ago that Hon. Members were getting an equivalent of USD2000.
We believe with enough resources, the generosity of Parliament today to say Minister go an extra mile, be funded and get money out of taxes and that will look after civil servants including our staff here. They do not need individual service vehicles but pool cars. When we leave this place at 1o’clock, buses leave them where they have always left them, but if there is a pool car, it can go in small avenues and leave people safely and then they come here and support us.
My issue Hon. Minister is just be practical and with the administration, sit down with them because what they tell me is, they get the budget allocation and no disbursement. So what they do when you allocate them, they tell the Members of Parliament that your money is now available and Hon. Members spend 7 days and the money would not appear. A lot of phone calls and more pressure will be put on Parliament Administration. Let us just be practical when we go to the welfare of your Hon. Members. Thank you.
*HON. MANGONDO: Thank you Madam Chair. I believe that the problem with the welfare of Members of Parliament (MPs) comes from the lack of a framework that caters for MPs. We have three arms of the State. We have the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary. Executive, if you look at the civil service, they have an Act, the Public Service Act and the Public Service Commission. All that cater for the issues of…
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON (HON. CHIKOMO): Order Hon. Member, just a quick announcement - a Member with a car registration number, AGH1554 left the windows open and it is raining. You may excuse yourself. Hon. Member, you may go ahead.
*HON. MANGONDO: Thank you Hon. Chair. Ministers have an Act which provides for special packages. One of the provisions is that whenever the salaries of civil servants’ salaries and allowances are reviewed, automatically theirs are reviewed. The Judiciary in terms of the judges, have the Judiciary Services Commission which looks at the welfare of judges. MPs do not have any Act. They cannot bargain. There are a lot of things- if you look at a Director in the Civil Service, they have got perks which an MP does not have, yet the MP oversees more than 35 000 constituents.
This is where our problem emanates from. Even when we look at this Parliament, there are no offices for MPs. In other Parliaments, MPs have offices at Parliament and they have their staff there. In our constituencies, the issue of Constituency Information Centres no longer exist. We do not have staff, even computers. The best way is to look for a framework that Parliament has its budget that looks at what is happening in other countries and bring it home. Being an MP is a full-time job. We come here on Monday up to Thursday, we do not have time to augment our salaries, but when it comes to benefits, we are not considered.
The Minister said he was impressed by the quality of reports that were presented here. A lot of effort has been put in order to come up with such reports. There is a lot of research that was carried out to the extent of even paying a researcher so that we get such reports. If we believe that Parliament is a sovereign institution, Parliament should have a framework that will be commensurate with other Parliaments in the region.
If you look at it, a Minister has Cabinet allowance, housing allowance, salary, workers who are paid by Government, telephone bills, fuel and everything, what about an MP? Vehicles that were discussed here, my constituency Murehwa South, from one end to the other, I travel 60km in a dirty road, with no gravel. I was issued with a GD 6 vehicle by my party, it is now a wreck, just in a space of four months. GD 6 is not useful to me, I need a Land Cruiser for me to be able to move from one point to another. I have three Land Cruisers which were wrecked by the state of the road in my area. This issue needs to be well dealt with, not in piece-meal. We need to sit down to discuss this issue. If there is need to have a Committee of MPs who can present our issues and not to be given small amounts which do not help us; it is not accepted. I thank you.
*HON. MUKOMBERI: Thank you Madam Chair. I would like to follow on the issue of employees. When he responded, he did not talk to that issue. When he responds this time, can he respond to the issue of workers? A worker is a machine fueled by money. Before they come to work, they first satisfy the basic needs. I also include Members of Parliament and staff of Parliament; we need to be properly dressed. In our Standing Rules, we are all supposed to be formerly dressed. As MPs, we should not put on a worn-out suit, we cannot put on a suit similar to that of a herd boy. An MP needs a good quality suit and they need dry cleaning. The suit might cost up toUSD300 before even buying shoes. We need to also look at the basics. Some Members might end up absconding from attending Parliament Business because they do not have the required attire. The suits that we are wearing now were bought using some other sources before we came here. At times you wonder whether you made a wrong choice to represent the people of your area. I just wanted to raise the issue of staff, whether they got an increment and how much is it? I thank you.
*HON. MAUNGANISO: Hon. Mukomberi has hit the nail on the head. I have no further question.
*HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: Thank you Madam Chair for giving me the opportunity to contribute to this debate on Parliament budget. My issue is on Parliament staff. I am suggesting to the Minister that he engages with the Ministry of Local Government and Ministry of Housing and allocate residential stands here so that workers will be closer to Parliament. Look at what they are earning at the moment, it ranges from Z$300 000 to Z$800 000. If we convert this amount to US dollar it is actually US$80 and they cannot buy stands. There are some pieces of land around Parliament building and we would not want to see foreigners grabbing this land ahead of us.
HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE: I think the detail of this discussion should be supported by what happens in the welfare committee. Some Hon. Members may not be aware that we have a welfare committee which is a subcommittee within the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders which is chaired by the Speaker.
*HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: On a point of order. I am not disrespecting the Minister. The committee that the Hon. Minister is referring to only sat once. They did not discuss the issues with us and the workers. There is no committee which is in existence …
HON. TOGAREPI: I think you are economic with the truth because the welfare committee sits almost every month. They discuss everything and recommend to the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders. Every CSRO meeting discusses the welfare of employees and Members of Parliament. I think the members of staff who are in here may recall that the welfare committee always sits. The truth is that we are constrained because there is a budget and whether we think that this is better for us, but sometimes we do not want to go off the budget. In addition, Hon Zhou benefited last year from this welfare committee.
HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE: Thank you for that explanation. If I can just comment on the welfare committee, the Hon. Member at the back there said he wanted to create a committee of Members of Parliament. My point was, we already have a committee, maybe it could be enhanced or consult ordinary Members more so that we hear all the issues. This committee exists for us to put together a decent welfare package for our Members of Parliament. I agree with that.
I was also speaking to the Leader of Government Business and the Deputy Chief Whip about the same point. In a way, that is what Hon. Zhou is saying that we could become smarter. We can identify land and once that land has been identified, we take some amount and deposit with the building society and build accommodation for Members of Parliament. They are given a key and they use that during the duration of Parliament. That is what South Africa does. That is the arrangement.
These are just ideas which are emerging now. I am not proposing, but I am merely responding to say, I am hearing some ideas. There maybe better ideas with backbenchers and that is fine. That is what should come to the welfare committee for discussion so that we all agree on the best model and Government stands ready to support. I agree with you that we need to do something with accommodation.
*HON. MATANGIRA: I rise on a point of clarity. My point of clarity that I am seeking is that we are here as Members of Parliament. When we go back for elections, some of us may not come back. The house has been built in my name and then I do not come back. I will be on the streets. If I heard right from what the Chief Whip said, the stands should be built for workers and Members of Parliament so that when they go on pension, they have a roof above their heads.
*THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Like what the Minister has said that this is a suggestion which needs further consultation. May you allow the Minister to conclude?
HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE: You have explained well Honourable Chair. Hon Matangira wants to keep the key and not give it back. That is also a good proposal. The welfare committee needs to consider all this and support the Members of Parliament.
On the proposal by Hon. Togarepi that let us release the budget for Parliament three months in advance, again I agree with him. We should stick to this because it will assist Parliament to be able to pay these services without any embarrassment that is happening to Members of Parliament being thrown out of hotels because of delays. This is very important. I take it seriously and I agree with him.
The issue of US$60 000 on cars, this is the duty-free prices and not the full price. Again, I think this is quite okay. Overally, when we did the increase by Z$225 billion to Z$700 billion, the percentage increase is actually 47%. That is what my technical team assisted me with. We all feel that this will go a long way in addressing the budgetary demands and imperatives for Parliament.
I think what the Chief Whip said about being practical and flexible – some of these things are administrative. He is right and should we need to top up, we will always have a back pocket to support Parliament. The target salary for Parliament is $2000. We said this about two years ago and we are working towards that target. I am hopeful that we will get there. I thank you.
HON. MATANGIRA: Point of clarity Hon. Chair.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: What is your point of clarity Hon. Matangira.
HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you very much Hon. Chair. My point of clarity that I am seeking is we are here as Members of Parliament. The next tenure when we go back for elections for reelection, some of us are not going to be coming back. A house has been built in my name and then I do not come back, I will be on the street. I think if I heard right from what the Chief Whip said, houses must be constructed for the staff of Parliament. When they go on pension, they will have a roof over their heads. The same as for Members of Parliament. If they do not come back to Parliament then they deserve a roof over their heads.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Hon. Matangira, like what the Hon. Minister has said, it is a suggestion that has come as a proposal. Allow him to then conclude his response. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): You have explained well Madam Chair. Hon. Matangira wants to keep the key and not give it back. That is also a good proposal. So I think the Welfare Committee, needs to consider all of this and support the Members of Parliament.
Then on the proposal by Hon. Togarepi, the Chief Whip that let us release the budget for Parliament three months in advance. Again, I agree with him. We should stick to this. This will allow Parliament to be able to pay for these services without causing the embarrassment that is happening where Members of Parliament are being thrown out of hotels and so forth because of delays. So this is very important. I take it seriously and I agree with him.
The issue of the 60 000 on cars, this is the duty free price and not the full price, probably about 100 000 or so. So again, we think that this is quite okay, but I must say that overall, when we did the increase by 225 billion to 700 000, someone asked for the percentage increase. That percentage increase is actually 47%. That is what my technical team assisted me with to work that number. We all feel this will go a long way in addressing the budgetary demands and imperatives for Parliament. I think what the Chief Whip said about just being practical, being flexible, some of these things are administrative. He is right and besides, should we need to top up we will always have a back pocket to support empowerment and that the target salary for Parliament is 2000. We said this about two years ago and we are working towards that target. I am hopeful that we will get there. Thank you very much.
HON. C. MOYO: Thank you Madam Chair. There was an issue which was raised pertaining the 30 000 balances for Ninth Parliament Members of Parliament and I did not hear the Hon. Minister clarifying on that. Thank you, Madam Chair.
HON. PROF. M. NCUBE: We cannot afford the 30 000. We extended and now I can tell everybody, 40 000 to Members of the Ninth Parliament for accommodation or purchase of a vehicle and then we also extended duty free status for the second vehicle. So, within Government, we feel that we will be unable budget-wise, to support 30 000 pay back for the previous Parliament. We feel really that we should be looking forward to some of the ideas that are emerging about building accommodation which a Member of Parliament is given their key to keep permanently. Perhaps I think that is the way forward. I think let us try to look forward on this one. I thank you.
Vote 2 – Parliament of Zimbabwe as amendment, put and agreed to.
Vote 3 – Public Service Labour and Social Welfare – ZWL2 371 042 499, put and agreed to.
On Vote 4 – Defence – 3 637 636 664 000;
HON. TOGAREPI: Minister, I saw the figure that you are allocating to Defence but I was of the opinion that we have within that budget, issues of garrison shops where members of the security forces can buy things at low prices. That can actually boost their moral.
I strongly feel that we also have to improve their barracks where they work from but my major area is, as a person who at one point stayed in that environment, that thing is critical. Yes, we want them to earn so well. We have got a structure for their incomes but their rations, their garrison shops are motivating for your members of the security forces. So I really request Minister, that if your back pocket allows, start with a pilot project where you have these garrison shops and see how they will improve the welfare and moral of our soldiers. We can only be safe to do business, to be in Parliament here with our soldiers and security people giving us enough security and they are motivated to do so.
HON. NGULUVHE: Thank you Chair. I just wanted to buttress the point that you will assist them, for example those who are into construction and civil engineering. So I am just asking if you can please capacitate them. Thank you.
*HON. TSISI ZHOU: Thank you Madam Chair. There is an issue about people who were vetted, the war veterans. They have the greatest expectation that they are going to benefit. – [AN HON. MEMBER: The Votes on the war veterans will be coming.] - My apologies I thought they were joint.
*HON. BUTAU: Thank you Hon. Speaker I was thinking that the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion is responsible with regards to the availability of resources. The issue of accommodation that parliamentarians are experiencing is an important one. This issue does not need the availability of cash, there are prescribed assets that Treasury can arrange with insurance companies and banks to avail funding for accommodation.
In some countries, if someone joins the military, he is intitled to a car and house loan. That should be the same for Zimbabwe. It should not draw directly from consolidated funds. If Government negotiates with financial institutions, those resources are outside national budget that is my contribution Hon. Minister.
HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE: I thank you let me start with the last contribution Madam Chair. I like it, it is a good one, we can extend PA status to anybody who is willing to construct institutional accommodation, I think more of that should be done, I really thank the Hon. Member for that. On the comment by the Chief Whip, Hon. Togarepi and Hon. Nguluvhe on the garrison shops. I propose his garrison shops in 2020 but then when we started implementing, we realised that actual garrison shops already exist and we were not fully aware as Government, but they exist. The leadership of the force had gone ahead to do it because it is the right thing to do.
As I speak, I am informed that there are over 40 garrison shops already so what I have proposed to do is, because they already exist, is to extend a zero VAT benefit to them so they should not charge VAT that will then constitute a benefit for our security forces but they exist, I am told. We will take another look where maybe nothing has been done and within something ought to be done, maybe then Government can intervene and make sure there is a garrison facility in there. It looks like the leadership of the Defence Forces especially, have done it, they have just gone ahead and have done it. I visited one at Manyame Air Base and that is how I realised that we had them. I went through it, I looked everywhere, checked prices and so forth then I made a realisation that maybe let us just make sure they do not pay any VAT and that benefit will go towards the Defence Forces. I thank you.
Vote 4, put and agreed to.
On Vote 5 – Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion ZWL8 489 940 552 000:
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE): Madam Chair we have added 70 billion to support ZIMRA, I propose we do that. Then the new figure becomes – I will just mention the numbers one by one, it is faster. It becomes 8 387 940 552 000.
THE CHAIRPERSON: Does that include the additional to Parliament?
HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE: On Parliament, we have already added 225 billion, that one is done and then this is now Finance.
THE CHAIRPERSON: Is it being subtracted from Finance?
HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE: The one for Parliament was subtracted from the unallocated reserve and then also for ZIMRA, it was also subtracted from the unallocated reserves, so we have done those adjustment, so this is the figure post the two adjustments. In-fact they are further adjustments by the way, this is the final, I have got to make further proposals.
THE CHAIRPERSON: Can we defer the Finance Vote? He indicated that he is going to look into the Finance Votes.
HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE: I have already made proposals for those and we have included that in the final Finance Vote.
Amendment to Vote 5 put and agreed to.
Vote 5 as amended, put and agreed to.
On Vote 6 – Office of the Auditor-General ZWL116 964 994 000;
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE): We have increased the budget for the Auditor-General’s Office by another 10 billion so the new figure is 126 964 944 000.
Amendment to Vote 6 put and agreed to.
Vote 6 as amended, put and agreed to.
Vote 7 – Industry and Commerce
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE): Madam Chair, I propose that we make an allocation for ZITF of RTGS5 billion. So the new total will be RTGS135 473 990 000, I thank you.
Amendment on Vote 7 put and agreed to.
Vote 7 as amended, put and agreed to.
Vote 8 Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, 4 285 933 440 000.
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE): Madam Speaker, my contribution is not on the budget allocation but it is on the naming of the programmes. Looks like an error was made and I want to make that correction. On page 3 under Programme (iv), it reads Cropping Livestock Production, Extension Advisory Services, it should read Programme (iv): Agricultural Advisory and Rural Development’ that is the first correction. Overleaf under Programme, again there is an amendment it should read ‘Animal Production, Health and Advisory Services. Finally, on Programme 9, it should read ‘Programme 9: Integrated Water Resources Management and Irrigation Resources Development and Management. I thank you.
Amendment to Vote 8 put and agreed to.
Vote 8 as amended, put and agreed to.
*HON. NYABANI: Thank you Madam Chair. Through you Madam Chair, I want the Hon. Minister to seriously consider the Ministry of Agriculture because it is the mainstay of the food security. On water, I would like to say that where we come from, we do not have boreholes. We were promised boreholes but at the moment we do not have water, people are getting water from open wells in rivers. Livestock is now affected by the non-availability of water. Dams should also be constructed. Semwa Dam has been under construction for a long time. May there be an increase to this budget so that boreholes can be drilled, we need to put measures this year to alleviate the effects of El Nino through drilling of boreholes.
HON. MAKOPE: Thank you Hon. Chair, my contributions goes towards the importation of food now that drought is now looming. I think contingent measures should be taken in place on time so that we can defend our people. I saw 33% of the budget has been allocated towards that. I do not think it is enough to secure food. I have a suggestion that I want to give to Hon. Minister that he can digest. My suggestion is that we can craft a policy that empower other stakeholders, private partners who have been working together with the Ministry of Lands such as Silo to import food right now. The Government can then subsidise, that can remove a lot of burden from the Central Government, that is my suggestion.
On the same note under agriculture, we have our commercial farmers who are owning our farmers particularly the cattle ranching, those should be empowered. I think a scheme was supposed to be designed to cater for those farmers so that they can have the capital to start the farming business. At the moment we have a number of farms which are lying idle because those farmers are not well equipped and empowered to start farming business. I thought probably the budget can also look into that and give us a provision to our farmers. I thank you.
*HON. MUCHEMWA: Thank you Madam Chair. The issue of the dams that I wanted to make reference to has been already alluded to by Hon. Nyabani. Let me make an addition that in Uzumba as a whole, there is not a single irrigation scheme. The budget should be increased for the Ministry so that the rural farmers can also have irrigation schemes. The dams that were constructed a long time ago are even silted. May there be desiltation so that we can have sufficient water in the irrigation schemes in the communal lands.
*HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: Thank you Madam Chair. I am beseeching the Minister of Finance to increase money from unallocated reserves for the Grain Marketing Board, for them to be able to buy trucks that will assist in the transportation of the seed and even the maize from the GMB to the people. At the moment, they are hiring trucks. The MPs that you are seeing here are also assisting in the transportation of the maize grain and the maize seed to the people. If these trucks are procured for GMB depots for the purposes of distribution, it will be quite useful. I hope you will look into that issue Hon. Minister. I thank you.
*HON. MAHACHI: Thank you Madam Chair. My contribution to the Hon. Minister is to urge him to increase the allocation to irrigation process. We have the Osborne Dam in Manicaland which was constructed around 1994 and a lot of water is just flowing. It is not being put to any use. May the dam be put to use so that the majority of the Manicaland District could benefit through irrigation. I would want to furthermore add that in terms of the rigs for borehole drilling, we could get taxation there. A lot of Indians who are coming with rigs in the areas are not paying tax. They are Asian owned companies and I believe if the Minister is to look into that issue, it would help towards growing his tax strategy.
*HON. MASVISVI: Thank you Madam Chair. My plea to the Hon. Minister of Finance is that he should closely look at the allocation that is given to the Agriculture Ministry. This year we are having a drought. It is not just the drought that is experienced by the people, it is also going to affect livestock. In Gokwe South and Gokwe North, a lot of livestock is being lost due to the anthrax disease. This is because of drought. Even the provision of water in boreholes, a lot of them have dried up. The boreholes should be deep enough so that people can have a continuous supply of water. The drought phase is already being witnessed. For example, in Ward 20 in my constituency, they used to live on magwadhi which is now finished. So, please increase the budget for Agriculture because everyone is now looking towards drought relief so that they can survive.
*HON. MABURUTSE: My plea to the Minister of Finance is for him to look at the allocation of the Ministry of Agriculture as regards livestock diseases – only 18%. January disease is coming and livestock will be lost. May he increase that percentage? It will be more useful if he attends to that issue. My constituency Chivi South is at the edge of Tokwe-Mukorsi. The dam has been constructed long back, but the people in my constituency are not benefiting from its construction. The people of Chivi just see the water passing to Chiredzi, but they also have the land. Can the land be profitably put to use for irrigation purposes so that the Chivi people also benefit? That is my plea to the Minister, to look at the Unallocated Reserve to increase the budget for the Ministry of Agriculture. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Thank you Hon. Maburutse. Let us kindly stick to national matters because if we narrow them to constituencies, we will not finish.
HON. MAPIKI: Some produce called magwadi and they are now finished, so please increase the budget for agriculture because everyone is now looking towards drought relief so they can be sustained. I thank you.
*HON. MABURUTSE: My plea to the Minister of Finance is that when you look at the allocation given to the Ministry as regards cattle disease, it is only 18%. January disease is coming and livestock will be lost. May you increase that percentage? In my constituency called Chivi South, this is the edge of Tokwe-Mukosi dam. It has been in existence for a long time after its construction. The people of Chivi just see the water passing through their area on its way to Chiredzi, yet the land which can be put under irrigation purposes is there for the Chivi people to use. May you look into the unallocated resources and increase the budget for the Ministry of Agriculture.
*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Madam Chair. I think the Minister should increase the budget for Agriculture because the whole country is now importing citrus from South Africa. I thank you.
*HON. MDUMI: Thank you Madam Chair. May the Hon. Minister consider creating a small scale agriculture development fund that can be disbursed through government financial institutions to assist our small scale farmers to enable them to drill boreholes and they can buy water tanks and pipes to enable them to irrigate. The issue of pfumvudza in Masvingo North - if war veterans that were allocated land were assisted with the construction of boreholes and other ancillary equipment, then they will be able to irrigate their land. These small scale farmers, once they are empowered enough to irrigate at least one hector through a fund that they can pay at a nominal fee, can feed the entire country and they can no longer suffer from hunger as a result of the El Nino. I thank you.
+HON. MARUPI: Thank Madam Chair for giving me the opportunity to speak. I am a Member of Parliament for Gwanda South and my plea to the Minister of Finance is that our budget be increased because we need food for the people. We know that Zimbabwe is known as a country that produces beef. The beef it produces comes from Matebeleland region which is a cattle ranching area. If the money is going to be put towards irrigation or for Tokwe-Mukosi and Zhove, there should be sufficient cattle fodder so that the country’s economy can be improved because of agriculture which is the mainstay of the country apart from mining. I thank you.
*HON. GANYIWA: Thank you Madam Chair. I plead with the Minister to increase the budget for the Ministry of Agriculture because as we look at the current state of affairs, we have cotton farmers who are still mourning due to non-payment for their produce and they are in the dark as to when they are going to receive this payment. I am pleading with the Minister of Finance and Investment Promotion to set aside funds to ensure that farmers are paid. The seeds and pesticides have been delivered, but the farmers are reluctant to go back to farming. I urge that they be paid profitably so that they can go back to the fields and be able to grow more. In as far as pfumvudza/intwasa project, I will give an example of Mt. Darwin North where I come from. They are carrying inputs from the Grain Marketing Board and it is very expensive. The Minister of Agriculture, in a circular, did say inputs would be carried to each and every ward, but it did not happen. The people are now contributing money to pay for these expenses. They should be given adequate funding so that farmers should not be complaining about having to pay their own money. I thank you.
HON. MEMBER: Thank you Hon. Chair. I think I see where everyone is coming from and their experience with the problem we are going to face - that of drought which is now imminent. My plea to the Minister of Finance is for him to reserve some money in a special fund so we can channel to different areas. By December 2024, we will not have harvested something to assist us. If only they can have a special fund that is specifically for channeling to hard hit areas in the short and long term. By December 2024, we will not have harvested anything to sustain ourselves. So, if we have this fund in place, we can then demarcate green zones, for example we feel pained when we pass through areas with rivers overflowing with water which can be used for irrigation until next year, but the fields have to be ploughed which means we will experience hunger whilst we have water. The special fund should be activated so that agriculture extension officers can use these zones and dams. The Tokwe-Mukorsi Dam in Gutu East and Ruti Dam - there is no irrigation downstream and such areas could be used and be turned into green belts and be able to ensure food security due to the imminent drought.
HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE: I thank Hon. Members for their contributions. Let me say that in terms of financing the Agriculture Ministry, we do not only rely on tax revenue, we are also borrowing a lot. In fact, when I look at the levels of borrowing, both in terms of domestic borrowing by issuance of Treasury Bills or external borrowing, you find a big chunk of those loans are financing agricultural products. So, that is not sitting within the budget but you see the interest payments below the line but we are borrowing to support agriculture.
Let me turn to contributions from Hon. Nyabani regarding investment in dams and irrigation. I just want to assure him that if he goes to page 178 of the Blue Book, we have listed the dams that this budget will deal with and other rural development water schemes and also schemes that we are upgrading. For example, you see Gwayi-Shangani Dam with three components there; Marovanyati, Kunzvi, Defe dams and then we have got Ziminya, Vhungu, Tokwe-Mukorsi, Semwa and I see Chivhu as well, Bindura, Dande, Mbata Dam which is the new name for Silver Stream Dam in Mashonaland Central and I see Muchekeranwa.
So, we have budgets for supporting our dam infrastructure but it is critical also to invest in irrigation and we are investing in irrigation. For that irrigation, we are actually working on a facility with one of the banks, and I dare not name them so that we partner with them for them to supply us with a credit loan to put 50 000 ha under irrigation. So, we are working on that.
On the issue of importation of grain, I agree with the Hon. Member and we will allow the private sector to do importation. We cannot import everything as Government and perhaps support Silo as suggested. I like that suggestion and then maybe subsidise anything that needs to be subsidised from those imports. I think the bottom line is, allow private sector, Silo and other parts of Government to do the importation to relieve the fiscus of that full burden.
Also, I got a contribution from Hon. Muchemwa asking for an increase in the budget and also a comment about GMB that we should support their logistics department to sustain that but GMB is also a company. I think this one really needs some kind of proper business plan so that we understand it and we can see how best to intervene as Government but I thank the Hon. Member. It is a very good suggestion so that we have a proper logistics division within GMB which existed before but has since run aground and private operators are now doing that job instead.
From Hon. Mahachi regarding Osbourne Dam and so forth; this has to do perhaps, with irrigation around Osbourne Dam. Again, this is something that we will look into and make sure that it is included in our Irrigation Development programme for which we are negotiating a facility with the bank. I thank him for that. On the tick-grease programme, we think that we have got decent funding from the budget and also for the dip-tanks and dipping chemicals.
On the fund for small-scale development to support the small-scale farmers, again this is a very good idea from the Hon. Member, I did not catch his name. I think we will go into rural development part of the budget and see how we can accommodate this kind of fund and focus on supporting the small-scale farmers. On cotton, this one is a tricky one. The issue of late payment of cotton farmers and no payment at all, I am aware that there is something about five or so million that is outstanding. Really, this is a COTTCO issue. COTTCO has gone through difficulties and as Government, we are supporting them to come back and they should be able to take care of this because this cotton is largely exported, often with huge margins.
So, out of those margins, COTTCO should be able to pay farmers. It is my expectation that things will change in 2024. They have been going through this transformation phase trying to recover in the last five years, I remember it was in administration and almost delisted from the Stock Exchange and all that. As Government, we have been wanting to increase our shareholding to 51% so that we can support it as a major shareholder. COTTCO going forward should not have difficulties supporting and paying cotton farmers. They should earn enough from export revenues. Cotton prices are decent and quite good.
Therefore, I really feel that given that we are able to support the agricultural sector through borrowings, both local and domestic, I feel that the budget for the Ministry is adequate. I think that they should be able to do what they need to do. My staff has also given me additional information regarding the irrigation areas. For what it is worthy, the Ministry intends to open up a 100 000 ha of land for irrigation. So, 55 000 ha for example in Tugwi, Runde and Mwenezi rivers taking advantage of the Tokwe-Mukorsi-Manyuchi Dam and the proposed Runde-Tende Dam.
Then 10 000 ha in Mbire District, 3 000 ha around Dande communal area, 5 000 ha around the Angwa block and 2 000 ha in the Mushumbi block. In Binga, 15 000 in Bulawayo Kraal. Finally, Bulawayo Kraal is up and running. It has taken a while. We had to redesign, relocate pipes, pumps and so forth. I remember going there three times and I think finally we have nailed it with the last payment of about US$350 000 and that should give 15 000 ha and we are getting water from the Zambezi. Again, another 10 000 ha in the Lupane area is envisaged, 2 000 ha in the Middle Save area and finally, 8 000 ha in the Rimbi and Kondo dams.
These are some of the areas that this budget is focusing on. In this budget, the Ministry is funded for all of this including the borrowings that I talked about. They also go towards supporting this Irrigation Development programme. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Thank you Hon. Minister for the work that has been done so far.
Vote 8 – Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, put and agreed to.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: We are now taking a short break for our dinner and we will come back in 30 minutes time.
Business was suspended at Twenty-Three Minutes past Eight o’clock p.m. and resumed at 2115 hours.
On Vote 9 - Mines and Mining Development - $132 708 341 000.00;
*HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: I have a proposal to the Minister. There is the issue of mining pegging fees riding on what you said in presenting the Budget, when you said that when claims do change, there is a fee that is charged. Still on that, I am saying when mines are being pegged, I propose to you that there should be a difference between fees that are charged for locals and foreigners. You will find that foreigners are using the same fee as locals to get title. If you go to Namibia, you cannot peg a mine if you are not a citizen of that country. I urge the Minister to come up with measures, together with the Ministry of Mines so that foreigners cannot just come and peg their claims willy nilly.
*HON. MAHACHI: I urge the Minister of Finance to increase the budget of the Ministry of Mines so that they may be able to buy motor vehicles to enable them to monitor mining activities. The country gets a lot of revenue from the mines, but they do not have the resources to carry out their work.
HON. DR. MAKWIRANZOU: First and foremost, I just want to thank the Minister of Finance for bringing what he calls mineral beneficiation where lithium must be processed to lithium carbonate. You even have a date for presentation of beneficiation plans. You are saying that all beneficiation plans must be in by 1st March. That is quite welcome.
Secondly you want to introduce a 1% levy on gross proceeds on lithium, granite and other dimensional rocks, this is most welcome. My question is, when is this levy going to be effective? How are you going to educate the miners because they are uncooperative when you talk about corporate social responsibility, they are quite uncooperative? They need to be educated on their duty regarding this 1% levy on gross proceeds. There is the issue of the Cadastral map system that you want to introduce, it is quite unfortunate because other countries such as Malawi, Zambia and even Mozambique are ahead of us. So, I would encourage that this is effected as soon as possible. I thank you.
*HON. SAMSON: Thank you Madam Chair for the opportunity that you have granted me. May the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion look at the budget for the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development. The mines have maps that are no longer legible. If you can increase their budget allocation, they may be able to come up with maps that are legible.
If you go to the provinces, the offices of the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development are in a pathetic state. If funds could be availed to spruce up these offices because mining is the mainstay of the economy.
We also appeal to the Minister to increase the budget so that we can buy motor vehicles. The fleet that they have is almost nonexistent. They do not have motor vehicles to go to where mining disputes would have taken place.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Order. Hon. Samson, can you please focus on the budget allocation.
*HON. SAMSON: Thank you Madam Chair. I appeal to the Minister that the budget be increased so that they can do their work properly. Thank you.
HON. CHIDUWA: Thank you Madam Chair. My contribution is on the royalties that are being paid on our minerals. Madam Chair, I have attended quite a number of symposiums with these mining companies and most of the times they are complaining that they are not making profit, but if you analyse their books, you will see that quite a number of them are making rates of returns on investments that are even about 60% or 70%. I am proposing Madam Chair, that for all our minerals, why can we not peg the royalties at a minimum of 5% because what is happening now is once the resource is gone it is gone? Zimbabwe is classified as one of the countries with the highest mineral per capita in the world, but there is nothing to show for it. What we are proposing now is, Hon. Minister, if you can consider the royalties of a minimum of 5%.
Then the issue of beneficiation levy where we have got uncut granite and there is supposed to be a 1% levy which is supposed to be given to the RDCs, what then happens to the corporate social responsibility contribution when these companies start to beneficiate. Are we then saying it will stop? So those are the two questions that I wanted to pause. Thank you.
HON. MATANGIRA: On a point of order.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: What is your point of order Hon. Member.
HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you Madam Chair. My point of order is the Honourable who just debated is talking about 5%. Fife percent of what? Is it 5% of zero which is zero, is it 5% of one which is still five?
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Order Hon. Member! I think there is no point of order. If you want to propose you can raise and propose your percentage.
HON. MATANGIRA: Can I then propose Madam Chair?
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Not yet Honourable.
*HON. MUCHEMWA: I wanted to add on to the issue of corporate social responsibility. Madam Chair I thought that 1% is very little. Instead, it should be increased. It should be moved between 2% and 3% and my appeal is that, that money should be taken straight to the places where those minerals are being extracted from instead of putting it into the central revenue. Thank you.
HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE: Thank you very much Madam Chair. Let me start with Hon. Zhou basically on the issue of pegging fees, that should be differentiated between locals and foreigners. I think he was implying that foreigners ought to pay more on flagging fees. I thank him for this suggestion and we have taken it on board. I will also discuss with the Minister of Mines and Mining Development to see if then we can proceed by way of regulations to make sure that there is a differentiation in the pegging of fees because it does not have to be in a Finance Bill, Finance Act. We can proceed through the gazetting of regulations. I thank the Hon. Member for this suggestion. It cannot be the same level playing field between the locals and foreigners.
Then Hon. Mahachi again, the plea was we should increase the budget for the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development. They need cars. The other Hon. Members said the same thing. We need to spruce up their offices. What we would like to do with the resources that we will raise from this disposal of mineral rights because we cannot predict how much we dispose, but as the disposals are made, we will ring-fence resources directly for the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development so that they can spruce up their offices as well as be able to acquire vehicles.
Also, this issue on notification of the Government or Ministry regarding the disposal of assets outside. That can generate quite a lot of resources and in fact, we have back dated this. We are owed monies and again, I propose that those resources, some of them then should be directed at the Ministry to support the budget of the Ministry. Unfortunately, I cannot put a figure to it really, but I can see that there are some resources that are going to flow from that angle.
To Hon. Makwiranzou, on the issue of the 1% community levy, when does it take effect? It is on 1st January, 2024. That is our intention. Then on educating the miners, I agree that the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development then ought to spend time educating them, but also just monitoring to make sure they are complying with the dictates that they ought to invest in the communities where these resources are extracted in the first place. The communities must feel the positive impact of the resources that are in their localities.
Hon. Chiduwa’s suggestion is that perhaps we should have a minimum of 5% royalty almost across the board, I think we have tried, we used to be at 2 ½ % for lithium and also, it was quite lawful for platinum but we have since increased this royalty to actually 7%. So lithium is currently at 7% and also the whole PGMs and family is at 7%. Perhaps I could say he has made the point, he is clear; I propose here maybe we take a gradualistic approach having increased to 7% and see and examine to see if there is leeway to push it higher.
In fact for gold and diamonds, we have proclaimed that half of the royalty should be paid in the physical asset in the first place so that we can also benefit from increases in prices from whatever we are keeping in the Reserve Bank vaults and I am told right now, we have got quite a bit and we have made a bit of progress there. I take his point but I propose we take a gradualistic approach.
He asked what will happen then if lithium producer eventually complies with the beneficiation policy and they invest in some facility where they can beneficiate; will then this 6% export levy fall away? Yes, it will fall away because they have complied. So, the point is that once they have fully beneficiated to lithium carbonate, we should make quite a bit of money as a country now out of that from the huge price increase of raw lithium as compared to lithium carbonate. We should be able to get quite a bit of money as a country which will compensate us for the drop in that levy or the termination of that levy.
Hon. Muchemwa proposed that we should increase the 1% community levy to something higher, perhaps two to three percent. Again, can I propose that perhaps we take a gradualistic approach, I think we have made the statement. It is clear that we want them to invest in the community, let us watch over the next year or two if they are really making progress or we need to be tougher and increase the levy. I am not against an increase but I am just thinking, let us take a gradualistic approach so that we can also keep the investors interested in the sector. They should not feel that perhaps we are driving them away, that is what I will suggest that we leave it at 1% and then maybe next year we do not forget to raise the issue again. We can re-examine and see if we can take it up to may be eventually three percent by year three. I thank you Madam Chair.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Thank you Hon. Chair, I hope we all get the answers and do not forget to raise the issue next year.
Vote No. 9 put and agreed to.
On Vote 10 - Environment, Climate Change and Wild Life - $135 476 827 000;
*HON. NYABANI: I wanted the Chair to address the issue of wild animals. Wild animals must not have conflict with human life. The wild animals are destroying people’s crops. This year we are likely to face drought…
THE TEMPORARY CHAIPERSON: Hon. Nyabani, what is your proposal?
*HON. NYABANI: My proposal is that the Minister of Finance must increase budget for wild life so that the animals are looked after and not destroy plants and attack humans.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Hon. Nyabani, switch off your microphone. I can see that you are angry, do not be angry, today we are all happy. Please be happy.
Vote 10 put and agreed to.
On Vote 11 - Transport and Infrastructural Development - $1 153 233 300 000;
HON. KAITANO: As you might be aware that road safety programmes are funded via the 12 per cent received from the third-party insurance. Now this fund is within Treasury, it has been taken over by Treasury, we pray that this road safety portion be increased to say 20 per cent and still remain ring-fenced to be used for the same purpose of road safety awareness programmes. This will help to fund the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe as well as to fund its transformation into a road safety agency like MITs. The second thing goes to NRZ, we pray that the Minister of Finance may facilitate the SPV between NRZ and rights of India and also facilitate the parastatal to dispose its assets in order to raise funds for CAPEX. NRZ is ready, they have already identified the assets they can dispose of and they believe the business model will help them to self-fund their recapitalisation. Facilitation from the Ministry of Finance is required in order for it to be able to dispose of its assets, alternatively to assist in the creation of the SPV between NRZ and the rights of India.
Lastly, Air Zimbabwe requires about 1.3 million, this figure they would want to use it for what is called C-check which is a scheduled aircraft service maintenance, that is, provided they will be able to fly their Embraer. It can be able to fly to Johannesburg as well as locally and there are many multi effects. There is a lot of GDP growth that is going to be derived from allowing Zimbabwe to be in the air again. So, if Hon. Minister of Finance is able to fund USD1.3 to help Zimbabwe to fly again, I think it will go a long way. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: I guess when you said the other thing goes to NRZ, you wanted to say the other proposal.
HON. KAITANO: Yes, Madam Chair.
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. MUTHULI NCUBE): Thank you Madam Chair. There was a contribution from Hon. Nyabani regarding the issue of human wildlife conflict, this is catered for in the budget already. However, we expect this Ministry over the next year or two to realise some very serious substantial revenue upside from selling carbon credits. This is a new revenue stream which has not even been budgeted for – carbon credits which run into some billions. I think at some point Madam Chair, it may be a good idea for the relevant Minister responsible for climate issues to come and share with Members of Parliament in this august House what is going on in that sector. It is a new sector. It is complex but the revenue potentials are huge. There should be enough revenue for that activity to support human wildlife conflict from carbon credits.
Looking at proposals or comments from Hon. Kaitano, he proposes that we should ring-fence the resources for supporting the Zimbabwe Traffic Safety Council and road safety issues. I agree with him and we will certainly take his advice on that one. I thank him for that.
Then on NRZ, supporting the creating of this SPV between NRZ and the Rights of India, it is a transaction that we are very close to in Treasury. We are already facilitating. We are pushing hard on that to make sure that it happens. Basically, it is a facility of about USD115 million which is extended by the India Exim Bank or Indian Government to be specific, via African Exim Bank to finance railway projects in Africa. We made an application for NRZ to be assisted. The programme which Hon. Kaitano is referring to is linked to that India Exim Bank facility. We are pushing hard to have that concluded.
It is quite clear that we need to upgrade our rail network so that the trucks that are carrying all the heavy ores, minerals and so forth can then be transported through rail as opposed to roads because they damage our roads and cost money to fix these roads. Again, I agree with him and we are already active. We will push harder so that this is concluded, including support on the disposal of some of the NRZ assets.
Hon. Kaitano mentioned the issue of the USD1.3 million to the C-Check for our aircraft. That is already being looked into by Treasury and we hope that we will be able to disburse that amount before the end of December this year. It will go into the 2023 budget, not even 2024. It is an urgent matter and I agree with him. Thank you.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Thank you Hon. Minister. Hon. Nyabani, I am sorry, your response came late. We have already passed Vote No. 10, we are now on Vote 11.
Vote 11 put and agreed to.
Vote 12 – Foreign Affairs and International Trade – ZWL$976 004 051 000, put and agreed to.
Vote 13 – Local Government and Public Works – ZWL$1 220 136 186 000, put and agreed to.
On Vote 14 – Health and Child Care – ZWL$6 311 893 756 000:
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE): Madam Chair, it is just a correction again on the naming of the programmes. On programme 3, it should be called, Curative Services, then programme 4 should be called Bio-Medical Science Pharmaceutical and Bio Pharmaceutical Production. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIPERSON: Thank you Hon. Minister for the correction.
Vote 14 put and agreed to.
On Vote 15 – Primary and Secondary Education – ZWL$7 965 973 528 000:
*HON. MURAMBIWA: Thank you Madam Chair. I want to thank the Minister for allocating the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education the amount around ZWL$ 8 trillion. My request is that the Minister should note that 83% goes towards the salaries for the workers while the 17% remains for the Ministry’s use. Therefore, the Ministry can only afford to construct only five schools using the 2024 Budget, yet the Ministry has a shortfall of three thousand schools. I am appealing to the Minister to look into that so that the Ministry can be able to construct schools so that each province can have at least one school constructed per year. In 2024, if we can have 10 schools constructed.
Secondly, I am requesting the Minister to consider the issue of the Ministry hiring vehicle for directors to use and USD80 thousand is paid every month. I find it very expensive for the country. The Ministry should be allocated funds for the purchase of vehicles. I think this is cheaper. This Ministry caters for all the other ministries because it is the background to every Ministry. Thank you.
*HON. CHOKURURAMA: Thank you Madam Chair. I want to thank the Minister for the allocation he has given to the Ministry of Education. I am pleading with the Minister to increase the allocation so that we can increase the satellite schools in the rural areas. There are many hazards that are also faced by schools such as roofs being blown away by winds. That money will also assist in such instances.
*HON. MUCHEMWA: Thank you Madam Chair. My request is that the allocation for the Ministry of Education be increased because the education system in our country, with a special focus on schools in the rural areas where most of the school fees is being funded through BEAM, almost 50% are benefiting from BEAM and BEAM is paid after two years, which is leading to the deterioration of standards of education in the rural areas. I consider BEAM to be a good programme meant to help the vulnerable students, but if the funds are disbursed late every time, how can these schools function without funds? I propose that the BEAM funds be released at the earliest convenience so the money can go towards the development of these schools. I thank you.
*HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: Madam Chair, I have a proposal for the Minister. There is a proposal by the President, of constructing schools. The Minister did set precedence of constructing state of the art schools in a deal he struck sometime back. I plead with him to look into such partnerships again and strike another deal just like that.
*HON. CHIKOMO: Thank you very much for according me the chance to add my voice to the debate. I am leading a rural constituency - Mwenezi where we have 173 schools, 98 of which are satellite schools. It is a disheartening state as children are still learning under trees and sometimes the committees try to build pole and dagga schools, but that is not sufficient. My humble request is for the Minister to consider such rural schools so that they also have proper buildings and a conducive learning environment. We still have marginalised societies where students still walk for more than 15 to 20kms just to go to school. In Mwenezi East in particular, we have only five schools which have been built. I want to thank our Government for the effort in trying to assist us. I would like to comment on the huge gap and discrepancy between the rural and urban schools. Urban schools are already moving into projectors. My proposal is for the Minister of Finance to consider increasing the proposed amount.
HON. PROF MTHULI NCUBE: Thank you Hon. Chair. I thank Hon. Members for their contribution on this Vote on Primary and Secondary Education. I will start with the comments from Hon. Murambiwa. He is correct to say that 83 per cent of the budget covers salaries and the 17 per cent remainder covers the rest of the demands from ministries. Basically, what we have realised is that the agenda of building schools especially in rural areas is now split between the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education and the devolution funds. In fact, over the last three years, more schools have been built under devolution and not directly under the Ministry and that is fine. A school is a school and it does not matter which pocket we are using, so this is now a shared agenda. So, do not worry, schools will be built.
Hon. Chokururama also argued for a bigger budget, but let me say our experience with this Ministry in the past is that it needs quite a substantial support in terms of its absorptive capacity of the allocated budget. So, what I have done is to create a Budget Implementation Committee co-chaired by the Deputy Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, Hon K Mnangagwa with his counterpart Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education as well as officials from this Ministry. So, this Committee will assist the Ministry in accessing that budget and budget execution so that they can keep to their programmes because it is quite a large budget, and we are always concerned about the Ministry’s capacity and absorptive capacity. So, we are mentoring the Ministry in terms of budget execution.
Hon. Muchemwa’s comment regarding the BEAM programme that it needs budget support, we have allocated a budget for BEAM already, but it is sitting in the Ministry responsible for Social Welfare.
Again, this is a budget that, depending on how you look at it, is an education sector budget but also a social welfare budget but we have allocated it there. I can assure him that we will also clear the arrears around this BEAM programme. We hear so many proposals on this BEAM that sometimes it is wrong to select which pupil qualifies or does not qualify. In some schools, everybody qualifies and it is not quite what it should. Someone suggested the point that maybe the SDCs should be more involved and know what is going on. There are some issues around BEAM that we need to get into with the relevant Ministry and try to understand how best to target these resources towards deserving pupils.
Hon. Zhou regarding the loan scheme that we arranged in the past from the Middle East OPEC funds which have set the standards for what model schools should look like, especially in our rural areas. I agree with him and in fact, there is a model school in Mashonaland East and Mberengwa. These are model schools and I agree with him that perhaps striking more deals with these kinds of funders is the way to go. They have set the standards, but also it is just additional resources and I take his point on board.
Again Hon. Chikomo argued for the need to increase this budget, for example, your constituency is a large one and not easy to get around, and also comparing rural to urban schools, there is quite a big divide. You believe that we should add more budget here. On this one, I still go back to this issue of devolution that if there is a way that you can support the accessing of funds through devolution, those funds are already available and we have agreed that they should be used for building schools, clinics, roads and water in the main. These are four things all focusing on infrastructure. If we did that, I think it will make a difference to your constituency.
I think there are other funds from elsewhere, but we really feel that the budget of the Ministry is at the right level. It is the largest budget, but we also want to support them with the absorptive capacity issues so that they can spend this budget and not end up returning it. In the past, they have had to return I think for almost two or three years in succession, the budget for learner support. I just did not understand. You hear Members of Parliament saying our schools have no textbooks, but there is a budget yet there are no textbooks. They need to be supported and I really feel that we have budgeted adequately and appropriately for the Ministry. I thank you.
Vote 15 put and agreed to.
On Vote 16: Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development - $2 355 379 810.
HON. MAKOPE: The Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, I think there are some projects which were not allocated any cent, but those projects were initiated in the previous budget. Some are at 20, 80 or 60%, but in this 2024 budget, they are not allocated any funds. I do not know if it was a mistake or it was deliberate, we do not really know, but I think it is very noble to complete those projects which we have already initiated rather than having such piecemeals.
I am very worried with projects such as the accommodation for students in our universities. My worry is on the accommodation at NUST as well as Midlands State University. Those projects were not allocated monies, but if you can imagine Chair, our girl-child after the lectures at six o’clock, they depart from the school and we see them the following morning, you do not even know where they put up. It is really worrisome, especially for our parents.
We also have innovation hubs which were not allocated funds, but have already been initiated. I think the Hon. Minister can support this Ministry because innovation currently is our key driver to Vision 2030 where we are aspiring to go. On the same note, there is the issue of compensation of our experts. We have the professors and engineers in those areas who are the initiators spearheading a number of innovations for us to walk our long journey to 2030, but their salaries are not in line or on parity with the other lecturers in the region.
My prayer is for them to be considered. Some of them are looking at this 2024 budget, otherwise they are ready to leave, and they are at the fence and can leave anytime. For your own information, I just want the Minister to know that those experts do not even go for a strike if they want to leave, but just come to the office to give say their farewells because they are in demand somewhere. That is my submission under this Ministry, but my main worry is on the infrastructure development where such projects which had already been initiated this time are not allocated any funds. Thank you.
HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE: I thank the Hon. Member for the contribution regarding the budget for this Ministry of Higher Education. On the unfinished projects, we have actually allocated some budget. For example, at NUST we have allocated $12 billion, but also on the accommodation at NUST, the issue seems to have been solved because there is a wonderful project that I encourage Hon. Members to go and see, that was done through a partnership between IDBZ, the Motor Industry Pension Fund and Old Mutual. So, it is kind of a PPP and they have produced an incredible facility right across the road. At NUST, we are going to build a bridge and I hear that students are already taking occupation of that facility. So, I think accommodation at NUST is being dealt with, in addition to 12 billion for that student’s centre.
Also, at Lupane State University for example, an innovation hub is being supported also at Gwanda, Manicaland State University and Marondera – 16 billion has been allocated to those innovation hubs. I think we have taken care of that and right across the board, I see some decent budget allocation to other institutions. It is a list that I have here – it is two pages of tables of where we have made allocations per infrastructure development. I thank you.
The other amendment that I want to propose Madam Chair, is saying, I propose that we increase the budget for this Ministry by another ZWL7 billion. We would like this to go towards infrastructure for disabled learners so that they access education facilities. So, another ZWL7 billion will then increase the budget to ZWL2 362 379 810 000.00, that will be the new figure of that budget.
The other amendment is on the naming of programme where it should be named Programme 3: Science, Technology and Innovation for Industrialisation and Modernisation.
Vote 16 – Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, as amended put and agreed to.
On Vote 17 – Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development – ZWL188 136 704 000.00;
*HON. MAKAZA: I would like to thank the Minister of Finance Economic Development and Investment Promotion for the additional allocation to the Ministry. Thank you, Hon. Minister. Should the funds fall short; you will see us knocking at your door once again.
HON. CHIKWINYA: Thank you Madam Chair, to buttress the point that was made by the previous speaker, may I take this opportunity to thank the Hon. Minister for his consideration for reviewing the Ministry’s budget upwards in view of its complexity mandate and responsibilities. This move will indeed ensure that the Ministry will leave no one and no place behind as we move towards Vision 2030.
Nevertheless, Madam Chair, as much as we applaud the noble move by our very able Hon. Minister, we will continue to knock the doors of your esteemed offices for further reviews. To cater for women’s financial needs and the ever-growing informal sector which is now the second largest in the world, second from Bolivia, once again, thank you Hon. Minister for being a listening Minister.
HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE: I thank the two Hon. Members, Hon. Chikwinya and Hon. Makaza for their positive comments towards our budget allocations for this Ministry. For the record, again I propose that we add an additional ZWL20 billion towards this Ministry. This will then move the budget to a total of ZWL208 136 704 000.00, I thank you.
Vote 17 – Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, as amended, put and agreed to.
On Vote 18 – Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage – ZWL3 931 884 366 000.00;
*HON. MAHACHI: Thank you, Madam Speaker Ma’am. I would want to appeal to the Hon. Minister to consider increasing allocations to this Ministry to facilitate construction and renovations of officers’ accommodation. For example, in Manicaland, the provincial office for Manicaland at Murahwa was recently condemned and declared unfit for inhabitation.
In addition, may members of the police force who do not have own accommodation be considered for increments to cater for rentals?
HON. GANYIWA: Madam Chair, we also want the Hon. Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion; if we look at the issues of police services especially in rural areas, there are no sufficient personnel and police stations. Some people travel as far as 30 to 40km to go and make a police report of which some cases will be GBV related and other related cases. So, I think there is a desperate need to increase the budget in order to improve the operations of the police service as well as to enhance the citizens when it comes to going to nearby police stations to report the cases.
HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE: I thank Hon. Mahachi for his comments on accommodation for the police force. I just want to leverage what we discussed earlier that perhaps we need to be creative here. There are so many institutions with large amounts of resources being pension funds that if they were accorded prescribed status for their projects, they could then invest in this accommodation for cantonment areas. I think I am persuaded to go that route because they are looking for investment. They have the resources all we need is a stock of a pen-type decision and I call them prescribed asset status. I take on board that we need to do something but I think that in the financing moral, I would like to propose this partnership with the private sector.
On the number of police stations, perhaps police points especially in rural areas which was beneath the focus from the contribution of Hon. Ganyiwa again, I am not sure what quantum of police stations ought to be built so that everyone can access police services. I thought that one issue was that of mobility of police in their capacity to respond to areas of need and therefore, we need motorcycles which are not very expensive. For 2000 USD per motor cycle at most should be adequate to carry two officers to respond to a crime scene or area of need. Maybe a combination of dealing with mobility in the easiest way possible, several police stations is a way to solve this access to police services issues. I think it just needs more planning and conversation between ourselves and the Ministry of Home Affairs. I thank you.
Vote 18 put and agreed to.
Vote 19 – Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs – 1 078 000 019 356 000, put and agreed to.
Vote 20 – Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services – 122 360 000 100 000, put and agreed to.
On Vote 21 – Youth Empowerment, Development, and Vocational Training – 210 207 260 000:
HON. MUSHIPE: Hon. Speaker Ma’am. I would like to thank the Hon. Minister of Finance and His Excellency in particular for creating the new Ministry for Youth Empowerment Development and Vocational Training Centers. It goes a long way in showing the commitment of the Government to empowering youth all over the country.
However, Madam Chair, looking at the current allocation towards the Ministry of Youth Development, Empowerment, and Vocational Training Centers. The bid that the Ministry had put in place was going to be able to construct at least eight vocational centers across the country but the bid allocated only allowed the Ministry to construct one vocational center.
So, if we are looking at statistics that go back as far as 2022, looking at students who wrote A-level exams amounting to about 183 584 in particular. Statistics show that only 53 169 passed those exams meaning that we have a deficit of 130 415 youths that are supposed to be channeled to vocational training centers.
As a new Ministry, I would have hoped that the Minister would have looked at the fact that we have youths there who are idle and in particular are prone to drug and substance abuse. As a country and as the President has alluded to, this has become a national disaster. Therefore, most of our youths need skills to be trained so that they are not idle and susceptible to this scourge of drug and substance abuse.
Therefore, I was imploring the Hon. Minister to look at the budget allocated at the Ministry or to have the Ministry be able to construct at least half of what they had targeted. If there are eight vocational training centers, at least four across the country we can close the gap of the statistics that I am talking about.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Hon. Member what is your proposal?
HON. MUSHIPE: I propose that the Hon. Minister reconsider the budget allocated for vocational training centers under the Ministry of Youth, Empowerment, Development, and Vocational Centre so that the Ministry can construct at least four. However, considering the fact we are sourcing our resources internally, maybe a ring-fenced fund will be ideal for the consumption of alcohol. As I perceive alcohol to be tax lodged according to the percentage of the beverage where it is ring-fenced towards the construction of vocational training centers and also drug abuse rehabilitation . That will go a long way in helping our youth around the country to have activities in vocational training centres and rehabilitation around drug and substance abuse. I submit Madam Chair.
HON. S. SAKUPWANYA: Madam Chair, I just want to highlight that the Youth Ministry, besides being a new stand-alone Ministry, we have to consider that they deal with what are formerly known as the youth officers that are the ward development coordinators. It is also known that the ward development coordinators are not enough because at times, you find one ward development coordinator having to deal with more than 10 wards which then defeats the purpose of them being called a ward development coordinator. I would implore, through you Madam Chair, that the Minister of Finance considers that the Ministry is given adequate funding so that they have representation of ward development coordinators, at least one in every ward. In that way, the youth projects that are handed out or done can effectively be recorded and addressed by the Ministry. I thank you.
HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE: I want to thank the Hon. Members for their contributions. Initially, of course they were happy that the Ministry was created to focus specifically on youth issues. I think that we are all pleased with this development. It is the right thing to do. Hon. Members are arguing that we need to increase the budget to support the development of VTCs and also to support the development of idle youth and so forth. I must say that on the issue of increasing the budget, I propose that this budget be increased by 50 billion to support the development of VTCs and other programmes so that they will increase the total budget to $260,207,260,000. I just propose that we amend the title for Programme 2 to read Youth Development and Empowerment.
Let me continue with further comments on the issue of idle youth. I think that there are few things that are not sitting in this budget which I would like Members to take into consideration. First of all, we have an incentive for companies that employ youth. We have said that any company that employees a youthful member for at least a year or so should receive a tax rebate which amounts to the salary of that youthful employee. When they employ a youthful person, as we pronounce with the disabled person, they should not fire an older employee and replace with the youthful person. This must be additional employment. We have that incentive in place, but we just need to do an audit to see whether companies are making use of it or not. That is one benefit to the youth to make sure they get jobs which will impact on this issue of idle youth.
Hon. Speaker, that is my first comment, but we also have a youth bank and also the Hon. Member who made a contribution talked about the youth fund. We have a youth bank/fund that is meant to support youthful entrepreneurs. This also is something that we fully support in this budget. It will go a long way in making sure that our youthful entrepreneurs can be supported. We are going to extend prescribed assets status to the youth bank so that it can partner with pension funds to increase its capital base.
Then there is also the issue of venture funds, part of whose portfolio is also supportive of entrepreneurship activities from this youth. These two is yet another arrow in our quiver that will support the activities of the youth in the area of entrepreneurship. The Hon. Member also suggested that perhaps we should target the resources raised from the alcohol sin taxes towards the issue of drug and substance abuse, I agree and welcome this. It is always good to target sin taxes for specific issues and align that tier up. I accept that proposal, but in the main, my proposal was to increase the budget in the way that I pronounced. I thank you Madam Chair.
The Minister of Youth Empowerment and Vocational Training having indicated that he wants to make a comment.
THE MINISTER OF YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING (HON. MACHAKAIRE): Thank you very much Madam Chair. My contribution is related to the submission made by the Hon. Minister of Finance. I would want to appreciate his additional funding towards the youth empowerment and development. Nevertheless, I would also want to thank the Hon. Members in this House for their firmness towards supporting the youth budget. I really want to appreciate, nevertheless Madam Chair, the cry goes on and on. As the youth, we have got a very big responsibility considering the fact that we are the ones that are responsible for the vocational training centres whereby it comprises of skills development and a lot of things to do with youth empowerment. I would also appreciate if the Minister can increase the amount just a little bit, it is important for the Ministry.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Thank you, I was thinking that the Hon. Minister of Youth was going to ask the Hon. Minister of Finance to put more funds towards drug abuse programmes.
Vote 21 – Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training as amended, put and agreed to.
On Vote 22 – Energy and Power Development - $90 082 790 000;
HON. MAPHOSA: Thank you Hon. Speaker Ma’am. My proposal is that the Minister should add more money to energy because each and every minute people need ZESA. I am also worried about Bulawayo Power Station which is out of grid and Munyati which needs to be resuscitated. If the Minister of Finance can put into consideration this issue. We have a shortfall of about 570 megawatts in the country. Yes, we are talking about Kariba, but we do not have enough water there. We have got abundance of coal in this country. Let us try to resuscitate Bulawayo Power Station and Munyati. So, I submit.
HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE: I thank Hon. Maphosa for his intervention regarding the budget for this ministry and in that case, you need more to support ZESA. ZESA is well supported and let me explain. In the last three months, we have increased tariffs for ZESA by as much as six cents. The average tariff right now is 16.88 cents per kilowatt hour. It is quite a hefty increase. I do not think that the Central Government directing resources towards ZESA. It should be having enough resources right now.
For general power consumption and production, as Government we are promoting independent power producers as well, those who use their own resources, their own capital to invest in power generation. We have improved our government implementation agreement and support for independent power producers by making sure that there is an economic tariff. Certainly, a tariff for 16.88 cents is the economic tariff, but we are guaranteeing access to foreign currency and currency compatibility for those who have used loans to invest in their IPP projects, be they solar or otherwise.
We are also prepared to extend government guarantees to selected IPPs who deserve it. That is a government guarantee towards the power purchase agreement so that ZETDC cannot pay for the electricity. Government will step in and pay on behalf of ZETDC. So, supporting IPPs is really a good way to proceed in addition to the tariff increases that we have afforded ZESA. I think those two will be able to ameliorate our power challenges.
On the Bulawayo and Munyati facilities, Bulawayo as I know that it is due for decommissioning because it was found that the cost of producing electricity from these thermal power stations was huge. The sources aimed at Bulawayo Power Station should be directed for further investment in Hwange where the coal is close to the facility in the first place. Some of the details, if the Hon. Member can assist so that we can dig up the details so that I can be more precise. That is what I have understood from the Ministry of Energy.
On Munyati, I am aware that there is a new investor who is turning this investment into a renewable energy investment. They have decided to go solar as opposed to coal fired power station. Those are some of the developments around these thermal power stations. More details can be forwarded to the Ministry so that I can share with Hon. Maphosa. I thank him for his contribution. I really believe that the budget is adequate, given that we are now pushing IPPs. ZESA has given adequate tariff increase and by the way that tariff increase we made sure that we protect farmers so that they continue with their current subsidised tariff and also protect the ferrochrome sector. We are protecting their tariff at eight cents per kilowatt hour which is a subsidised tariff. I thank you Madam Chair.
Vote 22 put and agreed to.
On Vote No. 23: Information, Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services - ZW185 280 612 000.
HON. GANYIWA: Thank you Madam Chair. I know Hon. Members are tired and they want to go and sleep, but when they wake up, they will still need to go back to their constituency where there are no networks. We expect the Hon. Minister to add some money towards the Ministry of ICT. The reason being as we speak, in order to bridge the gap between the marginalised communities as well as the urban set up which are able to have an access of good communication frequency, the Minister need to add some funds, specifically for rural infrastructure development towards the ICT coupled with the improvements as well on the network that include to migrate from 3G, 4G to 5G for speed purposes.
The other thing you may need to know why I stand to beg for additional funds is that as we speak, there are so many areas and constituents that are using foreign mobile telecommunication service provider. There is a violation of our space as these people are not regulated by our laws. These mobile users that use foreign mobile service providers, also transact to some extent to transacting mobile transactions.
If you go to Chiredzi, they can transact using eco-cash system, but when they are using South African mobile telecommunication companies, which is a violation to our monetary policy regulations in Zimbabwe. So there are so many other things that we would want to see. The ICT Ministry embarked on that, including further digitalising the Government departments. I spoke about the good initiative…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What is your proposal Hon. Member?
HON. GANYIWA: Yes, I am getting there. I know we are both tired, but like I said, this is a real thing. – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members. You may proceed Hon. Ganyiwa.
HON. GANYIWA: Thank you for protecting me from my own brothers and sisters. Madam Chair, this is a serious issue, the e-Government that we are talking about requires a lot of money and the ICT…
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: How much do you want the Minister to allocate to e-Government?
HON. GANYIWA: At least if the Minister can add $2 trillion on top of what he allocated, given that the Ministry cuts across other ministries, that is the reality. They have got a burden as well to make sure that we reduce also the crime by human kind when we digitalise and securitise the departments of Government.
*HON. MUNEMO: Thank you Hon. Chair. I have a small issue. I request for additional funds to the Ministry of ICT. As it stands, children that are in the rural areas and those that are in urban areas learn the same stuff but the rural pupils lag behind because of lack of network, computers and cellphones. If the Ministry of ICT is allocated enough resources, it will enable them to upgrade boosters in rural areas so that children in rural areas also access what is accessed by children in urban areas.
Network is a major problem but there are many base stations yet they do not cover in rural areas. They concentrate in urban areas where they realise high amounts. If you look at all the departments which are represented in here, all rely on ICTs. Therefore, I request the Minister to increase the budget of ICT so that the whole country has network coverage. Even if you look at the budget, they were allocated $185 billion, they have a debt of $35 billion with TelOne and they will remain with a balance of $140 billion, which is not adequate enough to fund the projects for the Ministry. I appeal to the Minister to add more resources to this Ministry so that no one is left behind. I thank you.
HON. CHIKOMO: Madam Chair, I am humbly requesting the Minister of Finance to urgently fund ICT, especially in rural areas where at the moment, for example in Mwenezi, there is only one booster in one ward, which has over 33 000 people. It is very difficult to communicate with leadership, considering that there is also an animal reserve there. There are lions, elephants, et cetera, and in cases of emergency, it is difficult to communicate if someone is attacked by animals. You will not manage to call for assistance urgently because of network problems. Therefore, I appeal to the Minister to increase the budget of ICT so that digitalisation is everywhere. Also, broadband infrastructure and also more boosters are needed if we want to move with real technology. I thank you.
HON. MARUPI: Thank you Hon. Chair. Without over-emphasising the need to spread the boosters evenly across the whole country, I would like to emphasise funding for these boosters that also enable people, especially those in the periphery of the country to be able to watch and listen to foreign radio stations that I believe is making it difficult for them to be in sync with what is happening in Zimbabwe. This makes this country to be retrogressive in everything that it is doing. Thank you.
HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE: Thank you Hon. Chair. Once again, I thank the Hon. Members for their contributions. Starting with Hon. Ganyiwa but I think it cuts across. Hon. Munemo as well, Hon. Chikomo, Hon. Marupi, I think they are making similar points regarding this issue of boosters. They are all for more base stations in rural areas so that we can access signal and count out the foreign signals which people are now able to access.
On base stations, I agree that we should have more budget for that but we already have a programme, only that it is not reflected in the budget. The programme has been running, we are now in phase three where we have been accessing resources through the Chinese Government, working with a company called Hawaii Symophia, they make mobile phones and have been building base stations across the country. We now want to move further with them to phase four so that they can then build further base stations.
The reason why we use this approach is because this sector is a commercially viable sector in the first place. So, it needs to be funded through commercial structure such as the one we have arranged, which is actually a loan structure as opposed to just tax payers’ money. There is a difference; in some returns that we expect, you use debt as opposed to a mere grand or equity approach funding. So, I agree with increased budget but proposing a different funding model, which we are in phase three already.
On the foreign signals that Hon. Ganyiwa mentioned, I do not know how they get across, how we can pay using Ecocash for an MTN signal in South Africa but look, it is happening. I think this is something for the regulators to look into it within the ICT Ministry. May be POTRAZ should look into this, we will alert them on this issue. May be there is a way to deal with it but at the same time if we are not providing the signal ourselves, then they are going to access someone else’s signal. Maybe we need to do our part as well as Hon. Members have said, to build base stations.
On the e-Government project, we have an ongoing project that has started in earnest, of Government digitalisation, working with the Government of the UA. They had a team here; I think about three or so weeks ago. They came here and explained how this could work and we have an MOU with UA Government. We are working with them. We believe that one opportunity is to use the TelOne platform to build the e-Government system because we are still manning on how best to do it. We did not quite set aside a budget for the whole project but it is still underway but then we need to then clarify the business model for it and TelOne is a potential platform.
I actually went to UA myself about three months ago and I was able to see the system they use in Dubai. It is remarkable, that is why I walk away feeling may be TelOne is the platform to play e-Government system.
Hon. Munemo again wanted the budget to increase but he heightened the issue of the TelOne debt. The debt by the way will be dealt with directly through Treasury settlement and not from the budget for the Ministry. We use it different for that; I can assure Hon. Munemo that we will not impact the budget of the ICT Ministry.
From Hon. Chikomo, again the issue that she raised is to do with signal and boosters. She highlighted the area of Mwenezi where there is only one booster. Clearly, we have to do something. Hon. Marupi had a similar point. Let me comment perhaps on Starlink which is a satellite service coming out of Mr. Elon Musk. Those in Zambia, South Africa, Mozambique and Kenya are able to access signal from that satellite service. We as Government have begun a process to examine whether we should also allow citizens to access it. I am aware that Zimbabweans are already buying small satellite dishes and boxes to decode the signal. They are buying it from South Africa, Zambia, Mozambique and so forth. They are paying for the service out there. We are saying as Government perhaps they should pay for the service here so that we allow Starlink to operate without challenges. We are looking into that as Government. When that happens, this signal can be allowed to be used in rural areas on some of the schools that we were talking about where this signal can be accessed.
Vote 23 put and agreed to.
Vote 24 – National Housing and Social Amenities Z$352 980 547 000.00, put and agreed to.
On Vote 25 Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Z$221 787 745 000.00
*HON. T. MURWIRA: My request is that there are war collaborators that were vetted and others that were not. I am requesting the Hon. Minister to increase the budget so that the members who are coming on board can be taken care of in terms of their welfare.
HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE: I thought we had done a decent job in allocation for this budget. As I said earlier that the Ministry has got several companies that must start to produce something. If you have 21 gold claims, it is a lot of claims. They have hunting concessions, 6 farms and all these should be productive assets. We will try hard to empower the Ministry in terms of productive assets. We want to help them to bring these to being productive. We feel that we have done quite a bit in the budget for the Ministry.
Let me say something on the funeral assistance for war veterans. I must say I looked again and it is actually covered under Programme 2, under social security benefit for war veterans. We have covered that issue and we have an allocation of Z$81.5 billion for that programme. What I can suggest as well is that we consider increasing the allocation, perhaps we can do this under what we call the Constitutional and Statutory Obligations. These are below the line and it is not something for appropriation. I would like to propose and we will make sure that when the Blue Book is amended accordingly, that allocation of Z$4 billion is reflected. That is what I propose to make that increment via the statutory and constitutional obligations. I thank you.
Vote 25 put and agreed to.
On Vote 26 – Tourism and Hospitality Industry Z$71 071 785 000.00
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE): I would like to propose, arising from the contributions of Hon. Members, that we increase this budget by another Z$10 billion so that the new budget will be Z$81 071 785 000.00
Vote 26 as amended, put and agreed to.
Vote 27 – Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture Z$136 233 110 000.00, put and agreed to.
Vote 28 – Skills Audit and Development Z$43 045 197 000.00, put and agreed to.
On Vote 29 – Judicial Service Commission Z$274 035 502 000.00:
HON. DR. MUTODI: Thank you Madam Chair. Our concern as a Committee on Justice was on the issue of judges’ vehicles. Hon. Minister, you need to understand that our judges are using off-road vehicles to go to the High Court, the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court and using a Land Cruiser to go to court does not associate well with the profession of judges. It is actually taking away the glamour that is associated with the profession. We made some calculations Hon. Minister and we found that only 35 billion is required for the 73 judges to get their middle range Mercedes vehicles. I do not know due to the time value of money, how much money would be required by the time you can avail payment towards those cars, but it is a small addition Minister, to the budget that could boost the judges’ moral. If the moral is boosted, we also hope it will work towards fighting against corruption in the judicial service delivery.
When they came to address the Committee during the Post-budget period, they made an outcry of this issue. They really need the Mercedes Benz and they say it is befitting their profession. I would be happy Minister if you can make a slight adjustment, maybe by saying for the year 2024, you can buy for 10 judges and then the following year until all of them are serviced. I thank you Madam Chair.
HON. PROF. MTHULI. NCUBE: I thank Hon. Dr. Mutodi for that contribution regarding judges’ vehicles. As Government, we thought that we had solved the issue of transport for judges. We bought them four by fours and they were driving them to court. That is okay, but I hear him when he says that the image is such that we need a Mercedes Benz. I think we will look into the issue.
Frankly, we thought we had solved the problem as per request from the JSC just like we solved the problem for their housing. So we have been responsive quite a bit, but I hear him. Maybe we need to relook the issue and see if we should issue them with new additional vehicles that are appropriate for court duties. I thank him for that.
Vote 29 put and agreed to.
Vote 30 – Public Service Commission – ZWL 1 428 094 811 000, put and agreed to.
Vote 31 – National Council of Chiefs – ZWL 39 938 939 000, put and agreed to.
Vote 32 – Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission – ZWL 42 117 768 000, put and agreed to.
Vote 33 – National Peace and Reconciliation Commission – ZWL 56 007 629 000, put and agreed to.
Vote 34 - National Prosecuting Authority – ZWL 98 272 646 000, put and agreed to.
Vote 35 – Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission – ZWL 56 642 465 000, put and agreed to.
Vote 36 – Zimbabwe Electoral Commission – ZWL 116 600 573 000, put and agreed to.
Vote 37 – Zimbabwe Gender Commission – ZWL 48 535 060 000, put and agreed to.
Vote 38 – Zimbabwe Land Commission – ZWL 52 937 840 000, put and agreed to.
Vote 39 – Zimbabwe Media Commission – ZWL 34 929 514 000, put and agreed to.
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE): I want to conclude and thank all the Chairpersons of the Committees for their contributions. I therefore, move Mr. Speaker, that the motion be adopted.
House resumed.
Main Estimates of Expenditure reported with amendments.
Report adopted.
Bill ordered to be brought in by the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion in accordance with the Main Estimates of Expenditure adopted by the House.
FIRST READING
APPROPRIATION (2024) BILL)
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE): Mr. Speaker Sir, to give effect to the report of the Committee of Supply on the main estimate of Expenditure adopted by the House, I bring in a Bill to apply a further sum of money for the services of Zimbabwe for the year ending 31st December 2024, the Appropriation 2024 Bill [H.B. 6, 2023], I move that the Bill be read the first time.
Motion put and agreed to.
Bill read the first time.
Bill referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. SPEKER
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 the Finance Bill 2024, [H.B. 7, 2023].
SECOND READING
FINANCE (2024) BILL [H. B. 7, 2023].
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE): Mr. Speaker I move that the Bill be now read a second time.
Mr. Speaker, we presented a budget before this House of the order of 60 trillion Zimbabwean dollars in order to finance Zimbabwe’s development agenda and create the right platform for us to achieve the 2030 vision that of an upper-middle income society by year 2030. I believe that what we have before you as the august House is going to create such a platform and the theme is of consolidating economic transformation. It is the transformation of the economy that we will deliver vision 2030. In presenting this budget, we have been able to also come up with accompanying revenue measures which we believe will be adequate in supporting the expenditure. The august House will notice that the budget does have a very strong element in supporting the social sector and is therefore a pro-poor budget. In that respect, it is really trying to make sure that we will certainly not leave no one behind, no groups behind. I therefore, move that the Bill be read a second time. I thank you.
Motion put and agreed to.
Bill read a second time.
Committee Stage: With leave, forthwith.
COMMITTEE STAGE
FINANCE (2024) BILL [H. B. 7, 2023]
House in Committee.
Clauses 1 to 5 put and agreed to.
On Clause 6:
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE): Mr. Chairman, I propose an amendment to Clause 6 on the wealth tax. On page 7 of the Bill, delete 2022 and substitute it as follows: ‘The wealth tax chargeable in terms of Section 36 of the Taxes Act shall be calculated at the rate of one percentum of the value of a dwelling other than the principal private residence, if such value exceeds USD250 thousand, provided that the maximum liability for wealth tax on any one taxable dwelling shall be USD50 thousand per annum’. I thank you.
Amendment to Clause 6 put and agreed to.
Clause 6, as amended, put and agreed to.
Clause 7 put and agreed to.
On Clause 8:
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE): Mr. Chairman, I propose an amendment to Section 36 (g). This pertains to the Zimbabwe Gold baked digital token. In the Bill that was circulated, we have referred to the ZiG as a currency. It is not a currency. It is a digital investment asset. I would like us to amend it as follows: The Zimbabwe gold-backed digital token or ZIG is a digital investment asset (issued by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe in terms of Section 7(d) (i) and 47(3) of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Act. One unit of which represents one milligram of gold of 99% purity.
Amendment to Clause 8 put and agreed to.
Clause 8, as Amended, put and agreed to.
On Clause 9:
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE): I propose an amendment to Clause 9 to make sure that we are clear in that the primary residence of an individual is not subject to wealth tax. Secondly, we want to make it clear that ZIMRA should be collecting this tax but is free to elect an agent that can be a local authority for example. I propose the following amendment to Section 36(o) of the Wealth Tax and this is paragraph 2, which should read: there shall be charged, levied and collected throughout Zimbabwe for the benefit of the Consolidated Revenue Fund and Wealth Tax paid by the owner of any taxable dwelling, that is to say any dwelling that is not his or her principal private dwelling. Then the subsection in 3 of that Clause 9, I propose the elaboration of the Section as follows; that the collection of the wealth tax shall until such time as the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority is capable of collecting this tax shall be delegated to the local authority in which a taxable dwelling is located or to such collection agent as the authority, with the approval of the Minister may appoint by notice in the Gazette either generally or for any particular local authority. I thank you.
Amendment to Clause 9 put and agreed to.
Clause 9, as Amended, put and agreed to.
Clauses 10 to 38 put and agreed to.
On Clause 39:
HON. CHIDUWA: I just wanted clarification on the establishment of the Mutapa Investment Fund which was done through Presidential Powers, and the Presidential Powers will only last for six months. I wanted to find out what will then become of the Finance Act once the Mutapa Investment Fund is incorporated into the Finance Act but then it expires after six months?
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMEN AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE): I thank Hon. Chiduwa for that clarification. The reason why we have incorporated the amendments of the Sovereign Wealth Fund Act that were done through the Presidential Powers Statutory Instrument into the Finance Bill is to regularise the amendments that were put forward by His Excellency. So, we are doing the correct thing by inserting these amendments in the Finance Act. That will make sure that the creation of the Mutapa Investment Fund is enshrined in law because the Finance Act is actually amending the Sovereign Wealth Fund Act of Zimbabwe and renaming the Mutapa Fund. So, this is actually the regularisation process that is needed. If this had not been done, then the S.I would expire and the whole Mutapa arrangement would come into difficulty given that His Excellency has already pronounced that it is something that should be done. I thank you.
Clause 39 put and agreed.
Clauses 40 to 57 put and agreed to.
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE): Mr. Chair, I beg your indulgence Sir. My staff have just alerted me to a couple of errors that we need to correct.
On Clause 20, this is the new Clause 20 that we amended, because there was also an error in numbering. The date there should be January, 2024 and not January, 2021 – I do not know whether you have seen this. So that should read, ‘with effect from 1st January, 2024’.
The amendment for Clause 9, when we changed the threshold for a taxable dwelling to one with a value of at least USD250 000.00, but in the definition of taxed dwelling, we just omitted making that clear. So I take you back to Clause 9, Section 36.0 for the Wealth Tax – it is at the end of (i). Taxable dwelling means any dwelling, the ratable value of which exceeds USD250 000.00 in the year of assessment concerned. Let us make that amendment, I thank you Hon. Chair.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON (HON. MACHINGURA): I shall now report the Bill with amendments. Sorry, Hon. Members, just to take you back for the record. Let us go back to Clause 9 which has just been amended by the Hon. Minister.
Amendment to Clause 9 put and agreed to.
Clause 9, as amended, put and agreed to.
On Clause 20:
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON (HON. MACHINGURA): We checked the date to be 1st January, 2024.
Amendment to Clause 20 put and agreed to.
Clause 20 as amended, put and agreed to.
House resumed.
Bill reported with amendments.
Bill referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. SPEAKER
NON-ADVERSE REPORT RECEIVED FROM THE PARLIAMENTARY LEGAL COMMITTEE
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Members, thank you for your patience. It is nearly quarter to one in the morning. I have received a Non-Adverse Report from the Parliamentary Legal Committee on the Finance (2024) Bill, [H. B. 7A, 2023].
Consideration Stage: Forthwith.
CONSIDERATION STAGE
FINANCE (2024) BILL [H. B. 7 A, 2023]
Amendments to Clauses 6, 8, 9, and 20 put and agreed to.
Clauses 6, 8, 9, and 20, as amended, put and agreed to.
Third Reading: Forthwith.
THIRD READING
FINANCE (2024) BILL [H. B. 7 A, 2023]
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE): I move that the Bill be now read the third time.
Motion put and agreed to.
Bill read the third time.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. SPEAKER
NON-ADVERSE REPORT RECEIVED FROM THE PARLIAMENTARY LEGAL COMMITTEE
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have received a non-adverse report from the Parliamentary Legal Committee on the Appropriation Bill: 2024, [H. B. 6, 2023].
SECOND READING
APPROPRIATION BILL (2024) [H. B. 6, 2023].
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE): Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that the Bill be read a second time.
Motion put and agreed to.
Bill read a Second Time.
Third Reading: Forthwith.
THIRD READING
APPROPRIATION BILL: 2024, [H. B. 6, 2023].
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE): Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that the Bill be read the third time.
Motion put and agreed to.
Bill read the Third Time.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. MTHULI NCUBE), the House adjourned at Eleven Minutes to One o’clock a. m. until 30th January 2024.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 14th December, 2023
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
APOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM MINISTERS
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Today is a Thursday and as usual, in accordance with the Standing Orders of the Senate, it is Private Members’ time for questions without notice. Before I go to the list of Ministers present, which appears to be very short, I have some apologies from the following;
Hon. G. D. N. Chiwenga, the Vice President of Zimbabwe;
Hon. K. Mohadi, the Vice President of Zimbabwe; Hon. E. Jesaya, the Deputy Minister of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture; Hon. Dr. Mombeshora, Minister of Health and Child Care;
Hon. O. C. Z. Muchinguri-Kashiri, Minister of Defence;
Hon. Dr. F. M. Shava, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
Present in the House and it is not a very encouraging number, are only two Ministers. Hon. Minister Moyo, the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education and Hon. Phuti, the Deputy Minister of Information Communication Technology.
It goes without saying that this again, is a very disappointing show. The list of apologies has about six Ministers and yet we have got over 30 Ministers. This is really treating the Senate with contempt as far as I am concerned. It is unacceptable and it is coming after we have just had an interface between the Ministers and Parliament. I am extremely disappointed. I propose we make do with what we have whilst we wait for other Ministers to arrive.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
+HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: Thank you Mr. President Sir. I have a question for the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. The Grade 7 results are out and my question to the Minister is, for those children that have failed who are denied places at other schools, what is Government policy regarding them because they are denied good education because of bad results? Why are we denying those children the right to good education because of their results? For high performance, they need those children to go to schools despite their bad results. Thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: My earphones are not working so I did not quite get the question but I hope the Hon. Minister got the question. If so, he may go ahead and answer.
*THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION: (HON. T. MOYO): Hon. President, allow me to respond to the question in Shona because I am still learning how to speak Ndebele. I want to thank the Hon. Senator for his question. Government policy is that all children who have applied to be enrolled for Form 1 must not be denied that opportunity. Government policy is that those children apply online. We have a problem in boarding schools because the pass rate improved by 5% this year. This means that those who managed to obtain 6 units at Grade 7 are many.
Schools then select the students looking at how the student performed. Some boarding schools are getting many applications than they can offer. One boarding received 2000 applications for students with 6 units. They had a capacity to have 2 classes, each class accommodating only 40 students. Many students with 6 units have failed to secure form 1 places at that boarding school. Applicants are allowed to choose up to 5 schools and if they fail to secure accommodation at the first school, the next school will accommodate them, this then goes up to the 5th school.
If the child fails to secure a place in those 5 schools because of poor results, it means that they will eventually find a place somewhere, especially where the parents stay. Government policy encourages students to secure school places near where they live. Boarding schools are selecting those students who performed best. However, the remaining students will eventually find a place. We have many schools around the country that can accommodate every student. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: I thank you Hon. President. I would like to thank the Hon. Minister for his reply. I am concerned with the rural community; some are ICT illiterate and do not know how to use internet and the others cannot even afford ICT gadgets. On the pass rates, I noticed that urban students have better grades than their counterparts in rural areas. What is Government doing to equip rural schools with better facilities so that they can compete with urban schools? I thank you.
*HON. T. MOYO: I want to thank Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira for his question. He asked two questions; the first one is on the ICT gadgets and online applications. Mr. President Sir, so far, we do not have any complaints from rural schools and students that they have failed to access online applications. We are now in our fifth year applying online, we have not yet received any report because all students are applying online.
On his second question on what the Government can do to improve the pass rate for rural schools. It is true that rural students are less privileged than urban schools because of many reasons. Firstly, in most schools in rural areas, they cannot access internet but in urban areas, students have ICT gadgets. Plans are now in progress - we are sourcing funds so that we can have solar systems installed in our rural schools. We received 48.8 million from our development partners (GPE) Global Partnership in Education. Tomorrow, we are having a meeting with them and we will encourage them that part of those funds go for complementary funding, and the other funds will go for solar projects and rural electrification projects. This will help students to access internet in rural areas so that they are at par with their urban counterparts.
*HON. SEN. ZINDI: Thank you Hon. President. I would like to inquire, we also read on social media that despite the Government policy that students no longer require entrance tests, some schools are still doing these entrance tests. I thank you.
*HON. T. MOYO: I want to thank you Hon. President. I would like to thank the Hon. Senator for his question. Government policy does not allow schools that offer form 1 place to enroll using entrance tests. If there are schools which are doing that, as far as I know, there is no single school this year that enrolled using entrance tests. If there are schools that are doing that, then it is illegal. I ask those who have witnessed such schools to forward the names of the schools. I also read about that in social media. I received a call yesterday from a parent who was complaining that their child failed to secure a place because entrance tests were already done. If that happened, can they forward the name of such schools so that we take action against such acts? Government policy does not allow schools to do entrance tests.
+HON. SEN. R. M. NDLOVU: Thank you President of Senate. My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education on the issue of BEAM. The late disbursement of BEAM funds to schools is affecting students in their studies. What measures is the Ministry taking in order to avoid the late disbursements to schools and also avoid disturbances on the learners on BEAM programme? I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. T. MOYO): Thank you Mr. President of Senate. I believe this is a new question and not a supplementary. Be that as it may, let me respond by saying, it is true that the practice has been the late disbursement of BEAM funds. When we did our Pre-Budget Seminar for 2024, we agreed with the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion that there will be quick disbursement of BEAM funds so that schools are not inconvenienced. The late disbursement of the funds led to the owners of schools having challenges in sourcing materials for the children’s upkeep. Therefore, the Deputy Ministers of Education, Finance as well as Social Welfare, because the money is transferred from Treasury to Social Welfare, the Ministry of Education gets the money from the Ministry of Social Welfare. So, it was taking a bit of some time for the funds to be disbursed from each of the three participants. In 2024, that is going to be sorted out so that the headmasters are not going to have difficulties in sourcing for materials they want to use at the school. So, it is work in progress. Thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHITSAMBA: We have heard that Grade 1 to Grade 7 education is going to be free. Is that going to be the case? Thank you.
*THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank you. In future Hon. Senator, ask your question through the Chair, although you want a specific Minister to answer the question.
*THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. T. MOYO): Hon. President of Senate, let me thank the Senator for the pertinent question. It is true, Government has the intention that from ECD-A up to Grade 7, children should have free education. That is the aim of the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, His Excellency, Cde. Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa. So, this is not new. It is an issue that we are seriously considering and it will not take us three years. We need to mobilise the resources so that people benefit. Free education comes in various forms. There is the BEAM for those less privileged children that come from less privileged parents and they can go from ECD A up to grade 7 for free. In underdeveloped areas like my communal home, Muzarabani, Guruve and Kariba, children in those areas do not pay school fees. They are going to school for free. There is a grant that is being used to cater for their fees.
Those that pay do so because they will have reached an agreement that the school wants to build accommodation for the school teachers and levies are going to be paid. The Ministry is approached with proposals and approval is granted. That is when levies are going to be paid, otherwise education is for free in that regard. We are grateful to the Government for doing such a splendid piece of work in the less developed areas. Thank you.
+HON. SEN. M. PHUTHI: Thank you Mr. President of Senate. My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. I want to find out on the areas in Matabeleland Province where there are no boosters. Sometimes, if they want to use diesel, there are challenges. Sometimes during the rainy season, there are challenges whereby we do not have boosters that can help in activating internet. I want to find out what measures the Ministry is taking to alleviate internet challenges? I thank you.
+THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (HON. D. PHUTI): Thank you Mr. President Sir. I want to also thank the Hon. Sen. Phuthi for the question highlighting on the shortages of boosters which are called base stations in selected areas which then disturb the effectiveness of internet connection. Mr. President Sir, the Government has tried to put different measures or efforts in having all the areas of the country having access to internet. I also agree with what the Hon. Member is saying. There are specific areas like the ones she highlighted that they have shortages on infrastructure for internet connectivity. We have managed to put those base stations and network connectivity has improved in those areas that I have alluded to. I hope that highlighting the two projects that we have embarked on will assist in all areas having internet connectivity. There is PORTRAZ Mr. President Sir, that is mandated to check on how the internet connectivity is being carried out. PORTRAZ also has separate funds that are supposed to be used for internet connectivity. As I speak, I know they have put 12 base stations. You realise that when you combine the three projects that I have alluded to, it helps the network connectivity through the different base stations throughout the country.
+HON. SEN. M. PHUTI: Thank you Mr. President Sir. I was asking if the Minister is aware that when I asked the question, I was asking specifically for January. Yes, I thank him for the different efforts that they have made. How is a child who is in Matiwana, for example, going to apply online when there is no network in that area? For now, as I speak, there is no network connectivity. I am therefore asking the Minister whether they are able to liaise with the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education if there is a way of having such affected children to be enabled to apply online.
+HON. D. PHUTI: Thank you Mr. President Sir. I also want to thank the Hon. Sen for the supplementary question. I hope she is not saying that this is my chance to grill the Minister. This is a very important question that she has brought. She is asking that all the issues that the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education has highlighted, especially on applying online while other areas do not have network connectivity. How then are you expecting all children to be able to apply? You realise that one of the questions that Hon. Sen. Phuti asked is almost the same as what Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira asked when he was asking about certain areas that do not have network connectivity. I will accept that there are certain areas that have challenges on network connectivity. I will not run away from the fact that our children are supposed to be educated on how to use computers. The question is, how then do we have internet connectivity besides the boosters that come with the mobile network connectors?
You realise the Ministry of Information has now established information centres whereby you have free WiFi. They also have outreach programmes on how to use computers. Whether you want to do your applications on line or you are doing your school work online, you can do that for free at information centres. In almost all the districts, we now have information centres and this is helpful, especially in areas that do not have booster. We now have computerised village information centres. We have also established post offices that are community centres. So far, we have done 32, especially in areas that do not have proper network connectivity. I think this is one of the efforts that we have tried as a Ministry to enable everyone to acquire knowledge, at least of how to use a computer and how to connect to internet. Lastly, what I will say Mr. President Sir, is that the learning strategy that is being used by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, together with the Ministry of ICT, they are in the middle of trying to give computers to all the schools that have ZESA and they want all these to have free WiFi. I think in that way, the Government is trying to move to a point whereby almost everyone will have knowledge of computers and also how to connect to the network. We have network from boosters, network operators and also from schools that have ZESA and WiFi. I thank you Hon. President.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Thank you President, the Minister was doing very well. We have learned about the airwaves - the good vocabulary, but Minister, out of the good things that you have said, the issue is when are we going to reach the same levels? What is your game changer, what is it that is going to accelerate the improvement of connectivity of rural areas? Your intentions - yes, we know, but what measures are you going to put in place as people in the communal lands are lagging behind? I thank you.
++HON. D PHUTI: Thank you Hon. President of the Senate. I would want to respond to Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira’s question. What are we doing differently from what has been happening all along because the rural areas are lagging behind in terms of connectivity? I would like to respond by saying that the rural areas are covered. The major highways, it was difficult to get connectivity but these days we realise that you get to Harare or Masvingo with good coverage, so I realise that from the major highways, there is good network coverage. After that, we will look at remote areas that may be difficult to get access. I can give an example of Gezani in Chiredzi where it is said is difficult to get there. We have gone there and we have put base stations. So, I think we have really made a tremendous effort to give connectivity to many areas.
The Government has also made efforts to ensure that in border line areas, now base stations of local mobile operators are operating there, they are now working so that people do not use foreign network operators. They are now using local mobile networks.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: I got the Kalanga and, in his response, the Minister is saying that there is connectivity near highways but it is not the case with other areas. We used to pay Village Heads using Mobile Money, Net-one or Econet. We have since abandoned that method of payment because even if you try to send their allowances, they will not be able to access it. We have since abandoned that. I wanted you to take note of that. You might assume that the highways, there is good connectivity but away from the major highways, indeed there is no connectivity although we may applaud the effort that has been made. So, those remote areas are still affected and this also affects the schools that we were talking about. I thank you Hon. Minister for the promises that have been made.
*HON. SEN. MUZODA: Minister, what are you doing as a Ministry or as Government, to increase communication centres that you referred to? I also would like to suggest that let us not lump all our communication centres at the Post Office? They are only accessed by a few people. If we could make every school in Zimbabwe a communication centre of that area so that everyone will get assistance instead of going to a Post Office after paying $5 to and from. That is a major challenge because in the rural areas, that money cannot be accessed.
*THE HON DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I thought you were saying it was just a suggestion not a question like you said. May I ask the Hon. Senators to use one language for the sake of the Ministers who are supposed to respond. We are supposed to use only one language when asking questions.
*HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: Thank you Mr President. My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. Mr. President, I wanted to understand from the Minister what is Government’s policy with regards to new schools that are being constructed by parents using devolution and Constituency Development Funds because we have realised that children are travelling long distances and that is why they are building these schools. However, when the parents try to ensure that those schools are officially recognised, it takes a long time. May the Honourable Minister explain what are the requirements to ensure that the school can start operating? Sometimes those schools end up risking dilapidation without being used yet we realise that there is a shortage of schools.
*THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. T. MOYO): Indeed, satellite schools have learners that attend those schools but when they are supposed to write national examinations, they have to travel to schools that may be a distance away or 10km away where they sit for those exams. As Government, we are not happy with that. For a school to be able to stand alone and not be addressed as a satellite school, there are procedures to be taken.
Firstly, there is supposed to be a block, a strong room and teachers houses or cottages. So, all those applying for registration, we do not refuse but as long as they have a strong room where examination papers will be safely stored, we give them examination centres. Independent schools, today as I speak, we had meetings with Headmasters and we have discussed that. We told them that if they were not responding early enough to those applications in the past, that must end. They must send inspectors to ensure that all the requirements are met and the registration takes place.
*HON. SEN. ZINDI: My supplementary question is, are they not able to look into the matter of assisting schools as a matter of policy to ensure that they reduce the distance travelled by learners where sometimes they travel even more than 10km? They are aware that there is a problem. So, as a Ministry, are they not able to make a follow up on such schools and come up with a fund that may assist those schools to ensure that they have those required strong rooms and assist in the construction of teachers cottages, giving a percentage of what they can do? For example, the Ministry will state how they can assist the parents so that they can at least get assistance.
*THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. T. MOYO): Thank you Mr. President Sir. We have funding available to assist those satellite schools. Last term we had 250 schools. We asked Members of Parliament to give us the names of such schools and a list was compiled. Each of those schools were given USD5 000 before being registered. We compile a list for each province. If, for example in Masvingo Province, there are 35 schools, we give each school USD5 000. The school heads signed out forms in order for them to receive those funds.
Secondly, we appeal that devolution funds be channeled towards the less established schools and not those schools that are already well established. The funds can be used to build the strong rooms and accommodation for teachers. Money from CDF can also be used to help those satellite schools so that they can also be registered.
*HON. SEN. GWATURE: My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. We have children who are in Grade 1 up to Grade 7 who are assisted by the BEAM Programme. How can these children be assisted to get Form 1 places because most of them are failing to continue with their education because of lack of funds. Most of these children end up working in farms instead of continuing with their education. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. T. MOYO): I had already answered that question but I can repeat what I previously said. A child that is assisted under the BEAM facility, upon completing their Grade 7, can continue with their secondary education. There is no school that should refuse to enroll a child, even if that child has no money for school fees. There is a committee that looks into the issue of children that come from less privileged families so that the Government can assist them through BEAM. However, a child under the BEAM facility cannot look for a Form 1 place at a boarding school because BEAM cannot cover those high school fees. There is funding available for the girl child of 12 million under CAMFED that looks for children from disadvantaged families. These children are offered scholarships and school uniforms are bought using the fund.
It is unfortunate that some children are unable to complete their education. It is a crime for a child to stop going to school after competing their Grade 7. If there are parents that are failing to send their children to school when there is a Government programme that assists such children, it is against the law.
*HON. SEN. CHAKABUDA: Thank you Hon. President. My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. There are some schools that force parents to buy school uniforms from the school. These schools charge exorbitant prices and most parents cannot afford. However, these same uniforms will be available in shops at a lower price. Can the Government not assist such parents so that they can be allowed to buy the uniforms from shops that sell them at a cheaper price? I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. T. MOYO): I would like to thank the Senator for such an important question. There are some schools such as the school in Kwekwe that was reported to the Government that defy Government directives and force parents to buy expensive uniforms from the school. The Government sent out circulars to schools that say that parents should not be forced to buy uniforms from the school. If there are shops such as EnBee or OK that are cheaper that sell those uniforms, parents should buy from there. If there are such schools, you can submit such issues in writing during questions with written notice and the Government can look into the issue. The Ministry will send its officials to such schools and carry out investigations. We have SI 1 of 2000 which is there to prosecute those who defy Government directives.
∞HON. SEN. FANUEL: Thank you Mr. President. I would like to ask my question to the Minister of Education. There are a lot of schools that are doing online applications, and yet many of those students have no access to internet. Sometimes teachers only teach online, like in Binga, they only go there for three months and after that they request for transfers. Right now, there are a lot of schools without teachers in Binga because teachers cannot communicate in Tonga. I also like to talk about BEAM especially, because it speaks to orphans. Sometimes there are situations where there is poverty even if the parents are there. There are parents who cannot afford, so that is what I wanted to ask.
The other thing is, teachers must be able to communicate in the local languages because in some areas, students have to interpret for the teacher. Then the schools that have been constructed and supposed to be upgraded to boarding schools, nothing is happening and now learners have to travel 20 kilometers to go to school. Then there are some schools with no water, so teachers are running away from such schools because there is no water and there is no learning taking place there. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. T. MOYO): Mr. President, the Hon. Member has asked more than four questions. She spoke about online learning, she spoke about BEAM, issues to do with boarding facilities and the issue of teachers who transfer after three months.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Attend to one question.
HON. T. MOYO: Let me address the issue of teachers who transfer after three months. Mr. President, it is Government policy to deploy teachers to different provinces. We have observed that of late, there are challenges associated with centralised recruitment. It is our clarion call and we have resolved as Government that from next year, we are going to resort to decentralisation of recruitment of teachers. The challenge of centralised recruitment is that somebody is deployed from Head Office and deployed to Binga, but that person comes from Masvingo or comes from Manicaland and the husband is in Manicaland. The teacher will go and assume duties and upon assuming duty, the next letter that person will produce is a transfer later after three months. In most cases, the majority of cases is that those teachers are not fluent in Tonga. We have observed the deficiency of that centralised policy and we have resolved that we are going to allocate teachers from Head Office. Then we are able to assess the number of teachers who are needed in Matabeleland North, for example, we decided to allocate 600 teachers in Matabeleland North who also established the most disadvantaged province. Another most disadvantaged area is Binga.
The people who are qualified who stay in Binga can also go to the district office and be deployed in the district of their residence. Some of the teachers are likely to go to work from the comfort of their homes and this could also save schools in terms of accommodation challenges, it becomes an advantage. That is where we are going so that we do not have these problems of teachers who may wish to transfer to provinces of their choice.
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in terms of Standing Order No. 67.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Mr. President, I move that time for Questions Without Notice be extended by 20 minutes.
HON. SEN. BUNGU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Hon. President. My question goes to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. I have observed that children who learn in resettled areas are still using infrastructure made of pole and dagga. My question is, does the Ministry have any future plans in providing the necessary infrastructure as those children seem to be neglected? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. T. MOYO): Hon. President, may I thank Hon. Sen. Mohadi for the question. It is true that in some resettlement areas, the learning environment and the classrooms there are not in good shape and the Government is aware of the challenges. His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa is well known for saying no one and no place should be left behind. The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education got the highest Vote in terms of the 2024 budget. We got eight trillion dollars and part of that will go towards rehabilitation of those schools in the resettlement areas. The other portion will be spared for the construction of such schools in the resettlement areas and all those areas where learners are walking distances ranging from five to 10 kilometers.
Government policy is to ensure that the welfare of learners is met and that the schools are improved. It is our mandate to ensure that we are going to do that as instructed by His Excellency the President. We also have development partners who are assisting us. Two weeks ago, we had a partner who managed to build more than 60 classrooms in three months in the name of Church of Jesus Christ for Latter-day Saints. I went to commission 65 classrooms and laboratories constructed in three months and they said in 2024, please tell us the areas where we can construct new schools and we can also build new structures like classroom blocks and laboratories.
We also have partners coming next year, we have partners in the name of OPEC Fund for International Development.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHIKWAKA: Thank you Mr. President of the Senate. I am directing my question to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education since he is the only Minister here present. What steps are to be taken by Government in order to ensure that the provision of education in the country is the same? When we went to school, we all attended and wrote Cambridge examinations. It was just the only single examination board. It was entirely up to you, whether you were a brilliant learner or not. We now have two types of examination boards, the Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) and Cambridge. Is this not going to create differences between learners? Even the families are now going to have differences between those who would have attended Cambridge and those who would have attended ZIMSEC. Those who would have been examined by Cambridge would feel superior to those of ZIMSEC. Why can Government not standardise and make it compulsory to have ZIMSEC as the sole examination board? I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. DR. T. MOYO): Thank you Mr. President of Senate. Let me thank Hon. Sen. Chikwaka for his question. It is true that we have two examination boards, Cambridge and the ZIMSEC. We have realised that the children that sit for Cambridge examinations are learners from Trust Schools. These are the most expensive schools, the affluent ones. However, the law says that even if the learners are sitting for Cambridge examinations, they should also have ZIMSEC examinations.
For us to be able to change what is in the Constitution, it begins with the senators in the Senate, the MPs in the National Assembly as well as the civic organisations. Mr. President Sir, there are certain countries which also want to have ZIMSEC examinations. South Africa has made an application that they want their children to be examined by our ZIMSEC board. The Minister is coming next year in January for a memorandum of understanding. It does not mean that the children that sit for ZIMSEC examinations are disadvantaged. In terms of the question that has been posed, he said why do we not have ZIMSEC as the single examination board? No one would want us to have Cambridge as our examination board, ZIMSEC is our local board.
As the Minister, I have no right to say that learners must only be examined under ZIMSEC board because it is ultra vires the Constitution. Individuals or civic organisations may petition Parliament in terms of Section 149 of the Constitution indicating their reasons for wanting to have a single examination board. By so doing, they will be beseeching the Hon. Speaker of Parliament who will then refer the petition to the Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education to consult the public through public hearings in all the 10 provinces of the country. After the consultations, a report is presented in Parliament, the issue is brought to the Ministry and we will be in a position to then say this is what the people want: to have a single examination board, that is ZIMSEC. Until that is sorted out, we will remain with the two examination boards. I thank you.
HON. SEN. SHIRI: Thank you Mr. President Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. Hon. Minister, what plans are in place to streamline the learning of sign language across Zimbabwe? What are the measures that have been taken so far to make it one of the core subjects as part of ‘O’ level passes? I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. DR. T. MOYO): Thank you Mr. President Sir. May I thank in a big way, Hon. Sen. Shiri for such a very good question. Sign language, Mr. President, is one of the 16 officially recognised languages in our Constitution. As the Ministry of Education, we have produced a syllabus at Grade 7 and at ‘O’ level. It is there, but for us to implement sign language as a core subject in our schools, it means we have to liaise with our sister Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education which trains teachers. This is a clarion call Mr. President, for us to go further to train teachers. In some countries, every teacher is able to do sign language. It is a disadvantage to our learners who have disabilities of listening impairments. We want as well to liaise with the Ministry of Higher Education so that they start training. All teachers will go through teacher training colleges. Universities also should be able to do sign language which will be handy in the implementation of sign language as a basic core subject. I thank you.
HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: Thank you Mr. President for this opportunity to ask a question to the Minister of Education. The ZimStats produced a recent report after the Grade 7 results came out. It indicated that the pass rate was 45.5%. Putting it in another way, the failure rate is 55%, which is greater than the pass rate. What is Government doing to deal with the issue of the 55% of our learners at primary school level who did not make the grade? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. T. MOYO): May I thank the Hon. Senator for that question. Mr. President, I have not seen the ZIMSTAT report and I am yet to read it but what I know as far as Grade 7 results are concerned is that they performed very well. There was an increase of 5% compared to the results in 2022 and we want to applaud our teachers for a job well done. However, it is not everyone who passes. If it is true that those who failed constitute 55%, that is the major mandate of our teachers, to improve the pass rate.
The number of measures that can be put in place to improve the pass rate, the issues to do with online learning which should also be extended to rural areas, that will contribute in a big way in ensuring that the pass rate improves. Also, the teachers must continue to ensure that they give homework on a daily basis, do assessments regularly, marking should be done regularly and in the process, this should ensure that the pass rate improves. Feedback must be immediate and never be delayed. These are some of the ways to improve the pass rate. We should also buy more teaching and learning materials, buy books and we have the funding to buy new books which should be availed to our learners and in the process that will also lead to an increased pass rate. Even the classrooms need to be rehabilitated to make the environment conducive, which will also lead to an improved pass rate. I think I have answered his question. Thank you very much Mr. President Sir.
Questions without Notice were interrupted by THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in terms of Standing Order No. 67.
MOTION
PROGRAMMES TO CURB DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE BY YOUTHS
HON. SEN DUBE: I move the motion standing in my name;
That this House—
APPALLED by the unabated drug and substance abuse by youths nationwide;
GRAVELY CONCERNED that the situation is spiraling out of control as the youths spend most of their time idle and consequently end up taking drugs as a pastime;
WORRIED that such substance and drug abuse has extremely devastating and far-reaching consequences on our youths and the future generations;
NOW, THEREFORE, calls upon the Government to:
(a) come up with programmes to curb drug and substance abuse by youths through self-help projects that ensure youths are fully occupied most of their time thereby keeping them away from drugs.
(b) establish rehabilitation centres nationwide to assist youths who are addicted to drugs to the extent of treating substance and drug abuse as an integral part of their lives
(c) legislate for much stiffer penalties than before on individuals who are the sources of supply for those substances and drugs which give rise to incidents of this unwanted scourge of drugs in the country leading to this conundrum;
(d) Send to jail all repeat offenders without any option of fines at all; and
(e) take all necessary measures to ensure that law enforcement agents bring to an abrupt halt, incidents of drug and substance abuse as a matter of urgency
HON. SEN. MUPFUMIRA: I second.
+HON. SEN. DUBE: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to the motion that I tabled in this House concerning children involved in drug abuse. In our nation, the issue of drug abuse is now cancerous. Most of our children who we are hoping will be our future leaders and the law makers of tomorrow are now into drugs. Most of the children think drug abuse is the way to go and to enjoy life. All they think of is taking drugs. Most of our children are no longer healthy because of drug abuse.
As I speak Mr. President, we realise that even rape cases are rising
because of drug abuse. As a parent, you cannot leave your son and daughter together because they might get into drugs and rape each other. If they are under the influence of drugs, you realise that one might not really be fully aware of what they are doing. There are so many of our children who are behind bars because of drug abuse, rape or murder cases. We have those who are into drugs who rape school students. All this is because of drug abuse. I call upon everyone to look into this issue and take it seriously so that we try to find a way forward as elderly people, especially as lawmakers.
We need to really come up with a way of dealing with drug abuse. Even the Council of Elders, as a country, we actually need to work together as a team to come up with a way of curbing the issue of drug abuse and also protecting our children. Some of our children do not want to go to school and are now school drop outs and want to concentrate on drugs. The teachers are now afraid of disciplining our children because they are afraid that once they do so, they might be murdered by the students who are into drugs.
We are therefore losing the future leaders, even long back we knew that as an elderly person and you are lost or not sure of where you are going, you ask for help from our children. Nowadays, it is scary to ask for help from our children. We might refer to this as a demon of drug abuse because most of them do not know what they are doing. All this is because of the drug abuse. Inasmuch as we can pray against this, we need to really find a way forward. If you have a child in Grade Six, you can find them drunk. I once saw a child who was in Grade Six who was a drug addict and when the teachers were trying to help this child, the child was busy talking negatively and bad about the grandmother. They actually mentioned how they got the drugs, the supplier and where they got the money to buy the drugs.
I once saw something from the newspaper that they caught about 100 people who were selling drugs. If Government can try to push this effort of trying to curb drug abuse, I think there is a lot we can do to help our children. I know that if this is not done, there are so many people who are drug sellers but as the Government tries to push, by all means, let us try to support them even as lawmakers. I believe that the Government is trying by all means to assist the youth to have something to do through the Youth Empowerment Bank and Vocational Training Centres as a way of trying to keep the youth busy so that they do not concentrate on drugs.
When you check especially in the urban areas, you realise there are too many groups of young children who will be busy talking about issues to do with drugs or even taking the drugs. Everywhere you go, each and every corner, you find different groups of young boys who are busy taking drugs. Hence, I refer this to a demon because when a demon manifests, it is exactly what they do just like these groups do when they move around. In their different groups, they act as if there is someone who has asked them to go and take drugs.
I want to urge the Government to come up with more vocational training centres or even rehabilitation centres so that we can take these children to rehabilitation centres instead of taking them to psycho-hospitals. We once heard that the Government is trying by all means to change the different places that were used as isolation centres during COVID to be turned into rehabilitation centres especially those who will be in the process of being rehabilitated from drug abuse. If we can turn these isolation centres into rehabilitation centres, maybe we can try with all our efforts to help especially the drug addicts.
We are also happy that when they come out of the rehabilitation centres, they are even far much better which is an indication that they will be taught whilst those who will be kept at the psycho-hospitals will act like someone who is not mentally stable. Hence, the reason why I say let us build more rehabilitation centres to take the drug abusers into relevant places not psycho-clinics. I urge the Government to work on this with immediate effect because it is a reality that is there and most of our children are dying due to drug abuse.
Also, if the Government can come up with a law that everyone who is caught red-handed with drugs should be given a stiff penalty so that tomorrow, they will not commit the same crime again. Those who would have been convicted of selling drugs or being in possession of drugs, if they are second offenders, they should be given stiffer penalties because the ones who are selling drugs are killing our children. I realise that most people are taking the issue of drug abuse lightly to an extent that even when you know your neighbour is the one who is selling the drugs, you do not say anything. I therefore urge Parliament to come up with a law to say anyone who has the knowledge of where drugs are being sold and does not disclose such information should also be arrested or charged, because that means they are working together.
Mr. President, I doubt if these children love what they are doing because it is just a wave that is there which I have alluded to as a demon. The moment you start getting into drugs, you realise that even their behaviour, they act like someone who is not mentally stable. We are therefore urging the Government to tackle this seriously. We urge that all those who commit murder due to drug abuse or those selling drugs, even someone who is a witch is far much better as compared to someone selling drugs because once you sell drugs, there is a lot that you do that is not right. Hence, I urge the Government to put stiffer penalties on all those found in possession and selling drugs.
With these few words, I request that we push this issue and not just talk about it but implement every recommendation that we are putting and work together with all the ministries and departments, law enforcement agencies and come up with a law on what is it that we are going to do. I know that Members of Parliament, you have the power to do that. Let us exercise our right and come up with stiffer penalties on curbing drug abuse. We will be a country that does not have future leaders once we do not implement an Act that can curb the use of drugs.
+HON. SEN. M. PHUTI: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to add my voice on the motion that was tabled by Sen. Dube. A motion that is very emotional and painful because we have lost so many children and this has affected the country. I want to add my voice on what exactly it is that causes children to be drug abusers.
Mr. President, drug abuse is caused by the following issues: lack of employment, children living under conditions whereby they are harassed, either at home or by friends, hence they opt to be drug abusers.
Mr. President Sir, if youths are not employed, they spend the whole day without doing anything, especially in urban areas. You will not move around less than 500 metres and find youths in groups just sitting and not doing anything. I therefore urge the Government to check town by town or village by village on what it is that is making them sit in different groups. Madam President, at the end of the day you realise that these young people commit murder or other offences, all because they do not have employment.
I will talk about drugs. As Members of Parliament, there is little that we know about what it is that is done by drug abusers. These days you realise that someone goes to the extent of boiling pampers. There is that blue stuff that is found in pampers. They will boil it and drink. Children these days even use google. They can take, for example Mazoe Orange Crush and mix it with Cerevita and come up with a drug. We might accuse those who are selling cocaine, but there is more that they are doing, Madam President.
I will also allude to issues that are being done by children. For example, the mixture of Mazoe Orange Crush. As a parent, you will be buying thinking it is food stuff not knowing that they will turn that into drugs. Hence, I say we have little knowledge when it comes to what it is that our children are doing to come up with drugs. All that we need to do is to assist them. Let us try to assist them, to make them see the bad and the good side of it. When we say the only way out is to arrest them, we will have prisons full of young people, but still we are not helping them. All that we need to do is try and find the root cause. Secondly, we try to assist them see the negative side of it.
I will give an example of COVID-19. COVID-19 came with people who were coming from outside. Here in Zimbabwe, we did not have COVID-19. When it comes to drugs, you realise that cocaine is brought by people who have money and someone who does not have money will not buy cocaine, but will form their own drug. Another thing Madam President, yes, we can come up with rehabs. We can come up with a hall as big as this House. We will fill this House, the reason being that they do not have anything. We need to create employment. There is no employment and as long as there is no employment, that means we are not doing anything. As a Government therefore, we are mandated to create employment for our youths.
As law makers, we can come up with something that can occupy our children, whether we come up with clubs whereby our youths are able to spend the day there and not taking drugs. A few years back, I remember we once came up with a law where we are now allowing people to farm dagga. Why can we not reduce the licence for those who want to grow dagga? Whether we like it or not, as long as the licence is too high, they will buy and take those drugs.
We also need to acknowledge that those who are drug abusers, we cannot take them to rehab most of the times, but let us take them to rural areas and we sit down with them, monitor them even if we have to monitor them every day and try to make them see the good side of not taking drugs. If you just tell them not to take drugs, the next question that they will ask you is, how come you are taking your sadza, you are taking your tea? What is the difference with me taking my drugs? Once we sit down with them and show them the right side of not taking the drugs, you realise that you can use them as ambassadors on the fight against drug abuse.
I have alluded to drugs that are coming from outside the country. What pains me, Madam President is, we are talking about drugs. It is just a small packet of drugs, but we have other high profile people who are coming with tonnes and tonnes of drugs. In a way, we are saying we are only talking of someone who is bringing in a small packet while we have high profile people who are coming with tonnes of drugs. We need to arrest everyone who comes in with drugs. Some of us are actually people who are using diplomatic passports because you know you are not going to be arrested, therefore you bring in drugs. As long as we are not arresting the drug sellers or those who come in with drugs, especially the ones who bring tonnes of drugs, there is nothing that we are doing.
If you check in urban areas, you realise they have a sign of putting a shoe lace on ZESA lines. It is an indicator that somewhere close there is someone who is selling drugs. If you do not know, check in urban areas. As long as you see a ZESA line with a shoe lace or a shoe hanging, know that there is a drug seller nearby. I will give an example of Bulawayo or any other urban area, you realise that deals that have anything to do with drugs are being done by business people, not someone who does not have money. One thing that we have to take note of Hon. Members, for example as a Member of Parliament, my child can also be one of the drug abusers. Why, because I have money. I will leave my child with certain amounts of money. You realise for someone who is not able to get even $1 per month, it is rare to find them abusing drugs. Most of the times drug abusers are children of high-profile people.
Most of the times when we hold parties, especially our male counterparts, you realise that you also partake in such parties. Once you are under the influence of alcohol, there are so many things that you do. At those parties, you can find one bottle of beer costing US$1000. Most of the times I always say, it is easy for you to catch those who are into drugs or the ones who are selling drugs for it is them who bring in drugs. I therefore repeat the same statement, let us curb drug sellers, even if the person is of high profile; we need to arrest because they would have committed a crime.
Another thing Madam President, in town you will realise that, for example, in front of Jameson Hotel, at a distance of one metre apart, there is someone who is selling something. At the end of the day, that person would not have managed to sell anything and because of stress, they will take drugs as a way of trying to ease stress.
As a country, I think we need to create more employment opportunities so that most of our youths are occupied or they have something that they are doing instead of being idle as this will make them drug abusers. Another thing I once alluded to is that we have so many rehabilitation centres, we are yet to build more. Our prisons are yet to be fully occupied. What are you going to do as Government once we have our rehabilitation centres being occupied by drug abusers? I think as a nation, we have a mandate.
I will repeat once again and emphasise that as a Government, we have to deal with every one who is bringing drugs, whether it is high profile or not, we need to arrest them, I thank you.
+HON. SEN. MOYO: Thank you Madam President. I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity to debate on this motion on drug abuse. I will give an example of people 18 years and above. I do not know whether I will say young adults or youths. Most of the Hon. Members have spoken about our prisons and our children. It is a very painful discussion, the ones I alluded to, the 18 years and above, most of them are saying it is more like a demon. A demon can manifest in anyone. When someone is hungry, they will eat anything that is available. I think there are certain laws that are not being implemented in our country. I want to believe that because we have chiefs in this Senate who are the custodians of our tradition, why should we have an 18-year-old child drinking beer? If you ask our chiefs, they will tell you that long back, we never used to do that, but when you pose a question on why they are doing that, you will be told by our own traditional leaders that what is it that we are going to do, for our children are now ruling us.
Our country has laws, but we are exercising our mandate. We have alcohol that is referred to as Njengu, it is a very dangerous alcohol, but what pains me is that it is sold anywhere, even in the streets you can actually find it. Why are our law enforcers and chiefs not assisting us in this? If one is not working, what is it that they are going to do? Should they stay idle and not do anything? In our rural areas, most of the times you will find people in different groups, and you will wonder what it is that they are doing, they are drinking beer. Most of the drug abusers after taking beer, commit suicide and some of them murder. Why is this so? It is simple, because they are idle. Last year, some us who come from Matebeleland South, we know that once they are done with school, they will cross the borders to either Botswana or South Africa. That is where most of our children from that region go. By reason of the changes that are there in South Africa or Botswana, you will realise they are deported. They come back and they are the same people who come back with those drugs. I am therefore urging the Government to create employment opportunities for our youths. In our country, we have so many mines. We know that when a mine is opened, they can employ more than 4000 employees, but I am wondering who the employees are that are being taken, because most of our youths are not being taken.
As Senators, we are all saying our Government is doing so many things, for example in road rehabilitation. The question I am posing to the Government is why are we not employing our youths in such jobs? It is an employment opportunity for them. If there are any employment agencies that are taking youths or any employees, let us have more of our youths working. Yes, we can say there is a demon, but I think the main problem is that we do not have employment opportunities. Most of the people who commit suicide or take drugs, is because of stress. As an adult, one cannot go home empty handed and at the end of the day, they will take drugs or commit suicide rather than getting home empty handed. I thank you.
+HON. SEN. R. NDLOVU: Thank you Madam President. I would also want to add my voice on what has been said by the other Hon. Members who have debated on such a painful motion. First and foremost, Madam President, we have to realise that in our days, we never used to have anything that has to do with drugs. The main reason why such issues never used to exist is because there were so many job opportunities. We used to have factories where those who did not get an opportunity to go to school would work. Hence when someone is at school and they do not come up with good results, they would still know that they will go and work on the factories.
You will realise that most of the drug abusers are children who are not at universities or those who had not had an opportunity to go to colleges. I believe so because they are idle and do not go to work. So most of the times, they opt to take drugs. In our country, there are no jobs for those who did not make it at school or for someone who has done well at school. The question that I am posing to the Government is, what happened to the factories? Most of the factories that used to be functional are no longer in existence. Most of them have been turned into churches. I come from Bulawayo and most of the factories have been converted into worshiping places. What kind of a country has more churches than industries?
It is a question that I pose to the Government to say, let us reopen those factories so that we can create job opportunities. Also, in my own view, Madam President, I think there is no country that can have projects when they do not have factories. Yes, we can have projects but projects are being done by few people. It is not everyone who would engage into doing projects. Madam President, I know that a country should have factories and you will have tax from the factories which will contribute to the economy of the country.
On the issue to do with drug abuse, Madam President, you will realise that on drug abuse, even our law enforcement agencies, whilst in their full uniform, will still be taking drugs. You will find that someone is under heavy influence of alcohol in their police uniform. It then confuses me Madam President to say if law enforcement agencies are the ones now into drugs, who is going to be the law enforcement agency?
Madam President, I will also allude to the ages of those into drug abuse. There is nothing much that we can do as their parents as you can realise that the moment they finish school, there are no job opportunities where they can go and do internship. Therefore, the only thing that they know is, after school, they will take drugs. I stay in low density suburbs and because of the diaspora, you realise that there are so many child-headed families. Inasmuch as you can go, and the cases of drug abuse on child-headed families, there is nothing that is being done because the law enforcing agencies have also joined in the drug and substance abuse.
Why can we not teach our children at a tender age, the good and the bad behaviour? I know that we have started implementation of such but those who are at school, there are some who are doing it, which is therefore a challenge as they can be harmful to people. Madam President, like what the other Hon. Members have alluded to, we cannot rely on rehabilitation. As I speak, we have people who are now mentally stable and it is a challenge to have that person admitted on psychiatric hospitals. The hospitals are returning you without assistance. Let us have a relook into our laws. Law enforcement agencies must be able to assist when people make reports and the psychiatric institutions must also be able to assist by admitting the persons affected by drugs.
The last issue I will talk about is the creation of employment opportunities. It is good to have more jobs because our children will be occupied. It is very difficult for someone who has been into drug abuse to be completely rehabilitated even if they get the needed assistance. What kind of a drug is it that when someone take them, after five minutes they are already drunk? How are the drugs passing the borders? There are specific households selling drugs and the law enforcement agencies are aware of them but nothing is being done. There is need to put stiffer penalties to drug dealers. I thank you Madam President.
+HON. SEN R. M. NDLOVU: Thank you Madam President for giving me this opportunity to debate. I also want to thank the mover of the motion. The issue that we are talking about is very painful for each and every parent. I know most of us are elderly people and we have seen this happening in our homes. It is very painful to see your child addicted to drugs. I can hear most of us are talking as lawmakers and as parents. I was listening and also checking how most of us are correcting our children, especially when they come back home under the influence of alcohol. Long back, we never allowed our children to drink alcohol. It was just for the grown-up people because we knew how to control ourselves, remain respectful and peaceful. Our children start drinking alcohol whilst in school.
When we were growing up and you did something wrong, if anyone said I will report to the teacher or your parent that child would stop immediately for fear of the punishment that awaited them. As Members of Parliament, I urge us all to come up with various solutions to assist Government to curb alcohol and drug abuse. I agree there is unemployment but is it the fault of Government or it is because of the sanctions that we requested for removal, which forced the closure of factories. I am urging those who asked for sanctions to go back and ask that the sanctions be lifted. As the Senate, we need to think outside the box on how we can build our country. No-one is going to come and build our country. It is only us the citizens of Zimbabwe who are going to build Zimbabwe. We need to implement laws that will be beneficial to our country. We fought for this country because we wanted our land back from the colonialists.
+HON. SEN. M. PHUTI: On a point of order, I think the Hon Member is out of order. The motion is on drug abuse.
+HON. SEN. R. M. NDLOVU: If I am out of order, let us correct each other. I will not respond to what the Hon. Member said as it is her own view but my wish is as elderly people in this House, we should look at the root cause of the problem and the motive behind bringing such a motion. Once you look at the root cause of drug abuse it will be resolved. Some people are saying it is those with diplomatic passports that are bringing in drugs and that needs to be looked into.
HON. SEN. M. PHUTI: On a point of order Madam President. The Hon. Member keeps referring to Hon Members in this House as someone. We are all Hon. Members.
HON. SEN. R. M. NDLOVU: My apologies Hon. Member. It is just a slip of the tongue to say someone but I will refer to them as Hon. Members. Let me say we are in this painful situation which is very difficult to comprehend and we need to come together and work as a team to resolve it. Twenty years down the line, all our youths will be dead and we will not be able to get grand children because of this drug problem. Once someone is under the influence of drugs, they can sleep even on the road.
My question is, what is the root cause and the answer is, who is doing that in some cases? We are the ones destroying our nation and we need to take note of that. I mentioned that when we were growing up, we used to have schools which I wish our current schools could emulate. We used to have students who were doing building courses. A builder does not need to be employed but they can earn gainfully using the acquired skill. They can easily create employment for themselves. The Hon. Member sitting beside me was with me at Tegwani High School in Matebeleland South. He was not employed by anyone but he was an employer. He built the Kariba Dam. Building is a difficult job but it is very easy to get and create jobs for others as you require a lot of hands for a building project.
I wish the Ministry of Education could resuscitate such courses. Let us not wait for someone to do it for us. Those who were coming from the western countries have gone back to their countries and it gave us the opportunity to create jobs for ourselves. Let us put our heads together and come up with a formula that can help us build our country.
We should maintain our factories that were left behind by those who left and continue to produce. I know some of them went with the title deeds but it is important to look into the future of our children. How can we stop them from abusing drugs? There is no angel that will come from heaven and tell us what to do but we are the ones who are supposed to do it. Let us bring our heads and minds together and work as a team and try to build our nation.
Your home is here in Zimbabwe but the challenge is we are unable to stand up with one voice and work as a team. We need to remember that everyone has someone who is into drug abuse. Can we solve this problem so that we do not leave it for our grandchildren because we will have failed to solve it. We need to preserve future generations. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. E. NYATHI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 19th December, 2023.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE DELEGATION TO THE 54TH PLENARY ASSEMBLY SESSION OF THE SADC-PARLIAMENTARY FORUM HELD IN MAURITIUS
HON. SEN. MBOHWA: I move the motion standing in my name That this House takes note of the Report of the Delegation to the
54th Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC-Parliamentary Forum held
from 22nd to 27th November 2023 in Port Louis, Mauritius.
HON. RUNGANI: I second.
HON. MBOHWA:
1.0 INTRODUCTION
- The 54th Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC
Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) was graciously hosted by the Parliament of Mauritius from the 22nd to 27th November 2023 under the theme: “The Role of Parliaments in Promoting Coordination for Enhanced Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery Planning in the SADC Region”.
- The Zimbabwe delegation was led by Hon. Advocate Jacob
Francis Nzwidamilimo Mudenda, Speaker of the Parliament of Zimbabwe, and it comprised the following Members of Parliament: -
- Maybe Mbowa, Member of the Standing Committee on Gender Equality, Women Advancement and Youth Development and Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (ZWPC);
- Chinhenza Chigwadzara (Chief Matsiwo), Member of the Standing Committee on Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Infrastructure;
- Tendai Nyabani, Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Democratization, Governance and Human Rights;
- Mercy Mugomo, Member of the Standing Committee on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment; and,
- Lynette Karenyi, Member of the Standing Committee on Human and Social Development and Special Programmes.
Figure i. ZIMBABWEAN DELEGATION LED BY HON SPEAKER J.F.N. MUDENDA
2.0 OFFICIAL OPENING CEREMONY
2.1 In her welcome remarks, the Secretary General (SG) of the SADC PF, Ms. Boemo Segkoma, expressed gratitude to the host country for the meticulous hosting arrangements made for
the 54th Plenary Assembly meeting. Ms. Sekgoma highlighted the importance of the Assembly in concluding a productive year which coincided with the end of the Forum’s 2019 to 2023 Strategic Plan.
The Secretary General stated that the SADC PF’s Strategic plan
had been successfully implemented with the full support and active engagement of Member Parliaments and stakeholders whose planned efforts had achieved a commendable feat. To conclude her statement, she extolled Mauritius for its unparalleled social protection programmes which include socio-economic safety nets which consequently guarantee the well-being of its citizens.
2.2 In addition to expressing his gratitude for the warm reception and the impeccable preparations that had been put in place by the host country, Mauritius, Hon. Roger Macienne, the Speaker of the Parliament of Seychelles and
President of the SADC PF, paid tribute to Mauritius’ exemplary leadership since the inception of the Forum, punctuated by the tenure of former Speaker, Honourable Abdool Razack PEEROO who, as President of the SADC PF from 2012 to 2014, passionately advocated for the transformation of SADC PF into a regional Parliament, especially during the 35th Plenary Assembly held in June 2014. In addition, Hon PEEROO also championed the institutionalisation of the SADC PF Rules of Procedure in a document aptly titled “Operating like a Parliament.” This document paved the way towards a more practical and substantive SADC PF transformation into a fully-fledged regional Parliament.
2.3 The Chair of the Regional Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (RWPC), Hon. Regina Esparon, emphasized the tangible social and economic benefits of investing in girls' education and training. She asserted that the
theme of the 54th Plenary Assembly was timely coming after the SADC
adopted the Gender-Responsive Disaster Risk Reduction Strategic Plan
and Plan of Action (2020-2030). Hon. Esparon stressed the importance
of recognizing that climate change disproportionately affects women and
girls due to existing gender inequalities, resulting in an increased burden
to this vulnerable group during climate crises.
2.4 Hon. Sooroojdev Phokeer,
Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Mauritius, warmly welcomed delegates and underscored the 54th Plenary Assembly theme’s unique opportunity for fostering inter-parliamentary democracy and regional cooperation in addressing transboundary disasters and climate change challenges. In this regard, he made a clarion call to Parliamentarians to deliberate and exchange views in order to come up with standardised regional and international mitigatory efforts to combat climate change catastrophes.
2.5 In delivering the keynote address, the Guest of Honour, His
Excellency, Prime Minister Hon Pravind Kumar Jugnauth underscored the need for Parliamentary cooperation and diplomacy in addressing global challenges that impact the livelihoods in the region. With a focus on the Assembly's theme and the region's ongoing challenges, he emphasized the interconnectedness of SADC countries, advocating for enhanced regional cooperation to effectively tackle pressing issues and ensure stability and prosperity in the region.
2.5.1 The Prime Minister reiterated the need for Parliaments to
remain the sole custodians of democracy, entrusted with the solemn duty to not only enact laws and shape public policies, but also to allocate resources judiciously to ensure that their respective countries have the necessary legal and policy frameworks to mitigate risks, respond to disasters effectively and facilitate recovery and reconstruction.
2.6 The Prime Minister concluded by encouraging SADC PF States to take a cue from Mauritius’ response strategy wherein the Government of Mauritius enacted the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act in 2016, which established a Statutory Council, a Strategic Framework to deal with mitigating the risks of disasters and to prepare for recovery plans and actions.
2.7 Hon. Carolina Cerqueira, Speaker of the National Assembly of Angola, expressed gratitude for the exquisite preparations made for the 54th Plenary Assembly and pledged Angola’s readiness to welcome delegates to the 55th Plenary Assembly Meeting to be held in July 2024.
3.0 ZIMBABWE’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE
THEME AND THE KEY DELIVERABLES DURING THE SYMPOSIUM
3.1 The Symposium, held on 22nd November 2023, focused on
the 54th Plenary Assembly theme “Role of Parliaments in Promoting Coordination for Enhanced Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery Planning in the SADC Region”. The Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Local Government and Disaster Risk Management of the Republic of Mauritius, Hon. Dr Mohammad Anwar Husnoo, chaired the meeting.
3.1.1 The symposium drew insights from Resource Persons and experts drawn from various sectors of the Mauritius Government in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, Meteorological Services, Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change.
3.2 Hon. Speaker Advocate Jacob Francis Nzwidamilimo Mudenda, emphasised the need for a regional approach to address the impact of natural disasters that have affected several SADC countries, including Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He highlighted the strides made by Zimbabwe in risk reduction, augmented by public awareness and adaptation to climate change. Speaker Mudenda called for the enhancement of early warning systems and the capacitation of meteorological sectors to mount a formidable Disaster Risk Reduction Mechanism.
3.3 Hon. Mudenda reported that, Zimbabwe had developed a legal framework for Disaster Risk Management (DRM) governed mainly by the Civil
Protection Act, Chapter 10:06 and Section 56 of the Zimbabwe Constitution which provides for equal protection and benefit of the law. He also highlighted that the Parliament of Zimbabwe was in the process of reviewing the Civil Protection Act given that it was enacted in 1989 and is no longer responsive enough to the obtaining climate induced disasters. Equally, he informed that the Government had drafted the Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Management Bill now before Parliament.
3.4 Hon. Mudenda further stated that Zimbabwe has developed several policies and strategies to deal with climate change-induced disasters such as the National Climate Policy of 2018, the National Climate Change Strategy and the draft National Adaptation Plan. Furthermore, he asserted that one of the key priorities of the 10th Parliament of Zimbabwe was to ensure that adequate funds were provided for the implementation of these disaster management policies as well as ensuring the finalization of the Climate Change National Adaptation Plan. Hon Mudenda referred to the 2023 State of the Nation Address by His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, that prescribed several Bills related to adaptation and resilience, such as the Climate Change Bill, Water Act, Chapter 20:24 (2003) Amendment Bill and the Plant Breeders Rights Act which will deal comprehensively with adaptation and resilience in handing climate-induced natural disasters.
3.5 In his concluding remarks which were received with approbation from fellow delegates, Hon. Mudenda called upon Member States to successfully coordinate and harmonise Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery planning approaches and address challenges such as under-funded and uncoordinated institutional frameworks, lack of comprehensive risk assessments including addressing the problems associated with the prevalence of weak information systems. The Hon. Speaker also encouraged member countries to come up with sound National Determined Contributions in order for the world to reduce greenhouse emissions so that temperatures do not rise above the Paris Climate Change Agreement barometer of not above 1.5 degrees Celsius. This will mark the treatment of the fundamental cause of the disease rather than its pervasive symptoms.
3.6 The Symposium noted the devastating impact of extreme weather events on physical infrastructure and socio-economic life. The SADC region has been ravaged by several destructive cyclones, including cyclones Idai, Batsirai and Freddy, which caused extensive damage and resulted in numerous human casualties and led to a significant number of internally displaced persons.
3.7 A clarion call was made to mitigate the damage caused by extreme weather events in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, which demands multi-sectoral approaches whereby public and private stakeholders collaborate to save infrastructure and lives. It is crucial to widely sensitise regional citizens on disaster preparedness through regular awareness campaigns. The Sendai Framework works in synergy with other 2030 Agenda agreements, including The Paris Agreement on Climate Change, The Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development, the New Urban Agenda and ultimately the Sustainable Development Goals.
3.8 The Framework was endorsed by the UN General Assembly following the 2015 Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR), and advocates for: The substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health and in the economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets of persons, businesses, communities and countries”. Whilst it recognizes that the State has the primary role to reduce disaster risk, it enjoins a shared responsibility among stakeholders including local Government, the private sector and other stakeholders.
3.9 The Symposium acknowledged that during and in the aftermath of climate disasters, losing shelter, clothing, food or even basic amenities. This necessitates the immediate response and assistance of the concerned authorities. In this context, Member Parliaments were urged to enact laws, adopt budgets, exercise oversight and represent communities to address climate resilience in a way that mainstreams gender and ensures that the voices of women are heard in decision-making processes on disaster preparedness.
3.10 The Symposium commended the Republic of Mauritius, host of the 54th Plenary Assembly, for developing a National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategic Framework (2020-2030) as well as an Action Plan for the same period to consolidate climate resilience, in addition to enacting targeted legislation such as the Land Drainage Authority Act and the Climate Change Act.
3.11 Furthermore, the Symposium encouraged countries to meet the total financial needs for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), estimated at USD 6.5 billion, including USD 4.5 billion for adaptation and USD 2 billion for mitigation. Such early investments will save the world from future damage in multi-fold figures. This proposal is in sync with Zimbabwe’s call for countries to meet their National Determined Contributions towards supporting efforts to mitigate against climate change impacts.
4.0. REPORT BY HON. ADVOCATE JACOB FRANCIS NZWIDAMILIMO MUDENDA ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RESOLUTIONS OF THE 53RD PLENARY ASSEMBLY SESSION OF THE SADC PF HELD IN ARUSHA, TANZANIA, 02 TO 08 JULY 2023.
4.1. Hon. Advocate Jacob Francis Nzwidamilimo Mudenda,
Speaker of the Parliament of Zimbabwe responded to the resolutions adopted during the 53rd Plenary Assembly of the SADC PF based on Section 119 of the Constitution which “empowers Parliament to protect the Constitution by exercising oversight over all Government institutions and agencies at all levels”.
4.2. Hon. Speaker reported that Zimbabwe is now food secure with
a surplus maize harvest of 3, 5 million tonnes and 475 993 tonnes of wheat harvested in 2023. This is due to the implementation of the climate proofed agriculture programme commonly known as Pfumvudza/Intwasa, which supports over 1.6 million vulnerable households in maize, sunflower, small grains and soya beans production.
Figure ix. PFUMVUDZA/ INTWASA
4.3 Hon Speaker informed the Plenary that, in 2010, Zimbabwe
established the Debt Management Office under the Ministry of Finance and Investment Promotion for the purpose of effective debt management in order to comply with SADC debt-to-GDP ratio of no greater than 60% for all Member States. The Public Debt Management Act [Chapter 22.21] (Act 4 of 2015) is the legal framework of the debt management policy. Debt management in Zimbabwe is undergirded by Parliament. The Zimbabwe Anti–Corruption Commission and the Auditor- General’s Office also bolster the effectiveness of public debt management strategies by thoroughly scrutinising the national Budget expenditure regime.
4.3.1 Furthermore, to bolster the implementation of the provisions
of the Public Debt Office, Parliament is amending the Public Finance Management Act to incorporate the provisions of the Model Law on Public Financial Management thereby strengthening the effectiveness of the Debt Management Office.
4.4 To strengthen a “Rights Based Approach to the Conduct of
Business within the Natural Resources Sector in the SADC region”, Zimbabwe has adopted the policy on value addition and beneficiation of its mineral and agricultural resources, resulting in downstream mining and agro-industries. The 2024 Pre-Budget Seminar hosted by the Parliament of Zimbabwe implored the Government to accelerate the implementation of value-addition and beneficiation policies in the mining and agricultural sectors.
4.5 The report unveiled that the Parliament of Zimbabwe has a
new Thematic Committee on Climate Change to specifically conduct oversight on Government policies, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), climate change adaptation and mitigation policies and programmes being undertaken by the Government, among other areas. Parliament will soon consider the Climate Change Bill, which seeks to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and facilitate low-carbon development technologies, including strengthening appropriate institutions and funding mechanisms by working together with the Select Committee on Climate Change. These two Committees are advocating for the enactment of the Climate Change Bill into law as supported by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and the Zimbabwe Environmental Lawyers Association (ZELA) in the same endeavour.
4.6 Hon. Speaker reported that he led a delegation to the Second World Summit of the Committees of the Future which was held under the overarching theme- “Bringing The Future To The Present: The Democracy of the Future, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Parliaments”. Participating Parliamentarians recognised the fundamental importance of incorporating the application of Artificial Intelligence in Parliamentary processes vis-à-vis e-governance which is now prevalent in several developed States. Accordingly, the Parliament of Zimbabwe will establish a “Committee of the Future” to ensure the application of Artificial Intelligence in e-governance whilst at the same time curtailing the negative effects of Artificial Intelligence application through the enactment of a sound legal framework.
4.7 The report concluded by indicating the plans to provide Members of Parliament in the current 10th Parliament with iPads so that they are ICT compliant. In that regard, all MPs will receive some induction on how to use the tablets in their Parliamentary work, in chat groups amongst themselves and stakeholders in their Constituencies.
4.7.1 However, more fundamentally, the H.E Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa President of the Republic of Zimbabwe has established a fully-fledged Ministry of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services in order to drive the Fourth Industrial Revolution that is
anchored on ICT technologies for the whole country against the background of leveraging the application of Artificial Intelligence. This Ministry is headed by a young, vibrant female Minister, Dr.Tatenda Mavetera.
5.0 ADOPTION OF THE REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND THE TREASURER’S REPORT
5.1 The Plenary Assembly deliberated and made resolutions on
various policy, administrative and financial matters, including the transformation of the SADC PF into a Regional Parliament. In this regard, the Plenary Assembly acknowledged the progress made towards signing the Agreement Amending the SADC Treaty to establish the SADC Parliament, as reported during the 43rd SADC Summit of Heads of States and Government which took place from the 17th to 18th August 2023 in Luanda, Angola.
5.2 The Plenary Assembly took note that 9 out of 16 Member
States had signed the Agreement Amending the SADC Treaty. In this regard, the Plenary Assembly resolved to engage in further lobbying efforts with Heads of State and Government, along with other stakeholders, to expedite the achievement of the required quorum of 12 Member States for signing the Agreement.
5.3 The Plenary Assembly commended SADC citizens and stakeholders for their enthusiastic participation in virtual public hearings conducted by SADC PF Standing Committees. The Plenary Assembly also encouraged them to continue actively engaging in future public hearings, which will be held annually.
5.4 The Plenary Assembly took note that the current SADC PF Strategic Plan (2019-2023) was coming to an end and therefore, discussed the framework for the successor Strategic Plan for 2024-2028. Member Parliaments were encouraged to submit their inputs to the SADC PF Secretariat to ensure timely completion of the document.
6.0 MOTIONS ADOPTED DURING THE 54th PLENARY ASSEMBLY MEETINGS
6.1 The Plenary Assembly deliberated and resolved on various
issues arising from Reports submitted by the SADC PF’s Organs including Standing Committees, Regional Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (RWPC) and Regional Parliamentary Model Law Oversight Committee and Members’ Motions.
6.2 Report of the Standing Committee on Democratisation, Governance and Human Rights
The adopted motion encouraged Member States to to consider the
feasibility of conducting pre-election missions virtually to mitigate financial challenges faced by National Parliaments in funding Election Observation Missions (EOMs), thereby reducing costs and ensuring continued engagement of electoral stakeholders across the region to promote democratic elections and advocate for the domestication of the SADC Model Law on Elections.
6.2.2 The report called for further engagement of National
Parliaments to consider allocating resources for Election Observation Missions (EOMs) in their operational budgets to ensure the ongoing deployment of parliamentary EOMs, recognising their vital role in promoting democratic elections and monitoring the implementation of the SADC Model Law on Elections.
6.3 Report of the Regional Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (RWPC)
The Plenary Assembly adopted a motion to encourage
Governments to develop and implement digital skills training programmes specifically targeted at rural women, providing them with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively use digital technologies for education, income generation, and community development. Furthermore, Parliament should provide oversight to ensure that rural women have access to affordable digital devices such as smartphones, tablets, or computers, enabling them to access online resources and services.
6.3.1 Resources should be made available to organise digital skills training programmes specifically for rural women to enable them to effectively use digital technologies.
6.4 It is trite to note that a full dossier of resolutions arising from the deliberations of the 54th Plenary Assembly shall be provided to National Parliaments to craft a report to be presented at the 55th Plenary Assembly meeting in Luanda, Angola, in July 2024.
7.0 RESOLUTIONS AND WAY FORWARD
7.1 The Plenary Assembly adopted a resolution to mitigate
damage caused by extreme weather events in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. There is a need for a multi-sectoral approach whereby public and private stakeholders collaborate to save infrastructure and lives, and ensure that citizens are widely sensitised on disaster preparedness through regular awareness campaigns.
7.1.1 Having noted that extreme weather events damage physical infrastructure, impact socio-economic life and recognising that the SADC region has been affected by several destructive cyclones
including cyclones Idai, Batsirai and Freddy recently which caused
extensive damage and caused hundreds of human casualties, as well
as internally displaced persons, Plenary Assembly resolved as follows:
- That countries should meet total financial needs for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), estimated at USD 6.5 billion, including USD 4.5 billion for adaptation and USD 2 billion for mitigation, since such early investments will save the world from damage in multi-fold figures in the future.
- Member Parliaments to develop the synergies with policy makers, academia, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), traditional and faith leaders, Community Based Organisations (CBOs), youth representatives and other stakeholders to promote climate justice by reducing the carbon footprint through measures in line with theParis Agreement regularly reported to the COP.
- Member Parliaments to enact laws, adopt budgets, exercise
Oversight and represent communities to address climate resilience
in a way which mainstreams gender and ensures that the voices of
women are heard in decision-making processes on disaster
preparedness.
- There is need for regional cooperation in disaster risk reduction
and preparedness since countries of the same geographical region
witness similar weather patterns and are affected by similar climate events.
7.2 The Plenary Assembly resolved to ensure that Member
Parliaments, including the Forum embrace the efficient waste management, promote renewable energy sources and take measures to further reduce the carbon footprint in their jurisdictions. In this regard, Parliament is called upon to include climate justice governance in its strategic blueprint to promote green initiatives within the organisation and encourage both Members and Staff of Parliament to proactively be champions in environmental protection actions.
7.3 Noting that there are countries that are yet to sign the Agreement to Amend the SADC Treaty, Plenary Assembly resolved to continue lobbying on the countries that have not yet signed in view of obtaining enough signatures needed for the Agreement Amending the SADC Treaty to take effect. Once again, Hon. Advocate Jacob Francis Nzwidamilimo Mudenda, Speaker of the Parliament of Zimbabwe will spearhead the process as the Chair of the Strategic Lobby Team for the Transformation of the SADC PF into a regional Parliament.
7.4 Plenary Assembly noted with concern the poor response registered from the Member Parliaments, on the call for the Forum to deploy Election Observation Missions to the various Member States which held elections in 2023. In this regard, a resolution was adopted calling upon Member Parliaments to revive their interests in Election Observation Missions since they are fundamental to democracy, peace, and security in Southern Africa. The region is denying Members of Parliament an opportunity to observe elections in peer countries, thus eroding the basic tenets of democracy and inter-parliamentary solidarity.
7.5 The Plenary Assembly Plenary Assembly positively noted that a new cooperation Agreement of SEK 52,000,000 (5 million USD) between SIDA and the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) to strengthen the capacity of parliaments on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and HIV/AIDS-related services in the SADC region became operational on 1st November 2023. Parliament of Zimbabwe will thus make the first step into project incorporation by signing the Project
Implementation Agreement with the Forum.
7.6 Plenary Assembly, having noted that the Secretary General had performed her duties with utmost diligence, commitment, hard work
and dedication during the tenure of her current contract and consequently, adopted to renew her contract for a second five-year term. The Parliament of Zimbabwe to congratulate the Secretary General once a formal communication has been made in that regard.
7.7 The Plenary Assembly approved the blueprint for the organisation’s Strategic Plan 2024-2028, which encapsulates the Forum’s policy with respect to its Vision and Mission Statement upon which other operational parts of the Strategy will be anchored by the Secretariat.
7.8 As indicated in 6.4, the full dossier of the Plenary Assembly resolutions will be availed by the SADC Parliamentary Forum in due course for consideration by Portfolio and Thematic Committees of the Parliament of Zimbabwe, including consultative processes with Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
8.0 CONCLUSION
8.1 The Plenary Assembly concluded by acknowledging the
progress made by the Republic of Mauritius whereby governance on the climate-induced exigencies matter has shifted from ‘managing disasters’ to ‘managing disaster risks’ which includes proactive measures such as the setting up of Early Warning Systems, training of personnel in fire safety, first aid, water rescue activities and other emergency skills, as well as simulation exercises for oil spills and tsunamis. In this regard, Member States were encouraged to share best practices, technology, contemporaneous weather data and lessons to promote disaster preparedness and risk reduction.
8.2 The Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Adv. Mudenda called for
the creation of a standby “Disaster and Risk Reduction Brigade” to deal with this calamitous situation. The Hon. Speaker implored the need for the SADC PF to compile deliberations of the Symposium in booklet form.
8.3 Parliament of Zimbabwe continues to play a highly effective
leading role in the Transformation Agenda as the holder of the Chairpersonship of the Strategic Lobby Team of Hon. Speakers on the Transformation of the Forum into a SADC Regional Parliament. There is a need to continue lobbying Heads of State and Governments on the Transformation Agenda and in particular the Amendment of the Treaty to officially recognise the SADC Parliament as an organ of SADC.
8.4 Parliament of Zimbabwe commits itself to the full
implementation of the resolutions of the Plenary Assembly which shall be shared among all Members of Parliament to facilitate action by different Portfolio and Thematic Committees.
8.5 Finally and notably, the Speaker of the Parliament of Zimbabwe, Hon. Advocate Jacob Francis Nzwidamilimo Mudenda, presented well- rehearsed infographic treatises on the Brief Speech during the Symposium and the responses to the resolutions of the 53rd Plenary Assembly.
8.6 The 55th Plenary Assembly of the SADC PF will be hosted
by the Republic of Angola, who have pledged to choreograph a memorable hosting having just successfully hosted the 147th Plenary Assembly Meeting of the IPU.
I thank you.
*HON. SEN. RUNGANI: Thank you Madam President. I would want to add a few words that I have extracted from the presentation of the motion by Hon. Sen. Mbohwa. She was explaining the role and mandate of Parliament and also explained that we need to teach the young ladies the importance of the economy and how the economy of this country works. They also alluded to climate change. If we do not teach our people on how it goes, they will not know. Sometimes we refuse when we are advised that we are not supposed to start farming activities with those rains because we will not have enough information. We are being told that we need to carry this information and take it to our constituencies.
They also informed us about heavy rainfall with thunderstorms that can destroy buildings. We need to prepare in advance to prevent calamities from such storms especially in Masvingo. There were people who were marooned at an island and a child was swept away but if people are better informed, they will be better prepared and they will take up the measures advised. That will help us to reduce the disaster. As we work in the rural areas together with our constituencies, we need to make awareness on climate change. They also explained to us on climate change issues and said women’s contribution must also be taken into consideration. With these few words, I thank you Madam President.
HON. SEN. MBOHWA: Thank you Madam President. I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. RUNGANI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 19th December, 2023.
MOTION
SIXTEEN DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the commemorations to mark the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MBOHWA: Thank you Madam President. I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. RUNGANI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 19th December, 2023.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: Thank you Madam President. I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. RUNGANI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 19th December, 2023.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Madam President, I move that Order of the Day, Number 5 be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. RUNGANI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2022
Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission for the year 2022.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Madam President, I move that Order of the Day, No. 5 be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. RUNGANI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 19th December, 2023.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY FOR THE YEAR 2022
Seventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the National Prosecuting Authority for the year 2022.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. RUNGANI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday 19th December, 2023.
On the motion of HON. SEN. MUZENDA seconded by HON. SEN. RUNGANI, the Senate adjourned at Twenty Eight Minutes to Six o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 19th December, 2023.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 13th December, 2023
The Senate met at Half past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MUPFUMIRA: I move that Order of the Day, Number 1 be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day on today’s Order Paper have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. TSOMONDO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2022
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission for the year 2022.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. NYATHI: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to this important motion brought to this august House which is very important to our national development.
Corruption is a very big impingement to national development. It is like a parasite that feeds on a host until the host is lifeless. Hence, we need to have strong measures put in place to cope and eliminate all forms of corruption.
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission is the national anti-corruption agency mandated to fight corruption in Zimbabwe and is established by the Constitution of Zimbabwe, Amendment (No. 20) Act 2013, sections 254 and 255 and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption, Chapter 9, 22 for the purpose of combating corruption, theft, misappropriation, abuse of power and other improprieties in both the public and private sectors.
The Commission plays a pivotal role in the enforcement, prevention and investigation of corruption cases. The mandate of the Commission on its own really entails that ZACC is a constitutional body and as such, it should work tirelessly because it is tasked to see through the development of our beautiful beloved motherland Zimbabwe.
Mr. President, I managed to go through the ZACC report and I am really grateful for being awarded this opportunity especially when we are in the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. There is a table reflecting a total of 178 officers employed by the Commission and out of the178, only 73 are females and 105 are males . I feel the disparity is too much. There must be 50% females. We want to see women also being equally engaged in such critical matters of national development through His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa’s mantra of leaving no one and no place behind.
I feel ZACC has to improve. The report says their services can be accessed in six provinces out of the 10 provinces we have in this country. ZACC’s services should be accessible in all provinces and cascade to all districts. We strive to make sure that we have a corrupt free environment and community. However, we commend ZACC’s efforts for the campaigns done in the rural areas targeting the 70% population. According to the report and the findings provided, there were 69 cases reported during this exercise. I applaud the Commission for such an effort. These efforts should be taken to all rural areas no matter how marginalised or remote the area is, so that everyone knows that corruption has no place and will never be given room to see the light of day in the country.
For the period reported, there were 684 complaints and 481 of these complaints being from Harare. There is need for ZACC to do investigations and make sure everyone who is benefiting or benefited from corruption is brought to book. People are losing their hard-earned life savings to fraudsters. ZACC should fast track and catch these perpetrators. It is really pleasing to note that there was a 38% decrease of complainants received the previous year; this being attributed to vigorous prevention campaigns. Initiatives by the Commission, I suggest that these initiatives be constantly reviewed and be enforced such that at the end, we have a corrupt free environment and community.
The issue of court officials being lenient when dealing with corruption suspects is disturbing. Recently, we read in the news articles of Chinese high officials who were executed after being convicted on corruption charges. The courts should impose deterrent sentences because corruption is ravaging our country. It must be dealt with effectively and any person who commits such an offence repeatedly should be given severe punishment that is equivalent to the sentence of murder because the services or resources that he or she would have inconvenienced or robbed and deprived the people would probably have saved a life or lives if they were utilised accordingly.
Anyone who is a public office bearer, all the ill-gotten properties they would have acquired should be taken by the State and put back where they belong. The catch and release phenomena should be looked into seriously because we need a corrupt-free Zimbabwe both in urban and rural areas, including the borders.
In conclusion, I want to encourage anti-corruption training modules to be conducted. I will dwell on my previous point on gender. You stated that out of 25 participants, 17 are males; please let us have more females on board.
The report mentioned the International Anti-Corruption Day shows that corruption is not only an African or Zimbabwean issue, hence we should not struggle in isolation but we should work with the international community and learn how to fight corruption so that we develop our country as the President said, ‘Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo’. All those involved in corruption are destroyers: they should not be part of our society, they belong to the prisons where they can be rehabilitated and come back with the mindset of building their beautiful motherland. I thank you.
HON. SEN. S. MOYO: Thank you very much Mr. President. I want to thank the Hon. Minister who brought in this motion for debate. Corruption is a cancer; the people of Zimbabwe continue to be affected by it. Corruption is bad not only today, but for our future as Zimbabweans and for generations to come. We need to sustain this war against corruption by asking important questions to the Anti-Corruption Commission, because corruption is the order of the day - let us call a thief a thief. Mr. President, the culprits are being recycled into the same positions. Our country has become a playground, no matter how many times you recycle them, they will still look like rubbish and the catch and release of these criminals is being done to fool the public. May they stop pretending at the public rallies or party manifestos where they claim they want corruption to be eradicated but they are not interested.
Instant coffee solutions will not solve this scourge, these wolves still continue to suck from the breast of corruption with money they corruptly acquired. They send their children to expensive schools, holidays, buy houses and cars. When they are caught, they will try to have you eliminated anytime because they have no conscience.
We need to marry the citizens of Zimbabwe to the idea that corruption is a parasite and it is not right, it starts here in the Upper House. What we lack in Zimbabwe is punishment. I humbly ask Mr. President that those caught in corrupt activities, may the mark of Cain be put on them and remain suspended until charged by the Anti-Corruption Commission. May we not have this catch and release as this is a cancer to Zimbabwe.
We also have to understand that the shortest avenue to ending corruption must come from the top. If we see Cabinet ministers and governors being arrested and properties being confiscated; and it is exposed that this property belonged to so and so, he was a thief and it becomes public knowledge, the citizens and the world will know that once you are a thief, you will be stopped from holding public office ever again.
We should also help the Anti-Corruption Commission as those wolves will do everything to control the Commission. They will make up false things to have them disbanded and end their careers. They will even try to have laws to abolish the Commission. Parliament and the justice system must stand in solidarity with the Commission, audits must be done and wealth declarations be looked at for those found to be corrupt so that they surrender the monies that belong to the citizens.
HON. SEN. MUPFUMIRA: Hon. President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. TSOMONDO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday,14th December, 2023
MOTION
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY FOR THE YEAR 2022
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the National Prosecuting Authority for the year 2022.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUPFUMIRA: Mr. President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. TSOMONDO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 14th December, 2023.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MUPFUMIRA: Mr. President Sir, I move that Order of the Day, Number 4 be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
SIXTEEN DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the commemorations to mark the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence.
Question again proposed.
^HON. SEN. MALULEKE: Thank you Mr. President for awarding me this opportunity to add my voice on the issues of gender-based violence which most women and girls are facing. I am very happy about this motion. For a household to be called a household, it is because of a woman. Familiess function very well because of women. Right now, we are no longer taking pride as pillars of strengths of our households because we are the ones who are being abused a lot. Cases of women abusing young boys are slightly there, but those cases are very rare compared to cases of men abusing young women. I encourage all Members of Parliament in this august House to take the task upon ourselves to go out there and teach people about gender-based violence. When a man gets married, he must know that he has married a human being who is equal to him, not someone who is going to provide manual labour alone in the farms.
I want to thank Hon. Sen. Mbohwa for raising this pertinent motion. A few days ago, I heard that in Mufakose, a woman had gone somewhere, and when she came back, she found out that her kid had been murdered by her male counterpart. This is very painful to us as women. Mr. President, I am pleading to everyone in this House to be united and fight against gender-based violence. The act of killing minors is another form of gender-based violence against women because they are the ones who are going to be affected the most. Why would someone decide to kill a minor? My prayer is, if the Ministers were here, they were going to respond to some of the issues of gender-based violence and appreciate what people are saying concerning these issues which are happening in our homes and where we come from. The man who killed a minor in Mufakose, I propose that he must face a stiffer penalty of staying in prison for the rest of his life.
A woman at home is expected to do all the chores, from looking after the children, farms and livestock. Most of the men spend most of their time drinking beer while women and girls are suffering at home, taking care of the family and doing all household chores. Most of the time, these women and girls are exposed to unhealthy and unsafe situations with wild animals such as hyenas, especially when they go out to look after their livestock. As women, we are facing a lot of problems.
Women are dedicated to their families, and most of the time even if they are being abused, it is very difficult for them to leave their families because they consider their children first. I am pleading to the chiefs in this august House to encourage men to desist from gender-based violence and continue to help in conflict resolution in order to protect women, girls and families. Most men are very happy when their wives give birth to a girl child because they know that the girl will get married and as a father, he is going to get bride price. Most of the time, men do not care about the welfare of these children when they are growing up.
As women in both rural and urban areas, we are faced with a lot of problems Mr. President. As Zimbabweans, we must be united and concentrate on building our country and desist from gender-based violence. As women, let us be educated on our rights, laws and on the issues of gender-based violence so that we know what to do when we are faced with these issues. Sometimes girls are abused at schools and sometimes by our trusted relatives. As society, we must be united and report rape cases. Those who are found guilty must be incarcerated and stay in jail. Most of the perpetrators are roaming around. They are arrested, but after two or three days, you see them roaming around. I wish if the Ministers were around to answer on what steps can be taken because it is very painful to see a perpetrator roaming around after a few days. Mr. President, women and girls are being murdered on daily basis. Thank you very much Mr. President for awarding me this opportunity.
*HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: Thank you Mr. President. I would also like to add my voice to this debate on gender-based violence. I think the issue of gender-based violence affects peace in the family, resulting in deaths at times, and sometimes serious injuries as well as emotional turmoil. Children may end up being orphans because of this GBV. Even at the workplace, nothing is done if there is violence. Therefore, this violence should be tackled carefully as it affects both sides. It is not only women, sometimes men are also offended and it ends up affecting the children.
Mr. President, I have noticed that what mostly causes GBV is unfaithfulness between husband and wife. They might suspect each other of promiscuous behaviour and that causes GBV. If a man is always out or comes home late and the woman asks where he has been, it will result in GBV as the man does not want to be asked, then they end up fighting. When people are married, they should live amicably and should not involve a third party in their affairs. In our culture, a man can marry many wives, but that can be done amicably with the blessing of the first wife. This has always been the case and the wife will be free to receive the other wives. It is one of those issue that causes GBV if not handled properly.
There is also the issue of salaries - at times people will use their monies without the knowledge of the other party and when one asks what they should use in the house, it can result in violence and at times the man will ask for food, yet he would have not left anything at home and a fight ensues. If people are married, they should be transparent with their salaries and disclose how much they earn and how they intend to use it. Everyone should be afforded money to use when with friends and women should also have money for their hairdos or for buying dresses. This ensures there in no GBV in the family.
Sometimes this violence emanates from mere use of property. Sometimes the husband may use the family property without the knowledge of the wife and that can also result in violence because when they ask each other, it will not be in a friendly way. Another issue that causes GBV is to do with conjugal rights. One may say I am tired and the other says let us be intimate. The one who wants to be intimate may feel hurt and that can cause anger, resulting in violence.
There is need for both parties to resolve issues amicably. We know that when people marry, they did not come for anything else besides intimacy. If people understand that, it will reduce GBV. Some people get married whilst they both have children from previous relationships and there is mistreatment of these children by both parties. We hear this from the social media or the formal media that children are beaten up until they die because they are not their biological children. At times they refuse to stay with children that are not theirs and that leads to conflicts in the home because one does not have anywhere to keep the child.
Even those who are not married can fight for a boyfriend or girlfriend and that is also GBV. Some people disagree over food and fight over the relish prepared by the wife, yet they forget that they will not have left any money to buy the relish. If the wife cooks chicken, the man will want to know where the wife got the money to buy the chicken and he starts suspecting that the wife got it from boyfriends. So as couples, people should be organised and ensure that everything is there at home. My wish is for our Government and other interested parties to conduct awareness campaigns to train people on the effects and impact of GBV. They should also take their awareness campaigns to churches and to our traditional leaders. People must be taught not to engage in GBV, but to resolve issues amicably. Those engaged in awareness campaigns must be given adequate resources to carry out these campaigns.
After all has been said and done, GBV sentences should be deterrent so that offenders and perpetrators of GBV do not repeat the same offence. We should have police stations and clinics nearby because currently in some rural areas, police stations are far and people are unable to go and report and clinics are also far, such that people end up not going to get medical assistance. We therefore encourage Government to build more police stations and clinics so that the victims of GBV are able to be treated and to report their cases. Even the traditional leaders’ courts should be given powers to give deterrent fines so that people do not continue to engage in GBV.
Madam President, these are the few additions that I wanted to convey on the issue of GBV. It even affects development in the home set up. Everything stops when there is violence. I thought it was pertinent for me to add these important sentiments on the issue of GBV, especially in family settings. I thank you.
* HON. SEN. MUZODA: Thank you Mr. President for affording me this opportunity to give my opinion on the issue of gender-based violence. I did my own research when this motion was introduced and realised that what can cause misunderstanding within the home or the community in general, is the economic challenges we face as a nation because there is no peace in the home when there is no food. The root cause of violence in our homes is poverty. We may have different livelihoods but we all need to have homes but if there is nothing in the house, there is finger-pointing because no one is capable of bringing income to sustain themselves in that home.
Mr. President, I want to go on the issue of how we live in our homes because I have noticed that people do not talk about that issue. It is GBV to marry off a young child or marrying off a girl-child when she does not want to get married. It is the right of every child to grow up and be able to make their own choices or decisions about their future but that is not happening in our lives because of poverty. We take marrying off a child as alleviating poverty.
Government and its departments should go deep in the communities talking about early child marriages because that is the root cause of GBV. You marry off a girl-child at an early age because you will have noticed that Mr. Makamba has a lot of cattle but the child is going into a marriage where there are more wives before her who are in that polygamous marriage. She is abused and taken as a slave because she is in that marriage to enable her family to have food. It is important for us to closely look into the issue of GBV because it is not happening in the homes only but everywhere, even here in Parliament, you can encounter it. Sexual harassment Mr. President, is GBV on its own.
At our workplaces, people are coming across sexual harassment or abuse just to enable them to be promoted or offered a job but that is not proper and should not be done. People are taking advantage of their positions of authority abusing young women. It will be an issue later on when the promises are not fulfilled and it affects a person psychologically and I want to appreciate you Mr. President for letting me continue.
Mr. President, I came across GBV on Sunday when I was coming from my home area using another route from Murambinda. I passed by a place where there was distribution of inputs in very small quantities. What I saw Mr. President, and that is why I was saying departments must go and educate people on GBV. Some communities do not segregate or choose where you come from or whose child you are? I saw old women being stripped off their clothes as there was stampede. Some people were being told that they could only get those inputs in February because it was someone’s turn as they had been allocated last year.
I do not even know what was happening and I do not know who came with those inputs but it pained me to see a woman who was pushed down and those inputs were torn apart and scattered on the ground. Those are women and our mothers whom we expect to live properly in a dignified way like how we have been brought up. The most painful part is that the police were just looking and when I asked them why they were just watching people quarrelling as if they would remove each other’s teeth for seed that has not even germinated, does that mean our police do not have power when inputs are distributed? Where our mothers are stripped off their dignity because of younger ones who will be more powerful…
*HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: On a point of order Mr. President. May we debate on gender- based violence. It looks like we have now strayed to issues about the distribution of inputs. May the Hon. Member debate on gender-based violence instead of the distribution of inputs.
*HON. CHABUKA: On a point of order. I would like to…
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE (HON. SEN. CHIEF KHUMALO): I am not going to allow that. Can you sit down please? I have already given the floor to the Hon. Member who was addressing us.
HON. SEN. MUZODA: Thank you Mr. President...
*AN HON. MEMBER: On a point of order Mr. President. I just want to say Mr. President being beaten up is no excuse. It does not matter who is beating you and how they are beating you. Gender based violence is gender-based violence. Whether you experience it at a seed distribution event or you meet it at home, it is one and the same thing. We are speaking against gender-based violence. Thank you.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have already made a ruling. Can we continue please? You do not need to comment any further than the ruling.
HON. SEN. MUZODA: Mr. President it is so surprising. I am sorry. If we are debating, this is Parliament...
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: You do not need to go back to that.
* HON. SEN. MUZODA: We are not playing in here or looking at who has stood up to debate. There is nothing wrong with what I said. I was talking about gender-based violence. I saw women falling down because of seed. I did not mention where that seed came from. I was just passing by when I saw bad things happening.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Can you continue with your debate.
* HON. SEN. MUZODA: So I want to say if we are here in Parliament…
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: You are going back to what I have already made a ruling on.
* HON. SEN. MUZODA: Sometimes you become distracted when someone comes and disturbs you. I think I have spoken a lot Mr. President. Starting from this House, let us respect our women. Let us not harass them because when we are violent with them, we also do not have peace of mind. Thank you, Mr. President.
+HON. SEN. NDEBELE: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity. I am talking of issues to do with gender-based violence like denying someone their right by not allowing them to participate in an election like what happened recently. There are people who failed to vote for those they want to represent them, which is what we need to make sure that we address as a nation. The critical issue is we have to make sure that we do not deny people their right by giving them representatives that they would not have selected in an election.
There are people that needed to represent their people but they were closed out from these elections, which is what I am highlighting on, that we need to make sure that we do not abuse people by denying them the right to elect who they want. Thank you.
HON. SEN. MBOHWA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. SHIRI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 14th December, 2023.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUPFUMIRA: Mr. President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. TSOMONDO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 14th December, 2023.
On the motion of HON. SEN. MUPFUMIRA seconded by HON. SEN. TSOMONDO, the Senate adjourned at Twenty-Six Minutes to Four o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 12th December, 2023
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
PETITION RECEIVED FROM PANGANAI CHIHOTA, SAMUEL HOVHA, WILLIAM MAJEZA AND ERIA MASHAVA
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that on the 10th of November, 2023, Parliament received a petition from Panganai Chihota, Samuel Hovha, William Majeza and Eria Mashava beseeching Parliament of Zimbabwe to investigate and take corrective action and order fresh hearings on the victimised and dismissed National Oil Company of Zimbabwe employees. The petition was deemed inadmissible as it implored Parliament to perform a function that does not fall under its mandate. The petitioners have been informed accordingly.
Hon. Minister, your title, sometimes you are referred to as Minister of Finance and International Investments Promotion, sometimes Minister of Finance, Economic Development and International Investment Promotion. Which is which?
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): None of those Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON SPEAKER: Which is the correct one?
HON. PROF. M. NCUBE: I am the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, Clerks-at-the-Table, please take note so that we are consistent. Again Hon. Minister, before you proceed, sorry for the interruption, I think I have got good news for you. Please sit down.
Those of you who follow the international media, I think local media as well, the Hon. Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion was nominated as the best Minister of Finance amongst hundreds of Ministers and was awarded a prize and recognition accordingly. I think this was in London very recently, if not last Saturday. Congratulations Hon. Minister – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
HON. MARKHAM: On a point of privilege! Last week we were supposed to have Committee meetings and it was deferred to this week, which we accepted but we were never given a reason. This week we had a Post-Budget Seminar set for today which was postponed to tomorrow and I hear now from the group that it has been cancelled again. I understand there are obviously reasons for it. However, as Members of Parliament, we need as much notice as possible because my diary keeps changing every day and it is starting to be like a Mbudzi Roundabout.
May we please have adequate notice so that we can keep appointments as learned people and also in consideration of the people we are supposed to represent.
THE HON. SPEAKER: A very profound observation. The major reason has been to allow Members of various committees to proceed as much as possible with their consultations with the public and it is hoped that what we may lose in a Post-Budget Seminar for this half day will be gained through the public consultations by the committees and we trust that will cure the lacuna.
Secondly, we have to work within the constitutional timeframe once we start the budget process this time of the year, it has to be completed within the time frames as guided by the Standing Orders. We cannot spill over to next year. I want to assure you that in the next budget, we ensure that we have the process starting two weeks before the month of December so that we are not under pressure for time. So your observation is totally acknowledged.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): Mr. Speaker Sir, I rise to move that Order of the Day, Number 1 on Today’s Order Paper be stood over in order to allow Committees to complete their consultations and that it should be deferred to tomorrow, 13th December, 2023.
The Hon. Prof. M. Ncube and the Clerk of Parliament, Mr. K. Chokuda were asked to approach the Chair.
HON. PROF. M. NCUBE: Mr. Speaker Sir, I rise to withdraw the motion that Order of the Day, Number 1 on Today’s Order Paper be stood over. We should proceed because the Chairperson of the Budget and Finance Committee is ready with his report and we can proceed with the rest of the debate on the budget.
MOTION
FINANCE BILL: BUDGET DEBATE
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion that leave be granted to bring in a Finance Bill.
Question again proposed.
HON. CHIDUWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I think I may need some guidance in terms of the procedures. Mr. Speaker Sir, let me present the report representing the Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance and Investment Promotion. We were at stakeholders’ consultation meeting yesterday where we met stakeholders from the industry, CZI, ZNCC, Bankers Association of Zimbabwe. What I am going to present is what came from the different stakeholders.
Let me start with the background. In compliance with Section 131 of the Constitution, read with Section 728 of the Public Finance Management Regulations of 2019, the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, Hon. Prof. Ncube presented the 2024 National Budget on the 30th November, 2023 with the theme - Consolidating Economic Transformation. The 2024 Budget ushers in the last two years of the implementation of the First National Development Strategy 1 which is running from 2021 up to 2025, thus it is critical in determining the success of the NDS 1 as well as informing a sound implementation and summative policy evaluation. The National Budget gives breath to the NDS 1 and can be used to determine the Government’s sincerity in striving to attain the goals and aspirations of Vision 2030.
The budget is being implemented in the context of NDS 1 which among other targets, seeks to create 760 000 new jobs and bring inflation down to between three and seven percent by 2025 and expand the economy by five percent on a year to year basis. Therefore …
HON. MARKHAM: On a point of order Mr. Speaker, it is just a clarity. Mr. Speaker, are we not supposed to discuss the input from stakeholders as a Committee first before we present the report or am I wrong?
THE HON. SPEAKER: What is your question again?
HON. MARKHAM: Yesterday we were late, we listened to all the stakeholders’ input. We did not discuss the input as a Committee. We were going to do that and from my understanding, yesterday we were going to do that tomorrow afternoon. Is it procedural for our Committee to present that before we discuss what the stakeholders told us – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Chair, what modalities did we agree on?
HON. CHIDUWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. The standard procedure is, we were supposed to meet but we only met yesterday and after that, I think we were supposed to discuss the report but we did not.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Just a minute, you met and the report was produced.
HON. CHIDUWA: Yes, Hon. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Was it presented within the Committee?
HON. CHIDUWA: No, Mr. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: What was the understanding of not discussing the report because in terms of Standing Orders, a report is debated by the Committee and the Chair thereafter will report accordingly?
HON. CHIDUWA: Hon. Speaker Sir, I think we are under pressure because of time. This is why we said any other input will also come from the Members when they also do their budgetary submissions. It is because of the time constrains.
THE HON. SPEAKER: The Clerk and Government Chief Whip, please approach the Chair.
The Clerk and Government Chief Whip having approached the Chair.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Members, I think we cannot sacrifice procedure at the altar of an expedience. The initial motion by the Honorable Minister then stands that we suspend the debate of the budget until tomorrow, to allow Committees to complete their consultations tomorrow morning. Am I understood?
HON. MATEWU: On a point of order….
THE HON. SPEAKER: On a point of order or point of clarification!
HON. MATEWU: Point of clarity sorry, Hon. Speaker. Tomorrow we are supposed to meet at 10 am, all Committees to consider the stakeholders reports. I think it is only imperative that we then adjourn the debate until Thursday when we have actually met as a Committee and agreed on the reports in various Committees.
THE HON. SPEAKER: You are meeting tomorrow morning, you must complete your meetings and wind up business because we have to ensure that National Assembly completes the debate by Friday. Next week the budget is debated in the Senate. So we meet tomorrow.
HON: MATEWU: Will we have the time for all the 21 Committees to present their reports and also give a chance to all Hon. Members to also debate?
THE HON.SPEAKER: Oh! Yes, the practice is that if it means us going until the morning hours of Thursday as we have done in the past, that shall be and that is the practice. So we proceed accordingly. We meet tomorrow at 10 o’clock and ensure that you do as much as possible and come up with your debates and the debate shall start tomorrow afternoon and ensure that we have done justice to the budget. We are likely therefore, to meet again on Friday if we do not get through tomorrow and Thursday.
HON. MARKHAM: On a point of clarity Mr. Speaker Sir. I am talking on behalf of the Budget Committee. If we have a long meeting which I am sure we will tomorrow, will there be enough time for the Budget Committee to prepare the documents for debate or for presentation in Parliament tomorrow afternoon?
THE HON. SPEAKER: That should be our target.
HON. MARKHAM: Provided we are expedient about it. Thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Yes, that should be our target. I do not see any request for clarifications, so we are going to proceed…
HON. HAMAUSWA: I have a request Mr. Speaker Sir. Thank you for guiding us on the procedure. My worry, with your indulgence, is that, last week the Committees were supposed to meet. This week it is like a crush programme, which I then go back to your leadership and the Chief Whips to see how best we can come up with a well debated budget. As it stands, we were supposed to have a post-budget seminar today, it was postponed again. So it was also on the part of the limited accommodation last week that we did not sit as Parliament and we could have managed everything last week. I am not sure if we cannot push up to Tuesday next week so that we feel that we have done justice to the budget which is so important to drive our economy and Vision 2030 for us. Thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: You have hit the nail on the head. We tried what we could last week, but there was no hotel accommodation. The same with Victoria Falls and Bulawayo, there was no hotel accommodation. What l was advised was that an analysis would be done by selected consultants and their analysis of the budget will then be posted online to various Members of Parliament. Was that not done? - [HON MEMBERS: Not yet.] –
The Hon. Speaker having consulted with the Clerk of Parliament
I have sought clarification. The analysis was done and it will be sent right away via online platforms and l apologise for the mix up. Once it is sent, you study the analysis of the consultants and put that together with what you are going to discuss in your Committees, and that should be sufficient for you to start the debate tomorrow afternoon.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. l move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 2 to 4, be stood over until Orders of the Day Numbers 5 and 6 have been disposed of.
HON. SHAMU: I second Mr. Speaker Sir.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Fifth order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTUREAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. SACCO): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I stand to contribute on behalf of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development. Pursuant to the State of the Nation Address (SONA), on 3rd October, 2023 during the occasion of the Official Opening of the First Session of the 10th Parliament of Zimbabwe by His Excellency the President, Hon. Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa; also, subsequent constructive debate by Hon. Members of the august House, allow me to contribute towards the debate through the lens of Transport and Infrastructural Development.
Mr. Speaker, may it please you, your Excellency the President …
HON. MATEWU: On a point of clarity, may I ask if a Ministry can actually debate because he said that on behalf of the Ministry of Transport.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Correct, we expect many Ministers to respond accordingly – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
HON. SACCO: Thank you Mr. Speaker for educating the Member from the Opposition. I hope he has taken note. Mr. Speaker Sir, may it please you, your Excellency the President: We, the Members of Parliament of Zimbabwe, desire to express our loyalty to Zimbabwe and beg leave to offer our respectful thanks for the speech, which you have been pleased to address to Parliament.
Allow me to restate His Excellency the President’s commitment to infrastructural development by quoting an extract from his SONA when he said: “My Administration is committed to transform infrastructure in order to improve incomes and the livelihood of our citizens. To enhance connectivity, we continue to upgrade the road networks across the country through domestic resources. I would like to emphasise ‘domestic resources’ nyika inovakwa nevene vayo. We do not need anyone to come and build our country for us. Similar initiatives are being implemented with regards to rail infrastructure, with focus on recapitalisation, rehabilitation and refurbishment”.
My Ministry is responsible for the development of transport infrastructure including road and rail infrastructure as highlighted by His Excellency the President, Hon. Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa. As such, in the upcoming budget period, a lot of work has been earmarked for continuous implementation of mandates in the transport and infrastructure sectors.
With regards to roads, my Ministry has continued to respond to the demands for accelerating road transport infrastructure development, with the view to enrich all our road corridor networks. Deriving from the relevant targets in the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), of increasing the number of kilometres of road network in good condition from 14 702 km to 24 500 km by 2025, we prioritised and accelerated completion of ongoing road projects and the rehabilitation of roads which are in bad state.
Accordingly, we continue to bask in the sunshine of a myriad of success stories in road infrastructure development. We have witnessed remarkable progress on projects such as Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge Road, as we have managed to maintain remarkable momentum on the project. To date, we have opened almost 500km of the targeted 580km to traffic. This road is crucial as it is an artery along the North-South corridor. Linking this road is the upgraded and modernised Beitbridge Border Post, which has been refurbished under Public-Private Partnership (PPP), with the ZimBorders Consortium and the project was completed in the first quarter of 2023. The roll-out of the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP) is ongoing. To date, 35 645 km have been constructed, rehabilitated and routinely maintained across the country. The Government engaged a contractor, TEFOMA, to carry out the construction and modernisation of the Mbudzi Traffic Interchange. This is a mega project and progress on construction now stand at 54% towards completion.
As we strive towards achieving the NDS1 targets, the Government is embracing private sector participation in the development of our roads and infrastructure. To that extent, Cabinet has approved several border and road upgrading and rehabilitation projects under the PPP framework. Notable examples include Chirundu Border Post, Forbes Border Post, Harare-Nyamapanda Road, Nyamapanda Border, Harare Ring Road, Gweru- Zvishavane-Rutenga-Boli Sango and Sango Border, just to mention but a few.
Roads are enablers of seamless movement of goods and people, and facilitators of trade and development. Tied to roads is the need for us to revamp toll infrastructure. Notwithstanding the challenges we face, I have made strong undertakings that we will spearhead the construction of new toll infrastructure. To date, we have relocated Shamva tollgate.
We yearn to do more as we have embarked on a programme of action to put in place requisite policy and legislative instruments for the ZINARA to work closely with CMED and other contractors to commence the refurbishment of the tollgates around the country. I have called for close cooperation between my Ministry and ZINARA, to revamp toll infrastructure, install cutting-edge software technologies for seamless revenue collection and passage. That will boost revenue collection and boost the road fund for sustainable road maintenance.
On railways, we continue to work towards the recapitalisation agenda of the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), with the view to enhance our bulky ground logistics. We applaud the NRZ, which to date has signed a ground breaking MoU with RITES, State-owned railway company based in India.
The aim of this initiative is to boost the rolling stock and infrastructure capacity of NRZ in order to support its operations. To date, NRZ and RITES have signed a contract for the supply of nine locomotives, 315 wagons and US$34 million for infrastructure rehabilitation. We will continue to midwife this deal and lobby for necessary Government guarantees to ensure that it is successfully consummated.
We also have subsisting partnerships with Transnet of South Africa, CFM of Mozambique, Zambia Railways Limited and Botswana Railways, which are promoting regional cooperation and propelling regional integration, with railways connectivity at the centre of such integration, manifesting through the Southern African Railways Association (SARA).
We are also taking advantage of the multilateral level mechanisms such as the Belt and Road Cooperation Initiatives championed by the Government of China. We will ensure that we make follow-ups on such mechanisms so that we are not left behind.
On aviation and inland waters, His Excellency, the President’s guidance, by way of the State of the Nation Address, adjured us to “transform infrastructure… to enhance connectivity”. His call dovetails with the global practices of intermodal transportation and mobility, which integrate all modes of transport. As a result, our roads and rail transport systems are integrated to the aviation and inland waterways transportation.
On aviation, the RGM International Airport upgrading and development project, which was facilitated by Government through a concessionary loan facility extended by the Government of the People’s Republic of China, through the China Export Import Bank is worth mentioning. The scope of this project is enormous and is now at over 80% progress towards completion. We are upscaling efforts to ensure that the project is finalised within the stipulated timelines.
While airports upgradation projects are capital intensive in nature, we will leverage on public and private partners to upgrade and refurbish airport infrastructure in Kariba, Buffalo Range, Hwange, Masvingo and Charles Prince, as well as construction of the control tower at J. M. Nkomo Airport.
The aviation sector is showing positive growth in accordance with our planned aspirations. The sector has seen new airlines coming on board as well as an increase in frequencies by some existing ones. To date, the following airlines, among others, are flying into Zimbabwe: Emirates, Qatar, Ethiopian Airlines, Air Botswana, Eswatini Air, Zambian Airways, Comair, Fastjet, Kenya Airways, Martin Air Cargo, Mackair, FlySafair, South African Airways, Airlink, Eurowings and many more. This is an eloquent testament to the fact that Zimbabwe continues to welcome investment and growth in the aviation sector, in line with the national policy thrust enunciated by His Excellency, the President Cde Dr. E. D Mnangagwa, of engagement and re-engagement and opening up Zimbabwe for business.
We are also alive to the urgent need to retool and recapitalise Air Zimbabwe. Currently, the process of bringing the second Embraer ERJ145 is progressing well, in order to improve viability of the airline. We will continue to play our part as Government to ensure that we propel the national flag carrier to success.
Transportation is a driver of regional integration and globalisation. We will continue to take advantage of our location in the Southern African region to build a transportation hub, with Harare emerging as the centre. Through unfolding developments within the framework of implementing regional blue prints, such as the SADC’s Regional Indicative Development Strategic Plan, and those under COMESA and the African Continental Free Trade Area, a collective approach to the development of infrastructure and systems promotes intra-African trade.
Our participation within regional and global bodies on Transport and Transport Infrastructure avails vast opportunities for us to adopt international standards and good practices. Our collaboration and participation in regional and international bodies such as the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Inter-Governmental Standing Committee on Shipping (ISCOS), African Union Specialised Technical Committee on Transport, Inland Transport Committee (ITC) and many more allows us to learn and exchange best practices in the transport sector.
His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde. Dr. E.D Mnangagwa has set the tone, by his trailblazing and enlightening State of the Nation Address, and our Ministry will be guided by the same, as we work to fulfil our targets, within the framework of the seminal blue print, the NDS1. His guidance injects impetus in us and strengthens our resolve to collectively unlock the value and potential endowed in the transport and transport infrastructure sector, with the view to attain targets contained in Vision 2030, which reflects the collective aspirations and determination of the people of Zimbabwe, to achieve a prosperous and empowered Upper Middle-Income Society by 2030. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. CHIDUWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to start by congratulating His Excellency, The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe for winning resoundingly the 2023 harmonised elections and also to congratulate his deputies Hon Rtd. Gen. Dr. Chiwenga and Hon. Mohadi for the appointments and I also want to congratulate you Mr. Speaker Sir for your position which is very critical for bringing stability and continuity in the National Assembly.
The motion is very relevant where the State of the Nation Address came at a time when we had just finished our elections. The election that was won as I have already said by His Excellency where he entered into an election with his hands and feet all tied because of sanctions. It was very difficult for him going into an election that was so uneven because of sanctions. We know the manifestation of sanctions that are coming in various forms like ZIDERA Act, Executive Orders, OFAC, EU restrictive measures and AGOWA. All these were against him and we are happy that he came out victorious.
Going to SONA with regards to the issues that we are looking at as Government, the President talked about infrastructure development. Infrastructure development is an enabler to growth. Our agenda is clearly set out in Vision 2030 in terms of where we want to go as a nation. The realisation of Vision 2030 is in the form of national development plans, which is the TSP, NDS1 and NDS2. Under Vision 2030 as a country, we are guided by five critical pillars – the pillar on macro-economic development and stability, inclusive growth, infrastructure development, governance and social protection. These are the pillars that are guiding the development agenda that was set out by His Excellency in the State of the Nation Address.
Infrastructure development in all its facets we are looking at rail, road, air and water infrastructure and a lot has been done to ensure that we realise the goals as presented in the NDS1. We are being implored even where I am coming from, Zaka South. I am very happy that quite a lot has been done with regards to energy. A number of areas where we did not have electricity under the Rural Electrification Programme now we have electricity. This is assisting our people to be part of the financial strategy which was again launched by His Excellency under the financial inclusion strategy.
We are also happy with the road network. I know given the impact of sanctions, there is nowhere we are going to develop our road system as an event. It is a process and we have already started with Chirundu-Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway. Now, there is talk again of Beitbridge-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Highway. This is in line with what His Excellency said to lay brick upon brick, we are building our infrastructure, taking into account the resources that we are using. We are using domestically generated resources.
I am also happy Hon. Speaker, to say that on infrastructure development, what has already been presented by Hon. Deputy Minister Sacco to say that when we look at our air infrastructure, we have already done the Victoria Falls International Airport, the Joshua Mqabuko International Airport, the Robert Mugabe International Airport and the smaller airports, that is, the Buffalo Range Airport and all that is meant to enable business operations in line with ease of doing business. I am sure as we go forward, the smaller airports will also continue to be developed.
On food security, His Excellency mentioned the issue of development of water infrastructure. If we check on what has been done already, we have the Chivhu Dam which was started and is already functioning and there are irrigation schemes; there is the Muchekeranwa Dam, and there is the Gwai-Shangani Dam. If you go to Matabeleland South, there is the Thuli-Manyange Dam, and all these are meant to ensure that we guarantee food security. Again, this is very critical for us.
Where I come from, in Zaka South, we have the Manjirenji Dam, under the small holder irrigation revitalisation programmes they have already started irrigation schemes. There are also plans to have an irrigation scheme under the Bangala Dam and all these programmes are meant to ensure that there is food security.
Hon. Speaker, the issue of economic stability is also paramount and it was also highlighted by His Excellency the President. If we trace where we are coming from since 2018 to date, when the Second Republic said in terms of where we want to go with regards to macro-economic management, we want a convergence of macro-economic indicators with SADC indicators. We are using local resources and from 2018 up to 2023, when we trace the budget deficit that we experienced, it has not exceeded three percent and this is in line with SADC indicators. It is no wonder that the Hon. Minister won accolades. Thank you, Hon. Minister, for that. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
There is also the issue of the co-ordination of monetary and fiscal policies - the use of our own currency. I know these are painful measures that we need to take. We can wake up today and start using the United States Dollar and there is stability tomorrow, but does that mean that we have achieved stability? In order for us to achieve stability, we need to produce, we need to develop a diversified manufacturing sector and we need to export. It is from exports where we are going to stabilise our currency and this is why the painful measures of saying we need to make use of our currency have to be taken, and the position of the Government in terms of de-dollarisation is very clear.
Hon Speaker, I implore even for us where we come from, we have been telling people that we will reach a stage where we are going to run out of United States Dollars because some of the funds are not circulating. This is so because you go and buy something outside the country, the moment you get the United States Dollars and the dollars are going outside the country, it is not sustainable.
His Excellency spoke about devolution and decentralisation. Devolution to us Hon. Speaker, is a game changer. Quite a number of projects have been implemented in our constituencies. I can tell you where I come from, we now have Gumbire Primary School that was built solely using devolution funds. We have water schemes that are there, Machiva, and Benzi clinics - all these were constructed from devolution funds. What we are calling on the Hon. Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion is that given the importance of devolution funds, especially to us who come from rural areas, we need to ensure that it is constitutionally provided for so that we provide five percent of the National Budget towards devolution. Surely, the whole five percent should be released – this is our call Hon. Minister.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the issue of value addition and beneficiation, we can develop as a country when we are exporting raw commodities. This is stretching from agricultural commodities to mining. Zimbabwe is classified as one of the countries with the highest per capita in the world. We want to ensure that we benefit from the mineral resources that we have. This was clearly mentioned again by His Excellency to say that we need to beneficiate what we have. This is very critical and the Industrialisation Policy that we are working on, I am sure, will also add to His Excellency’s clarion call to make sure that we beneficiate what we have. This will generate export revenue, jobs and grow the economy.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I also want to touch on the legislative agenda that was set by His Excellency, specifically to do with the portfolio committees that we shadow in Parliament. We have the Insurance Bill that is supposed to be tabled but I noticed that the IPEC Bill – somewhat, maybe it was mistakenly omitted, but we also feel that the IPEC Bill that had gone up to the second or third reading stage in the Ninth Parliament has to be part of the legislative agenda.
On the critical role of youth and women, His Excellency mentioned the role of youths, women, sports and small and medium Enterprises (SMEs) as one of the priority areas under NDS 1. We are saying where we come from, the issue of the youths taking drugs and substance abuse is also due to lack of opportunities. We have identified that SMEs are playing a critical role, especially with regards to contribution to the GDP and employment. This again has to be developed and we are looking at an economy-wide development of the SMEs and this will also be tapped into by our youths and our women.
Hon. Speaker, if we go to the international agenda of His Excellency, I mentioned the issue of sanctions which came about because we had restored the means of production into the hands of the indigenous people, because of those who were owning the land illegally, Zimbabwe was then slapped with illegal sanctions.
However, we are guided by the foreign policy which was again put forward by His Excellency to say ‘we are an enemy to none and a friend to all’. This is what is guiding us and what has been done with regards to international engagement. A lot has been done, the EU Africa dialogue, the Zimbabwe EU dialogue and now we are engaging with the United States.
On our arrears’ clearance, we have seen the engagement of Zimbabwe with the Paris and non-Paris Club Members. All this is part of image building, engagement and re-engagement and we are happy with what the President said in the State of the Nation Address.
As I close Hon. Speaker, His Excellency, in his State of the Nation Address, mentioned that Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo. This is a clarion call for self-identity that as Zimbabweans, we need to work together. As Zimbabweans, we can clamour for international help, we can grand-stand in Parliament, but at the end of the day, what is critical is to know that we only have got one Zimbabwe and this is the legacy that His Excellency is teaching all of us to say, we only have got one Zimbabwe. Let us build Zimbabwe all of us. Each one of us has a role to play and in the process, we will endeavor to ensure that no one is going to be left behind and no place is going to be left unturned. This is what we are all being taught and this is what we are supposed to take down to our constituencies to tell our people that Zimbabwe is for all of us. Zimbabwe can only develop when we have got a developmental spirit that protects Zimbabwe. I thank you.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 13th December, 2023.
MOTION
UNCONDITIONAL REPEAL OF ZIDERA BY THE US GOVERNMENT AND LIFTING OF UNWARRANTED AND ILLEGAL SANCTIONS ON ZIMBABWE
HON. DR. MUTODI: I move the motion standing in my name That this House: DESIROUS to have the heinous and illegal sanctions, unilaterally imposed on Zimbabwe by the Government of United States of America after the enactment of the draconian Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA) by the George Bush Administration, unconditionally removed to pave way for a prosperous sovereign state;
COGNISANT that the United States of America Government has not forgiven Zimbabwe for rightfully possessing the land that people won after a hard fought and protracted war;
DISMAYED that these evil sanctions have caused gross human suffering to ordinary Zimbabweans as they are not just targeted to individuals who are banned from visiting and operating businesses or bank accounts in the United States, but indiscriminately affect ordinary citizens who have to contend with severe economic hardships such as hyperinflation, exchange rate volatility and high levels of unemployment;
MINDFUL that the imposition of these illegal sanctions has led to massive skills flight resulting in our people migrating to seek employment and other opportunities elsewhere;
FURTHER COGNISANT that the Land Reform Programme is irreversible and will always be sustained;
RE-AFFIRMING ENGAGEMENT AND RE-ENGAGEMENT with all will always be sustained;
NOW THEREFORE, resolves that;
(a) A delegation from Zimbabwe Parliament be sent to the United States of America to present a briefing paper to the President of the United States of America and Congress requesting their administration to expeditiously and unconditionally repeal ZIDERA which has caused so much suffering to ordinary citizens of our country;
(b) The delegation engages the United States of America Congress to lift the unwarranted and illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe;
(c) Zimbabwe presents its case to the United Nations by the end of December, 2023 so that these illegal sanctions imposed on our country are unconditionally lifted once and for all;
and (d) The United States of America Government to engage with the Zimbabwean Government on terms that promote mutual benefit through economic and political cooperation.
HON. SHAMU: I second.
HON. DR. MUTODI: I move this motion for the unconditional lifting of the sanctions imposed on the Republic of Zimbabwe by the Government of the United States of America in 2001. Mr. Speaker Sir, the motion to have the ZIDERA unconditionally removed is based on a report by SADC Permanent Mission in Geneva which was produced in December 2020. The report discussed the impact on Zimbabwe and the SADC Region of the unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States of America and the European Union.
In its introduction, the report indicated that Zimbabwe’s Land Reform Programme has led to the United States of America imposing illegal sanctions under the so-called Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 which was amended with a view to further tighten its provisions in 2018. In it, the US Government inter alia instructs the US Executive Director to each international financial institution to oppose and vote against any extension by the respective institution of any loan, credit or guaranteed to the Government of Zimbabwe or any cancellation or reduction in indebtedness owed by the Government of Zimbabwe to the US or any international financial institution.
Supplementing these sanctions are executive sanctions, executive order 13288 of March 2003 which have been renewed on a yearly basis. It is clear that the sanctions are all-encompassing, contrary to claims that they are ring-fenced and targeted against a few individuals.
The EU also introduced its own sanctions regime in February 2002, while the EU lifted most of its sanctions in 2014, those against the Zimbabwe Defence Industry Company, senior Government officials and service chiefs as well as an arms-embargo are still in place. The EU insists that it will maintain the sanctions under constant review in light of political and security developments in Zimbabwe.
The US and EU sanctions against Zimbabwe are illegal and unjustified because they violate Chapter 41 of the United Nations Charter which states that sanctions can only be decided by the UN Security Council. Cognisant of this, in its resolution 39/210 of 18 December 1984, the UN General Assembly called on developed countries to refrain from threatening or applying trade restrictions, blockages, embargos and other economic sanctions incompatible with the provisions of the charter of the United Nations and in violation of undertakings contracted multi-laterally or bilaterally against developing countries as a form of political and economic cohesion which affects their economic, political and social development.
The Vienna Declaration and programme of Africa which was adopted by the World conference on Human Rights on 25 June 1993 was more specific calling on the states to refrain from any unilateral measure not in accordance with international law and the charter of the United Nations that creates obstacles to trade relations among nations and impeach the full realisation of human rights set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international human rights instruments, in particular, the rights of everyone to a standard of living adequate of their health and wellbeing, including food and medical care, housing and necessary social services.
In September 2014, the Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on human rights and unilateral cohesive measures. The resolutions stressed that unilateral cohesive measures are contrary to the United Nations Charter, International Law and International Humanitarian Law and the norms and principles governing peaceful relations amongst States. It highlighted that these measures result in socio-economic problems in the targeted countries. In this regard, the council decided to create the mandate of the special rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral cohesive measures on the enjoyment of human rights.
The former late Special Rapporteur and the current Special Rapporteur, Ms. Elena Douhan stressed unquestionable negative impact of these measures on the enjoyment of all human rights and therefore, called on those States that have imposed sanctions against other states to lift them.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, in its Nairobi Conference titled ‘Moving Towards an Inclusive and Equitable Group or Economic Environment of Trade and Development’ adopted at its full tenth Ministerial Session, clearly pronounced itself in paragraph 34 when it said the following;
“States are strongly urged to refrain from promulgating and applying any unilateral economic, financial or trade measures not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations that impede the full achievement of economic and social development particularly in development countries and that affect commercial interest”. These actions where cited as to hinder market access, investments and freedom of transit and the well-being of the populations of affected countries. Meaningful trade liberalisation will also require addressing non-tariff measures including inter alia unilateral measures where they may act as unnecessary trade barriers.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I will move on to the overall impact of the US imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe has lost over US$42 billion in revenue over the past 19 years because of the sanctions. This includes lost bilateral donor support estimated at US$4.5 billion annually since 2001, US$12 billion in loans from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank and the African Development Bank, commercial loans of up to US$18 billion and a GDP reduction of at least US$21 billion. As a consequence, the significant progress that Zimbabwe had made in the development of its infrastructure as well as health education and other social service delivery systems has been severely reversed. This has resulted in the most vulnerable sections of the population sinking in deeper poverty. For instance, the proportion of the population in extreme poverty rose in the aftermath of sanctions.
Mr. Speaker, to this end, Zimbabwe’s quest to attain the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals has also been impacted on. Further felt sanctions against Zimbabwe are affecting the smooth running of regional groupings such as the SADC. The SADC macro-economic conversion targets of low inflation, sustainable budget deficits, minimal public debt, equitable current account balances as well as the formation of a regional monetary union and the movement towards attaining regional industrialisation agenda are being compromised by Zimbabwe’s inability to meet most of its target.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I will now move on to the effects of the sanctions on the main sectors of the Zimbabwean economy. On the access to credit lines, Zimbabwe’s balance of payment’s position has deteriorated significantly since the imposition of the sanctions. Zimbabwe access to international credit markets was blocked following the enactment of ZIDERA. The country has been forced to virtually operate on a hand to mouth basis resulting in a significant build-up of external debt arrears. This unfavourable development has worsened the country’s credit worthiness as the country’s international financial risk profile escalated. Subsequently, this led to the drying up of traditional sources of external finance from the international financial institutions, with the country receiving no support from the African Development Banks since 1998, the IMF since 1999 and the World Bank since 2001, In essence, the IFIs stopped their support to Zimbabwe by instituting a number of suspension of balance of payment support, technical assistance, voting and related rights by the IMF and the declaration of illegibility to access fund resources.
Consequently, the country’s external arrears have continually increased. Mr. Speaker Sir, there are also noted impacts on the country’s financial services sector on the international financial transactions on the investment and growth of the economy and also on the agricultural sector impact on the industry and manufacturing sectors, impact on the mining sectors and also on the energy sectors.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I will zero in on the impact of the sanctions on the tourism sector. Bad publicity has dealt Zimbabwe’s tourism sector a negative blow. This is because Zimbabwe is falsely perceived as an unsafe and risk country to visit with the likes of the United Kingdom, USA, Germany, Australia and others issuing negative travel advices to their citizens. This drastically reduced the number of tourists’ arrivals from the West. There is also an impact on the health sector and also on the current prevalence of Cholera and other waterborne diseases in Zimbabwe.
The Government of Zimbabwe was very successful in the containment of pandemics prior to the introduction of sanctions. However, with the advent of ZIDERA, the ability of the country to fight diseases such as HIV and AIDS and Cholera has been affected mainly because of the lack of funding to fight these diseases.
In conclusion, to the impact of sanctions, Zimbabwe is willing to engage with sections of the international community which imposed sanctions. It is not a situation where we are not willing; we are actually willing as enunciated by our President when he took over Government in the Second Republic. The latter, which means United States must remove the illegal sanctions immediately and unconditionally to allow the country to move forward. Zimbabwe and its SADC partners therefore call upon the United States to unconditionally remove the sanctions which were imposed on the country in the year 2001 by the George Bush administration.
It is in pursuit of the aspirations of the SADC report that this Parliament must do its part and take it upon itself to seek justice for the people of Zimbabwe who have suffered so long due to the sanctions. Mr. Speaker Sir, on Section 4 part 5 (c) of ZIDERA under the heading - Multilateral Financial Restriction, it is stated that until the President makes the certification described in Section (d) and accepted as may be required to meet basic human needs or for good governance, the Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the United States Executive Director to each of the International Financial Institutions to oppose and vote against any extension of the respective institution of any loan credit or guarantee to the Government of Zimbabwe, any cancellation or reduction in indebtedness owed by the Government of Zimbabwe to the United States or to any International Financial Institution. On Section 6 under the heading - Sense of Congress on Actions to be taken against individuals responsible for violence and the breakdown of the rule of law in Zimbabwe, the ZIDERA Act reads in part as follows;
It is the sense of congress that the President should begin immediate consultation with the governance of the EU member states, Canada and other appropriate foreign countries on ways in which to
-Identify and share information regarding individuals responsible for the deliberate breakdown of the rule of law, politically motivated violence and intimidation in Zimbabwe.
- Identify assets of those individuals held outside Zimbabwe.
-Implement travel economic sanctions against those individuals and their associates or family members.
Mr. Speaker Sir, it is important to note that this Act has come upon us as part of an operation of the U. S. Foreign and Defence Policy. It is imperative that I unpack the U. S. Foreign and Defence Policy especially highlighting the human error element that exists in its establishment, particularly pointing out that there are phases where the United States of America has come up with some irrational foreign policy decisions which affects millions of people worldwide, not only in Zimbabwe and particularly those in the affected countries.
I will give you striking examples where for instance, Congress blocked the rational foreign policy decisions by its President and on the other hand, instances where Congress supported irrational foreign policy decisions by the President of the United States. In doing so, I wish to bring this House to the understanding that the decision to impose ZIDDERA by the U.S. Government may have been arrived at through an irrational foreign policy decision making process by the United States Congress.
I will give you one striking example during the presidency of Bill Clinton where the President faced congressional defiance when he proposed the need for the U. S. to pay its dues to the United Nations and when he proposed the lifting of sanctions against the Republic of Palestine which he thought no longer accept U. S. interest and also in 1993, when he made a rational decision to send troops into Bosnia to enforce low prime zone and support NATO Operations sponsored under the United Nations. In Bosnia, U. S. troops operated on a multilateral neutral force and Clinton’s rational decision was stopped by Congress in a clear show of irrationality of the U. S. Foreign Policy.
There were also instances where the Congress supported irrational decisions by the President of the United States especially during the presidency of President George Bush. It is during this presidency that the United States…
HON. MATEWU: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir. I believe the 20 minutes allocated to the Hon. Member has elapsed.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, Order! Hon. Member, this will be the second time that you are being advised again to be educated. – [Laughter.] - The mover of a motion has no limit. This is not from me but from the Standing Orders. So I encourage you to revise your Standing Orders accordingly. Hon. Dr. Mutodi, you can proceed.
HON. DR. MUTODI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I was indicating that during the presidency of President George Bush, we witnessed so many irrational decisions by the U. S. Government such as the invasion of Iraq where President Saddam Hussein was eventually assassinated under the claim of holding to weapons of mass destruction which later proved to be false. It is also under the same period that Zimbabwe was imposed or slapped with the illegal sanctions just because there was overwhelming support for the U. S. President in his foreign policy. It is clear that the foreign policy was baseless and based on unfounded facts which need to be fought by this Parliament.
Mr. Speaker Sir, having unpacked the irrationality of the U.S. foreign policy and having suggested that the ZEDERA was passed during a period of overwhelming presidential concurrence during President W. Bush’s administration, I am proposing that this House send a delegation to the United States of American to present a briefing paper to His Excellency the President of the United States of America and to Congress on the need for the U. S. Government to consider the repeal of ZIDERA and start a process of engagement and political and economic cooperation for the mutual benefit of both countries.
During the year 2023, I presented a briefing paper at the School of Government at the University of Birmingham on the Zimbabwe sanctions. It is this briefing paper that can be modified and panel beaten by this Parliament and then presented before the United States of America Congress and the President.
I will go through a few headings of the briefing paper. On its heading, it actually presents a question on whether the U.S should change its stance of sanctions against Zimbabwe. On its introduction, the briefing paper states that Zimbabwe is a country of about 15 million people located in the Southern African region. It is a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and African Union (AU). Zimbabwe has formally been a British colony named Rhodesia from 1965 to 1979 sharing the border with South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique and Zambia.
Its successive leaders since 1965, Ian Douglas Smith, 1965 to 1979, Robert Mugabe, 1980 to 2017 and Emmerson Mnangagwa, 2017 to date. Rhodesia first existed as Southern Rhodesia in 1923 when it was annexed at the British colony at the request of Cecil John Rhodes, a British imperialist. It was part of the British Monarch between 1965 and 1970 with Queen Elizabeth reigning as the Head of State. Between 1963 and 1980, there was war in Zimbabwe in which the black majority population fought for the independence of Zimbabwe from Britain in order to remove a white minority government led by Ian Douglas Smith and to install a majority rule.
The main grievances by the black nationalist leaders led by Mr. Robert Mugabe included racial discrimination which gave whites more rights than blacks including the right to vote, the right to education among other rights, land distribution imbalances where whites who constituted 4% of the population on the 90% of productive land and forced labour as blacks worked on the whites farms and factories for very low wages. The war, mainly a gorilla warfare ended in 1979 following a cease fire agreement for the Lancaster House Agreement where it was agreed that Britain would fund Zimbabwe’s land reform exercise.
Zimbabwe therefore gained independence on 18th April, 1980 with Robert Mugabe elected as Prime Minister and it initiated a land redistribution exercise using the willing buyer willing seller system until the black population became restless due to the ineffectiveness of this system as the whites left were not prepared to dispose their land. Between 2000 and 2002, there were widespread farm invasions mainly by former liberation war fighters targeting white owned commercial farms. At last 4 000 white farmers of British, Germany, South African and American origin were dispossessed of their land and they were alleged human rights abuses on the farms during the compulsory acquisition of land during the period mentioned.
On the issue of sanctions, the briefing paper states that the United States Government, under President George W. Bush’s administration, imposed unilateral sanctions against Zimbabwe in 2001, following human rights abuses against some White farmers which allegedly happened on farms. Some White farmers were reportedly killed in cold blood, while others were allegedly assaulted or forcefully removed from their farms. There were allegations that some crops were destroyed and some investments were destroyed as well.
So, this forms part of the background situation that then called for the sanctions. Then the United States Government responded to this situation through what is called ZIDERA. It was passed into law by congress in 2001, to promote allegedly democracy and economic recovery of Zimbabwe. Following the Land Reform Exercise, the Zimbabwean economy suffered major viability challenges including unstable currency, hyperinflation, high unemployment levels of over 90% coupled with a growing informal sector due to the retrenchment of skilled personnel, high levels of poverty and prostitution as well as high levels of HIV and AIDS.
There were also increasing resent among citizens in increased support for the opposition parties and civic society advocacy groups, who were allegedly fighting for good governance. The Government is allegedly to have responded through the media space, through Access to Information and Privacy Act, of course which they said was to limit the publication of falsehoods against the country and also perpetrating instability by these journalists who were publishing false stories in some cases.
Due to this development, the sanctions were imposed by the United States (US) Government in two forms. One of them being economic sanctions and the other being targeted sanctions. I will move on to the targeted sanctions. The US Government implemented targeted sanctions against senior Government officials and civil servants, who were believed to be at the centre of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. So, the briefing paper also tackle the sanctions under that heading. It also tackles the human interests of promoting democracy, ensuring that there is multilateralism and all that sort. It also touches on the forced action, which the US Government takes, chief among them is the diplomatic engagement that needs to be taken. Under this heading, the diplomatic engagement involves using diplomatic means to engage with the Zimbabwean Government on terms that promote mutual benefits through economic and political cooperation. It is proven that where States cooperate for mutual economic gain, they are least likely to engage in any conflict that may disturb the attainment of absolute cause.
So, it will also go on to talk about the costs that will be incurred during the sanction lifting process and the benefits that will accrue to both countries and the possibility of congressional support. Already in the United States Congress, a Senator called Jim Inhofe has already tabled a motion in the US Congress to repeal ZIDERA. The rationale for this motion is that the US sanctions are hurting ordinary Zimbabweans. It is not the political elite that they are talking about. Over the past 20 years, the US sanctions have failed to achieve their intended results according to their own interpretation and they are no longer relevant after President Robert Mugabe left office. The sanctions have impacted severely on women and children, and a significant number of economically active Zimbabweans have left the country into the diaspora, mainly South Africa, the United Kingdom (UK) and Australia. Many have left their wives and children, bearing the brunt of economic hardships, partly blamed on the US sanctions.
The Briefing Paper will also look on the international support for diplomatic engagement and under this heading, it reads as follows; the imposition of sanctions on Zimbabwe happen during the leadership of Mr. Tony Blair, as Prime Minister of the UK. Mr. Blair’s disagreement with President Robert Mugabe on the way in which the Land Reform would be funded inevitably resulted in the chaotic Land Reform Exercise which precipitated the sanctions against Zimbabwe by the US, EU and the UK.
However, following the Brexit, which is the movement of the British State from the European Union (EU), the EU cannot continue to enforce these sanctions. Also following the election of President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa as President of Zimbabwe, there is no longer need for the continued imposition of sanctions. The President has fought to improve relations between Zimbabwe and the UK – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]- President Mnangagwa has implemented a re-engagement policy aimed at normalising relations between Zimbabwe and the West, apart from instituting fiscal transparency and other economic reforms. The Government of Zimbabwe has also applied to be re-admitted into the Commonwealth, a group of former British colonies, meaning that the Government is prepared for any reforms required for such admission. The efforts of President Emmerson Mnangagwa in improving relations with the West therefore deserve international support.
I will look on the downside risks, the implication on the wider US strategy and recommendation. The recommendation is to have the US Congress remove the sanctions unconditionally and immediately. This should be done through a delegation sent to the congress and to the President of the United States of America. This delegation is being sent by this Parliament to ensure that they appear before the congress and the President and advocate for the unconditional removal of the sanctions. I thank you.
HON. SHAMU: May I thank you for allowing me to add my voice in support of the motion moved by Hon. Mutodi, calling on the United States Government to repeal its Zimbabwe Democracy and Recovery Act (ZIDERA). The sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe through ZIDERA are indeed illegal. These illegal sanctions were not supported or approved by the United Nations.
Mr. Speaker Sir, over the period 1980 until the end of 1997, Zimbabwe’s economic growth was only second to South Africa in Africa. Between the year 2001 to today, Zimbabwe has experienced serious challenges to its economic and social development due to the impact of the illegal sanctions imposed by the United States Government. I do agree and support the points raised by Hon. Mutodi, that poverty has been entrenched in the country, mainly affecting women, children, the elderly and disabled. Millions of Zimbabweans who are economically active, men and women of note left the country for the diaspora looking for employment opportunities and better standards of life which they have been deprived of due to the United States illegally sponsored sanctions.
Zimbabwe has lost billions of US dollars in revenue because of the illegal sanctions. The illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the United States of America have had a serious negative impact on the economic performance of Zimbabwe, as they not only affect the key productive sectors, which are the mining and agricultural sectors, but also put a negative tag on the country’s image leaving investors and donors less than willing to support the country through investment and aid respectively.
Thanks to the ingenuity of His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe is constructing its roads and bridges using it own resources. Most development projects of this magnitude are done using multilateral donors and not internal resources. The norm, the world over is that construction of roads and bridges is carried out basing on funding from such institutions as the World Bank. Zimbabwe cannot access the funding of that nature because of the illegal sanctions. Infrastructure of this nature indeed needs soft loans from such institutions as the World Bank. Zimbabwe is being denied the ability to float its own bond notes on the international market and raise foreign currency for infrastructure development.
Zimbabwe was denied this right by the United States of America, simply because the people of Zimbabwe waged a justified war of liberation, defeated the enemy, defeated imperialism, defeated capitalism and now that they have taken over their birth right, are being denied the right to enjoy it. What we are witnessing here is history repeating itself. The American Government’s imposition of illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe has no difference with what apartheid in South Africa as military aggression and destabilisation of the then Front-Line States did before apartheid was defeated. Billions of dollars and millions of lives were lost in Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique, in a calculated strategy designed to entrench economic dependency of the then Front-Line States on apartheid South African regime.
They wanted to stop the Front-Line States from supporting the just struggle of the people of South Africa led by the African National Congress in their just fight against apartheid. The similarity of the evil activities of the United States of America to what apartheid South Africa did and was indeed defeated, lie in the fact that American Government does not want to see a politically and economically free Zimbabwe. They do not want to see us carry the revolution through to its logical conclusion which is complete control of the commanding heights of our economy. This is why SADC declared the 25th October the anti-sanctions day.
The motion that has been presented before this august House by Hon Mutodi deserves the support of this august House in as far as it has the potential to extricate Zimbabwe from the albatross of the illegal economic sanctions imposed unilaterally by the Government of the United States of America. The recommendation made by Hon Mutodi for Parliament to send a high-powered delegation – when l talk about high powered delegation, Madam Speaker Ma’am, I am indeed looking at your Chair. Indeed, in the name of the Speaker of Parliament himself, Hon Adv. J. F. Mudenda to lead the delegation to address Congress and present a briefing paper to the President of the United States of America. Madam Speaker, this is a necessary initiative which should be supported by this august House. Indeed, the illegal economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe must go and must go now. I thank you Madam Speaker.
+HON. R. MPOFU: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I will debate in Ndebele. I want to support the motion regarding sanctions which was moved by Hon. Mutodi, seconded by Hon. Shamu. I am one person who supports the idea of the removal of sanctions and as Zimbabweans, we are innocent, we are not guilty. We need to unite and send a high-powered delegation which was mentioned by Hon. Shamu, which will be led by Hon. Advocate Jacob Mudenda, the Speaker of Parliament to go and advocate for the removal of sanctions on behalf of our nation. This is indeed killing the general populace. It is affecting people regardless of political affiliation. Every Zimbabwean is a casualty of sanctions.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, from 2001 to 2002, during the Land Reform Programme, when Zimbabwe was taking its heritage, this provoked the British who responded. It was painful and difficult. When the sanctions came, they were really biting. They affected schools and even people in their domestic homes, in the industry, in the shops and the economy reeled from sanctions. We are one no matter which party. What we do not want is destroying the economy by these sanctions. I want to commend the Government which came in 2018, the New Dispensation and the Second Republic, when President E. D. Mnangagwa took over. He came in during a difficult period but he fought hard. With the resources we have, he managed to transform the Beitbridge Border Post to a One-Stop Border Post. He refurbished the roads through the Roads Rehabilitation Programme, regardless of parties. He has transformed the people’s lives.
Please bear with me, my tooth is aching but I am really pained by this issue of sanctions. I therefore, implore the Western countries to remove sanctions. We seek the Holly Spirit to come upon them so that they remove sanctions. If the sanctions are removed, then Zimbabwe with its resources, endowed with all which is needed by the British and Westerners, you will find that it is as if we are competing or running with both hands and feet tied. Madam Speaker, this is an emotional issue to me. Please bear with me. We need to stand together and fight sanctions. When sanctions are removed, we will have peace in the country. As Parliament, we will achieve and people will have sustainable livelihoods. I will not say much but I am very emotional when speaking about such issues which affect the disabled. To me, this is like victimisation. It provokes and invokes emotions because if sanctions are not removed, then it will be like we are not doing anything. Civil servants are suffering but Government is trying. Madam Speaker, this is painful. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MUSA NCUBE): Thank you Hon. Mpofu. I am really sorry that you are not feeling well. Get well soon please. Thank you for your contribution.
HON. CHIDUWA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I rise to debate a motion brought by Hon. Mutodi, seconded by Hon. Shamu on the unilaterally imposed Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA) on Zimbabwe by the United States Government. Let me preface my debate by covering the historic trigger that led to these unilateral and genocidal sanctions. The primary reason and objective for the liberation war which was waged against the settler colonial occupation…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Chiduwa. Just a moment. Hon. Hamauswa, can you please approach the Chair. You can continue Hon. Chiduwa.
Hon. Hamauswa approached the Chair.
HON. CHIDUWA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. The primary reason for and objective of the liberation war which was waged against the settler colonial occupation in pre-independent Zimbabwe was the restoration of land, forcibly seized by settlers from the indigenous Zimbabweans, without compensation over the century-long colonial occupation of Zimbabwe. It is important to underscore the cardinal importance of land to Zimbabwe, considering that it defines our identity as Zimbabweans and concomitantly its right for self-determination as enshrined in Article 27 of the United Nations (UN) Charter. When the Lancaster House Agreement was consummated, it was agreed that a cessation of hostilities, which then led to independent Zimbabwe was going to lead to the Land Reform Programme. Zimbabwe was committed to an orderly Land Reform Programme as long as the compensation for land was going to be done by the UK Government. Unfortunately, what then triggered the invasion was a statement which was submitted to the then Minister of Lands, the late Hon. Kumbirai Kangai, which was submitted by Clere Short. When Clere Short said, ‘I am an Irish and I am also a victim of what you went through as Zimbabweans’, because of that we do not accept that Britain has a special responsibility to meet the cost of land purchase. This was just a small paper which was submitted to the then Minister of Lands by Clere Short. So from there they denied responsibility for funding land but as I said in my prefix, the main reason why we waged the liberation war was because we wanted our land back. We wanted the means of production, the land and whatever is underneath the land and what then comes after that. Since this was coming from the Minister of International Development who was representing the Foreign Policy of the UK Government, it was very clear that the British Government would not honour its colonial obligation as agreed at the Lancaster House. We then decided to take our land. Revolutions do not have any order. What we just needed was land, whether it was going to be done orderly or not orderly, we just wanted land so we took back our land. You can define it the way you want but we then took the land. As a response to what was done by the Zimbabweans, the UK Government, USA Government and the EU ganged up against Zimbabwe and imposed sanctions and as long as these sanctions were done against Article 41 of the United Nations, they are illegal. The unilateral sanctions that were imposed by the UK, USA and the EU on Zimbabwe are illegal and unjustified because Zimbabwe wanted to correct a historical imbalance, historical injustice and these sanctions came in various forms as already alluded to by the mover of the motion. ZIDERA, where the USA President is the one with the full responsibility to certify if Zimbabwe should remain or should be removed from the sanctions restrictive measures. Then there is also AGOA, Executive Measures, the OFAC and the EU Coercive and restrictive measures but what you may also want to know is that the USA is crying more than the bereaved. It is the USA Government that came up with ZIDERA and not the UK Government. We did not have any issue with the USA Government but the sanctions in the form of an Act which has to be repealed or imposed by the USA Government and this is why I am saying they are crying more than the bereaved.
The Impact of the Unilateral Sanctions.
The cummulative effect of the over 20 years of unilateral coercive measures has been immense, impacting negatively on all sectors of the Zimbabwean economy and its people as a whole, severely undermining the relations of the United Nations development goals, the ZIM-ASSET and the economic recovery programme. These are some of the policies that we have implemented since the inception of these sanctions and the sanctions had almost threatened the achievements of the Sustainable Development Goals. During the imposition of the unilateral coercive sanctions, the enjoyment of human rights as enshrined in a number of international legal instruments and the Constitution of Zimbabwe has been violated.
The Former US assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Chester Crooker, during US Sanctions Law hearings said ZIDERA was meant to make the economy of Zimbabwe scream. Crooker said if you want to separate the people from a ZANU-PF Government, you should make the economy scream. This is why you see today the Hon. Minister of Finance has no fiscal space to implement Government programmes. We can cry and say the fiscal measures are too tight but these are the impacts of sanctions. ZIDERA shrunk the fiscal space for the Government. The Government is hamstrung. ZIDERA, to us Zimbabweans, is an antithesis of the problem that we want to realise as Zimbabwe and it has grossly violated the rights of Zimbabweans. Some of the rights that have been infringed are, inter alia:
- the right to life
- the right to development
- the right to work
- the right to health
- the right to food
- the right to housing
- the right to water and sanitation
- the right to education
- the right to clean and safe environment
- the right to human dignity
- the right to free trade
- the right to social protection
- the right to identity
- the right to free and fair elections.
The major gross violator of human rights in Zimbabwe is the, UK and USA Government. You see, as Zimbabweans in Parliament here present, we were even supposed to be very close to each other as political parties but we were divided even by this ZIDERA because some of us were expecting sweets so you will see that this, as alluded to already, ZIDERA is an antithesis to who we are as Zimbabweans and this is why it is very critical for all of us as Zimbabweans to put our political differences aside and support this motion as moved by Hon. Mutodi and seconded by Hon. Shamu.
Impact on the National Economy
The imposition of unilateral coercive measures in 2000
resulted in sustained economic contraction in almost all the sectors of the economy, resulting in a cumulative Gross Domestic Product (GDP) decline by about USD21 billion. Some of the major economic sectors which have been directly affected by the measures include agriculture, manufacturing, mining, tourism and the financial sector. These sectors are what we define as real economy. Zimbabwe has also lost over USD42 billion in revenue, USD4.5 billion in bilateral donor support annually since 2001, USD12 billion in loans from the IMF, World Bank and the African Development Bank and USD18 billion in international commercial loans.
The contraction of the economy is attributed to declining Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow as investors tend to shun Zimbabwe perceived as high risk. FDI inflows increased significantly from an average of USD8 million per year in the 1980s to an average of USD95 million in the 1990s, but declined to about USD20 million per year after 2000. Exports shrunk from USD2.4 billion in 1996 to USD1.5 billion in 2009.
Infrastructure across all sectors that include roads, railway,
telecommunications, energy generation, water and sanitation deteriorated, resulting in an infrastructural funding gap of USD34 billion as at 2017.
The issue on debt: Poor economic performance crippled the ability of the economy to generate adequate revenues for Government to provide basic social services in the areas of health, education, social protection, water and sanitation. Further, the Government failed to service its foreign debt which stood at USD3.1 billion as at 2000, but has since ballooned to about USD18 billion, of which about USD5.2 billion are arrears, further compounding the incapacitation of the Government to provide essential services.
Agriculture and Food Security
Agriculture is the backbone of the Zimbabwean economy,
contributing between 14-17% of GDP, major export earnings and a source of raw materials to industry. Unilateral coercive measures resulted in a sharp decline in agricultural investment, negatively affecting agricultural productivity and overall production. That is why you see now, having realised that for a country to function, we need food. The President guided Treasury to say we need to invest a lot in food security. Even if you check our National Development Strategy One (NDS1), food security is a priority area and we have done investments in water. The issue is not about the dam or water, but what are you going to use the water for? If you check the dams that have been constructed to cover industrial development, agriculture, food security –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Chiduwa, you are left with five minutes.
HON. SHAMU: I propose that the Hon. Member be given more time.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Chiduwa, I am sorry we are running out of time. We are supposed to adjourn at five o’clock so that we give our Members time to go through the budget analysis report. We want to adjourn at 5 o’clock exactly so we cannot give you more time. You are only left with five minutes.
HON. CHIDUWA: The production of maize, sorghum, millet and other cash crops continued to trend downwards since 2000. Maize yields declined from a peak of 1.2 metric tonnes (MT) per hectare (ha) in 2000 to an average of 0.749 MT/ha to date. Between the periods 2010 - 2016, the proportion of food insecure people increased from as low as 6% before the unilateral coercive measures were imposed, to a high of 42% in 2016. Zimbabwe, which used to be the bread basket of the Southern Africa region, is now a net importer of agricultural produce. Maize imports increased from as low as 876 MT in 2001 to as high as 308 267 MT in 2017. Wheat imports also increased from 5000 MT in 2002 to as high as 276 776 MT in 2018.
The unilateral coercive measures damaged the image of the country through negative perceptions by the international community, making it extremely difficult to access international agricultural financing. This has resulted in lack of development, rehabilitation, modernisation and deterioration of production and marketing infrastructure, ultimately reducing productivity and access to markets. There was a decline in the number of functional tractors from 14 000 to 6 000 against a national requirement of 40 000 units. The combine harvesting capacity declined from 300 units to 130 functional units against national requirement of 400 units. There is a shortage of cold storage infrastructure around the country. The state-of-the-art packing houses which are required to facilitate exports to European markets are also limited. Additionally, the number of functional irrigation schemes declined from 275 000 ha to less than 206 000 ha due to lack of repair and maintenance, rehabilitation and modernisation. Zimbabwe has the potential to irrigate up to 2 million ha.
AGRIBANK, the major agricultural financing institution, is not able to finance agriculture due to lack of offshore lines of credit. CBZ Bank, another significant financier of Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector, is also under unilateral coercive measures, which are negatively affecting its ability to access international lines of credit.
Previously, farmers used to export horticulture produce to The Netherlands and the UK. However, access to these markets was restricted, resulting in a significant decline in the horticulture industry. By 2005, horticulture exports had gone down to about USD72 million, with the value further tumbling to USD40 million by 2009. The horticultural industry’s contribution to the GDP fell from about 4.5% before the year 2000 to the current 0.8%.
Similarly, under the Convention on Beef and Veal Protocol, Zimbabwe had a preferential tariff quota which allowed it to export 9 100 MT of beef into the EU annually. Under the Sugar Protocol, Zimbabwe’s preferential tariff quota stood at 30 225 MT annually. It could increase its sugar quota by a further 25 000 MT under the variable Special Preference. All the quotas were scrapped due to unilateral coercive measures imposed on Zimbabwe.
The cotton industry is also being prevented from accessing the EU markets, except through middlemen, which has resulted in the loss of 5-10% of the value of produce. The cotton industry used to export products valued at USD50 million and it is now getting less owing to the inaccessibility of the EU markets. In addition, the industry is failing to pay for inputs, spare parts and machinery to companies outside the country.
Mining Industry
Zimbabwe’s economy depends heavily on its mining industry,
which accounts for about 8% of GDP, 70% of exports receipts and employs about 36 500 people. The two major parastatals, Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) and Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ), which provide vital services to the sector are under unilateral coercive measures and the following is instructive:
ZMDC, responsible for mineral production and development is prohibited from conducting financial or commercial transactions with global business entities posing serious viability and liquidity challenges. Sales from operational mines are limited to those who are willing to trade with Zimbabwe and thereby negatively impacting on the market size and mineral prices.
MMCZ, which is responsible for marketing the country’s minerals is also under unilateral coercive measures, constraining its operations. Sales proceeds are being confiscated and payments to creditors in US dollars are also withheld, with detrimental effects to the viability of the mining industry. A total of USD1.5 million belonging to miners, MMCZ, and Government has been blocked to date. Mining value chains and the industrial forward and backward linkages
Manufacturing Industry
The manufacturing sector’s performance deteriorated markedly from 24% of GDP in 1999 to 13.1% in 2016. The cumulative effect of the coercive measures has resulted in high cost of borrowing (with interest premiums as high as 18%), obsolete technology, shortage of spares, loss of export markets, low levels of long-term finance to enable re-tooling and low aggregate demand. As a result, manufacturing capacity utilisation fell from 70-76% in the 1980s to an all-time low of 10% in 2008.
Strategic companies such as Chemplex and ZimPhos, involved in the production of phosphate fertilisers were negatively affected by the unilateral coercive measures, threatening their long-term viability. The impairment caused by the measures have increased the overall cost of production resulting in expensive fertilizers, which ultimately threatened food security. Large companies like Olivine Industries (a major player in the cooking oil industry) where the Zimbabwean Government owned equity, was forced to close shop in 2019 as a result of viability challenges. Closure of companies over the past two decades in the manufacturing sector has resulted in high levels of unemployment in the country.
The negative performance of the national economy, which has resulted in decreased agricultural output, has also impacted negatively on the manufacturing sector, given the backward and forward linkages between the two sectors.
Energy Sector
The energy sector has not been spared from the impact of unilateral coercive measures through low levels of investment, high cost of energy, decline in lines of credit, obsolete technology, failure to access spares, among other challenges. Electricity generation capacity now stands at less than 1 200 MW against an installed capacity of 2 000 MW, which has forced Zimbabwe to import electricity from the region with scarce foreign currency, leading to debt accumulation to the tune of around USD133 million. Considering that energy is a key economic enabler, restricted power generation capacity constrains economic activity, rendering domestically produced goods and services uncompetitive, locally and internationally.
Similarly, the absence of international lines of credit has constrained the capacity to import adequate fuel products to meet demand. This has led to the accumulation of external debt, worsening the public debt situation.
Financial Sector
The imposition of unilateral coercive measures on Zimbabwe
compelled traditional financial creditors to classify the country as high risk, limiting access to international capital, thereby making the country a target for de-risking. Currently, only 6 out of 27 commercial banks are able to transact internationally. There is an observed trend towards de-risking of money service businesses, foreign embassies, non-profit organisations, and correspondent banks, which has resulted in bank account closures, mainly in the US, the UK and Australia.
A telling example is when the Infrastructure Development
Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ) failed to access correspondent bank relationships with Commerzbank AG, Societe Generale, China Construction Bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Standard Chartered Bank New York, Nedbank South Africa, Bank of New York Mellon and Barclays Bank Plc. CBZ bank, ZB Bank and AGRIBANK all under unilateral coercive measures have also failed to conduct international transactions. For example, the imposition by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of a USD3,5 million fine on CBZ Bank, the largest commercial bank, crippled its operations affecting thousands of ordinary Zimbabweans. In the same vein, ZIMRE Holdings had funds confiscated by the OFAC to the tune of USD1.7million, resulting in operational difficulties in trade and massive retrenchments without severance packages.
A German company, Giesecke and Devrient, Zimbabwe’s banknote paper supplier for over 50 years, unilaterally terminated the supplies of paper to Zimbabwe in July 2008. This resulted in loss of a fully paid up consignment of paper due for delivery to the Reserve Bank being denied exit from Germany.
Development Partners Support
The withdrawal of Official Development Assistance (ODA), in the wake of the imposition of unilateral coercive measures, precipitated the marked curtailment of development programs. This is best illustrated by the withdrawal of funds by both Denmark and Sweden, amounting to USD115 million a year. The funds were used to complement Government efforts in infrastructure development, health, food security and agricultural sectors
Transport
The imposition of unilateral coercive measures on Zimbabwe adversely affected the transport sector resulting in marked declines in the operability of the road, rail and air transport systems. The measures curtailed the ability of these subsectors to access offshore lines of credit, receive multilateral donor support, acquisition of spares and equipment, among other challenges. Consequently, the safety, reliability and serviceability of road, rail and air transport systems were compromised.
Air Zimbabwe
Air Zimbabwe was suspended from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) billing and ticketing system. As a result, the airline cannot sell interline tickets or international tickets via travel agents or other airlines. In 2019, the Airline failed to comply with international airworthiness requirements and to access aircraft engineering maintenance services for an Embraer aircraft it had purchased due to ZIDERA related restrictions. Resultantly, the Airline was forced to ground the aircraft for at least 2 years.
Air Zimbabwe has, since the end of 2018, been unable to process payments in USD, Pound Sterling and the Euro to its suppliers and service providers due to ongoing de-risking activities by correspondent banks. The Airline has also been affected by non-voluntary bank accounts closures by most international banks it has previously traded with such as Standard Chartered New York, Barclays Bank London and Dresdner Bank Germany.
Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ)
CAAZ has been operating without a Radar and Surveillance
system for the past 11 years because potential suppliers are reluctant to enter into business relations with an entity where the Zimbabwean Government is the beneficial owner for fear of violating coercive measures imposed on the country. This resulted in a number of foreign Airlines withdrawing services from Zimbabwe and these include Lufthansa Germany, British Airways, KLM Netherlands, Air France and Qantas Australia. Therefore, air transport lost almost 50% of traffic movements at its airports and airspace. In 1997, a total of 2,280,153 passengers were registered in Zimbabwe, but the number of passengers dropped by almost 63% to as low as 834,269 in 2003. These figures demonstrate retarded growth, lost employment opportunities and revenues, which had a direct impact on the tourism industry.
National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ)
The NRZ experienced a significant decline in serviceable rolling stock resulting in business volumes, declining from 12 million MT in the late 90’s to below 2.5 million MT to date. This loss of business translates to an average annual loss in business, amounting to USD133.1 million. As a result, the NRZ has laid off 5 200 employees, from a peak of 9 000 in year 2000 to 3 800, thereby compounding the unemployment situation prevailing in the country.
Tourism Industry
The Zimbabwean tourism sector has been adversely affected by the
negative perceptions that are engendered by the unilateral coercive measures. Room occupancy plummeted from a high of 60% recorded in the late 90s to below 40% in 2000 and bottoming out at 34% in 2006. Zimbabwe also experienced a drastic reduction in the number of firms operating in the industry, declining from a peak of 118 in 2000 to 56 by 2005.The decline in tourist numbers is a result of bad publicity and the spill over effects of the impact of the coercive measures on the aviation sector, where the number of airlines entering Zimbabwe declined.
Zimbabwe lost a significant market share owing to travel warnings and restrictions. The western press generally portrayed Zimbabwe as an unsafe tourist destination with the UK, USA, Germany and Australia at various times issuing negative travel advisories. Travel advisories drastically reduced the number of tourist arrivals from the west.
Social Services Provision
Social services provision has not been spared from the negative
effects of the coercive measures imposed on Zimbabwe; the sharp economic contraction severely constrained the Government’s ability to provide basic social services. As I have mentioned, if you want to separate people from their Government, you need to make sure that the economy should scream and these are some of the impacts. As a result, the country experienced a regression in key socio-economic indicators, such as gender empowerment, health services, water and sanitation, housing, education, food and nutrition and natural disaster preparedness and response among other key outcome areas. Accordingly, over 500 infrastructure projects were mothballed as a result of the financing challenges induced by the coercive measures. This has also contributed to an acute shortage of housing, as evidenced by the proliferation of informal settlements observed in urban centres.
Due to the unilateral coercive measures, water and sanitation infrastructure deteriorated. This engendered cholera and typhoid epidemics, notably in 2008 and 2018. The two outbreaks led to over
3 000 deaths and affected lives and livelihoods of countless more.
Zimbabwe is prone to natural disasters, experiences frequent and
severe floods and droughts. Therefore, budgetary constraints caused by unilateral coercive measures, have effectively prolonged disaster response times, with the country effectively still grappling with the infrastructural damage caused by Cyclone Eline (2000) and Cyclone Idai (2019).
Impact on Women, children and other vulnerable groups
Women and youth organisations and other vulnerable groups like children, the elderly and the disabled were severely affected by sanctions.
Besides, the livelihoods of women and youths have become precarious as they cannot access financial assistance and lines of credit from local banks. The group can no longer access development and entrepreneurship funding from regional and international financial institutions due to sanctions.
The sanctions caused a fall in the country’s revenues and
devaluation of national currency, resulting in high inflation and unemployment. This resulted in the deterioration of people’s overall welfare and lowering of their ability to access the necessities of a standard life such as nutritious food, healthcare and medicine.
In essence, the illegal sanctions have caused significant worsening
of public health conditions and economic well-being of the majority of Zimbabweans. While the number of people who could have died due to poverty is difficult to ascertain, the above figures reveal that the effects of sanctions directly contributed to poverty in the country which now perpetuates the cycle of poverty, resulting in poverty-related deaths.
Impact on the Region
- The imposition of sanctions saw an increase in outward migration
of skilled and non-skilled labour force to neighbouring countries. This human capital flight heavily affected the economy of Zimbabwe which was already under stress. In turn, this impacted on resources in terms of social services delivery in the recipient neighbouring countries. The sporadic attacks on foreigners in some of the neighbouring countries could be directly attributed to sanctions as the recipients of our citizens have to put more resources towards social services.
- Before 2000, Zimbabwe used to enroll and train a high number of
students from the SADC region in its colleges and universities. However, the situation has changed due to sanctions. Internationally, Zimbabwe has been struck off from a number of scholarships programmes that complemented Government’s human capital development efforts.
- On infrastructure that support regional trade, Zimbabwe provides
road and rail links for many SADC countries due to its strategic central location. The deterioration of road infrastructure due to financing challenges has resulted in high cost of operations for road users from the region. Zimbabwe could not revamp the railway system that could have benefitted the region due to sanctions.
- The long and winding queues of Zimbabwean travelers.
Impact on Regional Co-operation
Sanctions are affecting the smooth running of regional groupings such as SADC and COMESA. The SADC macroeconomic convergence targets of low inflation, sustainable budget deficits, minimal public debt, equitable current account balances, as well as the formation of a regional monetary union and the movement towards attaining the region’s industrilisation agenda are being compromised by the sanctions. Zimbabwe has failed to meet most of the targets owing to the adverse effects of sanctions. For instance, while the average rate of inflation for the region declined from 29 percent in 2002 to 7.7 percent in 2012, Zimbabwe’s inflation around 2000 was in the three digit range while in 2012, it was in the negative territory and the economy was stagnant yet it desperately needed some growth to stimulate employment.
Sanctions have also resulted in Zimbabwe failing to be effectively represented at some international meetings, where crucial decisions and commitments are made, as some targeted individuals especially high-ranking government officials are denied visas.
Labor and Migration
In response to economic hardships triggered by the unilateral coercive measures, economically active people, especially with critical skills and the youth (human capital), migrated in search of greener pastures, for instance in South Africa, UK, Canada, Australia and USA, compromising Zimbabwe’s economic development prospects. Statistics indicate that emigrants currently stand at approximately 3.6 million.
Poverty
The national poverty rate in Zimbabwe increased from 32.2% in 2001 to 38.3% in 2019, growing at an average annual rate of 10.32% as a result of the impact of unilateral coercive measures on the economy. The elevated poverty levels have led to an increase in the rate of criminality, substance abuse, mental illness and cases of suicide.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Zimbabwe has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, ranking 34th in 2019 out of 183 countries, with the crude suicide rate of 14.1 people per 100 000. More so, when the rate is age adjusted, Zimbabwe ranked 5th in 2018 and 8th in 2019.
Unemployment
The number of persons working in the informal sector has increased dramatically. Before the imposition of unilateral coercive measures, the informal sector employed 490 000 people each year, but this number has increased to 1.65 million. This signifies high levels of underemployment and lack of decent work, given that degreed people are on the streets selling different wares e.g. cigarettes and airtime/phone credit. The most affected are the youth, with 94.5% working in the informal economy. This indicates that households have become more reliant on the informal sector, which has negatively impacted the Government’s revenue base due to lost taxes.
Further, coercive measures resulted in the exclusion of Zimbabwean students from international scholarships critical for human capital development. They also resulted in a reduction in the number of collaborations with research institutions, funding for research projects and limited exchange visits in critical areas.
Crime
The general deterioration and harsh socio-economic environment in the country, induced by the unilateral imposition of coercive measures, has over the years led to a pronounced increase in crime levels. Unilateral coercive measures greatly decimated formal employment opportunities, compelling a large segment of the population to enter the informal sector, whilst others have resorted to criminality in order to survive.
From 2000 onwards, the crime rate increased significantly by 84% in response to constricted employment opportunities, resulting in increased drug and substance abuse, illicit foreign currency dealings, robberies, theft, increased illegal artisanal mining activities and smuggling among other activities. Elevated household poverty levels have led to an increase in the practice of child pledging and early child marriages, as financial struggling families try to make ends meet.
Cases of violence against women are also on the increase, ever since January 2011 to date, an average of 2 900 rape cases have been reported each year. It is evident from the foregoing that unilateral coercive measures have not only had an adverse economic impact, but have also torn the social fabric, values and morals of the Zimbabwean society.
The above distressing crime statistics have been occasioned by the lack of operational effectiveness of law enforcement agencies due to inadequate financial and material resources, induced by the unilateral coercive measures; a case in point being the non-delivery of 1 000 Land Rover Defender vehicles, purchased from the UK in 1998. Initially, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) was supposed to take delivery of 1 500 vehicles, however the unilateral coercive measures were imposed after only 500 had been delivered, leaving a balance of 1 000 that have not been delivered to date.
Despite all the socio-economic hardships caused by the unilateral coercive measures imposed on Zimbabwe, the country continues to comply with its responsibility of promoting, protecting and fulfilling its domestic, regional and international human rights obligations.
CONCLUSION
In order to facilitate the removal of the unilateral coercive measures, that have devastated the country, Zimbabwe has reached out to countries that have imposed these measures. However, the dialogue with the EU, which is currently at the Ministerial level, has been progressing slowly, leading to frustration. Zimbabwe, however remains hopeful that the Parties will be able to reach common ground in the immediate future.
Efforts have also been made to conclude the land reform question, through the signing of a Global Compensation Agreement with former commercial farmers to the tune of USD3.5 billion as compensation for the developments made on the land. The country has also implemented a number of economic and political reforms, for example crafted economic blueprints such as the Transitional Stabilization Program (TSP), 2018-2020 and the current National Development Strategy (NDS1), 2021-2025.
It is the Zimbabwean Government’s fervent hope that all these efforts and measures would culminate in the unconditional lifting of all the unilateral coercive measures to enable citizens to fully enjoy their human rights.
I fully support the motion by Hon. Mutodi that there be unconditional lifting of sanctions on Zimbabwe, let there be engagement. It is high time this House starts to talk about reparations given the excesses that were done by the British Government when they forcibly took land and enslaved our ancestors. I thank you.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you for giving me this opportunity to make my comments on the issue of sanctions. Let me be very clear that sanctions indeed affected our international financial transactions, but basically, what is important is that if you look at the ZIDERA, it is a foreign policy document which we may not have absolute control over. Let me be honest with you. Zimbabwe has its own foreign policy as well where it gives a framework upon which it works and relates with other countries. So, in my honest opinion, we want sanctions gone, but let us do this together. Let us work together to ensure that we give commitment to what has been highlighted in the ZIDERA itself. Let us show commitment. If we do not show commitment – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] – I understand Zimbabwe has created a roadmap to deal with the land issue and it actually agreed to set aside US$3,5 billion to compensate the white farmers. So, where are we? I would want this Parliament to tell us where we are now with that process. Where are we on good governance issues? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] – Where are we on issues to do with –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members!
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you Madam Speaker, that testifies of the issue on human rights abuses as a reason of continued sanctions. If you look at the Amendment of 2018, those were issues which were at the core. This is what I am saying and that is why I am going back to those issues because they point to the problems that we are facing today as a country….
HON. NGULUVHE: On a point of order Madam Speaker! My point of order is that the Hon. Member is debating off the issue on discussion. The issue under discussion is on the removal of sanctions but now he is debating on human rights. These are the same people who went to ask for sanctions on the pretext of human rights. So, we cannot tolerate that – the reason why there is ZIDERA is because we have individuals who complained on the issue of human rights and therefore, we had sanctions imposed. So we do not tolerate such people. He is only speaking on behalf of the Americans. Thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you. I was saying that you cannot refer to the Mabvuku issue because you do not have full evidence of what transpired in Mabvuku. May you please debate on sanctions.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you Madam Speaker for the protection. One of the reasons why Zimbabwe is not getting assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is not because we owe the IMF. It is because we owe other bilateral institutions…
HON. S. SITHOLE: On a point of order Madam Speaker! Madam Speaker, he must first withdraw his initial statement…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, Order Hon. Hamauswa!
HON. S. SITHOLE: He must first withdraw his initial statement before proceeding. – [*HON. MEMBERS: Ko KuMabvuku hakuna kufiwa here?] -
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, Order Hon. Members! You may proceed Hon. Member.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you, Madam Speaker. We are talking about sanctions and I was saying the reason why we are not getting money from the IMF for now is not because we owe them anything, but because we owe other bilateral institutions such as the Paris Clubs and the Non-Paris Clubs. Do you know why that matters?
It matters a lot as the credit-worthiness of a country, there is nothing to do with sanctions on that one but it is because of credit-worthiness. What we are paying now are just tokens of commitment but not meaningful to get our country back on track. Let me be honest with you and say that there are issues that need us to address as a nation first before we go to the United States of America – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]– I would like to thank the Hon. Member who spoke last. He was so vivid that as Zimbabweans, we are one country, we need support.
Let us be honest with you, the American government owes Zimbabwe nothing – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]– Let me be very clear on that one because it now appears as if they owe us something. No, they do not owe us anything. What we need to do is to put a roadmap that will allow us to be re-incorporated to get soft lending, grants, credit lines and our country will move forward. I submit Hon. Chair. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] -
HON. MUKOMBERI: Thank you, Madam Speaker and good afternoon. It is my honour to be afforded this opportunity to add my voice on the illegality and need for lifting economic sanctions imposed on the Zimbabwean economy by its colonial masters and allies.
Madam Speaker, the thrust of my presentation is to elucidate on the devastating effect of illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe on its economic war bank as a country. Therefore, the need for the lifting of such sanctions so as to stimulate the Zimbabwean economic growth to its full potential level. Economic sanctions Madam Speaker, can have devastating…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, order, Hon. Hamauswa!
HON. MUKOMBERI: Economic sanctions Madam Speaker, can have devastating impact on any country’s economic well-being. The impact is hefty especially on developing countries such as Zimbabwe that is still in the process of industrialising its economy in an effort to boost production to keep pace with the increasing demands relative to population increase as enunciated by the Commonwealth Malthusian Hypothesis on the association of food production growth and population growth.
Madam Speaker, sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West make it difficult for the country to trade with other countries and access foreign investment as well as foreign money from the international foreign institutions. The adverse consequences of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe is detrimental to its economic growth…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, order, Hon. Member. Hon. Hamauswa, I will ask you to leave the House if you continue making noise.
HON. MUKOMBERI: The adverse consequences of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe is detrimental to its economic growth as it negatively affects the living standards of citizens. It is over two decades since Zimbabwe was put under economic sanctions imposed by the European Union, the United States of America and their allies. It is against common sense Madam Speaker, for a country to punish another country – a sovereign State for that matter, for the restoration of its own land from a colonial master.
Following the Land Reform of 2002, the Government of Zimbabwe has been accused of unsubstantiated human rights violations by these western communities. The European Union and the United States of America have been claiming that the economic embargos were restrictive measures on particular individuals. However, in contrary to the ridiculous proclamations, the sanctions imposed on the country are not ring-fenced only to individuals but are affecting and bear a hard grip as they are being felt all over the whole economy…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, order! Hon. Hamauswa, may you please approach the Chair. Hon. Member, you may proceed.
HON. MUKOMBERI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I was saying that the truth is that the hard grip of the illegal economic sanctions is being felt throughout the whole country, including critical sectors such as agriculture and mining.
Madam Speaker, the Zimbabwean economy is greatly dependent on agriculture and mining. The famers cannot export the produce and this limits the revenue generation potential as the global market becomes a restrictive playground and also the country’s foreign currency income stream dwindles. This contributes to the suffering of the majority of citizens particularly those that depend on the specific sectors.
Madam Speaker, without any logical basis, western communities have been arguing that sanctions were designed as a penalty imposed to ensure compliance with the law. However, the coming in of a new dispensation was supposed to be considered as a new chapter with the new administration and that should have motivated the West to remove the illegal economic embargos imposed on the country. A number of social, political and economic reforms have been implemented under the new dispensation. Dr E. D. Mnangagwa, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe’s administration has been accommodating many retrogressive elements, some of whom are violent, intolerant and destructive. Such tolerance by His Excellency is a gesture of positive development that the US and its allies should have appreciated.
HON. HAMAUSWA: On a point of order! I am so worried by certain language coming out of this august House such as retrogressive elements being referred to fellow Zimbabweans at a time when we are saying let us be united and see how we can come up with a roadmap towards removal of sanctions…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Hamauswa! There is no point of order there.
HON. MUKOMBERI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I have been describing the behaviour of certain individuals as retrogressive – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – as it stands, the Second Republic has been working on building close relationships with Western countries through the engagement and re-engagement policy. This is one of the country’s efforts to improve and maintain political, socio and economic relations with the international community.
The illegal sanctions imposed on the country like those imposed on other countries like Cuba, Iraq, and Libya, to mention but a few, will continue to harm and deteriorate vital economic institutions which are essential for the survival sustenance and continuity of human and economic well-being of the majority of Zimbabweans.
Madam Speaker, the Western which sympathises with some colleagues in our mother land may have imposed economic sanctions to cause pain on Zimbabweans such that they would revolt against the Government. It is against the voice of the people and the voice of God for a person in Zimbabwe to applaud the West and support the continuation of such satanic sanctions imposed by the same to Zimbabwe, only for one to gain political or personal mileage as the general populace of Zimbabwe is suffering. No wonder some political party members lobbied for sanctions in a drive to manipulate Zimbabweans for the maintenance of their political objectives.
Madam Speaker, sanctions are controversial indeed. While some schools of thought believe that there are effective ways to pressure countries to change their behaviour, it is imperative to note that they are counter- productive and cause more harm than good. The sanctions have failed to unseat a duly elected Government for over two decades now as anticipated by those who imposed them. It is high time now for those who impose sanctions on Zimbabwe to be removed because they did not work on their side.
Every year on 25th September, join hands in calling for the unconditional removal of sanctions imposed on our dear motherland Zimbabwe, and its people. President Mnangagwa’s speech at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 21, focused on the negative impact of sanctions on Zimbabwe and other developing countries. He called for the unconditional lifting of sanctions arguing that they were illegal and counter-productive.
The President went on to list some of the negative consequences of sanctions including reduced foreign investment and trade, high unemployment and poverty, shortages of essential goods and services resulting in inflation and a decline in the quality of public services. All these negative impacts of sanctions on Zimbabwe’s economic well-being are derived from the restricted interdependence of Zimbabwe with other economies in the global economy.
Madam Speaker, God, in His wisdom, created the earth and different countries in their geographical locations were endowed with different economic resources so as to facilitate inter-dependence and trade in the globe. Thus, trade embargos imposed on Zimbabwe limit it from its full inter-independence and trade with the external world.
Unemployment in Zimbabwe is a result of economic sanctions as industrial production dwindled ever since the sanctions were imposed as some of the imported inputs were put under embargos, and exporting of some agric-produce and minerals to certain markets are restricted by such illegal sanctions, to mention but few.
Inflation in Zimbabwe is also a result of economic sanctions and this is based on the fact that reduction in production due to sanctions mismatches supply and demand in the commodity market, resulting in shortages hence prices play a rationing function by naturally sky-rocketing. Sanctions are therefore to blame for endless price hiking in Zimbabwe.
Madam Speaker, to prove that sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe are baseless and illegal, heads of States of other countries are also calling for the immediate lifting of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe. To be specific, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa called for the lifting of sanctions against Zimbabwe arguing that sanctions are hindering investment in the country. He said South Africa continues to call for the lifting of sanctions against Zimbabwe citing that these restrictive measures have a devastating impact on the ordinary people of Zimbabwe and on the economies of the neighbouring countries which depend also on Zimbabwe for certain products.
Madam Speaker, let me bring your attention to the fact that Zimbabwe used to be the bread-basket of Africa but now to that end, we cannot remain the bread-basket because of dwindling production due to sanctions.
Madam Speaker, the Second Republic has however been working towards reviving the country’s economy despite illegal sanctions. I want to invite the House, at this juncture, to help me clap hands for Dr. E.D Mnangagwa, our President’s administration – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – The Government has implemented several reforms to try and mitigate and neutralise the effects of such inhuman sanctions.
Zimbabwe’s economy has grown steadily in recent years despite the sanctions. According to the World Bank in 2002, the country’s economy grew…
HON. CHIGUMBU: On a point of order!
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What is your point of order and which Standing Orders are you referring to?
HON. CHIGUMBU: To the one that was referred by…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Which Standing Order are you referring to?
HON. CHIGUMBU: I did not hear who gave a point of order specifically…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, sit down.
HON. MUKOMBERI: Thank you Madam Speaker. Let me proceed despite some disruptions from baseless grounds. This growth has been driven by several factors including…
HON. CHIGUMBU: On a point of order!
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Which Standing Order are you referring to?
HON. CHIGUMBU: Madam Speaker, we cannot allow such language to be uttered in this House. We are all equal Members here…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, sit down.
HON. MATEWU: In terms of Standing Order Number 98 (1) (d), says, “no Member whilst speaking to a question may use derogatory, disrespectful, offensive or unbecoming words against the President, Parliament or its Members or the Speaker or President of the Senate”. I think he must withdraw his word ‘clown’ referring to us. Thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, did you mention the word ‘clown’?
HON. MUKOMBERI: No, I did not.
HON. MATEWU: On a point of order Madam Speaker. I believe that you must treat all Members of Parliament with respect and as equal because you are in the Chair as our Madam Speaker. We on this side of the House do deserve some respect. I am sure if you check the Hansard, the word clown has been mentioned by the Hon. Member and he must withdraw his word clown.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, I think you heard me asking the Hon. Member whether he said the word clown or not. He said he did not say that.
HON. D. MOYO: According to Section 98, Hon. Speaker, I think it is wise that you also be part of this House so that you listen to exactly what is being said so that you respond accordingly. The Hon. Member did say a lot of things that we are not comfortable with.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Member, you are saying a lot of things, what are those things.
HON. D. MOYO: The language that he is using is derogatory. I expect the Hon. Speaker to be part of us so that you will not end up asking us these questions yet we are all here. May you also treat us as equal in this House, we are building a nation together. This is what we are demanding.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Member, may you please sit down. You are saying I did not treat you equally but I have always given you the opportunity to debate and if you are out of order, I will ask you to sit down. Go ahead Hon. Member.
HON MUKOMBERI: Thank you Madam Speaker, the 5.1% growth has been driven by a number of factors including increased investment in agriculture and mining. However, had it been that sanctions were lifted, the economy of Zimbabwe was going to afford a higher level of living standards for the people than today. Government has also invested heavily in infrastructure development in recent years. This includes the construction of new roads, bridges, dams and power plants. Government has also invested in the renovation of the city infrastructure, a move which has helped to improve the living standards of the citizens. Therefore, every progressive Zimbabwean and those outsiders want to see the country prosper should standup in fighting these illegal economic sanctions …
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member you are left with three minutes.
HON. MUKOMBERI: The lifting of sanctions will help Zimbabwe to achieve its full potential. This will also give the country access to more foreign investment and loans which will boost economic growth and create jobs. If these illegal sanctions are lifted, the country will be in a position to fully participate in the global economy. Zimbabwe, as a nation, has great appetite to engage and reengage with every section of the international community including those who imposed sanctions on it. It is therefore worth undertaking for the West to remove the illegal sanctions immediately and unconditionally so as to allow the country and its citizens to move forward to achieve the nation’s development dream by 2030. I submit Madam Speaker.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: Madam Speaker, as you indicated earlier on that we need to finish early to allow Members to go and prepare for a long day tomorrow, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. KARIKOGA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 13th December, 2023.
On the motion of HON. TSITSI ZHOU, seconded by HON. KARIKOGA, the House adjourned at Eleven Minutes past Five o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 12th December, 2023
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
PARLIAMENTARY CAUCUS ON DISABILITY
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I wish to inform the Senate that in the 9th Parliament, a Parliamentary Caucus on Disability was established and Hon. Senators who are interested are invited to join by registering with the Secretariat in office number 336, third floor, New Parliament Building.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that Order of the Day, Number 1 on today’s Order Paper be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2022
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission for the year 2022.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Mr. President Sir, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. TSOMONDO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday 13th December, 2023.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY FOR THE YEAR 2022
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the National Prosecuting Authority for the year 2022.
Question again proposed.
*HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to add my voice on the debate on the Report of the National Prosecuting Authority, a motion brought by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.
Mr. President, the National Prosecuting Authority is a very key branch of authority in the governing of this country because it ensures that things are put in order, especially criminals so that they will be prosecuted and people may live freely without fear of criminals. So, this motion brought by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs shows that this Government branch ensures that Government must strongly support the National Prosecuting Authority so that they may work diligently in order to ensure that all criminals are put in their right places.
To the National Prosecuting Authority, we realise that there are a lot of things that are inadequate. This includes materials or resources to be used, that affect the National Prosecuting staff. They are also supposed to get better remuneration so that they may not be tempted to take bribes from criminals because this will affect the justice delivery system. There are some incidences that were pointed out by the Hon. Minister like the delay in prosecuting certain cases including high profile criminal cases, such as fraud or other corruption related cases. That shows that there are a lot of crimes that are not being prosecuted. If the courts are short staffed, Government must ensure that they employ more staff to ensure that the justice delivery system is carried out expeditiously. We realise that there are a lot of cases that are reported in this country but it takes too long for these cases to be finalised.
There is the indication that prosecutors are also supposed to receive training from time to time so that they do their work diligently and expeditiously so that all cases are finalised. We encourage the Hon. Minister of Finance to look at the National Prosecuting Authority so that they carry out their work and finish their backlog.
In some cases, even witnesses will end up forgetting the stories. I am saying National Prosecuting Authority is a very integral arm of Government. Investors come confidently in this country when they hear that criminal cases are prosecuted immediately and finalised. On this motion, I am supporting that the National Prosecuting Authority receive enough funds so that they do not face challenges in carrying out their duties.
We understand that now a woman is heading that Authority, Mrs. Matanda-Moyo. We encourage her to clear the backlog that is in this Department so that the cases are cleared. In short Mr. President, those are the things I wanted to debate on in this motion. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Mr. President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. TSOMONDO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 13th December, 2023.
MOTION
SIXTEEN DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the commemorations to mark the Sixteen Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence.
Question again proposed.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHIKWAKA: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to debate on this important motion raised by Hon. Sen. Mbohwa. Mr. President, I want to emphasise certain things in life. As Chiefs, we are also judges and we encourage people to stay in peace. What we have realised with regard to violence is sometimes we fail to find a good solution to solve it. The women are the ones who start this violence and they end up being victims. What they do sometimes actually invites domestic violence. I want to give examples; a woman provokes the husband. We have cases where the husband will be taking good care of the woman and it happens that he is chased out of employment but all along he has been taking good care of this family.
Now that His Excellency has brought about many programmes to empower women, the women may be empowered to earn a living but now that the husband has been retrenched or is no longer working, the woman will make a mockery of her husband. She will begin to ill-treat her husband and fails to respect her husband. The husband will try and ask his wife why she is behaving in such a manner. They will end up exchanging words and this will lead to fights. This will end up with the woman being beaten and she rushes to court.
Our courts do not carefully analyse these cases in a bid to help people live harmoniously so that they live in peace. Sometimes the woman may ask for a peace order in which the courts will grant that peace order. Sometimes the peace order bars the husband from coming back to his house which will result in the woman dominating in the marriage. The woman will then end up bringing another man. That brings a lot of chaos. My point is that the issue of gender-based violence is not understood properly by people. It is as if it is about women only each time issues of gender are brought. If you are as unfortunate like Hon. Sen. Chief Chikwaka who has 6 girls and the wife becomes the 7th girl, there will be 7 women all grown up. The husband will not have any say in the marriage, the wife and the 6 daughters will gang up against the husband and the husband will be miserable in the marriage.
In our culture, besides what is happening right now and the distorted thinking of people, we have a proverb that says ‘zvikoni, zvikoni, mimba haibvi nekukosora’ ‘mai havaroodzwi.’ No matter how difficult it is, you cannot cough out pregnancy, which means a woman must never be beaten. Culturally, a woman or wife has always been respected, although as usual, there are exceptions here and there, but we cannot put an umbrella and accuse everyone.
If we cannot separate roles between a wife and a husband as well as children, their duties and their rights, sometimes we may hear a woman being told not to come back home later than the father. In other words, the child would be allowed to do as he or she wishes. When the father tries to admonish the child, the father has no say because of that. Children will no longer listen to what the father says. In the past, the mother would spank a child for discipline, but these days, it is no longer happening. If you do that, it would be regarded as violence and they rush to report. This problem requires stakeholders to discuss on how best we should prevent this problem, because prevention is better than cure.
If we were to stay in peace in our households, we need to have that respect of roles, where the father is the head of the family and the mother should also be respected by the children. As chiefs, we are troubled by these cases and we are trying by all means to bring parties together for harmony and peace. Sometimes we come across very serious cases of violence such as people being burnt, but in the past, we were well-cultured people. These days we have lost that cultural identity. The father does whatever he wants, the mother can also do whatever she wants and the children also behave the way they like.
Sometimes, indeed as men, we are also the source of the problem. The mother works hard to look after the family, yet the father abuses whatever resource, including what is earned by the wife. My appeal is, we need to revert to our culture in order to secure our future. Our forefathers were our professors. Their teachings were on bringing peace and tolerance in the family. If you look at the Marriages Bill that we were debating recently, it is really very adversarial in terms of culture. People will be arguing and fighting because of some of those laws that we are bringing up and introducing in our culture as blacks.
Mr. President, I would like to thank Hon. Sen. Mbohwa because this may be an opportunity for us to ensure that we go back to our culture. If Hon. Sen. Mbohwa’s mother grew up to old age, it means a lot because it does not mean that they did not go through a lot. They indeed went through a lot, but there was this harmony, culture brings this harmony. Mr. President, I thank you for the opportunity.
*HON. SEN. RUNGANI: Thank you Mr. President Sir. I would want to add my voice on the motion that was raised by Hon. Sen. Mbohwa about violence in families and in the country as a whole. The violence that we are witnessing right now was not there when we were growing up. I would want to understand what is causing that. We grew up with our parents shouting at each other, but as children, we would never join the fight. The following day, the mother would still cook for her husband and the husband would eat. So, our children are learning from foreign cultures, be it from media, it is causing them not to listen.
Every day in the media, you see the murder of a woman, a woman was axed or stabbed by a kitchen knife. What is causing all that? As blacks and as Karangas, we should adhere to our traditional teachings. In the past, when a young couple quarreled, when one of the couples is taken back to their parents, they would listen to their parents, but these days it is no-longer the case. We have lost our culture and adopted foreign cultures. Now we can no longer manage those cultures. Even the owners of those cultures that we are now adopting, we find it happening in those foreign areas. You would come across a woman who prefers to die with her child, was that happening in the past? No. So we need to go back to our culture. Our children are no longer listening Mr. President Sir.
If they do not listen to our teaching, it means there will be violence. If a child fails to listen to his or her parents, who then would they listen to? They will become violent. As we would grow up, we listened and followed the teachings that we got from our parents. We would get disciplinary beatings. They would listen to their parents because they would be reminded that you married this person, so do not embarrass us. Men and women are being killed.
Recently, I came across a posting on the group where a fellow congregant was beaten to death by their spouse. What I have realised is that our culture would bring order to our lives. Mr. President Sir, may we try to teach our children, even if they may not listen to us. Sometimes the violence is so petty. Boys and girls would kill each other for love. A 13-year-old girl or boy can kill for love, what sort of violence is that? So, I still emphasise that we should go back to our culture and the country should have strong laws or rules where chiefs are empowered to enforce those rules. With these few words, Mr. President Sir, I thank you.
∞ HON. SEN. PHANUEL: Thank you Mr. President Sir. I would like to thank Hon. Sen Mbohwa for this motion that supports women in this country. I am very grateful because we were also taught as women that we have rights. As women, we are also supposed to go to school, dress properly and we must be loved by our men.
Our men beat us up. If a man comes across another woman, he rejects the first wife and neglects his children and will no longer pay for their fees. The first wife is usually chased away from home and when the man has property, he prefers to give it to the second wife. Sometimes women are prevented from going to church. Hon. Sen. Rungani said that when women try to go to church, they are stopped. As women, we meet every Wednesday and teach each other, but men do not want that. Rather, they want to kill us. Men do not want to be rejected, they stalk you and if they discover that you are in love with someone else, they may chop your head off with an axe. A lot of women are being axed in Binga because men do not want to be rejected. If something else comes up in the country, a woman is never granted rights.
I am very grateful because we sat as Women`s Caucus where we discovered that we must teach our fellow women who are under oppression to know that we have rights. Right now we are way ahead - the 50-50 representation has put us in leadership. I will not go further because I am aware that you are cannot understand my language. I thank you.
+HON. SEN DUBE: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to say a few words on this motion raised by Hon. Sen. Mbohwa, seconded by Hon. Sen Shiri. This is a very important motion pertaining to our lives. It does not matter whether it is a man or a woman who is on the receiving end, but it is not good to abuse each other. If we make an analysis of the statistics on abuse, it is mostly children and women who are abused. Yes, men are abused, but not as much as the women and children. In most cases in the media and in our society, there is not a day that passes without a report of a woman being abused. Women are killed and girls are raped. I wonder what has befallen us.
In the past, it was not easy to murder, people were afraid of killing. The family was supposed to do a cleansing ceremony and culture was adhered to. Nowadays, a person can kill and nothing happens and no one cares. A man can kill a woman, goes to jail, come back and marry another woman and the same applies to women. The abuse is so prevalent that you would think the world is coming to an end. There is no trust between partners. Couples now live like animals and fear each other because one can wake up in the middle of the night and cut the other’s throat.
We thank all the organisations amongst us that are campaigning against GBV. Men would say I do not abuse, but they go and drink all night and come back in the morning, which is an abuse. One would ask for food when he has not bought the food and that is also abuse. Women and girls are being abused and find no peace to even walk freely as the boys would stalk them and force them to do what they do not want, that is abuse. We are no longer at peace, even the rain is not falling maybe because God is angry with what is happening. There is blood everywhere with people killing each other. Women kill their own husbands, her children’s father and the same applies to the men without any second thoughts. At times, the woman will say that she is tired and deprive his husband of his conjugal rights. The man will claim that he paid lobola so the wife has to obey or do what she is being told to do. All that is violence and people do not realise that when a woman is tired, she has the right to refuse conjugal rights because she is a human being. The traditional leaders must be empowered to ensure that they lead in bringing harmony in families to stop this violence. They are supposed to try to ensure that people live in harmony and peace. In the past, chiefs used to be instructive. Chiefs or traditional leaders should lead. We should live in peace and harmony. Sometimes someone who has committed murder - punitive sentences should be meted out to stop these offenders. Any one who commits murder, be it a wife who kills the husband or husband who kills his wife, sentences must be deterrent to ensure that neighbours may not emulate that. The society should learn a lesson from the deterrent sentences. People must not take murder as a way out of marriage. Anyone who murders a spouse must rot in prison instead of coming out and moving on. It is important that the sentences must be deterrent enough.
If only lawmakers can ensure that such laws are deterrent enough. Culture must be followed and traditional leaders must be consulted if such a case happens. If a murder incident takes place, they must be asked on how they used to cleanse the community because the families must be brought together to ensure that issue is resolved. These days we no longer follow culture. We think when someone dies, that is it but families must be united; the family that has lost a member and the family that caused the death.
The traditional leaders play a key role especially with regards to GBV. Yes, we have heard of several murder cases but our traditional leaders must take a leading role. If there is such an incident, it must be just one or very few instead of hearing of five or so murder cases in one community as if it is something to emulate. It is because tradition will not have been followed. The traditional leaders must be empowered to ensure they do what they used to do in the past. Those incidents must be countable not common. Life is sacred and murder is taboo.
I thank Hon. Sen. Mbohwa for raising the motion. I hope it will go through and be adopted to ensure that women or men are protected because this GBV is too much. Sometimes you come across a woman swearing in front of people that she can easily kill her husband. We heard Sen. Chief Chikwaka saying that. Indeed, sometimes women no longer respect their men regardless of the equal rights being advocated for, they are meant for work and business opportunities. There is need to teach people on how to live peacefully and harmoniously. Men should not take a woman as a slave when they marry because he paid lobola. You should regard her as one of your own just like Eve being taken from Adam’s ribs. With these few words, I thank you Mr. President.
*HON. SEN. MUPFUMIRA: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to add my voice on this motion brought by Hon. Sen. Mbohwa. It is very important. I also applaud contributions brought earlier by other Hon. Senators. Mr. President, my focus is mainly with regards to young children, especially the school going age. There is a lot of violence taking place. Some of the violence of harassment is taking place between teachers and students who are supposed to be their caregivers yet we find a lot of harassment, especially in higher tertiary institutions. This is sometimes because they have not enough resources to match the standards around and end up falling victim to their caregivers.
There are a lot of cases where children are being raped and some of these places are very common; Hopley, Epworth, Hatcliffe and so on. Sometimes children are abused by men who come well-dressed in suits and pick or choose some of those little girls who stand in queues to go and rape them yet they are supposed to be taking care of them. It is so disheartening to realise such things are happening. We have come across on social media that sometimes young children run away from their families or homes and they are being taken care of elsewhere by men old enough to be their parents. I used to come across such little girls while doing my duties and asked them how they survived, and they would say we are given money by men who come and pay very insignificant amounts like a dollar for the whole night. That is being perpetrated by responsible men.
I would like to come to another issue and the law says the age of majority is eighteen but sometimes we come across incidents where they are married off at a younger age before they reach the age of 18 and abused by members of the family or their fathers. As women, sometimes we fall short in that instance. In communal lands, we are seeing children going into forced marriages. Forced marriages that have the approval of their parents. As mothers, I think we are failing our children. Once our children have been raped, in most cases, they are raped by relatives and members of the family. At times it becomes even apprehensive for a man to be left with his own daughters. Fathers are raping their own daughters. At times when my brother has raped my daughter, I would want to ensure that nothing is done to the offender.
Children as young as nine years old have given birth. The range also goes to 11 and 13 years. If you go to Msasa Project, you will feel pity for these children who have been impregnated either by their own biological fathers or by those that are not their fathers. There should be an end to this.
In other provinces, rape cases are much on the higher side. At times if one has been raped and they go to court, no one can prove this person has been raped. At times some of these cases are swept under the carpet because even if they go to court, they will be humiliated and they will hurt more. At times they choose to keep quiet. Children are now being look after by their grandmothers, by so doing, we are destroying the life of that child. As we were growing up, we knew that we would be expected to look after our parents because we would be educated. What will become of these children that we are raped at nine years and 11 years? The home is supposed to be a sanctuary, it is supposed to be a safe haven but if the rape is occurring there, where should we turn to? I urge the Hon. Sen. Chiefs in this particular House to ensure that they look into the issue of rape.
Most of the victims of rape are women, although there are exceptional cases of men that are raped by women. Our physic in most cases tells you it is difficult for a woman to rape a man and in most cases it is vice versa. To the chiefs who will be adjudicating over these cases, I urge them to be fair and not apportion blame to the woman because it is the woman who is usually accused of being the causative agent or the agitator.
If you look at what is happening, women sell at the market place and they are responsible for the upkeep of the children. Men can even get a second wife while urging you to use the money that you are raising to look after the family. A woman is a human being, she also has feelings. We urge men to collaborate with women that you should not steal from them in the home, you should not steal the proceeds of what they have earned. The country can be constructed by the owners and the owners include men, women and children. It does not belong to the men alone. We need to work together so that our country can be developed.
In the communal lands where we plant maize, l was told by men that the proceeds were used to purchase beer and to look for other wives. You would find that they would be left with nothing to buy the inputs with when the rain season starts. If we do not get anything from the Pfumvudza programme, nothing comes out. It is being abusive of you to take the produce that has been produced by someone and sell it and then misuse the funds. The money should not be expended at the growth point but should be directed to useful things.
In the past, yes, women used to cook and they were full time housewives but now women are working. We get home and we will also be tired as professionals. We urge this august House to educate our children that they need to be able to do household chores such as washing plates regardless of the sex. Once our children are modelled on the role that each one of us can do any of these chores, there will not be any difficulties when these children become adults and they get into married life. People no longer live well in these houses because of the sophistication that we are getting from the western culture. Chiefs should help us to ensure that we go back to our traditional ways. In that same process, when getting into our culture we should not oppress the women because the women are the ones that are working.
Rape is destroying children’s lives. We have a Constitution that calls for gender parity in all spheres of Government and public sector. Where will the girl child go when they have been raped at a tender age and are unable to proceed with their education? It therefore means women will forever be fewer in these top-notch jobs. Let us preach this gospel to the people that they should live well. We need peace and harmony in these marriages. We need our children to be educated and they should not be disturbed from their schooling. Let there be enlightenment that rape should be stopped especially against school children.
Yes, it is true there are sugar mummies. We do not condone that. It is a bad practice because sugar mummies take advantage of the innocent school boys. The maids or the house boys that look after these children are abusing the one-year olds and the three-year olds. They are being raped by their keepers. There should not be 100% trust to the keeper of the child because the keeper of the child is not their parent. They should see how good these children are performing and they should be able to report to us on who would have tampered with them and which part has been tampered with so that we can attend to them early because they may not appreciate that they may have been violated.
I would like to thank the mover of the motion and that we should also go ahead and teach in terms of good culture and do away with the culture of rape or abuse. Thank you, Madam President.
*HON. SEN. KATUMBA: Thank you Madam President for giving me this opportunity. The majority of my points on this motion have been said by the previous speaker. What I am saying is that gender-based violence has become topical in this country and it is now in excess. There are also people that are raping children. My Grade 1 niece was raped as she was just going to school.
We urge men to be faithful and also us as women. There was a man who was in a love triangle involving a daughter and a mother until the father had to find lodgings for the daughter at the growth point. Such behaviour causes a lot of acrimony between the mother and the daughter and as a result, the family would be at war. There would be no peace.
We urge our chiefs like Hon. Sen. Mupfumira has said, traditional leadership, that is the chiefs and the village heads, whenever there is a court that they are holding, they must preach against the gospel of gender-based violence. The same should be done in churches. My view is that whenever there is a gathering, you should speak against gender based violence because it is not only happening in the home, even outside when one is walking, people will just start whistling at you as you are moving and they start insulting you especially those who are responsible for loading commuter omnibuses also known as mahwindi.
Gender based violence is not good. We should live in harmony and we should be loving so that our country can develop. Thank you, Madam President.
HON. SEN. MBOHWA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 13th December, 2023.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Seventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. TSOMONDO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 13th December, 2023.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HARARE PROVINCE (HON. SEN. TAWENGWA), the Senate adjourned at Twenty-Five Minutes to Four o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 30th November, 2023
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
SWEARING IN OF A NEW MEMBER
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that on the 28th of November 2023, Parliament received communication from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission advising that John Paradza had been duly elected Member of the National Assembly for Gutu West Constituency with effect from Saturday, 11th November 2023. Section 128 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that before a Member of Parliament takes his or her seat in Parliament, the member must take the Oath of a Member of Parliament in the form set out in the 3rd Schedule. Section 128 (2) of the Constitution states that the oath must be taken before the Clerk of Parliament. I, therefore, call upon the Clerk of Parliament to administer the Oath of a Member of Parliament to John Paradza.
Order, the Clerks at the entrance there, can you make sure that Hon. Members do not go through that door.
NEW MEMBER SWORN
HON. JOHN PARADZA subscribed to the Oath of Loyalty as required by the law and took his seat – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you very much Clerk for administering the Oath.
2024 NATIONAL BUDGET STATEMENT
THE HON. SPEAKER: I wish to inform the House that the Hon. Minister of Finance and Investment Promotion will present the 2024 National Budget today at a quarter to three o’clock p.m.
Business was suspended at Twenty-two Minutes past Two o’clock p.m. and resumed at a quarter to three o’clock p.m. with His Excellency the President in attendance.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I welcome His Excellency the President, Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of our Defence Forces to this 2024 Budget Presentation. You are welcome Your Excellency – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
MOTION
FINANCE BILL: 2024 NATIONAL BUDGET SPEECH
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that leave be granted to present a Statement of the Estimated Revenues and Expenditures of the Republic of Zimbabwe for the 2024 Financial Year and to make provisions for matters ancillary and incidental to this purpose.
This is in compliance with section 103 (1) of the Constitution as read with section 7 (2) (a) of the Public Finance Management (General) Regulations of 2019.
INTRODUCTION
Mr. Speaker Sir, this being the first Budget following the conclusion of the August 2023 Harmonised Elections, allow me to congratulate His Excellency, the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa and all the Honourable Members who were re-elected and those serving for the first time in this august House.
I look forward to working closely with all of you as we implement the National Development Strategy I (NDS1), which seeks to achieve the country’s vision of becoming an Upper Middle Income Society by 2030.
Let me take this opportunity to thank His Excellency, the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for his wise counsel and support during the formulation of this Budget.
Credit also goes to the two Vice Presidents, Hon. Gen. (Rtd.) Dr. C. G. D. N. Chiwenga and Hon. Col. (Rtd.) K. C. D. Mohadi, as well as fellow Cabinet Ministers for their inputs and suggestions.
The President’s people centred development philosophy,
“Nyika inovakwa, igotongwa, igonamatigwa nevene vayo/ Ilizwe lakhiwa, libuswe, likhulekelwe ngabanikazi balo”, enjoins all levels of Government and citizens to provide new impetus to the country’s transformation agenda by enhancing production and productivity across all sectors of the economy, in order to build a stronger economy and a fairer society, where everyone can fulfil their dreams in dignity, peace and security, and leaving “no one and no place behind”.
Mr. Speaker Sir, aligned to this thrust, the theme of this Budget is ‘Consolidating Economic Transformation’.
The proposals and suggestions from consultations with Parliamentarians, MDAS, business, labour, academia, civil society, youth, women, small scale entrepreneurs and miners, among others, largely informed the priorities outlined in this Budget Statement.
Mr. Speaker Sir, before turning to the specific interventions, allow me to put the 2024 National Budget in the context of both the global and domestic economic environment.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS
Global Economic Outlook
` The global economy is expected to continue to recover unevenly from the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the cost-of-living crisis. The unprecedented tightening of global monetary conditions in response to decades-high inflation levels has slowed the pace of global economy recovery.
Consequently, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Economic Outlook (WEO) forecast for October 2023 projects global growth to slow down from 3.5% estimated in 2022, to 3% this year, 2023 and 2.9% during 2024. (Slide 2)
Growth in the Sub-Saharan Africa is projected at 3.3% in 2023 and to pick up to 4% in 2024, mainly driven by strong performances in non-resource intensive countries. (Slide 3)
The real GDP growth rate of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is projected to decelerate to 1.6% in 2023 from 2.7% in 2022, before recovering to 2.7% in 2024.
Global Inflation
Mr. Speaker Sir, declining international commodity prices and monetary policy tightening have dampened headline inflation during 2023.
In that regard, global headline inflation is projected to decelerate to 4.8% in 2024 on a year-over-year basis, from 8.7% and
5.9% in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
International Commodity Prices
In the outlook period, commodity prices are expected to remain broadly unchanged over the remainder of 2023 and into 2024, amid improved supply prospects and weakening global demand. (Slide 5)
Domestic Economic Developments and Outlook
Mr. Speaker Sir, the domestic economy is now projected to grow by 5.5% in 2023, a slight upward revision from the August projection of 5.3%, on account of better-than-expected output in agriculture, in particular, tobacco, wheat and cotton.
However, economic growth is expected to slow down to 3.5% in 2024, mainly owing to the anticipated impact of the ElNino phenomenon being forecasted for the 2023/24 summer cropping season on agricultural output, as well as declining mineral commodity prices attributable to the global economic slowdown. (Slide 6)
Mr. Speaker Sir, the 2024 GDP projections are underpinned by the following broad assumptions:
- Normal to below normal rainfall season due to the El-Nino effect;
- Slowdown in global economic growth amid geo-political tensions;
- Declining international commodity prices; Continued use of the multicurrency regime; and
- Tight fiscal and monetary policies.
Balance of Payments
Mr. Speaker Sir, merchandise exports stood at US$5.2 billion during the first 9 months of the year and are projected to increase by 4.3% to US$7.3 billion by year end from US$7 billion in 2022, on account of higher tobacco, lithium, and diamond exports. (Slide 9)
In 2024, despite the softening of commodity prices of key minerals such as gold and PGMs, exports are projected to remain on the increase sustained by growth in output from lithium, coke and tobacco to US$7.7 billion.
Merchandise imports registered a 4.7% increase, from US$6 billion in the first nine months of 2022 to US$6.3 billion in 2023, driven by growth in fuel, machinery, and electricity imports. To year end, merchandise imports are projected at US$8.5 billion, 4.9% up from US$8.1 billion in 2022.
Imports are projected to further increase to US$9 billion in 2024 on account of higher imports of grain, energy, raw materials and machinery imports.
Remittances are projected to continue driving the current account surplus and are projected to close the year 2023 at US$2.1 billion, before rising further to US$2.2 billion in 2024.
The current account is expected to close the year 2023 in a surplus position of US$244.4 million, slightly lower compared to US$305 million registered in 2022. In 2024, the current account surplus is projected to narrow to US$204.5 million, reflecting a wider trade deficit as imports accelerate at a faster pace than exports.
Inflation
Mr. Speaker Sir, domestic prices have relatively been stable since the third quarter of the year, as reflected by month-on month inflation which declined from 12.1% in June 2023, to 4.5% in November 2023.
Concomitantly, the annual headline inflation declined from
30.9% in June 2023 to 21.6% in November 2023.
In the outlook, annual inflation is expected to remain relatively stable and is projected to end the year 2023 slightly below 20%.
In 2024, annual inflation is anticipated to end the year between 10% to 20%, reflecting continued tight monetary and fiscal policies.
Exchange Rate
Mr. Speaker Sir, the introduction of the wholesale foreign exchange auction on the back of the recent liberalisation of the exchange rate, saw the parallel market premium declining from a peak of over 140% in May 2023 to around 20% in October 2023.
Monetary Developments
Growth in both the reserve money (M0) and broad money (M3) has significantly slowed down, having peaked in June 2023. The reserve money and broad money annual growth declined from 3 074.25% and 1 174.94% in June 2023 to 1 406.81% and 719.66%, in September 2023, respectively.
The decline in monetary aggregates was largely due to the combined effect of tight monetary policy and prudent fiscal policy measures.
Financial Sector
The financial sector has remained sound and stable, with strong capital and liquidity positions, as well as strong risk management practices.
This is evidenced by sound financial indicators such as the capital adequacy and liquidity ratios and the level of nonperforming loans.
Public Finance Developments
Mr. Speaker Sir, revenue collections for the period January to September 2023 amounted to Z$11.4 trillion, against expenditures of Z$12.3 trillion, resulting in a budget deficit of Z$0.9 trillion.
To year end, revenue collections are projected at Z$21.2 trillion, against projected expenditures of Z$22.6 trillion, comprising compensation of employees Z$10.9 trillion, use of goods and services Z$4.7 trillion and capital expenditure of Z$4 trillion.
During the first nine months, the fiscal deficit stood at Z$0.9 trillion, and is projected to end the year at Z$1.4 trillion (1.2% of GDP) to be financed through domestic and external borrowing.
Public Debt
The Total Public and Publicly Guaranteed (PPG) debt stock as at end September 2023, amounted to US$17.7 billion, of which external debt amounted to US$12.7 billion and domestic debt of US$5 billion. (Slide 16)
THE 2024 MACRO-ECONOMIC FISCAL FRAMEWORK
Mr. Speaker Sir, in line with the projected economic growth of 3.5%, total revenue collections in 2024 are estimated at Z$53.9 trillion, (18.3% of GDP), broken down as Z$51.2 trillion tax revenue and Z$2.7 trillion non tax revenue.
Guided by the expected revenue envelope and the desired fiscal path, expenditures in 2024 are projected at Z$58.2 trillion (19.8% of GDP). The proposed expenditures take into account the following:
The need to maintain the purchasing power of civil service salaries;
Ensuring provision of core social services that benefit the poor;
Sustaining maintenance and rehabilitation of Government infrastructure;
Prioritised support to on-going public infrastructure projects;
Non accumulation of arrears; and
Increase funding of infrastructure projects through PPPs.
The total budget financing gap amounts to Z$9.2 trillion, comprising of budget deficit of Z$4.3 trillion (1.5% of GDP) and amortisation of loans and maturing Government securities estimated at Z$4.9 trillion.
The deficit will be financed through domestic and external borrowing.
Vote Allocations
Mr. Speaker Sir, during the formulation process of the 2024 National Budget, MDAs submitted funding requirements (bids) of over Z$110 trillion, against the available envelope of Z$58.2 trillion.
The envelope is limited by the sustainable revenue to GDP ratio of about 18% which has been allocated to MDAs as indicated:
Vote Allocations
Vote |
Z$M |
Office of the President and Cabinet |
2,157,038.63 |
Parliament of Zimbabwe |
475,112.47 |
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare |
2,371,042.50 |
Defence |
3,637,636.66 |
Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion |
1,704,707.52 |
Audit Office |
116,964.99 |
Industry and Commerce |
130,473.99 |
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development |
4,285,933.44 |
Mines & Mining Development |
132,708.34 |
Environment, Climate and Wildlife |
135,476.83 |
Transport and Infrastructural Development |
1,153,233.30 |
Foreign Affairs and International Trade |
976,004.05 |
Local Government and Public Works |
1,220,136.19 |
Health and Child Care |
6,311,893.76 |
Primary and Secondary Education |
7,965,973.53 |
Higher & Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development |
2,355,379.81 |
Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development |
188,136.70 |
Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage |
3,931,884.37 |
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs |
1,078,019.36 |
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services |
122,360.10 |
Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training |
210,207.26 |
Energy and Power Development |
90,082.79 |
Information Communication Technology and Courier Services |
185,280.61 |
National Housing and Social Amenities |
352,980.55 |
Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs |
221,787.75 |
Vote |
Z$M |
Tourism & Hospitality Industry |
71,071.79 |
Sport, Arts and Recreation |
136,233.11 |
Skills Audit and Development |
43,045.20 |
Judicial Services Commission |
274,035.50 |
Public Service Commission |
1,428,094.81 |
National Council of Chiefs |
39,938.94 |
Human Rights Commission |
42,117.76 |
National Peace and Reconciliation Commission |
56,007.63 |
National Prosecuting Authority |
98,272.65 |
Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission |
59,642.47 |
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission |
116,600.57 |
Zimbabwe Gender Commission |
48,535.06 |
Zimbabwe Land Commission |
52,937.84 |
Zimbabwe Media Commission |
34,929.51 |
TOTAL |
44,011,918.31 |
Unallocated Reserve |
6,785,233.03 |
Debt Service: Interest Bill |
1,176,218.57 |
Pension |
4,617,934.86 |
Transfers to Provincial Councils and Local Authorities |
2,696,764.92 |
Other Constitutional & Statutory Appropriations |
255,612.57 |
Total Expenditure & Net Lending* |
59,543,682.27 |
* This figure includes retention revenues of Z$1.3 trillion.
THE 2024 BUDGET PRIORITY AREAS
Mr. Speaker Sir, the priorities areas of the 2024 National Budget have largely benefited from the NDS1 Mid-Term Review, as well as input from various stakeholders.
Economic Growth & Macro-Stability
2024 Fiscal and Monetary Policy Thrust and Stability
The fiscal policy thrust for the 2024 National Budget is guided by the need to maintain a sustainable budget deficit within the SADC macro-economic convergence threshold of not more than 3% of GDP.
Going into 2024, Government seeks to consolidate and entrench the stability to facilitate economic transformation and preserve disposable incomes.
Fiscal restraint and tight monetary policy, together with a healthy current account position, provides the necessary conditions for currency and price stability.
Specifically, the Central Bank will target month-on-month inflation rate of less than 3% throughout 2024.
Civil Service Remuneration
Mr. Speaker Sir, as part of the remuneration review process for civil servants, Government will convert the current COVID and Cushioning allowances, aggregating to US$300, to be part of the pensionable emoluments across the board, effective January 2024.
Supporting Productive Value Chains
Agriculture
Mr. Speaker Sir, the country has achieved national food security through its agriculture support model. Going forward into 2024, the thrust is on consolidating the gains achieved so far.
In this regard, Z$4.3 trillion is being allocated to Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development to spearhead the implementation of Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy.
Manufacturing
Mr. Speaker Sir, in 2024, the sector is projected to grow by 1.6%, whilst capacity utilisation is expected to average 60% on account of expected price and exchange rate stability, improvement in electricity supply, as well as increased usage of the local currency.
To sustain the gains recorded so far in the manufacturing sector, an amount of Z$130.5 billion is being allocated to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to support development and implementation of industrial policy and the retooling of the industry.
Mining
Mr. Speaker Sir, Government will continue to support the mining sector to ensure sustainable growth of the sector projected at 7.6% in 2024, driven by ongoing investment in PGMs, gold, coal and lithium, among others. (Slide 21)
In this regard, an amount of Z$132.7 billion has been allocated to the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development to implement the legislative and administrative reforms that provides a conducive environment for mining and beneficiation.
Tourism
Mr. Speaker Sir, the tourism industry is expected to continue on a growth path driven by domestic, regional and international tourists’ arrivals.
To support the operations of the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, an amount of Z$71.1 billion has been allocated to spearhead tourism development in the country, as well as marketing of the country as a destination of choice.
Climate
Government recognises the importance of conserving our environment through combating the unsustainable exploitation
of our natural resources, addressing climate change impacts, as well as wildlife conservation.
Hence, an amount of Z$135.5 billion has been allocated to the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife.
Infrastructure, ICT, and the Digital Economy
Mr. Speaker Sir, Larry Summers, a well-known economist, asserts that “expenditure on infrastructure is an investment in the long-term productivity and competitiveness of an economy”.
Therefore, outlays towards the sector seeks to re-establish functional infrastructure services by improving the quantity, quality and access in order to improve the country’s investment climate, reduce the cost of doing business, as well as enable citizens to engage in socio-economic activities.
Government will expand and modernise funding models that broaden the investor base in flexible and innovative ways such as asset recycling and PPPs.
Overall support for infrastructure, including devolution, during 2024 amounts to Z$10 trillion, comprising fiscal support of Z$8.1 trillion, complemented by statutory and other resources at Z$1.4 trillion, development partner support of Z$189.9 billion, as well as loans at Z$322.2 billion.
Transport
Mr. Speaker Sir, improvements in our transport systems remain critical given the need to enhance connectivity and access, including promotion of regional and international trade.
In this regard, Z$1.2 trillion has been allocated to the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development to facilitate the rehabilitation and construction of transport infrastructure such as roads, ports of entry, airports, as well as facilitate the turnaround of the National Railways of Zimbabwe.
Energy
Mr. Speaker Sir, the Ministry of Energy and Power Development has been allocated Z$90.1 billion to facilitate investments in energy generation, enhancing the transmission and distribution network, as well as sustaining the rural electrification programme.
Digital Economy
Consistent with our NDS1 objective of attaining a digitally enabled economy, the Budget will support interventions that harness and promote the use of ICT services across the whole spectrum of the economy.
In this regard, an amount of Z$185.3 billion has been allocated to the Ministry of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services.
Housing
Mr. Speaker Sir, former IMF Chief and the current President of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde once stated that, “Housing is not just a basic need; it is an essential component of a vibrant and inclusive economy.”
Government will work closely with the private sector and other stakeholders to put in place appropriate packages and incentives that allow for enhanced financing and implementation of targeted housing delivery projects.
An amount of Z$353 billion has been allocated to the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities to facilitate construction of houses to the general public, civil servants, as well as institutional accommodation.
Water and Sanitation
Mr. Speaker Sir, the 2024 National Budget has set aside Z$608.3 billion towards the following strategic priorities in the water and sanitation sector:—
- Rehabilitation and maintenance of existing water and sanitation infrastructure;
- Construction of additional water bodies, targeting completion of ongoing dam projects;
- Capacitation of local authorities, ZINWA and other agencies involved in water resource management; and
- Improving access to water and sanitation services in the rural areas through drilling of boreholes and the construction and rehabilitation of water supply schemes.
Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture
Mr. Speaker Sir, an amount of Z$210.2 billion has been set aside for the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training to support youths’ development and empowerment programmes, refurbishment and retooling of vocational training centres, as well as combating of drug and substance abuse.
In addition, the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture has been allocated Z$136.2 billion to spearhead the development of the sports, recreation and cultural activities including rehabilitation of major stadia.
Women, Gender Equity, SMEs and War Veterans
Government is committed to empower the marginalised sections of society, including women and Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
Hence, Z$188.1 billion has been allocated to the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development to implement empowerment initiatives including recapitalisation of empowerment institutions such as Empower Bank, SMEDCO and Women Development Fund.
The 2024 National Budget also allocates Z$221.8 billion to the Ministry of Veterans of Liberation Struggle Affairs towards their monthly gratuities, medical benefits, funeral grants, school fees for their dependents, mop-up vetting exercise and capacitation of provincial and district structures.
Human Capital Development and Well-Being
Mr. Speaker Sir, interventions in core social services of education, health, as well as timely social protection for the vulnerable, will ensure that every child has an opportunity to maximise its human capital potential and contribution to society.
Health
Mr. Speaker Sir, the 2024 National Budget seeks to consolidate recovery of public health sector services, across all levels of health care, through provision of the requisite tools of trade such as adequate working space, manpower, drugs and medical supplies across the value chain.
In this regard, an amount of Z$6.3 trillion has been allocated towards the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
Education
Mr. Speaker Sir, according to Gary Becker, a 1992 Nobel Prize winner in Economics, “Expenditure on education and skills development is an investment in human capital, which is a key driver of economic progress and social mobility”.
Primary and Secondary Education
Therefore, the 2024 National Budget prioritises provision of quality and easy access to education and other learning opportunities for children which are central to the attainment of SDG 4.
In this regard, Z$8 trillion has been set aside for the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education for teaching and learning materials, as well as teacher capacitation at primary and secondary education level.
This includes resources for the procurement of sanitary wear for disadvantaged girls.
Higher and Tertiary Education
Mr. Speaker Sir, I propose to allocate Z$2.4 trillion to the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development to support implementation of Education 5.0 which promotes a knowledge driven economy that is sustained by innovation, industrialisation and modernisation.
Skills Audit
Mr. Speaker Sir, an amount of Z$43 billion has been allocated to the Ministry of Skills Audit and Development for undertaking national skills audit that seeks to identify existing human capital gaps that need to be addressed.
The audit will also attempt to identify the skills for the future, especially in areas such as generative Artificial Intelligence, as well as areas of potential national comparative advantage.
Social Protection
In line with the NDS1 theme of “leaving no one or no place behind ”, provision of decent, inclusive and sustainable social protection services remains a priority for Government targeting vulnerable groups-(persons with disabilities, children, the elderly).
In this regard, a budget of Z$2.4 trillion has been set aside for the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to implement social protection programmes such as Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM), Harmonised cash transfer programme, Food Deficit Mitigation, health assistance, child protection services, support to the elderly and persons with disabilities.
Effective Institution Building and Governance
Mr. Speaker Sir, successful economic transformation hinges on effective institutions of governance, which promotes private sector development through a conducive economic environment.
To facilitate legislative reforms including, the alignment of laws to the Constitution, the 2024 National Budget has allocated Z$1.1 trillion to the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.
In addition, Government will continue to capacitate and reform critical institutions of governance to improve the doing business environment.
State Owned Enterprise (SOEs) Reform
Mr. Speaker Sir, as part of the SOEs Reform Agenda, Government is addressing the conflict of interest that arose from exercising both the ownership and regulatory functions which undermined progress on implementation of critical reforms required to improve performance, as well as achieve the National Vision.
The Mutapa Investment Fund, a sovereign wealth fund was established to deal with this.
The Fund will, therefore, be expected to implement measures that will strengthen the targeted parastatals’ governance frameworks and ensure operational profitability of the SOEs.
National Security
Mr. Speaker Sir, the security forces play an important role of protecting the country’s territorial integrity, national interest and sovereignty over land and air space, against both internal and external aggression. “Peace is key to economic development”.
Therefore, an amount of Z$8.6 trillion has been allocated towards the security cluster to meet their remuneration, food rations, operational equipment and the necessary infrastructure for the Ministry of Defence, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Prisons and Correctional Service, as well as Special Services.
Tripartite Negotiating Forum
Mr. Speaker Sir, the Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF) is a Statutory body established through the Tripartite Negotiating Forum Act of 2019.
In this regard, resources have been set aside to meet employment, operations and capital costs of TNF Secretariat.
Oversight Institutions
Zimbabwe as a Constitutional democracy State values the importance of oversight institutions on the operations of the State and welfare of the general public.
Auditor General
To support the office of the Auditor General’s operational requirements, Z$117 billion has been provided for under this Budget, to cover employment costs, training and development of staff, digitalisation, as well as for rehabilitation and upgrading of their office space.
Parliament
Parliament plays an important role of legislation and oversight over the Executive.
Therefore, to support the functions of Parliament, Z$475.1 billion has been provided under the 2024 National Budget for the day-to-day operations, vehicles, Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and other related equipment for both Parliament staff and Hon. Members of Parliament.
Public Service Commission
The Public Service Commission is central to the effective and efficient delivery of public services through recruitment and development of civil service personnel.
To support the Commission to deliver on its mandate of providing a motivated and capable public service able to deliver quality public services, the Budget has set aside Z$1.4 trillion to support interventions by the institution targeting ICT infrastructure, particularly the Human Resources Information Management System, Pension and Payroll Systems, procurement of buses for the service and other major infrastructure projects.
Other Independent Commissions have been allocated as follows:
- Judicial Services Commission Z$274 billion;
- Human Rights Commission Z$42.1 billion;
- National Peace and Reconciliation Commission Z$56 billion;
- National Prosecuting Authority Z$98.3 billion;
- Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission Z$59.6 billion;
- Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Z$116.6 billion;
- Zimbabwe Gender Commission Z$48.5 billion;
- Zimbabwe Land Commission Z$53 billion;
- Zimbabwe Media Commission Z$35 billion.
Devolution & Decentralisation
Mr. Speaker Sir, the 2024 National Budget has allocated Z$2.7 trillion (5% of projected revenue) under the Inter-Governmental Fiscal Transfers for provinces to undertake local projects that improve provision of public services that reflect the needs of communities in different regions and localities. (Slide 21)
Local Government
Local authorities play a pivotal role in service provision at local level, especially on restoring water supplies, fixing sewage systems, repairing roads to complement central Government and development partners efforts.
An amount of Z$1.2 trillion has been set aside for the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works to spearhead development within communities.
Furthermore, the National Council of Chiefs has been allocated Z$40 billion to enhance management of traditional leadership systems.
Image Building, Engagement and Re-engagement
Mr. Speaker Sir, Government is making progress on engagement and re-engagement under the institutionalised structured dialogue platform to underpin the Zimbabwe’s Arrears Clearance and Debt Resolution process.
The allocation of Z$976 billion to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade is meant to advance image building, engagement and re-engagement programme.
In addition, Z$122.4 billion has been set aside for the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services to improve the country’s image though robust information management and dissemination.
REVENUE MEASURES
TAX POLICY MEASURES
SUMMARY
Introduction
Mr. Speaker Sir, the measures that I am presenting seek to provide relief to taxpayers, enhance the capacity of Government to generate additional revenue, in particular, from micro & small enterprises and mining, as well as strengthen tax administration.
Tax Relief Measures
Personal Income
Tax-Free Threshold
I propose to review the Tax-Free Threshold to Z$750 000 per month or Z$9 000,000 per annum, and adjust the tax bands to end at Z$270 million per annum, above which tax will be levied at a rate of 40%, with effect from 1 January 2024.
Bonus Tax Free Threshold
I, further, propose to review the local currency Tax-Free Bonus Threshold from Z$500,000 to Z$7 500 000, with effect from 1 November 2023.
Withholding Tax
Small-Scale and Subsistence Farmers
Mr. Speaker Sir, in order to support smallholder and subsistent farmers in the delivery of grain to the Grain Marketing Board and other commercial buyers, I propose to review the tax-exempt threshold on withholding tax on agricultural commodities that include soya beans, sunflower, groundnuts and cotton seed from US$1 000 per annum to US$5 000 or local currency equivalent.
Suspension of duty on Motor Vehicles imported by Safari and Tour Operators
In order to allow the tourism sector to fully recuperate, I propose to renew the suspension of duty on new motor vehicles imported by Safari and Tour Operators for a further 2 years, beginning 1 January 2024.
Revenue Enhancing Measures
Taxation of the Micro and Small Enterprises
Licensing of Traders
In order to restore the supply chain from the manufacturer, wholesaler to retailer, I propose that only licensed and Tax Compliant Operators procure goods from manufacturers and wholesalers.
In addition, I therefore, propose that only traders registered for VAT purposes and in possession of valid Tax Clearance Certificates be eligible to procure goods from manufacturers.
VAT Registration Threshold
I, further, propose to review downwards, the VAT registration threshold to US$25 000, or local currency equivalent, with effect from 1 January 2024.
Enterprises that meet the above threshold should, thus, register and account for VAT, failure of which applicable penalties will be invoked.
Minimum Domestic Top-Up Tax: Fostering Fair and Effective Tax Systems
Mr. Speaker Sir, the Domestic Minimum Top Up Tax (DMTT) is part of the Global Rules which aim to ensure that global profits of large multinational enterprises are taxed at a minimum Corporate Income Tax rate of 15%.
Granting of generous tax incentives result in an effective tax rate of less than 15% for some multinationals. Under the Global Tax Rules, where a tax incentive results in an effective rate of less than 15%, the tax jurisdiction where the multinational is headquartered collects the difference between the effective tax under the tax incentive and the minimum effective rate of 15% (The Top-Up Tax).
The DMTT allows the country where the low tax profits arise from the tax incentive to collect the Top-Up Tax rather than ceding taxing rights to the headquarter jurisdiction.
The calculation of the DMTT will be based on the effective tax rate charged on the jurisdictional profits not the jurisdictions’ statutory corporate income tax. The DMTT only taxes the tax incentives to the same extent that the same income will be included in the headquarter country of the company.
I, therefore, propose to enact DMTT rules to guard against ceding taxing rights to foreign jurisdictions on top-up tax arising from tax incentives that are provided to those investments.
Surcharge on High Value Vehicles
Honourable Members would be aware that Government, in June 2023, introduced a 30% surcharge on motor vehicles with a minimum Free-on-Board value of US$120 000, aimed at enhancing the wealth redistributive function of taxes.
There is, thus, scope to strengthen the concept, in view of the volumes of high value motor vehicles being imported.
I, therefore, propose to expand the scope of the Surcharge as follows, with effect from 1 January 2024:
FOB Value (US$) |
Surcharge (%) |
120 000-300 000 |
30 |
300 001-700 000 |
40 |
Above 700 000 |
50 |
Mining Tax Revenue Contribution
Capital Gains Tax and Stamp Duty
I propose that all documents or agreements for the transfer or disposal or lease of mineral rights be lodged with the State for review and approval before the transaction is concluded.
In addition, I propose that no transfer of mining rights shall be approved without payment of capital gains tax and stamp duty or any other tax due on the value of the transaction. Failure to abide by this condition shall render the disposal or lease of mining rights null and void.
Sharing of Revenue with the State on Disposal of Mineral Rights
In view of the recent developments where mining rights are disposed of privately outside the country and at astronomic prices, I propose that revenue derived therefrom be shared equally with the State.
Furthermore, in order to enable Government to track the movement of mining rights for tax purposes, I, propose that a register of mining rights with a record of applications, grants, variations, dealings, assignments, transfers, suspensions and cancellations of rights be maintained and accessible to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority.
Notification of the Intention to Transfer or Lease Mining Rights
I propose that all agreements for the transfer or disposal or lease of mining rights be lodged with the State and reviewed and approved before they are implemented.
Mineral Beneficiation
Lithium
Substantial mineral revenues can be generated from beneficiation of key minerals. With a significant resource endowment of Platinum Group of Metals, gold, lithium, and diamonds, economic transformation and development can be anchored on beneficiation.
Within this context, any lithium value addition process that does not result in the production of lithium carbonate is not regarded as beneficiation, hence, is liable to an export tax.
Lithium producing companies should submit their beneficiation plans no later than 31 March 2024.
Furthermore, no licences shall be granted to a prospective lithium company without approval of a beneficiation plan.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Levy on Selected Minerals
As a token of remembrance of the mountains that nature offered, local communities should be provided with basic services that include water, health care, electricity and sanitation, among others.
Development of mines, thus, present an opportunity to improve conditions within these communities, hence, I propose to introduce a 1% levy on gross proceeds of lithium, black granite and other cut or uncut dimensional stones and quarry stones.
Financing Road Infrastructure
Mr. Speaker Sir, in order to raise resources to finance road infrastructure, I propose to introduce the following measures:
Strategic Reserve Levy
I propose to review upwards, the Strategic Reserve Levy by US$0.03 and US$0.05 per litre of diesel and petrol, respectively, with effect from 1 January 2024.
Toll Fees
Toll Fees are currently pegged between US$2 and US$10, depending on the type of vehicle.
I, therefore, propose an upward review of Toll Fees on premium roads, that is, Harare-Beitbridge and Plumtree-Mutare and other roads, with effect from 1 January 2024.
Revenue derived from the increased fees will be remitted to the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
Passport and Central Vehicles Registry Fees
I, further, propose that passport and selected fees charged by the Central Vehicle Registry be increased, with effect from 1 January 2024.
Additional revenue generated from the above measures will be ring-fenced towards road infrastructure development.
Levy on Sugar Content of Beverages
In response to the growing concerns on the adverse effects of consumption of sugar, in particular, contained in beverages, tax on beverages has been implemented in a number of countries, including in the SADC region.
The consumption of high sugar content beverages is linked to increased risk of non-communicable diseases.
It is, thus, necessary to discourage consumption of high sugar content beverages, hence, I propose to introduce a levy of US$0.02 per gram of sugar contained in beverages, excluding water, with effect from 1 January 2024.
Funds derived from this levy will be ring-fenced for therapy and procurement of cancer equipment for diagnosis.
Wealth Tax
Mr. Speaker Sir, the key fundamental of tax policy is to address the regressivity of tax that occurs when individuals in a low-income category pay a higher percentage of their income as compared to individuals in higher income brackets. Consequently, the tax incidences fall disproportionately on the low-income groups resulting in inequality.
In order to ensure that every person contributes to the Fiscus in line with their levels of income, I propose to introduce a Wealth Tax levied at a rate of 1% of market values of residential properties with a minimum value of US$100 000.
Resources derived from the levy will be ring-fenced towards urban infrastructure development, in particular roads, water, sewer and community health centres.
Principal Private Residential properties owned by elderly persons above 70 years will, however, be exempt from the tax.
Excise Duty
Digital Platform
Mr. Speaker Sir, the growth of illicit trade, in particular, cigarettes, has increased contraband cigarettes produced in legally registered factories under registered brands, thereby decelerating the growth of revenue to the Fiscus.
A digital platform that provides real time, traceable and authentic data on locally manufactured goods would be beneficial to the Fiscus.
Government, will, thus, explore implementation of a digital platform on locally produced goods, in particular, cigarettes.
CONCLUSION
Mr. Speaker Sir, the challenge before us is to Consolidate the Economic Transformation already underway, to ensure that the benefits accrue to every Zimbabwean, in line with the spirit of leaving no one and no place behind.
Change is inevitable but transformation is a choice (Heather Ash Amara), therefore, while we celebrate the successes recorded so far, there is still a lot of work ahead of us to consciously implement transformational economic policies, which have a positive impact on the majority of citizens, especially the poor and the marginalised societies.
The desired economic transformation is a responsibility of all stakeholders, especially Government, business and labour, with each playing their critical role.
On its part, Government is prepared to fully play its role of providing an enabling environment, through ease of doing business reforms, investment in public infrastructure and provision of effective public institutions.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I finally commend the 2024 National Budget to this august House in compliance with the law, and it is accompanied by the following documents:
- The 2024 National Budget Statement;
- 2024 Infrastructure Investment Plan;
- The 2024 Citizen’s Budget;
- The Estimates of Expenditure (Blue Book);
- Finance Bill;
- Appropriation Bill;
• Statement on Public Debt; and
- NDS1 Mid Term Review.
I thank you.
The Minister of Finance and Investment Promotion (Hon. Prof. M. Ncube) laid the Budget Statement and accompanying documents on the Table.
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 5th December, 2023.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTRAY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI), the House adjourned at Seven Minutes to Four o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 12th December 2023.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 29th November, 2023
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o`clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE ACTING SPEAKER in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE ACTING SPEAKER
NATIONAL BUDGET PRESENTATION
THE ACTING SPEAKER (HON. MACHINGURA): I have one announcement Hon. Members. I wish to remind the House that the Hon. Minister of Finance and Investment Promotion will present the 2024 National Budget tomorrow, Thursday, 30th November, 2023 at a Quarter to Three o’clock p.m.
HONMUWODZERI: On a point of privilege Mr. Speaker Sir. In terms of the Standing Rules and Orders, Parliament must have a Business of the House Committee which should come up with a Parliamentary calendar. But last week Hon. Members of this House were shocked when it was announced that this House would adjourn for a week without the sitting and approval of the Business of the House Committee.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: The Committee is yet to meet and it will meet when the Hon. Speaker is here. Thank you for your concern.
APOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM MINISTERS
THE ACTING SPEAKER (HON. MACHINGURA): Hon. Members, I have the following apologies from Members of the Executive: The Vice President, Hon. Gen. Rtd. Dr. Constantino,G.D.N Chiwenga
The Vice President, Hon. Col. Rtd. Kembo.D. Mohadi
The Minister of Defence, Hon. O. C. Z. Muchinguri
The Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Hon. Zhemu Soda.
The Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Hon. P. Kambamura.
The Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Hon. July Moyo.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Hon. Amb. Dr. Frederick Shava.
The Minister of Industry and Commerce, Hon. S.G. Nyoni.
HON. MUSHORIWA: Ministers. As we have alluded to, the Ministers of Energy, Public Service, Foreign Affairs, Industry and Commerce have not been available in this august House every Wednesday, since we commenced sitting, to answer questions to Members of Parliament. Mr. Speaker Sir, it then defeats this day and it weakens the legislature as an institution and with all due respect Mr. Speaker Sir, to then hope that the Leader of the House answers questions on behalf of these Ministers, is asking for too much because ordinarily, the Hon. Minister of Justice ends up giving general responses which do not speak to the policy nature of the questions that Hon. Members would want to pose to the Hon. Ministers.
So, our appeal Hon. Minister, is to say there is need Hon. Speaker, to ensure that a message is sent through to the Hon. Leader of the House, to ensure that the Executive should actually take this august House with the seriousness that is deserves. I thank you
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Member – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – I think your concern has been noted by the Leader of Government Business, but when you are asking for Ministers to come and indicate as if they do not want to come to the House, I think your concern is that you just want them in the House and the Hon. Leader of Government of Business will take note of that.
HON. MUGWADI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I think this House inasmuch as all sides of the House would appreciate the Ministers and Deputy Ministers coming to this august House. Ministers are human beings and Ministers have a double responsibility, Hon. Speaker. [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members, order! Hon. Members on my left, when you were giving out your points of order, I gave you all the room to be heard. Just wait, let us hear what he has to say.
HON. MUGWADI: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker, I am sure the Hon. Members from the right side are quite aware that there is a man called Tshabangu outside there who will be waiting for this behaviour.
My point of order Mr. Speaker Sir, without taking much of your time - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjection.] -
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Order! Hon. Member, are you through?
HON. MUGWADI: I am not through Hon. Speaker. I am being interjected. My message is that all Hon. Members of this House want Ministers and Deputy Ministers to be in the House to answer questions. There is no debate about that reality, but we must appreciate that Ministers do not exercise their ministerial responsibility in Parliament per se. They have duties as prescribed by their ministries and when they are not there, it is too early Mr. Speaker, to start - [AN. HON. MEMBER: Withdraw the Tshabangu] –
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Members, you are actually eating into the time of questions without notice. Let us get serious – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] -
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
HON. GUYO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir and good afternoon. Mr. Speaker Sir, thank you for giving me this opportunity. My name is Phillip Guyo representing Buhera North Constituency. My question is directed to the Minister of Local Government. What is the Government’s position in terms of providing shelter and food after a natural disaster?
Mr. Speaker Sir, people have been left homeless and without food when the country received heavy rains and storms a month ago. The District Civil Protection Unit is not capacitated to do much and the affected families have not received assistance. What measures are you putting in place for those affected since the country is about to receive heavy storms? I thank you
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Leader of Government Business, can I direct it to the Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question where the Hon. Member, if I got him correctly, is asking the policy position if there is a disaster.
The policy position, Mr. Speaker is, once a disaster occurs, the local leadership is supposed to inform the District Development Coordinator (DDC) and then what happens is, the Central Government will be informed. Depending on the extent of the disaster, the President can declare a national disaster to allow mobilisation of resources, because when a disaster occurs, you need funds to fund that particular crisis that has happened to mitigate against it. So, there are no funds which can be budgeted for things which are unforeseen. You will never budget enough. So the Government will declare a national disaster depending on the extent or the Civil Protection Unit can take over and ensure that whatever is needed is done.
I have noticed that the second part of his question relates to a specific incident. There is a difference between the policy position and the lack of resources or lack of mobilisation of resources, but from the question, the Hon. Member is fully aware that there are structures to deal with disaster management. With his concern, perhaps what he might need to do is to put the question in writing and direct the question to the Minister so he can deal specifically with the area that he is referring to. In terms of the El Nino phenomena that we faced with the relevant Ministry, that is Local Government, they are mobilising to ensure that we are prepared for that disaster. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
*HON. MAHACHI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Leader of Government Business. What is Government policy with regards to the welfare of our police force? This includes their accommodation, uniforms and access to health facilities such as clinics especially for those working along our borders. For example, there is the Provincial Headquarters for Manicaland Province. There is Murahwa building that is no longer fit to be used as offices for police officers as it has a leaking roof. We would want to know what steps the Government is taking to refurbish police stations and police camps that were built using wood so that they can be built using bricks, such as is the case with Marange Police Station. There should also be boreholes in police camps so that our police officers have access to clean and safe water.
I would like to give another example, that of Mudzi Police Station. They get their water from the nearby river. This water is not safe for human consumption. The police leave their work to go and fetch water from the river instead of performing their duties of arresting those who would have broken the law. I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for such a brilliant question that has been asked by the Hon. Member. Mr. Speaker, Government has a single fund. Tomorrow, the Minister of Finance will be presenting the National Budget where he is going to be allocating funds to Ministries. Thereafter, he is going to bring Finance Bill which as an august House, we will interrogate, thereafter we will pass the Bill after making the consideration. He has come up with a very good question. Their desire is to ensure that the standard of living for the police officers is improved. I urge the Hon. Member to remember the question that he has posed to me when the Vote is under debate and we come up with a solution on how best we can tackle this issue as regards the police officers.
*HON. MUSHORIWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My supplementary to the Leader of the House is, is it not a disgrace as a Government that the police officers fail to pass out because they cannot be issued with uniforms to wear.
*THE ACTING SPEAKER: Order, order. Hon. Member, is that a supplementary question? You should ask it as a new question.
*HON. MUSHORIWA: Mr. Speaker Sir, the first question that was asked was on the uniforms for police officers. That is where my supplementary question is arising from. Is it not a disgrace; the uniforms of the police officers was part of the first question?
THE ACTING SPEAKER: You will ask it as a new question.
HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: Supplementary question Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: What is your supplementary question?
HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: My supplementary question is also in connection with what the Hon. Member raised. During this time of 16-days of activism against Gender-Based-Violence – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Let the Hon. Member be heard in silence. Can you go ahead!
HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for your protection. During these 16-days of activism against…
HON. HWENDE: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir. There is a supplementary question here which has not been answered and you cannot entertain another Member before he answers. You must allow the Minister to answer first before you can allow another Hon. Member to ask a question.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Hwende, I have advised the Member to ask that question separately. So, I dismissed it as a supplementary question. Can you please go ahead!
HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My supplementary question is during this time of commemorating the 16-days of activism against gender-based violence, police is not capacitated to deal with issues of gender-based violence because of transport. People are reporting but police are saying, they do not have transport to go to the scene of accident. I would like to know what the Government is doing so that we are on the scene of gender-based violence in time to avoid death to women. Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question. Actually, it is not very correct that police do not have transport. In fact, if you have noticed over the last two years, there has been renewal of the fleet for the police even in rural areas, we have had a significant increase in police vehicle presence. It is not very correct that they do not have. Actually, one of the best things that His Excellency has done over the last two years is to capacitate both the national army, the police and the prisons in terms of vehicles. If Hon. Members want to be very honest, the presence of vehicles from the security sector within the community has increased.
However, when we have 16-days of activism against gender-based violence, it does not mean there is an increase during those 16 days. It means that it is a period where we must raise awareness that this is a behaviour that is not wanted. It does not mean that when we are having those days, the police must immediately be capacitated beyond what they are now. It is a fact that we need to increase the fleet but during the 16-days of activism, what we need is to have more people speaking out against gender-based violence. I thank you.
*HON. HAMAUSWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to ask the Hon. Minister whether he has ever been at public commuter pick up points such as Samora, Chinhoyi and along Second Street Extension and see a lot of police officers who will be looking for transport to go home. We see a lot of police officers riding on public motor vehicles. What measures have been put in place to ensure that the police can travel comfortably? If there are any other cities, you may disclose but in Harare, they do not have adequate transport. They are at times seen at undesignated pick up points looking for transport.
*HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. This is a new question that is totally different from the issue of operational vehicles. The original question was about operational vehicles to curb gender-based violence. This one is about vehicles to ferry officers to their homes which is different. I thank you.
*HON. MUWOMBI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I represent Makoni Constituency. My question is directed to the Minister of Health and Child Care. What is Government policy with regards to the provision of drugs for chronic diseases such as Hypertension and Diabetes? Our rural folk go as far as Rusape town to get medication and tested for these ailments such as High Blood Pressure and Diabetes. Therefore, what is Government’s policy in terms of provision of such medications and testing at a nearby hospital?
*HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: I want to thank the Hon. Member for his question. Mr. Speaker, what the Hon. Member has said is correct. The challenge with regards to drug provision is not only in communal lands, but also in urban areas. We used to have companies which made drugs, that is our pharmaceuticals and we were hard hit by sanctions as a result of having repossessed our land under the Land Reform Programme. The CAPS Pharmaceuticals which was located on your way to Highfields went into liquidation and it fell down.
In the Second Republic as we have seen, the President went to the Egyptians and we now have a Memorandum of Understanding with the Egyptians and as a result of that Memorandum of Understanding, we have been able to secure some drugs. We have also approached the People’s Republic of China and expressed the challenges that we are facing as a result of the illegal sanctions that have been imposed on us and they built warehouses – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - So, Hon. Speaker, I was saying for us to be able to – [HON. HWENDE: On a point of order.] -
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Order, order! There is no point of Order there. Hon. Minister, you may continue with your answer.
Hon. Hwende approached the Chair
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you, Mr. Speaker Sir. Mr. Speaker Sir, - [HON. MEMBER: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Member, please withdraw what you have said? Hon. Members, let us be mature in this House. We are representing our constituencies who want to know what is going in this House.
HON. HWENDE: I withdraw.
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: I was saying that His Excellency, the President has noticed that our people were being affected by the illegal sanctions that were causing drug shortages, he went to his friends. The Egyptians agreed to assist us and they should come to set up factories to manufacture drugs in this country, but before that is done, in the interim, drugs are going to be imported from Egypt so that our people can get drugs.
So, plans are afoot, those built in Manicaland were the warehouses for NatPharm so that they can store drugs. Motor vehicles to distribute drugs nationwide are also now available. It might take a bit of time to ensure that everybody gets these drugs in their local clinics, but plans are underway and they are ongoing. I thank you – [HON. ZHOU: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Order, Order! Hon. Zhou withdraw your words.
HON. ZHOU: I withdraw that vanoisa list kuna Tshabangu…
THE ACTING SPEAKER: No, no! Just withdraw
HON. ZHOU: I withdraw.
*HON. HWENDE: Thank you Mr. Speaker. The Minister did not answer the question. The question was people are dying in the hospitals, there are no drugs, we cannot sit here and the Minister is telling lies. Even Panadol tablets are not there…
THE ACTING SPEAKER: First of all, I want you to withdraw that the Hon. Minister has lied.
*HON. HWENDE: What the Hon. Minister has said and what is obtaining on the ground is different. People are dying, there are no drugs in the hospitals. – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - Are the drugs there in the hospitals? Why are people having to buy gloves, syringes…
*THE ACTING SPEAKER: The Hon. Minister has already answered the question. He went further to talk of the plans that are on ongoing. He said sooner or later, people will be able to access the drugs.
*HON. TOGAREPI: Mr. Speaker, the Hon. Member who was raising a point of order and accusing the Minister of not answering the question must ask his own question and not to say someone’s question has not been fully answered when the person who asked the question is satisfied.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Thank you Hon Chief Whip. That is why we did not ask the Minister to answer that question.
*HON. MASHONGANYIKA: I want to thank the leader of the House for the response that he gave. However, my supplementary question pertains to balanced diet in Government hospitals. There are certain conditions that can be treated using a balanced diet. These are diseases such as diabetes, Kwashiorkor, Marasmus (slimming disease), Measles, Tuberculosis, wounds and bone diseases. We have dieticians in hospitals who are in charge of administering diets for different ailments. My question is, do you have any plans to ensure that there is a balanced diet in hospitals?
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Member, I think that is a specific question that has to be answered by the Hon. Minister of Health. Please, put your question in writing so you can get a proper response.
HON. MURAMBIWA: We heard what Government is doing to ensure there are medicines in hospitals, but the majority of these clinics and hospitals have very few doctors, maybe one or two. What plans does Government have in place to ensure that such hospitals and clinics are adequately staffed?
THE ACTING SPEAKER: That is a new question.
HON. MUGWADI: Thank you very much. If I may remind you Hon. Speaker that the Speaker of Parliament, Hon. J Mudenda, according to Standing Rules and Orders, made a ruling on the dress code pertaining to MPs. I realise Hon. Sithole has violated that ruling by putting on a yellow tie. I think it should be considered that he be ejected out of the House.
HON. KUKA: Good afternoon Hon Speaker Sir. I represent Mkoba South Constituency. My question is directed to the Leader of Government Business. According to NDS1 which runs from 2021 to 2025, there is a Decent Work Agenda where the country seeks to promote decent work and economic growth. In light of that, what is Government doing to ensure that the goals of NDS1 are realised, especially to ensure that workers in both public and private sector are not retrenched from institutions which are facing economic challenges? For instance, we have BATA Shoe Company in Gweru, which is currently engaged in massive retrenchments. I thank you.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Leader of Government Business, did you get his question? Can you go direct to the point Hon. Member?
HON. KUKA: My question is, what is Government doing to ensure that the goals of NDS1 are realised, especially to ensure that workers in both public and private sectors are not retrenched from institutions which are facing economic challenges? For example, BATA Shoe Company in Gweru, which is currently engaged in a massive retrenchment process. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Mr. Speaker, the issue of retrenchment in private companies is regulated by law, whether there is NDS1 or no NDS1. If a company is struggling, I follow the necessary laws that apply to retrenchment. If it is approved and what they have submitted satisfies the requirements of retrenchment, then that will go. I so submit Mr. Speaker.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Thank you.
HON. MUSHORIWA: Supplementary Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: What is your supplementary question?
HON MUSHORIWA: My supplementary question Mr. Speaker Sir is on the Government Blue Print, the NDS1. Does the response by the Hon. Minister confirm that the Economic Blue Print (the NDS1) that is being run by the Government is failing, given that the economic fundamentals that underpin that economic blue print are failing to create a suitable economic environment which allows companies and entities to perform well?
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Member, I cannot see the connection between the two questions. There is no supplementary question there.
HON. MUSHORIWA: Mr. Speaker Sir, my question is very simple. I am asking the Hon. Minister…
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Order, order Hon. Members.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: My question is directed to the Leader of Government Business. The recurrence of the El Niño induced drought has caused serious hunger in most parts of the country. What is the Government’s plan to alleviate hunger that is affecting almost everyone in the country since at the present moment, food aid is only given to vulnerable groups?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Mr. Speaker, indeed climate change is with us and because of that, you will realise that the President, in his wisdom, decided to have a Ministry of Agriculture that is linked to water. What Government is doing is to shift away from rain-fed agriculture and to concentrate on irrigation. Not only that, that is the reason again why Government came up with a climate proof agriculture in the form of Pfumbvudza/Intwasa.
All those programmes, we are trying to deviate from the normal part that we have been doing in terms of how we produce our food. Not only that, you will realise Mr. Speaker, that in the distribution of inputs, we were distributing the same inputs regardless of the ecological region. Now we are saying if you are in a dry region, the best is to distribute small grains there, the traditional grains and areas where rainfall is better, that is where we encourage people to grow maize. So, you will realise that the policy has now shifted whereby we are now saying if you are in a dry region, concentrate on crops or livestock that are suited for that region. If you are in a region that is suitable for a particular crop, concentrate on that. That way, we will end up when we harvest, with a pool of grain that will ensure that we are self-sufficient. What we are doing this year, the inputs that are being distributed and the hectarage that is going to be put under irrigation will be sufficient to ensure that we will go through the El Niño drought that is facing us.
+HON. P. DUBE: My supplementary question to the Minister is, may he clarify what really happens when it comes to the distribution of Presidential inputs. I got a chance to visit the rural areas and found that yes, the inputs are now there but you find five people sharing a 5 kg packet. Is that what is supposed to happen and on top of that people are made to pay $1 to transport these inputs so that they get to them. Can he clarify if that is what is supposed to happen?
*HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Mr. Speaker, in our constituency where I come from, we count the number of households in the area and the inputs we received and share accordingly after we have given the Ministry of Agriculture information related to distribution. If what the Hon. Member is saying is happening, it means that his question needs to be written down that in this area, people are being told to share a bag of seed, then we see where the problem is. Sometimes people we live with are the ones who are stealing the seeds or inputs which are meant to be distributed to the people. This other day, I saw a video of people fighting for a sack of seed. His question needs to be written down and we investigate why the seed which was meant to be distributed to the people did not reach the intended beneficiaries.
*HON. SHONGEDZA: Thank you Mr Speaker. My question was meant for the Minister of Home Affairs but since he is not around, I am now directing it to the Leader of Government Business. What is the Government policy with regard to those who died during the liberation struggle and are buried in different places far away from their homes? Right now, parents and relatives are selling their livestock to secure money for reburials. Some of them travel as far as Mashonaland Central to Mutare to exhume and rebury their relatives to their respective homes. What is the Government policy concerning that?
*THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): The responsible Minister is around and he is the one who oversees on those who died during the liberation struggle. Let me allow him to respond to this question.
*THE MINISTER OF VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE (HON. SEN. C. MUTSVANGWA): Thank you Hon Ziyambi, Leader of the House and I am also offering my respect to the Speaker. The question that has been asked by the Hon. Member makes me very emotional since I am one of those who fought during the liberation struggle…
*THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Sithole, he has not yet said anything so what is your point of order?
*HON. G. SITHOLE: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Our Standing Rules and Orders clearly state that on Wednesday, that is the date we ask questions. When we ask questions, we want to hear the Government policy not the Minister’s feelings. His feelings are not Government policy – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]-
*THE ACTING SPEAKER: Order Hon Members, that is why I said you have risen on a point of order but the Minister has not said anything.
HON. G. SITHOLE: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.
*THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Sithole what is the point of order? He has not said anything.
*HON. G. SITHOLE: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. Our Standing Rules and Orders say that every Wednesday, Members of Parliament can ask questions. When we ask questions, we want the policy position of Government and not the feelings of the Minister. If the Minister says what he feels, that is not a policy position. He becomes emotional because that is not a policy position – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]-
*THE ACTING SPEAKER: Order in the House! Order! Hon. Member, the Minister has not said anything and you are already saying point of order – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]- Order, order! Let us wait for his response. If there is a supplementary question then we can pause the supplementary question.
*THE MINISTER OF VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE (HON. SEN. C. MUTSVANGWA): We recently had the Ministry of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle after the new Cabinet after the recent elections. This was created by His Excellency, the President, Hon. Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa. The fact that the Ministry was created clearly shows that our President places a lot of importance to the issues that pertain to war veterans. That we have a full Ministry that looks at the affairs of war veterans which is on par with other Government Ministries, I want to thank the President for that.
In the same trajectory, we are going to be seized with issues that deal with the affairs of war veterans as a Ministry. I want to thank the President that after 40 years, we now have a Ministry.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Member, if you repeat that, I am going to chase you out of this House.
HON. SEN. C. MUTSVANGWA: I stand by what I say. I thank His Excellency the President because he has been able to - [HON. MEMBER: Inaudible interjection.] –
HON. MAVHUDZI: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. MAVHUDZI: Hon. Speaker Sir, we are here to discuss the policy. I am kindly asking the Hon. Minister to answer in regards to the policy position. We do not want his opinions, we want him to answer specifically to the policy position.
*THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Members, please wait until he has finished answering then you can comment. Give him the right to be heard in silence.
*HON. SEN. C. MUTSVANGWA: Mr. Speaker, what I am able to respond to, comes from the appointing authority, from my principal – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - His Excellency, the President who appointed me Minister.
Since I am a recently appointed Minister, when I was given the terms of reference to lead this particular Ministry, I still am there. So he is the appointing authority. His Excellency, the President, Dr. Mnangagwa said I must look at everything that involves the liberation war veterans - those that went to the liberation struggle, the war collaborators and the rest of them. So as the Minister, I am waiting to put in place a theme to ensure that the Ministry can start running. Tomorrow, there will be a national budget that will then make my task much easier as you suggest. Once I am given a budget, I will have the parameters within which to carry out the task.
I am concerned about those who died within the liberation struggle, those that died in Zimbabwe in various places and other related issues pertaining to war veterans as regards the law that you enacted as ZANU PF and MDC, as COPAC. During the COPAC period, we ensured that the people’s Constitution and wishes are respected. I thank you
*THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Members, I am not allowing any supplementary questions.
*HON. KARIKOGA: Supplementary question Mr. Speaker Sir. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. When we started working as Parliamentarians, Mr. Speaker through your wisdom, you saw it fit for us to be inducted. The majority who I face did not attend the induction. We are going to waste a lot of time, wasting precious time for things that they should have learnt during the induction. We drove from far to come here only for those that live 20km from Parliament to make a lot of noise when we have driven 600km. It defeats the whole purpose.
It is my plea, you have the register for people who attended the training. Those who were not trained should go back and be trained because we will spend five years facing the same problem with people who do not know the reason why they came to Parliament. I thank you.
HON. G. K. HLATYWAYO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. Section 210 of the 2013 Constitution provides for an independent complaints mechanism for receiving and investigating complaints from members of the public about misconduct on the part of members of the security services and remedying any harm caused by such misconduct.
In October 2022, the Independent Complaints Commission Act was promulgated into law. It is mandated to appoint Commissioners, this did not happen. The Commission is extremely important, given the prevalence and history of State sponsored violence and human rights violations, abuses in our country…
THE ACTING SPEAKER: What is your question Hon. Member?
HON. G. K. HLATYWAYO: It was also one of the recommendations that was made by the Motlanthe Commission after the August 1 incident in 2018…
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Member, what is your question? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Hon. Member, please sit down. I asked you what your question is. Ask your question.
HON. G. HLATYWAYO: My question is, why has Government not appointed the Commissioners to the Independent Complaints Commission?
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Thank you, that is a question.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Mr. Speaker, that is not a policy question. It is an operational question.
HON. MUNEMO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. What is the ministerial position regarding the transfer and replacement of teachers, especially to low lying borders of our State, in light of those schools that have taken time without teachers after they have been transferred? Students may go for two to three terms without getting replacements. What is the policy of the Government regarding that?
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. T. MOYO): Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank the Hon. Member for the question. Regarding transfer of teachers, it is an individual decision for a teacher to seek transfer to an area that he or she wants. Regarding the plight of students in the marginalised districts like Binga, Gokwe North, Rushinga, Muzarabani and so on, Government has a deliberate policy to ensure that teachers – coming 2024, we are going to have a decentralised recruitment Mr. Speaker Sir, so that we deal with those. Most disadvantaged districts are going to have teachers and our learners will not be disadvantaged. I thank you.
HON. S. ZIYAMBI: My supplementary question is, we have noted with concern that newly recruited teachers spend two months at a school where they are deployed. Thereafter, they now write letters of transfer on preferred schools. That will result in disadvantaging marginalised areas like what my colleague Hon. Member said. What is Government’s policy with regards to the transfer of newly appointed teachers to areas where they are deployed? Thank you.
HON. T. MOYO: Mr. Speaker Sir, I wish to thank Hon. Ziyambi for such a very important question. The phenomenon has been that, after deployment, teachers were deployed to areas that they were not interested in. It was a culmination of the policy of centralised deployment. We have identified the disadvantages of centralised deployment whereby a person from Manicaland is deployed to Matabeleland North. After serving for two months, that person wishes to go back to Manicaland. In order to address that problem, that is why we are going to resort to decentralisation so that we encourage teachers from Matabeleland to be deployed in areas of their choice, most likely in their home provinces. I so submit.
*HON. MUGWADI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Let me take this opportunity to ask my question to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education…
HON. HWENDE: On a point of order Mr. Speaker.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. HWENDE: I think it is important for the Speaker to be consistent. You just ruled that you are not taking any supplementary or point of order. Even on point of order, you ruled that when someone is rising on a point of order, they must quote the specific Order. I think now you are not doing the same regarding the Members from this side, but you are only applying your ruling to Members from this side. You need to be consistent as a Speaker and stick to your rules.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Hwende, I am as constant as the Northern Star. Hon Mugwadi, can you please go on.
*HON. MUGWADI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, let me proceed as the one who has been recognised by the Chair to proceed. Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, there is an issue and I do not know if you are aware, does your department also come up with statistics about schools that are in bad shape, that are being damaged by the rain or schools that have not been repaired for a long time?
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Mugwadi, that is a new question. Please sit down.
*HON. MUGWADI: Hon. Speaker, as an obedient child, I will sit down.
HON. MAKUMIRE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I rise to question the Minister of Local Government and Public Works with respect to the payment of municipal rates and settlement of arrears to local authorities by Government departments which are owing rural and urban local authorities. Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. This is a very specific question which relates to the monies owed by the State and the fact that he alluded that these are monies owed, means they must be paid. I thank you.
HON. MAKUMIRE: My supplementary question Mr. Speaker is, the Government is owing bills to local authorities and we want to know when the Government is going to settle these arrears. This is crippling service delivery in these local authorities. Thank you.
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Garbage collection which is supposed to be done by local authorities has been taken over by another company. Right now…
HON. MAKUMIRE: On a point of order! The Hon. Minister must respond to the question that I have asked. He is trying to evade the question because he really knows that the Government is sabotaging local authorities – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - Mr. Speaker, may I be protected…
HON. MUSA NCUBE: On a point of order!
THE ACTING SPEAKER: You cannot have a point of order over another.
HON. MUSA NCUBE: On a point of order! Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My point of order – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – the Hon. Member is misrepresenting facts. If he is saying the Government is sabotaging the programme, he must withdraw the word ‘sabotaging’.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Member, may you withdraw. You should always avoid those words like the Government is sabotaging.
HON. MAKUMIRE: I withdraw.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: May you continue with your question.
HON. MAKUMIRE: The Hon. Minister must respond to this issue with the attention that it deserves because as we are speaking now, Harare City Council is being owed more than 25 billion by the Government, Bulawayo City Council is being owed more than 13 billion, Masvingo City Council is being owed more than three billion, Chiredzi Town Council is being owed more than 500 million and this is crippling service delivery to local council and the Government comes in now to do roads and other services that must be offered by local authorities. We want to know when the Government is going to settle these arears so that service delivery can improve in local authorities. I thank you.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Minister before you rise, I think I heard the Hon. Minister saying that is a specific question. May you put that question in writing then he can answer you…
HON. MAKUMIRE: On a point of order! This issue is affecting all Zimbabweans both in the rural and urban places.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Yes, it is specific, put it in writing.
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. In my earlier response, I cautioned Hon. Makumire that he should get his facts correctly. In terms of City of Harare, the water reticulation system was paid for by the Government. I said he should get his facts correctly and when he does so, he should put that in writing. The Minister of Local Government will come and give correct details, those things are being done by the Central Government.
Water reticulation, only on Monday – [HON. MAKUMIRE: Point of order!] – His ignorance is disturbing him because he thinks he knows everything. He does not know anything about local authorities, someone told him lies – [HON. MAKUMIRE: On a point of order!]- Mr. Speaker, it is very bad for someone to interject when I am trying to explain the actual position, each time I try to explain what the Government has been doing to ensure that residents enjoy a beautiful life that was ruined by the opposition councillors that are running local authorities.
So, Mr. Speaker, what I would advise the Hon. Member is to put the question in writing and get the facts correctly. The Minister of Local Government will come in with his facts and that will be answered but for him to say that Government is sabotaging local authorities is utter rubbish…- [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Makumire, may you withdraw your statement that Government is sabotaging… [AN HON. MEMBER: Withdraw rubbish.] – Hon. Members, I am speaking to Hon. Makumire.
HON. MAKUMIRE: Mr. Speaker, I withdraw what I have said.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Minister, withdraw that the Hon. Member was speaking rubbish. May you also withdraw your statement – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjection.] –
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: I do not even know what he said…
HON. HADEBE: The Hon. Minister is refusing to withdraw his statement, so he must just leave the House.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Member, you are not the Speaker, leave the House.
HON. HADEBE: On a point of order, the Hon. Minister should leave the House.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Order, the Hon. Member should leave the House. You are not the Speaker. Hon. Member, leave the House now. I will call Sergent-at-Arms. Leave the House.
Okay, the Hon. Member wants to withdraw. Please go ahead.
HON. HADEBE: I withdraw Mr. Speaker Sir.
*HON. HAMAUSWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I felt pained when a question was posed. It felt like a political question, but it was a question which when looked at objectively by Hon. Members who are still learning, Hon. Ministers should bear with them when they answer questions. The first part of that question was what is Government’s policy regarding payment of rates by Government departments to rural and urban authorities? It did not specifically say Harare only or urban areas. Mt Darwin Rural District Council is owed by Government. It would have been important for the Minister to have responded, citing the measures they have put in place at the end of the month.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Hamauswa, as the Chair, if you wanted to teach your colleague how to pose questions, you are at liberty to do that. What ended happening was that the Hon. Member accused the same Minister whom he was asking a question by alleging that Government was sabotaging programmes and I asked him to withdraw that statement. The Minister said he heard him say I withdraw and what exactly was it that he was withdrawing? He should have withdrawn by fully stating that he is withdrawing the statement that Government is sabotaging urban or local authorities.
You are protected Hon. Hamauswa. I understand you, you have pleaded with this august House that they bear with new Members because they are not experienced.
Hon. Tsvangirayi having insulted Hon. Ziyambi
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Member, please stand up and leave the House. Hon. Hamauswa is debating and you are busy insulting Hon. Ziyambi. Please go out of this Chamber. Sergent-at- Arms, please escort this Member from this House.
*HON. SEN. C. MUTSVANGWA: The Ministry of War Veterans Affairs was established after the 2023 harmonised elections. This Ministry was established recently under the Second Republic… *HON. HAMAUSWA : The first question is for the services that the Government is receiving from urban authorities, what has Government put in place to pay them or the Government will not pay and simply say that we are the ones who have been responsible for the road maintenance.
* HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: What Hon. Hamauswa is saying is what I have done. I said if it is a debt, once you have mentioned that it is a debt, at law, you pay your debt. Even in the Bible, it is there, but the Hon. Member then said we were sabotaging these councils. Please Hon. Hamauswa, do not leave this august House saying that I have not responded to the question. One, I said the question is specific and he must put down the figures that are owed to these local authorities, but Government policy is that all debts are to be paid. As he was going further to then make accusations against the Government, that is when I said he was now going into an area where he was not vexed.
*HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I wanted to highlight that the Hon. Minister has already responded to the question. Hon. Hamauswa kept going on things that have already been responded to.
*HON. MUWODZERI: Thank you Mr. Speaker for affording me this opportunity, but when we were debating last week, we had Hon. Mr. Mhona, he was not emotional even if hard questions were being put to him. Mr. Speaker, allow me to also speak. Let me proceed Hon. Speaker and say, he remained porker-faced as he was from ab initio. If a Minister has come to answer questions, we expect that if he has been asked a lot of questions by a young Member of Parliament, and he becomes emotional, that surely is not on. When you are in this august House…
HON. MUGWADI: I want to remind you Hon. Speaker that earlier on, you had given me the reprieve to ask my question later. May I proceed to do that now? I think my question is based on very clear reflections on what is obtaining in this House today. A point has been raised by Hon. Karikoga. I reiterate the question to Minister of Justice and the Leader of Government of Business that it is very clear in this House as they say in vernacular, takasunga mombe nemadhongi - we are unevenly yoked. My question is saying some other Members under- went a very thorough and serious training process of conducting Parliament business. When is the next training session for those that both absconded and could not continue the training process so that we are on the same wavelength in this House, otherwise we have our time wasted here?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Mr. Speaker, that question is wrongly directed to me, but it indicates that a workshop is necessary. Mr. Speaker, can you organise another orientation so that those Hon. Members that did not participate can be orientated so that we are on the same page.
HON. PINDUKA: Mr. Speaker, we are into the summer cropping season, human and wildlife conflict in most of our rural communities is inevitable and will be on the rise, elephants and baboons will be ravaging crops and fields of our people. What is the Government policy available in mitigating or reducing human-wildlife conflict?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question. Mr. Speaker, actually the human-wildlife conflict occurs throughout the year. We have the National Parks which is on hand to deal with it to ensure that as far as possible, they mitigate when animals move and stray into areas where humans habitat. They remove them and put them into National Parks. So that particular issue, whenever elephants stray into areas where humans habitat, the easiest and fastest way to do is to inform National Parks so that they can remove them and take them back where they belong. I thank you.
*HON. MUCHEMWA: My question is directed to the Ministry of Agriculture. We have cotton farmers who sell their produce to COTTCO which is under Government. We want to know when those farmers are going to receive their dues which have gone for three years without being paid? I also want to know if they are going to receive their monies first before they are moved from COTTCO to GMB? What measures is the Government putting in place in order to avail cotton pesticides so that the crop is not destroyed by worms? Can Government not increase the number of agencies to deal with the issue of cotton so that it helps our farmers to choose where to sell their crop?
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Thank you Honourable, but that question was asked last time, so you can refer to the Hansard.
HON. MAPHOSA: My question is directed to the Minister of Local Government since he is the one who oversees local authorities. We have got a case where local authorities misuse funds. ZACC people come and give a report, then the CEO or whoever is accountable is suspended, but the Minister of Local Government went on to write a memo to say, can you pay him or her salary when the case is still pending.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: That is a specific question Hon. Maphosa. Can you please write it down?
HON. MUROMBEDZI: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir, my question is directed to the Leader of Government Business. What is the Government policy with regards to the status of State owned enterprises seeing that they no longer maximise economic impact as they were comissioned to do and whether the Minister has found the Government’s policy inability to manage the State owned enterprises efficiently as a course that now burdens tax payers by continuing to be funded by the fiscus. If not, what is the position in this regard? If so, what are the relevant details? Thank you very much.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to thank Hon. Murombedzi for that very good question. Mr. Speaker, when she was reading her question, it is a good question but full of specifics and she indicates that there is need for parastatals to be managed efficiently. That is not a policy question, it is an operational one. I urge Hon. Murombedzi, her question may have merit but if she can put that question in writing so that the Minister can come and interrogate with the specific issues that she has raised, which I believe are worth responding to. I thank you Mr. Speaker
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE ACTING SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order No.68.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
LEGAL FRAMEWORK TO PROSECUTE BANKING EXECUTIVES AND DIRECTOS FOR MISAPPROPRIATION OF LARGE SUMS OF MONEY
- HON. JERE asked the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to inform the House the legal framework that is in place to prosecute banking executives and directors who were responsible for misappropriation of large sums of money and other financial improprieties such as huge none-performing loans and poor credit risk management between the period 2012 and now.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to thank Hon. Jere for the question. Mr. Speaker Sir, the legal regime that we have is that anyone who is suspected to have committed an offence, you report to the police and the police will investigate. Once they are convinced that there is a case, they will take the docket to the Prosecuting Authority and the Prosecuting Authority will take over and prosecute the individual. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. JERE: Supplementary question Mr. Speaker Sir. Thank you, Mr. Speaker Sir. My concern is, we all saw these issues happening in our country from the year 2012 whereby directors of the banks were using what is called insider trading. When huge deposits were coming through, they were giving each other loans which were not deserving and that saw a lot of our people losing a lot of money. Some of them died and some of the chronic diseases we are seeing now was a result of that.
Can you imagine Mr. Speaker Sir, you have had all your savings and you put them in a bank, you go to a bank this morning and the bank has closed. We need our people to be protected Mr. Speaker Sir. If you look at the developed countries, these are serious issues. It is economic sabotage and playing with depositors’ money. The situation that we are in today, we need each and every Zimbabwean to take responsibility of their actions. The banking sector has been left, Mr. Speaker Sir. They have been taking our money, stealing our money.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: What is your supplementary question?
HON. JERE: My supplementary question is, there should be a robust policy to make sure that people are protected in the banking sector so that we do not wake up in the morning and your money has been taken because it is still happening today.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: What is your supplementary question?
HON. JERE: I wanted that background to be made clear. What is the policy in place to make sure that our people are protected because it is not all of them who can go to the courts?
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I think it is a bit clear now. The question then is misdirected. The written question was supposed to be to the Minister of Finance and Investment Promotion because banks are supposed to be supervised by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and they put in policies to ensure that depositors’ funds are protected. So, I think with your indulgence, if Hon. Jere can re-couch his question and direct it to the Minister of Finance and Investment Promotion so that perhaps we can have a review of how depositors’ funds are protected by the relevant authorities. I so submit Hon. Speaker Sir.
SHORTAGE OF BALLOT PAPERS DURING THE 23RD AUGUST HARMONISED ELECTIONS
- HON. MARKHAM asked the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to explain why the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission ran out of ballot papers during the 23rd August Harmonised Elections.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Hon. Markham for this pertinent question. It is the function of ZEC to ensure that elections are conducted efficiently. Most importantly, the Commission has the function of designing, printing and distributing ballot papers. On 23rd August, 2023, we witnessed or heard about the logistical challenges that the Commission faced, as a result, hindering its execution of its earlier mentioned function.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the Commission faced challenges in the production and distribution of ballot papers for a few constituencies and wards emanating from the unprecedented number of court challenges that it faced. More than 100 post nomination applications were filed in the Electoral Court and the High Court of Zimbabwe. Due to the large amount of court challenges and the late determination of the same, the ballot papers could not be designed and printed without confirmed candidates. This resulted in the time to design, print and distribute ballots being affected.
The Commission calculated ballot papers to be printed per polling station based on population per polling station. It also projected when it expected ballots to be produced. This information was submitted to printers who were working on the said projections but the actual printing unfortunately, had to be stalled pending the outcome of pending cases.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the Commission adopted a production and distribution strategy which prioritises the remote and more distant provinces to ease the distribution challenges against limited timeframes. For this reason, it should be noted that delays were largely experienced in Harare because the printing and distribution was done last due to the province proximity to the printer. In a few reported cases of Bulawayo and other areas, delays were occasioned by the need to reprint ballots after it had been observed that there were errors on the ballots that had been sent to the affected polling stations.
Further Mr. Speaker, in mitigation of the said challenges, efforts were made to ensure that voters were not disenfranchised. The Commission requested the President to consider exercising his powers under Section 38 of the Electoral Act and alter his earlier proclamation so that voting could be extended to 24th August, 2023 in those areas that had been affected by the delays. As a result of these efforts, a statistical analysis of the average voter turn-out by polling station showed no significant difference between affected and none affected polling stations. I submit Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. MARKHAM: Mr. Speaker, I understand what the Minister has just reported. On the 17th of August, in front of local and international observers, ZEC stated and issued a statement, categorically stating that we are ready and all ballot papers were complete and printed, thus, 10 days or some days way before the election. While I understand the Minister saying there were legal actions, most of them were complete. In most of Harare and rural areas like Nyanga South, there were no legal issues. The Minister is misleading the House as to why there was an extension and a withholding of ballot papers by ZEC. In a current annual report, ZEC washed over the issue of lack of ballot papers stating they were all ready. So there is a direct conflict between what the Minister has reported and what ZEC has reported. Which one is telling the truth? Thank you.
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. What I have presented is consistent with what transpired. If there was a statement that was issued to the effect that all the ballot papers had been distributed and then a proclamation was made after ballots were not distributed, the Honourable cannot accuse me of not saying the truth. What I have said today is actually the truth. The reason why, I said, largely in Harare, ballots were delayed, is because they had to print ballots and dispatch them from areas that are far off and do Harare ballots last because of the logistical challenges because due to many court challenges that delayed the programme of ensuring that ballots are printed on time.
Perhaps Mr. Speaker, what we need is to change the Electoral Act to ensure that there is a cut off time in terms of electoral challenges. Thereafter, the Electoral Management Body will then proceed to produce ballots. That way, we can then hold them accountable to say that you cannot blame the electoral challenges because you have been given sufficient time to ensure that you print and check everything. On this current election, there were several challenges that gave logistical challenges in terms of ensuring that ballots are produced on time. I submit Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. TOGAREPI: On a supplementary question. Mr. Speaker Sir, I think we are going round. Elections have come and they have gone. The Hon. Member here has won an election where people voted. So my question is how did he win if people did not vote?
HON. MARKHAM: Mr. Speaker. On a point of order. In answering to the Hon. Minister’s statement, it is not whether I won or lost. My point is in my constituency, since he has brought it up, I had seven polling stations which were delayed up to 10 o’clock. It is quite obvious, I would have won by even more and the President would have even won by more and some of our two councillors by even more if they opened the ballot papers on time.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Markham, I think the Minister has given his response.
HON. MARKHAM: I thank him, but I was answering the Chief Whip’s contribution.
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Actually, what Hon. Markham is saying is not very correct. The voting was extended so that voting hours, in almost every constituency was the same. So he was not going to win even more because the voting hours were the same. Mr. Speaker, the long and short of it is, let us change our laws to ensure that when we have contestation among our political parties about nomination and whatever, we give sufficient time for that contestation to take place. Then ZEC gets sufficient time to do its processes. This will solve the problem. That is the submission I made, that ZEC were inundated with a lot of issues which they had and that resulted in whether the errors became whatever human or what, let us make sure that our laws give sufficient time to the electoral body to do their work appropriately.
*HON. HAMAUSWA: Before I ask my supplementary question, I want to thank the Minister for accepting that our electoral laws need to be amended. We also need to give our views on that. We heard that the ballots had not been printed because there were issues that were before the courts. However, what we observed was that in a lot of constituencies in Harare, there were postal votes that were cast and there were ballot papers that were cast. They voted for the councillor, the Member of Parliament and for the President. So how were they printed since there were issues that were pending before the courts? If the Minister can explain, I would be most grateful.
*THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Hamauswa, I heard the Minister saying that ballots for Harare were delayed because of the challenges they faced.
*HON. HAMAUSWA: Mr. Speaker, I think you are not treating me well. I said there are those who do postal votes who had already cast their votes and their ballot papers were part of the votes. They were given to those that were at the polling station a day before elections and we have the records. How come the other ballots were not there when those for local Government were already there? May the Hon. Minister explain this discrepancy. What exactly was there? Was it someone trying to outwit the other?
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Yes, he is speaking quite well. Preparing 100 ballot papers is different from preparing 30 000 ballot papers. There was a time that we were almost through, postal votes are cast when we are close to the election. They were made in such a way that those who want to cast their postal ballots can do it. We need to urge and also give time for all ballot papers to be made so that there will not be any other obstacles like what happened. I thank you.
SADC REPORT ON THE 2023 HARMONISED ELECTIONS
- HON. MARKHAM asked the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to avail the SADC report on the 2023 harmonised elections.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. We do not have a custom of tabling observation reports in Parliament. I thank you.
HON. MARKHARM: Can the Minister of Justice confirm that he is not putting the observer report on the table for Parliament to debate.
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Mr. Speaker, an observation report is just but an observation report. It does not come to Parliament.
HON. MARKHAM: On a point of order! Mr. Speaker, bear in mind that we are in the Tenth Parliament and bearing in mind the absence of numerous Ministers, and that there is only a handful. Also bearing in mind that today we received seven apologies, it gives the impression – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] Mr. Speaker, how long are you going to allow the ruling party Members to continue heckling us before we can get down to business?
My question is this and it is for clarity for us, we do not know some of the Ministers because they have not been here yet. Secondly for the public, the public is under the impression that if there are eight apologies, then the rest are sitting in this House of which they are not. So, there are these questions which have been on the Order Paper for nearly four weeks and nothing has happened. Mr. Speaker, I implore us to change the protocol so that we name the Ministers that come to this House so we can recognise them for our questions, both written and without notice. So all I am asking is that if we can know the Ministers that are here, we can then ask questions to those Ministers. I thank you.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Markham. The Leader of Government Business, may you help us?
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI), the House adjourned at Seventeen Minutes to Five o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 29th November, 2023
The Senate met at Half past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE
POST BUDGET SEMINAR
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I wish to inform the Senate that following the presentation of the 2024 National Budget by the Minister of Finance and Investment Promotion on Thursday 30th November, 2023 in the National Assembly, Parliament will hold a half day Post Budget Seminar for all Members of Parliament on Monday, 4th December, 2023. It starts at 0800 hours in the Multi -Purpose Hall here at the New Parliament Building.
POST BUDGET CONSULTATIVE MEETINGS
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Secondly, I also wish to inform the Senate that Portfolio Committees will hold Post Budget Consultative Meetings from Monday, 4th December, 2023 in the afternoon to Thursday, 7th December, 2023. Hon. Senators are urged to join Portfolio Committees of their choice. The schedule for the Committee Meetings will be circulated in due course.
SWITCHING OFF OF CELLPHONES
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Senators are reminded once again to put your phones on silent or switch them off.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Mr. President Sir, I move that Order of the Day, No. 1 be stood over until the rest of the Orders have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2022
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission for the year 2022.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN TONGOGARA: Mr. President, I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to debate regarding the Anti-Corruption Commission report. Firstly, I want to thank His Excellency, President E. D. Mnangagwa for his vision which noted the upsurge in corruption and that is done by a wise person who wants the country to be in the right trajectory. I want to thank the Chairperson of the Commission for the report. The report that the Chairperson brought to this august House is quite comprehensive but firstly, the report was done in line with the Constitution of Zimbabwe, Section 323, Amendment No. 20 of 2103 and Section 15 of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Chapter 2.22.
Mr. President Sir, when a Committee is set and the Committee produces such a report…
Hon Makamba having passed between the Chair and the Hon. Member speaking.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order Hon. Senator. You are not allowed to pass between the Chair and the Member on the floor.
HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Mr. President, l was saying that when such a Committee is elected, this is done in line with the Constitution so that when they exhibit their duties, they do not do so without due diligence, but they do so adhering to the Constitution. I appreciate that and thanking the Chairperson of the Commission because the Commission has been operating legally.
Mr. President, it then reflects that when the Commission was given a task to do their work, they performed well and they opened offices in different parts of the country in provinces like Harare, Bulawayo, Midlands and other places so that when they execute their duties, they have representatives in every area who live in particular localities so that they can give reports and they monitor the whole country. If they are headquartered in Harare, it will be difficult. So, I appreciate that this was done through the decentralisation programme where activities are done in communities in which the people are, because they noted that they cannot cover all provinces.
Mr. President, they opened offices in all provinces, instead of moving to Harare all the time which is quite difficult. In this report, we had 157 cases, which is 62%. In those cases, 134 represent 53%, which they handed over to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), so that these cases are taken up and those people be persecuted. This is what is always anticipated, when the Commission was set up, after people have been caught on corruption allegations, they should go through the court process so that the law takes its course.
The Committee was not at all looking at positions or social status of a perpetrator. The report clearly stated that a former Permanent Secretary of Mines was arrested. Senior officers at VID were arrested and a Provincial Magistrate was also arrested. This means that when they were doing their duties, there were no sacred cows; there was no favouritism. They were not selectively applying the law. This is quite pleasing because when we are given a task, you must do it diligently. I applaud them for a good job.
Whilst they were doing their job, they met a number of challenges, where there were some witnesses who had evidence of crimes, but it was quite difficult for them to be forthcoming because there was victimisation of witnesses. Some were intimidated and that is why they brought a suggestion that there be a Bill that protects witnesses. This is quite commendable because no one was going to inform the authorities of the crime. They must be protected and whistleblowers should be protected so that information regarding different crimes is brought forth to the responsible authorities. If that is done, witnesses and whistleblowers will come forward because they know they are protected and will not be afraid to be intimidated at night or being killed.
The Commission had their AGM on 16th June in line with Section 33.3 of Public Entities and Corporate Governance Act. Like what I said before, all these things that are in the report are quite clear. This is what is happening and transpiring. It is within the confines of the law. So, I appreciate the report and what is contained in the report which is in line with the law. The other point is that they had provincial campaign awareness programmes which are quite important because people should be informed. They should be taught so that they know what corruption is and to understand that there is a commission which has been set up to teach people about corruption. This means that what they have been doing has been quite helpful. When we look at province by province, you will discover that table 5 is clear that Harare tops the list followed by Bulawayo. We also noted in the report that in Matabeleland South, there were two cases. In Matabeleland North there was one case of corruption. This is quite commendable. Those who have a few cases of corruption, it means the awareness campaigns and the lessons that were taught were effective. It was also noted that corruption was quite prevalent in Local Authorities and in Municipal Authorities. There is an issue of the illegal parceling out of stands, the selling of stands and land without due diligence. When stands are sold, there are considerations for places allocated to schools, clinics and football pitches where the young people can participate in recreational activities. This will help in taking them off the streets and drug abuse. You will find that land barons were seen to be in the forefront of corrupting Council officials, bribing them, which eventually leads to corruption in the selling of wetlands and other protected areas. This causes Government to be in a difficult situation in order to rectify the anomaly, where they find that people have been allocated stands on wet lands. When rains come, you will find people being washed away by floods because they were settled in places which are not meant to be residential areas.
So, I want to thank the Commission for bringing out such issues of land barons and this will bring sanity. Let me say that the report was quite pleasing and it was submitted 4 years after the Chairperson was given that office. I want to urge the Commission to continue with the good job so that at a certain stage, we would say that indeed we have weeded out corruption. You find office bearers doing their jobs without requesting for bribes, and when that happens, the Commission would bring sanity and there will be economic growth in the country. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Mr. President Sir, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 12th December, 2023.
MOTION
REPORT ON THE NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY FOR THE YEAR 2022
Third Order read. Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the National Prosecuting Authority for the year 2022.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MACKENZIE: Thank you Mr. President. I would like to add a few words on the National Prosecuting Authority. Firstly, I would like to congratulate the new Prosecutor General, Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo for her recent appointment. More-so, that is, she is coming from being the Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission. She has already started changing processes within this institution. Mr. President, this report afforded me the opportunity to get some insight and some deep understanding on the work of the National Prosecuting Authority. This is a very important institution which is actually a creature of our Constitution, particularly Sections 259 to 263. The people who work within the institution are supposed to be people of integrity, people who cannot be tempted to do things in certain ways, they have got to keep to the letter of the law. To do that, the investigations which are supposed to be done mostly by the police have got to be thorough so that the interpretation which is going to be made by the officials of the National Prosecuting Authority can be water-tight.
On the same note Mr. President, there is need for these people to be properly remunerated. You cannot be earning $500 a month or $300 a month and you are prosecuting somebody who has actually perpetrated a fraud of $50 million or $40 million. You get tempted if they come with a bunch of money. It is pleasing that the authority does not fall under the Civil Service. So, it is required of us to ensure that it is properly funded.
I see also within the report that they receive every quarter an average of 45 000 cases and they dispose almost two-thirds of that, about 66%, around thirty thousand cases. It is important that all those things must be done timeously because justice delayed is justice denied. There is always a backlog at the end of every quarter. However, when you compare the report of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and that one of the National Prosecuting Authority, the one for ZACC was much more detailed, which is why I am commending the processes which have been put in place by the new Prosecutor General.
The migration to e-documentation, the paperless culture which is also being introduced in Parliament in order to expedite some of the cases; in some cases, a crime is perpetrated and investigation is done by the police, sometimes half-heartedly, with the prosecuting authority or the official take-over from the NPA also doing the job half-heartedly. It is then passed on to the Magistrate or the High Court, and then you find that the people who have actually committed the crime walk scot-free. It is important when you actually look in detail at the work and mandate of the authority, that they should not consider who you are or where you come from. They should do their work without fear or favour and impartially.
There are many cases of corruption within the report and you can see the MOU which was signed with the Transparency International so that they can appreciate the harm which is being done by corruption in this country and the methods of investigating corruption cases. Corruption cases, by their very nature, are very complicated and you need sharp minds and officials who are well remunerated.
On that note Mr. President, I end by saying, let us do whatever we can to capacitate the National Prosecuting Authority in terms of funding and budget provisions. Tomorrow, there is the budget presentation and let us see how much they are going to get so that we do not compromise the justice delivery system within our country. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 12th December, 2023.
MOTION
GBV AWARENESS PROGRAMMES TO PROMOTE POSITIVE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CHANGE
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Commemorations to mark the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. TSOMONDO: Thank you Mr. President for allowing me to stand and debate about GBV. A motion which was raised by Hon. Sen. Mbohwa. Mr. President, embarking on the Gender Based Violence awareness programmes in all districts of the country would be an important step in combating GBV and its negative effects. Communities can become better equipped to identify and support victims.
These programmes can also help to dispel myths and lack of understanding about GBV, and to promote a culture of zero tolerance for violence against women and girls. In addition, such programmes can help to build the capacity of local authorities and providers in their area of jurisdiction to effectively respond to GBV cases. Ultimately, GBV awareness programmes can play a role in creating safer environment for women.
Investing in programmes that prevent violence against women and girls through promoting positive social and cultural change is important to reduce gender-based violence. By tackling the underlying causes of violence, such as harmful gender norms, these programmes can help to create a culture that rejects violence and promotes equality. Such programmes can include initiatives that educate and empower women and girls, engage men and boys as allies in ending violence, and building the capacity of communities to address GBV. They can also involve working with media and other stakeholders to promote positive gender norms and change attitudes towards GBV. Overally, investing in these programmes can make a lasting impact in reducing GBV Mr. President.
There are many effects of gender-based violence in Zimbabwe, including physical, mental effects which can include depression, and low self-esteem. Social effects can include isolation, poverty, and loss of social status. Gender-based violence also has a negative impact on economic development as it increases health costs, reduces productivity and decreases participation in the workforce.
Therefore, in conclusion Mr. President, Parliament should continue increasing cooperation with various institutions such as Civic Societies, Correctional Services, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development. Hence this will compliment Government efforts to achieve gender equality and to eliminate all forms of gender-based violence (GBV). Thank you Mr. President.
+HON. SEN. M. NDLOVU: Thank you Mr. President Sir. First of all, I would like to thank Senator Shiri for the motion. We want to prevent the abuse of children, mothers, fathers and the vulnerable. Gender-based violence is something very new such that when we were growing up, it was not there at all. Right now it is prevalent and it is being perpetrated by relatives. Fathers are raping their own children. I do not know if mothers are also being raped. When a woman is being raped, she is instructed on what to expect. Also, some rapes are fake since we have moved away from our culture, and also nowadays chiefs are the custodians of the culture and laws. These negative issues are happening of which chiefs are aware but they have no power to intervene. Last year, there were some cases of children being raped by their fathers to the extent of impregnating them and that was taboo. My question is, what has gone wrong with our culture because it should prevent some of these things?
Mr. President, again l would like to say Government should put stiffer sentences for such perpetrators because people do commit such acts. You find that perpetrators will be laughing at you after they have been released without being charged. I am requesting that there be deterrent sentences of up to 20 years or more so that they will never commit such crimes again.
Mr. President, there are child headed families and that is where most of these things are happening. There is a family in my constituency, you find that police always visit that family and that means we are failing to prevent such activities as a country. There are also women who abuse husbands, it is difficult for men to report such matters. Even us as mothers, when a child is abused by the father, we fear to make a report. It is taboo for such matters to happen. I am suggesting that there be a workshop where we involve children, mothers and fathers to conscientise them. When these matters are raised the truth will prevail. We also have a request that organisations that deal with those issues assist communities. I request the Government to intervene and traditional leaders as well. I thank you.
+HON. S. MOYO: Thank you very much Mr. President. We are very happy on the women issue that they are putting their problems here in this House. The problem we face is that you do not ask difficult questions, yet fundamental questions are needed. Why is it that women and girls are being abused every hour in Zimbabwe? Let us give true meaning and refer back to independence where we need proper channels of communication, where victims can report and be protected and not told to go back home by police. When they go back, they are killed. We need our police to be accountable and not to be instructed to do violence, but help the abused women.
Abuse of women and girls is bad not only today, but also for the future generations to come. What women and girls will be doing years from now, what future mothers will we have? We need straight laws for perpetrators of abuse. Ministers and various Commissions must tell us what measures are being taken to address this cancer of abuse. On the vulnerable social situation, the Government is failing to assist our women who are failing to put daily bread on the table. They get into drugs to forget their suffering. They even fail to pay university fees. The women are vulnerable to pregnancy in order to have food and shelters, given the situation in this country.
We need to come up with solutions and not policies that only look good on paper. I ask that we need full involvement of women in national building. This House and the justice system must investigate what type of people are being given licences to take care of our women and children. We need to vet them before commissioning them. What is happening is that those organisations like DREAMS use children to get money from the Government and donors. The targeted market, the fund is not assisting the victims.
We have grand-children going out there to sell their bodies so that they can have their daily bread. The other problem is the CALA issue, where the girl child might not have the resources to complete the project like printing, photocopying, et cetera. The teachers will say I will do the CALA for you if you sleep with me in the storeroom. We need the Minister of Education to address this CALA issue, hence they resort to drugs due to too much pressure. Most of you do not care because your children go to private schools. What about the majority that go to public or Government schools? What are we saying about them?
Mr. President, we are fathers and mothers and therefore we need to take a stand against abuse of women and children. We need to mentor young people because we have lived longer, made mistakes and we let them know that we did this wrong. We need to improve on their lives and we need accountability on men and women from village level to national level so that we stop this cancer which is destroying our nation and our women. So, we need assistance from the Government to make sure that they look on those issues. Thank you.
HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: Thank you Hon. President. I want to thank Hon. Sen. Mbohwa for bringing this motion to this House. I want to add my voice to the GBV motion. Normally, when we look at gender, people focus on women, but where I come from in the rural areas, I have noted that even small boys are abused. As we speak, there are young boys who are being exploited in child labour. These are young boys who are in manual labour. So, this is a culture which has been taken up by people where you find small boys without parents being employed as cattle herders. This means that when they grow up, they grow knowing that this is what they do. When gender roles are defined, you find that for them, they will also follow this, but as Hon. Members of this House, it is important that we note the importance of gender balance. We need to introspect. Let me add that these programmes that are being spoken of are only in urban areas, they do not permeate into peripheral areas. These are programmes which should be taken up by people in different districts. You would find that men know the way to deal with their women, but you find them beating up the women. This is not right. Let us not abuse each other.
The other point is, I have noted that in rural areas, police stations are quite far. Where I come from, you would need to drive for a long distance. When you are abused, whether you are raped, it will take quite some time. So, Government has a big role to play in building police stations, particularly in rural areas. These are just police stations where you walk in, whether the issue is sensitive, but you will find that there is no Victim Friendly Unit. So, in rural areas, it is important to put Victim Friendly Units. I will give an example of where I come from in Matopo, the police station is Maphisa, you might be at Ratanyana, which is quite a distance from Maphisa. You will find that some police stations are quite a distance. So, I do not know what should be done so that there are sub-stations to address concerns of abused women and the young children where they can report their cases. Let me also mention that there are some men who are being abused and there are men who are being beaten up. Now, I want to say to women who beat their men, please do not do so. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank you Hon. Sen. Mlotshwa, I missed a part which seems to be very interesting. I am going to work very hard to polish my Ndebele. I tried to use this, but unfortunately it did not work.
+HON. SEN. MOYO: Thank you President of the Senate, for giving me this opportunity. I also want to thank the Hon. Senator who moved this motion which is quite painful, where you find that this is done by a normal human being. I do not know why, but for psychiatrists, it is important to check such people to find whether they would be in their normal state. These people who do bad things are people who are supposed to be prosecuted. Now, it will be easier when the laws are quite punitive. The issue which is being addressed here is an issue which points at men. You would find that when people are abusing each other – let us not make it one-sided. It is not about men only or women only, but this is quite an all-cutting issue.
The law should be punitive enough and on perpetrators of gender-based violence, the law should be applied. We have chiefs who live in communities, they should enforce the laws. Perpetrators need to be punished because if the law is not punitive enough, then gender-based violence will not end. you would find that men could marry five women in the past, but there were no cases of abuse. Now, that is difficult. Women do not welcome other women in the same marriage. Sometimes a man might have a need for conjugal rights, so what I am saying is, let us address the issue behind abuse. What causes people to take advantage of each other? Some say it is because of sexual deprivation. I do not know whether it is deprivation in that regard, but you would find that young people are being abused in their homes through sexual deprivation. I do not know why this is happening, whether it is about rituals or what. Maybe some people are doing this after being prompted by traditional healers. However, my desire is that such issues should be dealt with and the law should be quite punitive. There should be a mark, possibly in other cases, there should be application of the Sharia Law, where you find that a person has a part amputated or otherwise. This is happening where male adults abuse young girls. You also find older women taking young boys and abusing them sexually. So, we need to address why this is happening. Thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Thank you Mr. President for this opportunity. When I came to this august House, I did not think that I would debate but having listened to the discourse in the House, I decided to participate. Firstly, there were quite a number of points raised regarding the participation of chiefs – thank you for that recognition. I want to thank you for recognising the participation of traditional leaders. Indeed, as chiefs, we want to fight gender-based violence. We do not want violence.
Sometimes you would find people saying that when you go to a doctor and you have a headache, the diagnosis would actually try to determine the actual cause of the headache. We can debate but as long as we do not address the source, we will have challenges. There are some who leave the issue and divert it. Some would say it is a cultural thing of beating wives. Whatever culture you refer to, it is not allowed to beat a woman. That is our culture. But of course, you can use the other whip which was mentioned by the previous speaker. This is our culture. Whether you are in Chipinge, Hwange, Plumtree or any other part of the country, women should not be beaten up. Then you ask why they are being beaten up and what is causing that. You find that some were saying remove lobola because the payment of lobola is like buying a person. It is like commodification of a woman. So, we need to understand what lobola is.
Mr. President, I want to share that from our research and other experiences from Uganda, about 10 years ago, there was a non-governmental organisation called Mikumi which took this issue to the courts. They advocated for the abolishment of lobola saying that it is the cause of commodification of women. The case went through High Court and there were five High Court Judges on the bench who included four females and one male in the system. After the judgement was out, there was one person who was for the abolishment of lobola and four were against it. The judges who were against the abolishment of lobola said that research from the Philippines and other countries, the statistics reflected that the top countries in gender-based violence have nothing to do with lobola. They do not pay dowry. The research which was found indicates that where violence is prevalent, there is no lobola. Judges said that there is no evidence that lobola causes violence according to the information that was given to the court. Only one person said he wanted lobola to be scrapped. The majority of four agreed that lobola should be retained. It was the male judge who said lobola should be scrapped.
I want this House to know that there are some people who come with funding in order to change other people’s culture. We were approached by Msasa Project and they said that gender-based violence is prevalent and so we need to go out and hold meetings in all towns to debate the causes of gender-based violence. Up to now, I learnt a lot. We went to places like Masvingo, Mashonaland Central and different parts of the country. The common issue which emanated from the deliberations is that women were saying that what is causing domestic violence is more to do with conjugal rights. A lot of women were saying men just come home and sleep without giving their spouses their conjugal rights. Women in turn accuse their men of infidelity because they will be giving their conjugal rights to other women, hence would respond by beating up their wives.
It was agreed that the number one cause is that men are now weak. The reason of the weakness maybe caused by small houses as men fail to deliver when they go to their spouses. I am saying that the issue to do with gender-based violence is that we might look at the wrong challenges running away from the real issues.
I want to thank Hon. Sen. Shiri for moving this motion. We want to stand together so that within five years, we resolve or address gender-based violence. Let us not pay lip service debating only. You find a motion is on the Order Paper, then it comes back in the next Parliament without any implementation. The mover of this motion should follow up on the issue so that it is expedited. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. NGWENA: Mr President, I want to talk about gender-based violence which is becoming a scourge. Indeed, I want to focus on women. I heard what was debated by other Hon. Senators that men say that they paid lobola for the women. I want to suggest that there is need for protection of women.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: On a point of order. For record purposes, I did not say what the Hon. Senator is saying. Indeed, this would be captured in the Hansard. That is not what I said.
*HON. SEN. NGWENA: My apologies to Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira but this is the background to an explanation that I wanted to make. We have the HIV pandemic which is prevalent in the country and you will find that as a woman, I might be HIV positive because the man who married me forces me to have sexual intercourse with him. We need to see that women are protected. When you face such challenges then you need to know where to go.
There is a lot of abuse which is happening to our children. Young children are being abused by older men. Some would come saying that I want to assist the child with school fees as a way of taking advantage of these young children. We need organisations which support vulnerable children and orphans so that they are protected from men who take advantage of them. Indeed, we need that to happen and this is what I wanted to emphasise on. I thank you.
HON. SEN. SHIRI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 12th December, 2023.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Mr. President, thank you for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to the SONA presented by our President His Excellency Honourable E. D. Mnangagwa. I am so proud to debate in this magnificent building.
Thanks to him for a job well done!
The President talked about water. Clean water provision is one of the goals under NDSI and SDG6 and in line with this access to potable water for the ordinary people is one of the Second Republic’s major endeavours. The Government has started a campaign of drilling boreholes as it forges ahead with its vision to improve livelihood and it improves the economy. Mr. President, 117 boreholes have been drilled in Midlands Province, for instance, bringing convenience to the beneficiaries as they come with tapped water instead of the old model bush pump borehole.
This has improved the livelihoods of people. People have also established nutrition gardens which improves their general health. Agriculture has been transformed to produce enough food at household level. This has been made possible through the Pfumvudza/ Intwasa Presidential Scheme. Thanks to the President’s vision.
The President also talked about mining, USD10 million loan for small-scale miners was unveiled to boost production. The facility comes at a time when investment in the mining sector to scale up production is limited. Most investors are reluctant to support the artisanal and small scale-miners due to the inherent risk and complex way of doing business by these miners. As such, this USD10 million facility is meant to provide support to small-scale gold miners as they are underfunded. The funds will be used in the construction of six gold service centers to improve access to critical facilities by artisanal gold small-scale miners and to invest in machinery that could enable the miners to operate even during the rainy season.
Mr. President, let me now move to devolution. The Government of Zimbabwe identified devolution as key pillar of achieving an upper- middle income economy status by 2030. The policy on Devolution and Decentralisation is one of the major anchors of our unity which encompasses inclusive development. Notwithstanding outstanding requisite legislatives alignments to the constitutions, sub-national tiers of the Government have already begun to embrace devolution aspirations in tandem with relevant provisions contained in the 2013 Constitutional dispensation on the devolution of state for state power and responsibilities. This is evidenced by the Ministers of state for Provincial and Devolution Affairs who champion development programmes in their respective Provinces.
NDS1 seeks to facilitate rapid, equitable and balanced development of rural and urban areas without leaving anyone behind and it provides for devolution and decentralisation as espoused under Vision 2030. In this regard, devolution, if it is properly implemented, could yield significant dividends. The e-passport applications are now being processed at provincial and district registry offices in Bulawayo, Gwanda, Gweru, Lupane, Marondera, Beitbridge, Chitungwiza, Hwange, Mazowe, Murewa and Zvishavane.
Mr. President, let me move on to energy. In line with the drive to remove barriers to investment in the energy sector, the Second Republic has opened the area for more private business to meet power shortages through investments that will enhance power generation. Let me say 68 % of the projected investment value for all licences were issued in the energy sector. For instance, there is a new 50 megawatt solar station in Bulawayo and major upgrade of the national grid in Bikita. These two investments from private investors through public private partnerships, will see Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) and Bulawayo City Council benefiting from a solar power station that it will eventually own and Bikita Mineral from the construction of 113km, 132 kilovolt power line from the existing Tokwe substation to the proposed Bikita Mineral substation. The solar power plant in Bulawayo will address the perennial power challenges at the Bulawayo water pumping station and also provide power to Bulawayo industries in designed special economic zones, thereby providing an alternative stream for the City Council.
Mr. President, let me move to road infrastructure. Road transport is indispensable to economic and social development in any country. This has a significant implication on development and the economy of our nation. Thus, the rehabilitation and maintenance of roads to an acceptable standard is a prerequisite as roads also play a crucial role in determining the competitiveness of exports and imports on international and regional markets. More than 50 000km of roads have so far been rehabilitated and reconstructed countrywide since the start of the Emergency Road and Rehabilitation Programme in 2021.
Under Heritage Based education 5.0 module, institutions of Higher and Tertiary Education are expected to champion teaching, research, community services, innovation and industrialisation. Mr. President, 16 industries have been established, contributing to economic growth. Mutare Teachers College has established a food processing industry for the beneficiation of indigenous fruits. Lupane State University Agro Innovation Park is providing extension service to local farmers in goat production.
Mr. President, beneficiation is part of Zimbabwe’s economy diversification. The Second Republic is putting emphasis on value addition and beneficiation of natural resources for optimum profits and benefit of local communities. The setting up of lithium processing hubs, particularly lithium battery companies in Zimbabwe will immensely benefit the country. Establishment of the processing plant at Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe is in tandem with the Government’s stance to position the country as a lithium hub. The masawu fruit which is abundant in the Zambezi Valley is a classic example of the beneficiation of natural resources and industries are shaping up in Mashonaland Central for mass production and ultimate exports. Villagers in Mwenezi and surrounding areas are pocketing at least USD5million annually, from selling the indigenous mapfura/marula fruit for production at a local Mwenezi mapfura/marula processing and value addition plant. Small scale farmers in Mutoko and surrounding areas are also benefiting from the fruit and vegetable processing plant commissioned by His Excellency, which is expected to contribute to crop value addition in line with Vision 2030 supported by NDSI. The establishment of manufacturing plants, processing facilities and value-added industries are positioning the country for economic development and addressing inequalities, creating opportunities for job creation, infrastructure development and improved living standards.
This is a clear extrapolation of the heritage theme which underpins the Education 5.0 strategy. It is a revolutionary call to look inwards and transform our economy through processing all our heritage, including taming and domesticating our flora and fauna for competitive exports. More Government funding needs to be secured to grow and take to the next level, the innovations coming as a result of Education 5.0.
Access to Health
Towards universal access to healthcare, every district in the country should have quality healthcare services that have the latest equipment and specialist medical officers. This is critical in the attainment of Vision 2030 to become an Upper Middle-Class Economy as articulated in the NDS I. In Mhondoro, His Excellency commissioned a refurbished Mubaira Rural District Hospital which was constructed through a public-private partnership with Zimplats. More than 47 clinics and hospitals have been built since 2018 with many more upgraded and repaired. Cowdray Park Health Centre in Bulawayo, a 20-bed state of the art health facility was commissioned by His Excellency. This is the second facility of its nature, the first one being Stoneridge in Harare South. Another clinic of the same nature has been constructed in Mataga, Zvishavane and the model is being replicated across the country.
Over 200 boreholes have been drilled at the health facilities, while 1000 old and new facilities had solar power installed. The upgrades in the health system are part of the Government’s quest to ensure local health standards match best international practice.
His Excellency concluded his address by encouraging all the Parliamentarians in both houses to work together and achieve continued unity of purpose to build our motherland. He also encourages us to wholeheartedly participate in the enactment of laws that will improve quality of life of our people. By doing this, we will fulfill one of our mandates of representation. I thank you.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 12th December, 2023.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Tomorrow, there is going to be a budget presentation. The budget, in terms of the Constitution is presented to the National Assembly. Under normal circumstances, if our gadgets here, were connected to the National Assembly, we would have come, start the Session, adjourn and listen to the budget presentation from here. Unfortunately, our gadgets are not yet connected with the National Assembly. So, there is no point in coming here.
In terms of the Constitution, anyway the budget is presented to the National Assembly. So, tomorrow we urge you to listen to the budget as it is being presented and take note of the main issues which are going to be made by the Minister of Finance.
Today we will adjourn, up to the 12th as per sitting of the Senate but on Monday, you are all required to come back here in the morning at 0800 a.m. We will hold a Post-Budget Seminar where we are going to analyse, in fact we will bring in experts who will analyse the budget. We will debate it from 0800 a.m. up to 1 o’clock p. m. In the afternoon, Senators will then join Portfolio Committees for Post-Budget consultations up to Thursday. So, you are required to be here next week, even though officially we are adjourning to the 12th of December. So, the whole of next week, you are required to be here at work. I hope this clarifies the issues at stake.
On the motion of HON. SEN. MUZENDA, seconded by HON. SEN. GOTORA, the Senate adjourned at Four Minutes past Four o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 12th December, 2023.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 28th November, 2023
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o`clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE ACTING SPEAKER in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE ACTING SPEAKER
NATIONAL BUDGET PRESENTATION
THE ACTING SPEAKER (HON MACHINGURA): I have one announcement to make. I wish to remind the House that the Hon. Minister of Finance and Investment Promotion will present the 2024 National Budget on Thursday, the 30th of November 2023, in the National Assembly.
HON. MARKHAM. On a point of national interest Hon. Speaker Sir. Thank you Hon. Speaker, good afternoon. Hon. Speaker, I was inundated recently by the business community pertaining to the foreign currency auctions. Apparently, at the last four auctions where money was auctioned, the Zimbabwe dollar was taken but the foreign currency has not been released. Could the Minister, through you Mr. Speaker, give us an urgent update on the reason for the delay and why we are continuing to auction foreign currency if we are going to be late in our disbursement? I thank you.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Okay Hon. Markham, your concern has been noted.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: Mr. Speaker, 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. HLATSHWAYO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
GENDER BASED VIOLENCE AWARENESS PROGRAMMES TO PROMOTE POSITIVE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CHANGE
HON. S. NDEBELE: I move the motion standing in my name that this House:
NOTING with appreciation that the 2023 commemorations to mark the 16-Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence Campaign will run under the theme “Unite Invest to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls” and will commence from 25 November to 10 December 2023;
CONCERNED that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is pervasive across economic, cultural, religion, age, sexual and ethnic orientation spaces;
NOTING that GBV manifests itself in various derivatives which mainly constitute harmful traditional practices, physical violence, psychological violence, economic violence, sexual violence and emotional abuse;
WORRIED that victims of GBV endure physically, psychologically, and socially???? resulting in both short and long-term effects which include mental health challenges, rampant drug abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, and unwanted pregnancies;
ACKNOWLEDGING the various positive policy initiatives instituted by the Government of Zimbabwe in curbing the perpetration and perpetuation of GBV in the society;
NOW, THEREFORE, calls upon Government to;
a) Initiate the enactment of laws that deter Gender-Based Violence
perpetrators and provide for stiffer penalties;
b) Embark on GBV awareness programmes to all districts of the country; and
c) Initiate Gender-Based Violence programmes that promote positive social and cultural change as a way of eradicating this scourge.
HON. MUTANDI: I second.
HON. S. NDEBELE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to start by asking you all to observe a minute of silence in memory of women and girls who lost their lives due to gender based violence.
All Hon. Members observed a minute of silence
Mr. Speaker, let me start by thanking you for giving me this opportunity to table this motion which seeks to raise awareness of the 16-days of activism against gender-based violence. As the Women’s Caucus, we are honoured to join the rest of the international community in commemorating the 16-days of activism against gender-based violence. This is a global campaign aimed at raising awareness of negative effects of violence against women and girls. Since the campaign was started in 1991, we have witnessed significant progress being made by many parties in terms of raising awareness and protecting women and girls` rights. Surprisingly, we have continued to witness an increased number of GBV cases instead of a decrease. This is actually worrisome and calls for reflection on this matter.
We may need to go back to the drawing board and re-strategise as representative of the people in this country. Mr. Speaker Sir, this year’s commemoration is being held under the theme “Unite, invest to prevent violence against women and girls” this is a call for the national governance to prioritise and invest resources to fight the scourge. Indeed, violence against women and girls is a human rights issue. It must be taken seriously by us all. We are all affected in one way or another.
Mr. Speaker, let me prefix my motion by defining Gender-Based Violence. This is violence that is directed and is usually based on his or her biological sex or gender identity. It is one of the most extreme or unequal gender relations in society. It is, first and foremost, a violation of rights and a global health issue that cuts across boundaries of economic health, wealth, culture, religion, acts and social orientation. It has become a global problem affecting the global village at large. Gender-Based Violence is not only perpetrated by males and predominantly affects women and girls but can also happen to men and boys.
Intimate partners violence refers to behaviour by an intimate partner or an x-partner that causes physical, sexual or psychological harm including physical aggression, sexual coercion, physiological abuse and controlling behaviours. Studies have indicated wide spread gender based violence globally which approximately is about 35% of women. It means 1 in 3 women globally have experienced physical or raw sexual violence at some point in their lives. That is more than 1 billion women and girls facing physical abuse. Seven percent of women have suffered sexual assault from another person other than their partner. Murderers of women committed by an intimate partner crime of passion are up to 38%. We recently read in the newspaper about a woman who was murdered by her boyfriend in Marondera. A great number of up to 200 million have experienced female gentile mutilation.
Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that G.B.V has a cost to society and Government, which significantly impacts on national development. The WB predicts that violence against women and girls is estimated to cost countries up to 3.7% of the G.D.P., which is more than double to what most governments spend on education budgets. This is so because survivors suffer physical, physiological and social consequences which affects both the long and short term. Such effects include mental health issues arising from suicidal cases and drug abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies and many more; cases rising in our global village which has healthy related implications. Sad is it not? Imagine if the resources we are spending on fighting GBV can be utilised elsewhere. Mr. Speaker, gender-based violence comes in different forms which include among others, harmful traditional practises, physical, physiological, economic, child marriages, owner killings, human trafficking and sexual violence which includes intimate partner violence, the I.P.V and female genital mutilation.
Coming closer to home G.B.V, is a prevalent matter in Zimbabwe and it affects women and girls nationwide. G.B.V in Zimbabwe has been exacerbated by increasing poverty levels, societal norms and values that keep alive gender inequalities and cultural practises, economy dispersals, loopholes in the legal framework, displacements and disaster, religion and conflicts, and of late now there is technology of cyber-related violence against women and girls. Mr. Speaker, the statistics that I have here are traumatising and most studies indicate a high rate of intimate partner violence, sexual abuse, child marriage, domestic violence and other types of gender violence. According to the Afro Barometer findings, the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agendas and UNICEF 2019 reveal that 40% of women between the age of 12 and 49 encounter physical or sexual abuse from an intimate partner.
It is also important to note that violence is also perpetrated on the young children, both boys and girls and the elderly women. According to MICS survey, the top 3 provinces where women reported having experience all forms of spouse violence were Mashonaland East with 55%, Masvingo 54% and Manicaland 53%. Thirty-nine percent of women aged 15 and 49 years reported that they have experienced violence since the age of 15, while 11% experienced it in the last 12 months. Twelve percent of women reported ever having experience violence whilst 5% reported having experience in the last 12months.
About one in two women aged 15 and 49 years have experienced emotional or sexual abuse, committed by their current or last husbands in their lifetime. In the last 12 months, the most prevalent form of abuse was emotional. Mr. Speaker, I will not have done justice to this motion if I do not take reference to the challenging life faced by women with disability especially in relation to G.B.V. Did you know that G.B.V is more prevalent among women than men? The World Bank report on disability estimates that globally 19% of women have disability relative to 12% of men. Women with disability are almost ten times to experience violence compared to men with disabilities or men or women without disabilities.
Additionally, they experience higher rates of all forms of violence due to factors related to dependence on others for support, mistrust and social and physical isolation. Women and girls with disabilities may experience multi-forms of violence including physiological and emotional violence, neglect, financial abuse or exploitation or physical or sexual abuse. Additionally, many women and girls with disabilities face structural violence in accessing education, health and social services. Also, it is important to note that most safe places for girls with disabilities remain inaccessible to those with disabilities.
Mr. Speaker, I have highlighted some of the challenges faced by women generally. Let me hasten to mention that Zimbabwe is a signatory to a number of international and regional instruments that relate to discrimination based violence such as the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 1995, the Convection on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the International Covenant of Civil and Politically Rights, the Sustainable Development Goals and the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development which have put in place national legislation and policies aimed at protecting women and girls, but sadly, women and girls continue to face discrimination, violence and many other forms of human rights violation.
What does it mean to us the policy makers or legislators? We need to go back to the drawing board and re-design our strategies and interventions? It is time to unite and invest to prevent violence against women and girls. At the national level, we have our Constitution which is very progressive in terms of recognising gender equality and protecting every citizen, especially women on Sections 3,17, 25(b), 52, 56,78,79 and 80. Section 52 states that and I quote “every person has a right to bodily and psychological integrity which includes the right to freedom of all forms of violence from public and private sources”. Section 56 prohibits any form of discrimination based on sex and gender among others. These provisions, among others strengthen the Government’s commitment on curbing GBV. Domestic policies such as the National Gender Policy (NGP) are also in place. The NGP recognises gender-based violence, in particular violence against women, as one of the biggest obstacles to women’s participation in decision making and severely limits the ability to participate in economic and social activities.
In 2007, Zimbabwe elected the Domestic Violence Act which was a game changer in the region and beyond because it broke the conservative barriers of GBV which were deeply rooted in many homesteads and communities. The Domestic Violence Act also introduced Anti Domestic Violence Council which has not been functional, yet it is a very strategic organ for fighting GBV. This organ has been shifted from one Ministry to another and is currently housed in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. As Women’s Caucus, we are not bothered as to which Ministry or Government department houses the Anti Domestic Violence Council, no. Our concern is on its functionality. This organ has not been funded, and yet it is strategic in fighting and curbing GBV in Zimbabwe.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the Zimbabwe Women Parliamentary Caucus, as an advocacy group, believes in safe spaces for all human race, regardless of sex or sex orientation. Therefore, we will not continue to sit on our laurels and watch the rights of women and girls in Zimbabwe being violated. We believe that women and girls have a right to participate fully in the mainstream economy without any fear, be it young women, the elderly, women with disability, young girls employed or unemployed, married and not married, poor or rich. In short as the ZWPC, we are saying that the woman must not be discriminated against or face any form of violence in Zimbabwe.
If we are to achieve our country’s vision to become an upper-middle class economy come 2030, as well as attain our SDG target by 2030, we must ensure that we leave no one and no place behind. Curbing GBV has implications for our national goals. A happy population whereby every citizen enjoys and exercises his or her rights would go a long way in creating safe spaces in the informal sector, workplace, public and private sectors for expressing oneself without fear or being victimised or having one’s right being violated.
Mr. Speaker Sir, as I conclude, I wish to focus on a few strategies that I believe the Government must adopt, prioritise and provide adequate resources to curb GBV in Zimbabwe. As we enter the 2024 budget season, it is important to support this year’s theme, ‘Unite, invest to prevent violence against women and girls.’
As the ZWPC, we call upon the Government to prioritise the following;
Finalising the alignment of GB related laws with the Constitution, especially child marriage laws.
Particular harmonisation of the age of consent and legal age of marriage including the introduction of punitive and deterrent sentences to perpetrators of all forms of gender-based violence. Central to this adoption and implementation to SADAC model law of eradicating child marriage and protecting children already in marriage as a blue print for managing child marriages.
Review of labour laws so that sexual harassment is legally recognised as a criminal function and compensation provided for through the enhancement of Sexual Harassment Act.
Adequately fund the Anti Domestic Violence Council so that it effectively performs its mandate.
Adequately fund the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development so that it can perform its mandate effectively.
A budget of less than 1% for a Ministry that oversees about 52% of the country’s population is worrisome. It is our prayer that the 2024 budget provides the Ministry and other gender machineries, including the ZWPC with adequate resources so that all effectively discharge their mandate.
Let me conclude by thanking the Parliament of Zimbabwe for funding a sensitisation workshop on GBV for all Members of Parliament. This workshop was indeed an eye-opener in terms of raising awareness of GBV issues amongst male and female Parliamentarians so that they become GBV change champions. As the ZWPC, we continue to call the Government to fully fund our activities so that we remain impactful in Parliament and beyond. I thank you.
HON. MUTANDI: Good afternoon Mr. Speaker. I rise to debate on the motion moved by Hon. S. Ndebele. Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to thank ZWPC for this initiative to table a motion to raise awareness on the commemoration of the 16-Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence in Zimbabwe.
This annual campaign running from November 20 to December 10 serves a powerful reminder of the persistent challenges faced by individuals, particularly women and children in our society. This motion is very important for the ZWPC as an advocacy group because this is our opportunity to point out the realities of women and girls in Parliament so that we debate and call the Government to action. As highlighted by the mover of the motion, Hon. S. Ndebele, the statistics on GBV in Zimbabwe are scary. Globally, one in three women have experienced GBV in any form. Similarly, the Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey 2016 indicates that in Zimbabwe, approximately one in three women aged 15 to 49 years has experienced physical violence and approximately one in four women has experienced sexual violence since the age of 15. Is this not scary?
In this august House, imagine out of the 122 female Parliamentarians, probably one in three of us that is about 40 female parliamentarians have experienced a form of GBV. Can you imagine the ordinary Zimbabwean citizens at the grassroots who may be sitting in silence because it is not an easy topic to discuss?
Mr. Speaker Sir, the 16-Days of Activism Campaign therefore provides a platform to unite and mobilise against this menace, fostering awareness, advocating for policy changes and promoting solidarity. However, let me hasten to mention that you must not only wait for this campaign to begin for us to raise awareness of the effects of GBV. Let me applaud the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, for adopting 24/7, 365 days-a- year approach in terms of raising awareness of this scourge. GBV happens in our communities on a daily basis and it is actually increasing instead of decreasing despite all our effort as leaders in Zimbabwe.
Mr. Speaker Sir, according to the Ministry of Women Affairs, about two in five women reported ever having experienced either physical or sexual violence whilst one in 10% reported having experienced both. In terms of provincial distribution, Matabeleland North 5%, Matabeleland South 6% and Bulawayo 7%. Provinces reported the lowest prevalence of spousal sexual violence while the top three provinces where women reported having experienced all forms of spousal violence were Mashonaland East with 55%, Masvingo with 54% and Manicaland 53 %. This, therefore, means a lot of campaign must be conducted in these hotspots.
Let me hasten to acknowledge the commendable efforts that the Government of Zimbabwe has undertaken in the fight against this divisive issue. The case for GBV is a development issue and addressing the scourge must remain a national priority. Parliament has a unique role to play in this fight or campaign. As you all know and as highlighted by Hon. Ndebele, the Government is party to key international and regional Instruments on gender; CEDAW, Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, SADC Protocol on Gender and Development and African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa among others.
This commitment signifies a crucial step towards addressing the multifaceted nature of GBV and fostering a safer environment for all. Mr. Speaker Sir, the ZWPC has implemented various advocacy initiatives aimed at curbing GBV, including awareness campaigns calling for policy reforms and for the establishment of support services for victims. This effort deserves acknowledgement as they reflect a commitment by Parliament of Zimbabwe as a whole, to creating a society free from the shackles of violence and discrimination.
However, as we commend these efforts, it is essential for the ZWPC to continue to lobby for more resources, and to continue to play a pivotal role in fighting this scourge. I would like to mention that in order for Zimbabwe to address this scourge, there is need for a comprehensive approach to be adopted by all the three arms of the State, namely the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary. We need not only to strengthen the legislative framework but also ensure adequate resources are allocated for implementation. Furthermore, the existing gaps in the enforcement of laws must be addressed by strengthening the Judiciary system. The Victim Friendly Unit under the Zimbabwe Republic Police, is not adequately funded. The police officers are not well trained to handle GBV cases.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the Ministry of Women Affairs is responsible for overseeing the implementation of women’s rights in Zimbabwe and yet continues to receive less than 1% of the total National Budget. Women in Zimbabwe constitute 52% of the country‘s population and yet falls among the least funded ministries. As we enter the budget making process this year for the 2024 year, I would like to call upon all the women MPs and our He-for-She champions to support us as we call on the Ministry of Finance and Investment Promotion to invest and prevent violence against women and girls in Zimbabwe. In light of these challenges, I propose that we recommend a comprehensive review of our existing anti-GBV frameworks with a focus on enhancing their effectiveness. This may involve consultation with stakeholders civil society organisations and experts in the fields to ensure that our legal and policy measures align with the current dynamics of gender-based violence.
The SADC model law is a case in point which requires our attention as Parliament. In the spirit of our commitment of eradicating gender-based violence, I call upon this esteemed Assembly to address the urgent need to domesticate the SADC model law on eradicating child marriages and protecting those in marriage. Child marriages remain a blight on our society, robbing young individuals of their childhood and subjecting them to a myriad of physical, emotional and social challenges. By adopting the SADC model law, we signal our unwavering commitment to protecting the rights of children and ensuring their well-being. Furthermore, I urge this Assembly to prioritise the domestication of the SADC Model Law on Gender Based Violence.
This comprehensive legal framework provides a foundation for tackling GBV at its roots, addressing both prevention and response strategies. I cannot emphasise that these model laws present individual opportunities to fortify our legal arsenal against gender-based violence, sending a clear message that such actions will not be tolerated within our borders. Additionally, there is a pressing need to allocate increased budgetary support to the relevant ministries, departments and agencies tasked with addressing gender-based violence. Adequate funding is indispensable for the successful implementation of awareness campaigns, support services and enforcement of the laws.
Mr. Speaker Sir, as I conclude, and as we reflect on the 16-Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence, let us reaffirm our dedication to creating a society where every individual, regardless of gender, can leave free from violence and discrimination. I so humbly submit trusting that together, we can contribute to the creation of a safer and more equitable Zimbabwe for both men and women. I thank you.
HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would like to thank you for according me this opportunity to also add my voice to this very important motion that is before us during this time when we commemorate 16-Days of Activism against GBV. I would like to thank Hon. Ndebele for moving this motion and her seconder Hon. Mutandi. At the same time, thanking the Zimbabwe Women’s Parliamentary Caucus for this initiative. Mr. Speaker Sir, I shall not labour on what has been said already by the Hon. Members who have already spoken. I will quickly rush to what I thought can also add to the Instruments and maybe solutions to help us eradicate gender-based violence in this country, looking at some of the laws that we feel should be enacted or improved to help alleviate gender based violence. Government should ensure the following:
- That the Criminal Law Codification Reform Act Chapter 9 (23) has detailed sentencing guidelines because the other problems we have are that there are no guidelines in sentencing GBV perpetrators. Such guidelines may need to be statutory to ensure that they are implemented. Guidelines on sentencing are also important since they would guide the courts on the type of aggregating and mitigating factors to be taken into account as well as the weight to be given to different factors as well as restricting certain factors. These would ensure high sentences of sexual offences and at the same time, promote consistency and proportionality.
- Government should also ensure that the Criminal Law Codification Reform Act Chapter 9 (23) has more in-depth reform of sexual offences law. There is need for clear articulation of the definition of consent in the Criminal Law Code.
- Government should ensure that this Codification and Reform Act Chapter 9 (23) involves the victim in the sentencing process by making use of victim impact statements in considering sentences and in this, inform courts on the extent of harm suffered for purposes of imposing an appropriate sentence.
Government should also ensure that Criminal Codification and Reform Act Chapter 9 (23) increases jurisdiction or special jurisdiction for regional magistrates in respect of sexual offences. Special and separate courts for sexual offences should be created.
Government should ensure that Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act Chapter 9 (23) provides for protection of victims by having in camera court sessions and also dedicate sexual offences court to expedite the sentencing of cases. GBV should also be included in the educational curriculum from ECD so that our children, as they grow up, already refrain from GBV. They will know what it is and they will know what it means and what it will cause. So if it is included earlier as we always say we should catch them young, they will know the impact of gender based violence.
Government should create a Government funded GBV watch to systematically gather disaggregated data on the prevalence of femicides. This data will not only be based on the types of GBV and identify the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator, but also inform the nation on the statistics around GBV. We are talking of all these statistics, but a lot of statistics are hidden because people do not go and report their cases. GBV cases are hardly reported, especially in the rural areas where we come from because we want to protect relationships and do not want to break families. Children are raped by family members, women are beaten up, but we do not report and these days because of mutoriro issues, the drug abusers have also become GBV perpetrators to their own mothers. I have heard so many mothers who go and report their own sons to the police because they would have come back home drugged and hit them. They go and report, but sometimes they are also told to go back home. Where are the safe houses to put these women who are now scared of their husbands and sons who physically abuse them? So Government should have safe houses in every ward or constituency where you run to, because if you go back home, you are beaten again until you die. Some have lost their lives because of $2 and it is very sad.
Government also needs to strengthen the GBV Council so that it can launch a task force to assess institutional responses to gender based violence and key gaps.
Government should strengthen measures to prevent GBV to protect women and prosecute cases because in some instances, you go to court 100 times until you cannot go any more. So the cases should be dealt with quickly so that the perpetrator is locked up.
Government should also coordinate efforts across different sectors to end GBV and improve oversight of the police and security personnel to prevent abuse of power by providing gender responsive training.
In conclusion, I would like to urge this House to use every platform and opportunity they get through their representative role in their constituencies to talk about the impact of GBV and how it derails the development of a country. I also urge Hon. Members to speak to their pastors, village heads and chiefs so that whenever people are gathered, GBV is talked about. The chiefs can also help eradicate GBV through their courts. I attended one such court conducted by Chief Negomo. I had gone with one of my nieces who had been summoned to go there and we were told the case was not going to be heard on that day, but we sat and listened to some cases to do with GBV. The way the cases were dealt with, I ended up spending six hours listening. Our case was finally dealt with and I was satisfied with the punishment and sentence proffered. If all chiefs are doing it the way I saw issues being dealt with at Chief Negomo’s court, it means the chiefs are very handy on this GBV issue. If you want a quick sentence, you would rather go and attend a chief’s court. At court, it takes longer and you need a lawyer and money for the case to be heard. People in the rural areas do not have the capacity to hire a lawyer to come to court. So if we have good chiefs dealing with these cases, it will help eradicate GBV. I want to thank you and this House, I hope our male counterparts in this House will run with it because if they speak about it, they will be heard. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker.
*HON. MATSUNGA: Thank you Mr. Speaker for awarding me this opportunity to add my voice during this season of commemorating 16-days against gender-based violence. I want to thank the mover of the motion Hon. Ndebele for moving a pertinent motion. I also want to thank the seconder of the motion.
Mr. Speaker, I am very emotionally disturbed if I think about the issues of gender-based violence. It is something people used to fear very much during the past, but right now, people do not respect each other. There is a lot of killings between men and women. It is now easy for them to kill physically, mentally or emotionally abuse each other. The previous speakers mentioned a lot of things which need to be addressed, but let me also add my voice. Mr. Speaker, there is an issue of sexual harassment which is rampant in this House. It is another form of gender-based violence. When women rise to debate, they are being looked down upon by their male counterparts, although we are working together in this august House as Members of Parliament.
That behaviour only is a clear testimony that more needs to be done in educating people about gender-based violence and to make people understand that there are equal opportunities between men and women. It does not matter that a female Member of Parliament came to Parliament to represent people as someone who won a constituency or as a proportional representative. All of us are Hon Members, we must respect each other and that behaviour of looking down upon each other must be addressed in this House.
Mr. Speaker, let me procced by saying that in prisons, there is another form of gender-based violence. There are women who commit crimes and end up being arrested and incarcerated while they are pregnant. These women end up giving birth in prisons, but there is no dedicated place to stay for expecting mothers or recreational centres/ facilities for their kids. This is another form of abuse. On their sitting arrangements in these prisons, expecting mothers end up being mixed with those who are mentally ill. This is another form of abuse which is happening to the mothers and children in prisons.
There is another issue which is happening at Victim Friendly Units. If a man goes to report a case of abuse, even myself as an Hon Member, for example, if I go and report, people begin to judge me by status. Culturally, not all men go out and report issues of gender-based violence. It takes a lot of time for these issues to be resolved. That is why you see that some may end up committing suicide because many of them are shy to come out and confess that they are being abused in the homes. We are pleading with the Ministry of Home Affairs to increase the number of offices and deploy many officers, including men so that their male counterparts feel free to talk about the abuses they are facing. Officers manning Victim Friendly Units must be gender-balanced so that everyone gets the help they deserve in time.
Mr. Speaker, sometimes when men go to report issues of abuse, some of them end up going back to their homes without lodging the complaint because they fear being humiliated. Most men have their pride; hence it is very pertinent to protect it. According to some of them, it is better to be abused than to be laughed at. Most men are being abused emotionally, physically, and most of the time, we end up hearing stories of men committing suicide because they feel bad about it and more often than not, they do not report it. So it takes time. Hence, as a result, you find that men might commit suicide as a result of domestic violence because men will be shy to come out and say they have been abused.
We have such cases being perpetrated in our constituencies. My plea is that there should be more offices that deal with such issues. In fact, whenever men go to the police station, they cannot be assisted by female officers there. The female officers who will be manning those police stations may laugh at the victims. As men, they go back and that means they are emotionally, physically and mentally affected by such issues. That is when we have men committing suicide due to lack of someone coming forward to help them. We have village heads and chiefs that we find within our constituencies, whenever we speak during this period of 16-days against gender-based violence, people should respect this time.
There are boys and girls who are impregnating each other as a result of drugs. The parents of such children who are drug addicts are no longer controlling them, they have lost heart. During this period, as policy makers and Members of Parliament, it should be the duty of each and every elected representative in your area of jurisdiction or constituency to talk about the ills of domestic violence. A lot of young children, men and boys have died and the cases have been going up. They are dying because they have been jilted by their girlfriends. They should have received counselling from those within their areas of jurisdiction, that if you miss one, you will get another, if a love affair ends, you can enter into another one. People are now using emotions in a wrong manner and at the end, they kill each other. This domestic based violence is an issue that does not sit well with me.
I want to talk about women who are pregnant and once they have given birth, it is important that men should be given time to assist their wives because that is a national duty. Women should not be abused after giving birth. Men should not be too talkative to an extent that they will ask their wives to wake up so that they can prepare whatever it is they require when they are still nursing. Men should also be given paternal leave so that they can be able to assist their wives. It is a very traumatic experience to be pregnant.
There is also this issue Mr. Speaker, whereas politicians, we want to contest for seats, we are traumatised and a lot of name-calling happens where we are given unthinkable names. Anyone who is involved in cyber-bullying against women should be dealt with in a severe manner. We want a law to protect us as women so that when we have thrown our hats into the bin as politicians, we should campaign freely. Women are willing to do so, but the majority are now refraining because of the abuse that their fellow women are facing. They are looked down upon and talked of in bad light.
In conclusion, there are a lot of things that are happening. We have a law that is not very effective, such as the Sexual Harassment Policy. Such a policy should be enacted into an Act of Parliament so that it can protect anyone who comes, even in the future after I am gone. I thank you.
*THE ACTING SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Matsunga, but you left a statement hanging that the husbands say, wake up to do things for me, but what is that he would want you to do? – [Laughter.] –
HON. NYELELE: Mr. Speaker, it is crucial to keep and equip young people about the 16-days of activism against gender-based violence for several reasons. Firstly, raising awareness and providing education on this issue ensures that young people have a deep understanding of the harmful impact of gender-based violence on individuals, families and communities. The knowledge empowers them to recognise and challenge gender-based violence when they encounter it, promoting a culture of respect and equality.
Secondly, equipping young people with information about the 16-days of activism helps to foster empathy and compassion by learning about the experience of survivors and understanding the dynamics of gender-based violence. They can develop a sense of solidarity and support for those affected. This encourages young people to become active allies, standing up against gender-based violence and promoting a safe and inclusive environment for all.
Mr. Speaker Sir, furthermore, teaching young people about the 16-days of activism helps to disembark harmful gender norms and stereotypes by exploring the root causes and societal factors that perpetuate gender-based violence. Young individuals can challenge and redefine harmful narratives that contribute to inequality. This creates opportunities for young people to embrace healthy, respectful and good relationship, thus breaking the cycle of violence.
Mr. Speaker Sir, additionally providing education on the 16-days of activism encourages young people to become agents of change. It empowers them with the knowledge, skills and resources needed actively to engage in advocacy and prevention efforts. By implying their voices and mobilising collective actions, young people can create lasting social change influencing policies and system to prioritise gender equality and eliminate gender-based violence.
Mr. Speaker Sir, ultimately teaching and equipping young people about the 16-days of activism against gender-based-violence is essential for creating a safer and more inclusive future. It enables young individuals to become champions with gender equality. Fostering a society where violence and discrimination based on gender are not tolerated and where every person can live with dignity, respect and freedom from violence. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
*HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to the motion raised in this august House. The truth of the matter is that if we talk about gender-based-violence and we want to understand it, I would analyse it as being not akin to women, no. It is not the women who are being abused. We once witnessed gender-based-violence in the Garden of Eden. Mr. Speaker Sir, we actually saw Adam being forsaken by the Almighty God when he was told that he knows nothing by a woman. That is when it really started Mr. Speaker Sir.
We also further noticed as we were living that the woman is the one who bears the brunt of life. A woman must be respected. Why we are failing to respect women so that they can live well is because of foreigners, settlers. As Africans, Mr. Speaker Sir, if a woman misbehaved, once she was taken to court, the woman was always right. In Africa, it has always been said that women are the ones that were favoured by these laws and gender-based violence was minimal.
I heard the previous speaker talking about a woman who might be pregnant for nine months and that as she is ill, she is given tasks to perform. It is because the power that a woman has, Mr. Speaker Sir, is too much. No matter how difficult things might turn out to be, women are very brave. They are not afraid. If you go to a funeral, it will be women who will be at this funeral. If there is anything that is required, it is the women who are normally available and God actually accepted to say that he would look after the women better than the men.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MACHINGURA): Order Hon. Member. According to Part 8, subsection 80 of the Standing Rules and Orders under Order of the House and Rules of Debate, it says every Member must, and I go to (b) make obeisance to the Chair in passing to and from his or her seat and upon entering and leaving the Chamber.
I do not have to remind you Hon. Members. The Hon. Member at the back there, you have been having multiple entries and exits and you never did bow. Please, let us stick to our Standing Rules.
*HON. MATANGIRA: I was taken aback that maybe I had misbehaved. I had fallen foul of the Rules or Orders. If I had done that, that would be a serious breach as men. Thank you, Mr. Speaker Sir. In proceeding, I urge us as men and the august House, to respect women. Even if we look at the spirit mediums of this country that led us to attain victory, we were led by the spirit of Mbuya Nehanda. She would instruct the men and they would follow the instructions. What came from the West said men and women are now equal. Some of them are having sex changes where a male becomes a female and vice versa.
As Africans, when a young girl develops breasts, the father would desist from beating her out of respect and a son would not beat his mother because of respect. We are not saying that there is no violence because of women, but if you go deeper, you will observe that as men, we have had serious problems in being ruled by women.
Mr. Speaker Sir, if all the women were to be honest with you, these phones that we have are causing us more harm than good. Whenever the phone rings, we have problems. They would want to know who has phoned. If you say it is Getrude an Hon. Member, you will have serious problems in trying to explain yourself out.
Mr. Speaker Sir, as men, we are under fire. When you try to beat about the bush or not being clear, the roles have now been changed. It is the bird that is now holding the catapult. We are no longer living harmoniously. At the moment, Mr. Speaker Sir, women are now saying that men are a problem but that is not true, that is a lie. I am afraid that I cannot say what actually happens at my house because I have a son-in-law who is in here. On both sides of the House, we should be honest enough as black people that our wives should not be assaulted and we teach our children that once they have fallen in love and they are in matrimony, they should live well in harmony. The westerners have destroyed our families.
HON. CHAGWIZA: On a point of order - [HON MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members. The Hon Member is addressing the Chair and therefore there is no point of order.
*HON. MATANGIRA: If it is acceptable Mr. Speaker, I may give him what I have to contribute because I have more than enough time. If he wants me to speak in English, I will definitely do so in order to buttress my point.
When we talk about north, east, west and south….
HON. BONDA: On a point of order. The rules of the House dictate that no code switching is allowed. A Member should debate in one language.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: The Hon. Member wanted to illustrate his point. May you proceed Hon. Matangira.
*HON. MATANGIRA: Let me give my points in brief so that they will be no interjections. I was just saying that those from the west have brought in their culture which is alien to Africans. Because of that practice, that is why there is gender-based violence. When I have married a woman, I have married her because she will complement me physically. In the west, they say no, if you are hungry and I have had my meal from elsewhere, you should wait until I also become hungry. That is where it all starts. Such kind of misunderstandings lead to gender- based violence.
The man who experiences gender-based violence, leave the matrimonial home and becomes infected. He comes back and infects the wife because she would have said she was sexually satisfied. As a result, there would be gender-based violence. That is why I was saying from both sides of the House, we should agree to go back to our culture as it was in the olden days. It was known in our culture that when you go for parliamentary elections, if there are 12 women and two men - and a goat has been bitten by a crocodile, the 12 women would say to the two men please go in and rescue the goat because in terms of bodily strength we are not the same. The manner in which God created us and in this way of life, gender-based violence would not be there but most likely it is caused by the western culture. We from the east, as Africans, should stay as Africans. I thank you.
*HON. TOBAIWA: I would like to thank the Women’s Caucus for the motion that they have raised. I would want to give my view and my voice to this motion. I have observed that these days we believe that at times GBV is perpetrated against women. As women, we are aware that we are abusing men in our families. When women are assaulted in the families, they go to the police and make a report that they have been assaulted. The husband is then arrested but the instigators will have been a woman because she will have called a man a dog, which is an insult.
If you look at the police stations that we now have, they do not handle men properly. As a result, most men who are abused are shy to go and report their case to a female police officer. Men tend not to report their cases because most victim friendly stations are manned by women. On the issue of abuse, as women, we are constantly being assaulted by men and as a result we may have miscarriages or fail to conceive. For one to conceive, one needs to be in a right mental state. When you want to engage in intimacy, because of the assault, I may not be in the right frame of mind and fail to bear a child. The aunts will then call me names. They do not bear in mind that it is their brother who has been abusing me. In the majority of cases, abuse comes from the women who are assaulting each other. There is also mental effects to the parents of the woman who is abused because lobola has been paid.
There are also churches that encourage children to go into marriages when they are still young. Children are being married before their time and as a result, such girls may not want to be married and carry on with their education. They are unable to do so because of their faith. The child is psychologically affected when the marriage turns sour. She has been forced into a marriage that she was not willing to be party to. We are seeing in a majority of cases, women suffering from diseases because men in these churches are not sticking to a monogamous relationship. They are having polygamous relationships and are not sure if the women they are marrying are not infected with a disease or not. Furthe r to that, you will have married her while she was under age, you bring in another woman and she is unable to complain because she was just given to you. This is another form of gender-based violence. It is affecting us as women and even in the Victim Friendly Units that are made reference to. If the police do not receive us well when we report such cases, the majority of complainants will be afraid to go there as a result of being shy. When I go there and see men, I may not be able to report my case because there will be too many people in the police station. The police officers do not allow you to speak in the strictest of confidence with a single officer. Like I said, men will be shy to report that they have been assaulted by a woman and as a result of that, they go back and the woman will further add insult to injury by mocking them that you had gone to make a report to the police, what did you achieve?
I urge all of us to live harmoniously because these disturbances in the matrimonial homes are detrimental to our lives. We talk of 16-days of activism against GBV, but once such cases are reported, the police should take action and the cases must be concluded. I thank you.
HON. NDUDZO: Mr. Speaker Sir, GBV is something that affects almost every stratum of our society. From the proletarian classes, the peasantry, the high heeled bourgeoisie, the ruling class and the politicians, everyone is potentially a victim and potentially a perpetrator of gender-based violence. As we search for solutions to curb and deal with GBV in our society, we need to accept that GBV is not something that merely manifests in the physical elements that we often discuss. Sometimes the physical elements, when there are assaults, constitute the most extreme cases of GBV. However, if one has regard to the definition of violence as defined in the Domestic Violence Act where the definition has been broadened to extend to psychological, emotional, financial and economic aspects including body shaming aspects, you will realise that gender-based violence is something that happens almost every day and sometimes the perpetrators are ignorant of the fact that their acts constitute GBV. Sometimes people suffer in silence because they are not aware that what they are going through constitutes being victims of GBV.
Our society is yet to deal with certain realities that have come up as a result of the push for equality between men and women. We often have men suffering in silence and also suffering from stigmatisation and stereotypes, especially in situations where perhaps, they find themselves being in marriages or relationships where the woman is earning much more than the man.
There are discussions that go on in families as well as in the society that tends to look at men in discouraging terms, where they are perceived as undue beneficiaries of the wealth that is being created in the homestead by the women. We need to broaden our discussion and our characterisation of GBV to be able to curb such abuses that often happen in society. We have seen a phenomenal rise in suicide cases because often-times, men end up suffering in silence. It is not easy for a man to walk to a police station and present themselves as a victim of GBV. Often times when you get there and you want to make your report, it is not easy because the facilities and the systems are designed in such a manner that it is not easy for a man to come out into the open. When you do, sometimes you are perceived as weak or lacking in something. We need to make sure that we have facilities, amenities, officers, and human resources that are accommodative of all kinds of gender-based violence so that we are able to eradicate this problem from within our society even when we discuss gender-based violence in the context of the physical elements where sometimes people get beaten or there are issues of sexual assault and harassment.
Mr. Speaker, I have noted that gender-based crimes such as rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment are often cases that are very easy to allege, but always difficult to disprove. We condemn unreservedly all manifestations and all acts of physical and sexual harassment against women, yet often times men have also suffered as victims in cases of extortion, black mail and elicit demands where certain things are asked for and demanded for because they have been put in context and in situations where they are not able to explain or prove their innocence. As a result, they end up paying and suffering as victims. So, we need to introspect and uproot all manifestation of gender-based violence.
Mr. Speaker, we have spent the day raising and discussing the various manifestations of gender-based violence. As I debate, I also wish to proffer a few suggestions that I think will assist us as a nation to deal with gender-based violence. Firstly, Mr. Speaker, I suggest that we need to broaden gender-based violence legislation to go beyond the scope of what we have been able to legislate as domestic violence. You realise that when gender-based violence happens in the context of people who are in a relationship that qualifies as a domestic relationship, there are very quick and convenient remedies available in terms of the Domestic Violence Act.
However, such remedies and solutions are not easily available where the relationship cannot qualify as a domestic based relationship. So, we need to broaden and make sure that we are able to deal and nip in the bud, the scourge of gender-based violence wherever it so manifests. I am also of the view Mr. Speaker, that we need to raise awareness and conscientiousness among our people even from a young age. I think we need to make it compulsory in our school curriculum to make sure that gender-based violence is understood as taught, and that people are made to report and to deal with it whenever it manifests so that as we raise our children, they will be quite sensitive and aware of the existence of gender-based violence and that they know that it is an evil and something not acceptable such that we must deal with it whenever it happens. I am also of the view Mr. Speaker, that we need to make sure that we have uniform application to deal with gender-based violence.
Firstly, Mr. Speaker, I suggest that we need to broaden gender-based violence legislation to go beyond the scope of what we are able to legislate as domestic violence. You realise that when gender-based violence happens in the context of people who are in a relationship that qualifies as a domestic relationship, there are very quick and convenient remedies available in terms of the Domestic Violence Act. However, such remedies and solutions are not easily available where the relationship cannot qualify as a domestic based relationship. So, we need to broaden and make sure that we are able to deal and nip in the bud, the scourge of domestic gender-based violence wherever it so manifests.
I am also of the view Mr. Speaker that we need to raise awareness and consciousness among our people even from young age. I think we need to make it compulsory in our school curriculum that gender based violence is understood, taught and that our people are made to report to deal with it whenever it manifests so that as we raise our children, they are quite sensitive and aware of the existence of gender-based violence so that they know that it is something that is not acceptable that we must deal with it whenever it manifests.
I am also of the view Mr. Speaker that we need to make sure that we have uniform application of systems within our police stations and within our social services offices so that when men and women of all different classes and categories seek help, they are not stigmatised or not treated differently. We need to have uniformity in the application of our systems so that there is adequate protection against those who suffer from gender-based violence.
Lastly, but by no means least Mr. Speaker, it is my humble view that we need to find a way of raising awareness, debate and discussion on the subject of gender-based violence beyond the sixteen days that we have often become quite active to deal with issues of gender-based violence. If there was a way of making sure that periodically throughout the year this issue is dealt with, in my humble view, we will be able to contain and ameliorate the problem of gender-based violence. I am indebted Mr. Speaker for the time you have accorded me, thank you.
HON. E. MASUKU: Thank you for allowing me to add my voice to this critical debate on gender-based violence. While we unite in raising awareness during these sixteen days, it is crucial that we recognise the urgency for substantial reforms within our anti G.B.V frameworks. Firstly, let us address the pressing need for stiffer penalties for G.B.V offences. The current legal landscape might not adequately deter potential perpetrators by imposing stricter sanctions. We send a clear message that our society does not tolerate such heinous acts.
Mr. Speaker Sir, it is time for us to revisit and revise our laws, ensuring that they act as a formidable deterrent against any form of gender-based violence. Equally important is the effective and stringent enforcement of these laws whilst having robust legislation is crucial. Mr. Speaker, therefore, we must allocate the necessary resources to train law enforcement agencies and judicial bodies ensuring they have the capacity and knowledge to handle the G.B.V issues effectively. Mr. Speaker Sir, without proactive enforcement justice remains elusive for the victims. Moreover, budgetary support for the ministries, departments and agencies mandated to tackle G.B.V is encouraging. Mr. Speaker Sir, insufficient funding hampers their ability to provide support services, conduct awareness programmes and implement preventive measures. Adequate budgetary allocation is a tangible manifestation of our commitment to addressing gender-based violence at its call. We cannot expect meaningful change without the financial resources required to fuel the missionary that fights against G.B.V. Hence, Hon. Members, let us be together in fighting the G.B.V and as Members of Parliament, we must unite and work together on this. I thank you.
+HON. MAHLANGU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My name is Sichelesile Mahlangu. I want to thank the Hon. Speaker for the opportunity that he has given to me. I will touch on one different thing to what has been said by the previous speakers.
Looking at what the previous speakers said, there is something that is troubling us as women. We do not own any properties, the properties are owned by our husbands. It is something that is troubling us Mr. Speaker Sir. You will realise that one lady will say for her to request for something, she has to first check the mood of the husband. For example, if they want to use maybe proof of residence, they have to first check the mood that the husband is in. Most of the times, title deeds are for men and not women. I am therefore urging all women to stand up and fight for this.
Most of the times when your husband passes away, you are faced with many challenges and you are asked to have someone who is supposed to witness for you. It is unfortunate that the relatives, especially from the husband’s side, will not support you. Hence, the reason why most women end up suffering from high blood pressure because they do not have any relatives supporting them.
You also realise that our young girls who are below the age of 18 are being harassed. In our culture, we take our children and we marry them off at an early age. You are actually blocking the child from proceeding with their education. We should work together as a unit, especially as women and fight abuse. This is one of the things that is troubling us and leaving permanent scars in our hearts. That is why someone will just collapse, this is all because of unsolved issues. I want to thank the mover of the motion, Hon. Ndebele. It is giving us power to say things that are troubling us as the ladies. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. N. NDLOVU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 29th November, 2023.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
GOVERNMENT PLANS TO CURB ROAD CARNAGE
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Let me take this opportunity to also congratulate you for being a member of the Speaker’s panel. Mr. Speaker Sir, on Thursday 16 November 2023, I was requested to deliver a Ministerial Statement pertaining to what the Government plans to do in order to curb road carnage, especially during the festive season.
Hon. Zhou raised a question of national importance arising from accidents that are happening on our roads, particularly an accident that happened along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road and another one along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Road. I was also requested to explain why the deceased’s remains are not being put in a body bag in respect of the dead.
Mr. Speaker Sir, it is with a heavy heart that I inform the House on the tragic minibus crash which occurred on 15th November 2023, along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road. Tragically, 22 people died on the spot when the driver of a Toyota Quantum attempted to overtake and encroached into the lane of an oncoming lorry, leading to a head-on collision. Sadly, a day before, on 14th November 2023, six people were killed, whilst three were injured along Masvingo-Beitbridge Road. On 13th November 2023, three people died whilst three were injured along Eastern Boarder Road in Chipinge. It is disheartening to lose several of our beloved ones daily in fatal road crashes. Our thoughts are with the victims of the crashes, the bereaved families, the injured and the survivors who witnesses the gruesome, traumatic, and dark moment of these crashes. During this somber period, I call upon the whole nation to reflect on these accidents and remember the affected families. Further, I wish a speedy recovery to the injured.
Mr. Speaker Sir, incidences of this nature only serve as a clarion call to all stakeholders in the road traffic ecosystem, including motorists, operators, drivers of public service vehicles and passengers to be more vigilant whilst driving. Allow me, to update the august House on the policy and legislative thrust that my Ministry is pursuing in view of the road crashes and to minimise chances of similar accidents during the festive season and beyond.
Mr. Speaker Sir, in June 2023, the Ministry promulgated Statutory Instrument 118 of 2023 on Speed Limiting and Monitoring Devices. This was in line with the National Road Safety Indaba which my Ministry convened in January this year which resolved that passenger-carrying Public Service Vehicle (PSV) be limited to a maximum speed of 100km/hr. I am pleased to advise that transport operators are now being fined for over speeding, with monitoring devices in line with the regulations to curb speeding by drivers. Furthermore, my Ministry is working closely with that of Home Affairs, and Cultural Heritage to ensure that traffic law enforcement agencies are capacitated to enforce compliance with the speed limiting and monitoring devices regulations.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the Central Vehicle Registry, under my Ministry, is now producing the new drivers’ licence since June 2023 after the promulgation of Statutory Instrument 119 of 2023 on Licencing of Drivers. The new Driving Licence System has enhanced our capacity to develop an electronic database of licenced drivers which is linked to all relevant stakeholders for ease of enforcement. Further, the new categories of licences conform to the requirements of United Nations Convention on Road Traffic of 1968, the International Organisation for Standardisation and the International Electrotechnical Commission.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the 13 categories of the new driving licence will, amongst others, make provision for the combination categories of a vehicle and trailer, accommodated the different sizes of vehicles and prevent the scenario where drivers were tested on a small vehicle and then be authorised to drive a very large vehicle which the driver may not be able to control in a safe manner. The new driver’s licence has enhanced security features, significantly deterring counterfeiting attempts. From a road safety point of view, this improves the enforcement of the driving licence requirements and reduces the number of unqualified drivers who pose a risk to the commuting public.
Mr. Speaker Sir, considering today’s technological advancement, the thrust is obviously a shift from paper-based manual systems to electronic systems. As an indefatigable and passionate proponent of road safety, my Ministry will work tirelessly and diligently, to further reduce the human element in the assessment of the competence of prospective drivers. Zimbabwe cannot afford to continue to lose lives by allowing people, with fraudulently acquired Driving Licences behind the wheel. For this reason, my Ministry launched the Electronic Learner Licencing Testing (ELLT) System and the new Driving Licence system that uses the latest digital technologies, biometric authentication and has 31 state-of-the-art security features embedded into the new Driving Licence Card. The integration of the new card printing facility with Vehicle Inspectorate Department’s ELLT has been completed.
Mr. Speaker Sir, with regards to road infrastructure development, significant progress has been made this year on roads rehabilitation and construction, thus addressing one of the key pillars of Road Safety: Safer Roads. My Ministry will continue to vigorously pursue roads rehabilitation. The level of intervention on each road will depend on the nature of road repairs needed and the funding availed for that purpose. I am however concerned that while the Government has rehabilitated major highways such as Harare-Beitbridge, Plumtree-Mutare and more, an unintended consequence of this development is speeding by drivers on the good roads. Therefore, speed regulation as provided for by S.I. 118 of 2023, is an important strategy in improving the country’s road safety performance and saving lives.
I also wish to advise the House that compared to the usual twenty-two (22) teams for road safety awareness during the festive season, this year they will have not less than thirty (30) teams throughout the country. It is however unfortunate that I still get reports of some motorists being uncooperative to the level of insulting staff at some of the road safety educational campaign points on the highway. In this respect, I wish to point out that for 2023, the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) will use the carrot and stick approach. For the avoidance of doubt, discussions are in progress with the Zimbabwe Republic Police so that where traffic violations are detected, at such Road Safety Education Road blocks, tickets should be issued to such offenders.
Mr. Speaker Sir, as you are aware, Government made a decision, as pronounced in the 2023 Budget Statement, to transform the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe into a Traffic Safety Agency. This development will give it the power, in addition to awareness and persuasion, to enforce road safety regulations, (similar to what the Environmental Management Agency does on environmental issues). This will enable TSCZ to effectively coordinate all institutions that deal with road traffic safety management, regulation and traffic law enforcement. Work is therefore in progress to amend the TSCZ Act accordingly, and I hope Hon. Members will support the draft amendment Bill when it is presented to this House. My Ministry is also reviewing and aligning our road traffic management laws, traffic safety laws and regulations to meet international best practices.
Mr. Speaker Sir, likewise, may I take this opportunity to inform the House that the creation of a Road Accident Fund is now at an advanced stage to minimise suffering by victims and survivors of accidents and improve our post-crash response. Work is now in progress on the legal and institutional framework to manage this fund whose details will be availed in due course.
In conclusion, it is of utmost importance to note that all hands in my Ministry are on the deck as we tirelessly work towards guaranteeing safe and trafficable roads to address the crisis that has been brought to the attention of the august House for the country to achieve the road safety target of reducing road traffic crashes by 25% during the National Development Strategy I period. My Ministry will continue to implement sustainable road safety laws, infrastructure, vehicles standards, driver training and access to post-crash care. I also wish to bring to your attention that at a global level, Zimbabwe subscribes to the United Nations General Assembly Proclamation of September 2020 on the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030. To this end, the country has received support and guidance from the Secretary-General’ Special Envoy for Road Safety who visited the country in July this year. It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge and thank Hon Zhou for the pertinent question that he posed and directing me to bring this Ministerial Statement. I thank you.
*HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: I want to thank the Minister of Transport on responding promptly on the question that we posed in this House. I want to thank you for the Ministerial Statement that you gave, riding on S.I. 118 of 2023 where you are saying you have implemented ways of curbing the issue of overspending.
I want to understand from you Hon. Minister on what it is that you are doing since the accidents that we were referring to happened at night and were caused by haulage trucks. What is it that you are doing in terms of systems and ways of curbing over-speeding? I understand the machine to curb over speeding does not function at night. I therefore want to understand on ways that you are going to implement since we are approaching the festive season.
On another note, Hon. Minister, we are realising that a lot of drivers obtained their drivers’ licences when dual carriage ways were not in place as we see now, thanks to the good work being done by President E. D. Mnangagwa for rehabilitating the roads. There are roads which are under construction, like the Harare-Marondera Road and Harare-Bulawayo Road. I want to find out what it is that you are going to do since most of our drivers obtained their licences before we had dual carriage ways which may prompt them to overtake from the left side. What measures are you going to put in place to make sure that drivers overtake on the right side on dual carriage ways?
HON. DR. MUTODI: I want to find out whether the Ministry is amenable to a situation where Members of Parliament can canvass for private developers to upgrade some dilapidated roads in their constituencies on a build-operate and transfer scheme since the fiscus is busy with other payments?
HON. MUTSEYAMI: Hon. Speaker, for clarity sake to the Hon. Minister, what measures are you putting in place to address the challenges that we have especially along the major highways? Let me give as an example, the major highway I usually travel along is Mutare to Harare highway. You find that most of the sign-posts which are meant to be in place are not there. In some cases, this results in accidents. What investments are you putting in place so that the issue of sign-posts is addressed especially on these major highways?
The other thing Hon. Minister, you find that traditionally, especially along the major highways, we used to have fence that would manage the stray cattle and other stray animals. Nowadays, we no longer have the fence on most of these highways. What measures are you putting in place so that we address this challenge because it goes a long way in terms of curbing accidents?
Last but not least, in your presentation, I did not get the real response regarding the bags for the victims of accidents for transportation; they are being loaded into trucks without being covered whilst we should respect the dead people. I did not hear the explanation on that one as to what measures you are putting in place so that you invest in bags for the police stations or those who will be coming to attend the accidents so that they will be well equipped in terms of those bags. Thank you.
*HON. P. ZHOU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to thank the Minister for presenting the Ministerial Statement. We understood the statement very clearly. However, I want to understand; you indicated that most of the accidents that you alluded to happened during the night. However, there are some accidents that happen during the day. You realise whilst one is driving, he will be busy also on the phone. Is it not one of the causes of accidents to drive whilst using the phone? I have never heard someone who has been arrested for using a phone whilst driving.
Also, when we relocated to this new building, there is a bridge that is along the road coming this side and there is an accident that happened there. How long does it take for the Ministry to relook at the bridges like that and check whether there is need to repair the bridge or not? I also want an emphasis on these illegal drivers which we call Mushikashika. For example, you realise that the takeoff of such drivers; they just take off without following the Highway Code. We used to complain about minibus drivers but we are realising that they are all illegal drivers. What is it that is being done to such drivers? I propose that someone who has committed such crime, why can we not ask them to go and do retest of the licence? I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: May I call upon the Hon. Minister to respond.
* HON. MHONA: I want to thank Hon. Zhou. I want to refer to Statutory Instrument 118 (2023) which encourages public service motor vehicles to ensure that they put up gadgets that limit speeding so that the drivers stay under the legal speed limits. It is painful Hon. Speaker, to note that these accidents occur during the night. They have South African registered number plates and they would want to reach their destination the following morning. So, they will be racing against time. As earlier on stated by Hon. Zhou, the truth of the matter is, if we do not have enforcement, drivers are bound to behave lawlessly. Hence, there is need to put in place measures and gadgets that ensure that whether it is during the day or night, drivers do not willingly flout the law.
We envisage to move with the best practice worldwide where there is minimum interaction between drivers and the law enforcers. With the gadgets doing the policing themselves and once one has flouted the law, it is digitally recorded and a ticket is issued and notification is given to the Police and the Central Vehicle Registry (CVR) that so and so has committed an offence.
It is my plea to this august House that you support us in passing legislation that uses the ICT phenomenon for the benefit of this nation. There will never come a time when members of the Executive will come up with laws that are not enacted by Parliament. We even talked about the barring of heavy vehicles travelling after dusk, that is why you see that at 2000 hours, there will be no more heavy vehicles or lorries on the roads.
It is true that some of the drivers were licenced before we had dual carriageway. It means that even if there is no one occupying the lane, we were told that if you are not travelling fast, do not drive in the inner lane. You find that these dual carriageways that go in one side, people occupy the inner lane but they are not travelling at a fast speed.
Together with the Traffic Safety in conjunction with the Home Affairs, you will be seeing police officers and Traffic Safety Council conducting awareness campaigns enlightening people to ensure that they follow this particular road and that offenders will be ticketed. If you are not driving fast, drive on the left side of the road; if you are to commit traffic offences, we are hoping that we will have many police officers on the road. We are even thinking of getting to a stage where we are going to put up cameras to ticket those that will be over-speeding and that we will get motor vehicles so that they enforce traffic laws and regulations. Police officers are going to be given such vehicles by the Traffic Safety Council. There will also be machinery to look at people who will be breaking the laws.
Maybe I can say the question that has been posed by Hon. Mutodi referring to build, operate and transfer where Members of Parliament are in a position to canvass for development, I want to agree to say, yes, we can work together with the Ministry of Transport where we have got investors. We now have ZIDA which actually facilitates whether there are local or foreign investment projects, but you are also free to approach the Ministry with your proposal if you have a company that is expressing interest to participate in road construction or rehabilitation. Feel free to approach the Ministry, we can also guide you accordingly.
The problem Mr. Speaker, in the old era, people were fleeced to say aah mapepa ari kwaMinister kana azobva Minister vanoda mari yakati kuti mapepa apfuure, which is not happening in the Second Republic. Where you have got a problem or proposal, we want to uphold transparency and accountability. Write your expression of interest to the Permanent Secretary and copy to the Minister so that we see what is happening and we also follow if that action is taken. So Hon. Mutodi, if there is a road and an investor that you think can help us, we are free as a Ministry. Feel free to approach the Ministry, we will be glad and be in a position to pursue and make sure that we consider that expression of interest.
Hon. Mutseyami, thank you once again, you talked about Harare – Mutare road. This is one of our major roads as we speak in terms of business activity. We should relate. Forbes Border Post, we used to get maybe less than 200 trucks per day, but now we are witnessing 450 trucks crossing Forbes Border Post everyday and if we look at the architecture of that border post, there is no room for expansion. You find that in terms of bottlenecks even across the Mozambican side, there is the single entry bridge and I am glad that during a visit by His Excellency last week where he was in Machipanda, I was also privileged to be part of that delegation and we shared that we now need to move with speed and rehabilitate Forbes Border Post. As we speak, we are seized as a Ministry, where you are going to be seeing the expansion of that border post and also to make sure that we continue with dualisation.
Now there is a sad development, if you are driving along that road, you can even see ten trucks driving along that road in a single file and motorists cannot overtake. Where they are supposed to take three hours, they are now taking five hours and it is just an example because of this development. So, we are saying, as much as we have a narrow road, but we must also continue conscientising motorists to maintain their extreme left. If we have truckers like that, there is no way they can continue holding other motorists to ransom.
These are some of the initiatives that we are taking; the awareness programmes and I do concur with you, no signage, but the problem is vandalism also. People are vandalising our signage. Where they are not vandalising, you see graphics, Takakura tisingazive graphics, but takutoiona written and defacing some of this signage. We are saying in terms of signage, we will adhere to the SADC compliance, where we rehabilitate a road, we are now putting the new signage. The idea of the new signage is to be in tandem with SADC region so that if one crosses from Mozambique, for instance, to Zimbabwe, they do not need to read the language, but you see the sign and know the meaning of that sign. So, this is where we are going and I am happy once again that TSC has pledged to also support the installation of signage along our major roads and even smaller feeder roads, you will see signage. I want to thank you Hon. Mutseyami for raising that.
You also raised the issue of fencing. It is also a disturbing scenario Mr. Speaker. A good example is Bulawayo -Plumtree and Bulawayo – Mutare road where there was a fence towards Bulawayo which was stolen. There is no way we can have infrastructure and destroy it ourselves. Soon after installing that fence, you wake up the following day and there is no fence. Somebody has taken that fence to put on their garden which is something that is also disturbing, and I do not know what kind of culture we are promoting as Zimbabweans where we are supposed to safeguard our infrastructure. So, I think we will also do awareness campaigns where we need the buy-in of the community.
You will see us, before we erect new fences, engaging the community to say this is your property, safeguard and you find the livestock that will then cross belongs to those communities. So, they must be buy-in of infrastructure development along the major highways relating to fencing. We will resuscitate fencing in some of the sections and also say let us then safeguard our own infrastructure.
Hon. Mutseyami, you raised why I did not respond to the body bags. Yes, we have got the whole of Government approach, but when it comes to the collection of bodies, you find that it falls under the purview of Home Affairs which is the police, and I am sure with the guidance of the Hon. Speaker, it could be a letter that was also addressed to the Minister of Home Affairs so that he will address this particular question. However, we are also going to be supporting ZRP as a Ministry again through TSCZ, we are going to be donating body bags so that we alleviate some of the challenges that they might face. We will also play our part as a Ministry, but I am sure relating to the information pertaining to that, the Hon. Minister will table his response before this august House.
I want to thank again Hon. P. Zhou that people are driving recklessly, that is the problem we have. As I stand in this august House, I know that there are people that are busy operating their cellphones; writing messages as they drive. Charity begins at home. We should not be driving typing messages or talking on the cellphone. If we are able to do that, road carnage will be reduced, but at the moment, a lot of people, not only on cellphones, but some are even consuming alcoholic beverages as they drive. The police’s presence is now needed on the roads because if we are not strict, we will continue to witness this misbehaviour.
The issue of the Bulawayo Road which no longer has barriers on the bridges. It is true, some cars are actually falling into that bridge, but the problem is that people are coming nicodimously taking the steel that is used to do the barriers. I once again appeal, through this august House, that people should not be damaging such infrastructure which is important for the lives of people for selfish gains or just buying drugs. This is why you see we no longer use the old type of metal for signage and the same applies to our bridges. We will return the barriers, but we urge everyone to be a police person and ensure that such infrastructure is preserved.
You also talked about the illegal tax operators. The Ministry of Home Affairs is looking into the issue of ensuring that the mushikashika operators are taken off the road, but those that are supposed to be policing those areas are the owners of the mushikashika. As a result, it is detrimental to our country. May I take this opportunity to encourage each and every one of us who might be an owner of a mushikashika, to ensure that their vehicles comply with the rules of the road and are licenced. We believe that as is the case with other countries, they have problems with motorbikes on the roads, but our problem at the moment are the mushikashika vehicles and we are quite happy that we have not had this menace of motorbikes. We only hope that we will continue to endeavor to uphold standards that apply worldwide in terms of our roads and infrastructure. I thank you.
*HON. T. ZHOU: On a point of clarification Mr. Speaker Sir, the Speaker, Hon. Mudenda spoke on the issue of increasing railway lines to lessen the heavy vehicles travelling on our roads for long distances because those long journeys result in accidents as the drivers will be tired and sleep whilst driving, thereby causing accidents. Are there any plans in place to increase the railway lines and have heavy goods ferried through the railway?
*HON. TSHUMA: The Hon. Minister alluded to a certain accident that happened when one person was trying to overtake using the oncoming lane and a lot of lives were lost. In terms of public transport drivers, there is need to have a law which allows only experienced drivers to drive. I believe that such laws could help us save lives because the drivers will observe road rules. Kombi drivers will come straight at you and you will be forced to open the way for them for fear of being side swapped. Some of the motor vehicles are not roadworthy, they have damaged windscreens and they need to be enlightened so that they value the lives of people more than money. Most of the time, they are over-speeding and it is detrimental to the lives of the people. May you also try to ensure that despite the hardships that we have as a country, you come up with cameras in areas such as Copacabana, Fourth Street, at Robots and where all the mushikashika vehicles are parked. This may encourage good behaviour because they will be monitored.
I also want to comment on the issue of haulage trucks. It would appear as if I support the truckers, but the truth is that the majority of haulage drivers are very good drivers as they undergo defensive driving. So when people err on the road, heavy vehicle drivers actually try to avoid accidents and give way to those errant drivers. The same should also apply to those light motor vehicle drivers.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Members, please do not debate, just ask your point of clarity in short.
HON. M. SIBANDA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. My name is Mxolisi Sibanda from Lupane West and my presentation is on the number of road users. The Southern part of this country usually experiences an increased number of road users, particularly during the festive season. Most people will be coming from our neighbouring countries like South Africa and Botswana. I wanted to check with the Ministry on how and what measures they have in place to take care of the potholes that are there, particularly from Victoria Falls to Beitbridge. From the public’s view point, that is the major cause of most of the road accidents between that portion of the road. I thank you.
HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My plea to the Minister is to come up with a weighbridge at every toll-gate. There are some people that are carrying heavy loads on these trucks and they are affected by the potholes as they try to move fast to their destinations.
There is also an issue of rank marshals, especially in Harare, who are running over people because of over-speeding. Is there anything that you have organised together with the Ministry of Home Affairs to curb this menace? Please work hand-in-glove with the Ministry of ICT just like they are doing in China where they are now using drones or cameras to monitor and report mis-behaviour or corrupt tendencies at places where it would have occurred and action taken against the offenders? I thank you.
HON. ZEMURA: My name is Hon. Zemura from Mashonaland East. My point of clarity to the Hon. Minister is to urge him to look at using breathalysers because those mushikashika drivers would be under the influence of alcohol as they will be drinking and driving. This would assist because they will stop drinking and driving if they know there are police officers ahead who would be testing for alcohol. That is very helpful because in other countries, no-one drives while drunk. They will be able to drive long distances without drinking because they will be aware of the consequences. It is my wish that driving schools, through the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe, should open one school, whether it is a boarding school or a day school, where people can go and be taught how to drive properly before they go for these road tests. It is useful because they will have been taught and will have the knowledge on how to drive properly and responsibly, and not what is currently happening where one reads the whole night and gets the provisional licence then proceeds to go and get a driver’s licence without the necessary experience on how to behave on the road. I do not think that will help us at all. Thank you.
HON. MUDEKUNYE: Thank you Minister Mhona for coming so quickly to respond to the question that was raised. I notice that your Ministry puts a lot of effort in coming up with regulations and also deploying the Traffic Safety Council and all other noble intentions. The problem however is enforcement. You can also see that previously, we had problems with kombis and now we have problems with mushikashikas. Maybe tomorrow it is going to be motor-cycles, but the problem goes back to enforcement. All these regulations about speed limits and so forth and all those things have been there, they can be made better, but it is enforcement that is needed. What are you going to propose to the Ministry of Home Affairs to improve enforcement?
*THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Let me also thank my fellow colleagues Hon. Members, for the very important suggestions and areas of clarity.
I will start with Hon. Tsitsi Zhou. It is true Hon. Speaker, if we do not develop our roads, we find that we may have these roads damaged if we carry heavy loads that are supposed to be used by rail. I am in agreement with the issue that you have raised. Last week we were with our Mozambican brothers. They have their Machipanda Railway line to Beira. So, on our side, we should also be looking at our own railway lines so that where the railway line has bends, these are fixed. For trains to move fast, it requires the railway line to be straightened. It is what we are looking at from Forbes to Harare, so that the trains can travel 70 to 80km an hour as opposed to the current 30km per hour.
We are trying to restructure our railway operations by bringing in new locomotives and new engines so that we will be able to do our work timeously. We should quickly move towards ensuring that we rehabilitate our railway infrastructure. This will help us to remove the heavy traffic on the roads and the goods will come straight from the port onto the railway line without coming onto the road.
I also want to thank Hon. Tshuma who said that people should take the opportunity to learn to drive. This august House is responsible for coming up with laws. We require a minimum of 30 lessons, with each lesson being 30 minutes long. One should be able to do all these lessons and as soon as one is now confident, they can acquire their licence. Others quickly get the licence before they are experienced. With road accidents, at times it is irrelevant whether one is experienced or not because you may actually be involved in an accident when you are the innocent party. What is of paramount importance is to value life on the roads because life is very important.
There are those that cause the death of innocent drivers and passengers on the road. It is true that public service vehicle drivers should have many years of experience. It will help us to mitigate the carnage on our roads. We can put cameras on tollgates, but when motor vehicles are on the road, whether in the city or in urban areas, it is the Local Government that is responsible but as the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, we have to work and come up with laws that ensure that we safeguard that sector that deals with those that are within the municipality and that also will be out of the jurisdiction of the municipality.
I am in agreement that the more cameras we have, a lot of road carnages will be reduced, but at the time when we used to have cameras on the road, people would foreworn each other that cameras are in certain places and they would behave at their best. Once they pass that area, they misbehave. All this goes back to us as the road users.
Defensive driving is a good issue. It is a good thing that we would want all motor vehicles to be examined because people just buy motor vehicles and they are using motor vehicles that are not roadworthy. Public service motor vehicles require to be roadworthy before they are on the road. You spoke about defensive driving, that it should apply to everyone, we should come back to this august House again to seek such laws. This is a good suggestion.
Hon. Sibanda, thank you very much, you raised the issue of the festive season that is upon us and I agree. Besides the numbers, there is also the excitement where people are excited as they drive under the influence of alcohol or just ordinary people celebrating. You find that we have got an increase on the number of accidents on our roads because of the festive season that we are facing and it is also my humble plea again to the motorists to exercise caution when driving especially during this period and beyond.
You talked about the Victoria Falls-Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road. Yes, it is a topical road and normally on Wednesdays, a question is posed about it in this august House. I can assure the august House that we are treating this as a matter of urgency. Just like the way we are rehabilitating the Harare-Beitbridge Road, this is what we are also considering to do with Victoria Falls Road. For now, we are attending to the bad sections. There are those who can witness that Bitumen was doing the bad sections and also patching potholes, but the idea behind, of reconstructing is to have a durable and sustainable road but like I always indicate, that road is now weak. Even as you attend to potholes you still find in some areas, potholes mushrooming. We continue maintaining that road, but it is of utmost importance especially as it leads to our resort areas. So, I want to thank you for that and we assure you that we will move with speed to rehabilitate that road.
Hon. Mapiki, I thank you. It is true that we should come up with weighbridges. We have private companies or operators that we want to construct the weighbridges through build-operate and transfer. These are important because some motor vehicles are travelling while carrying excessive loads. It could not be at each tollgate but we try to ensure that on our major roads, we have these at tollgates.
On the issue of ranks, it comes back to enforcement. Local Government are the custodians of these ranks that we see in the city. We will try by all means to plead with them so that there be peace amongst rank marshals. They say this is my place and once they have it, they will monopolise the area. I will talk to my colleagues and counterparts about this issue that has been raised so that we attend to it.
You also talked about ICT gadgets. If we have such in certain areas, we can do that so that we can see who committed an offence. Hon. Zemura, I want to thank you on the issue of breathalysers that we should put in place and ensure that all drivers on the road are of sound and sober senses. We will go back to the Ministry of Home affairs to ensure that the issue of such gadgets will help curb cases of drivers driving under the influence of alcohol.
You talked about driving centres where people are taught how to drive. Yes, it is true, we have a lot of driving schools, but the majority of them are not teaching proper driving methods to motorists. The Traffic Safety Council are the ones that allow access to driving schools and we will engage them so that they assist in this regard. At the moment, we do not have a law that stipulates the minimum number of lessons required for one to attain a driver’s licence, but we will continue to put in place measures that they should drive properly.
Hon. Mutandi, you are very right that we come up with vibrant pieces of legislation and policies, but you also need the support in terms of enforcement. I am glad that we have the whole of Government approach where we are having teams from various Ministries working together so that we address some of these complaints by the public, and I am happy that as we speak, we are also working closely with the Ministry of Home Affairs so that as we man our roads, we will be having police to issue out tickets to the offenders, and this is what we are doing. As we also have the master plan in terms of the transport policy, we also have the buy-in from the Ministries of Local Government, Home Affairs and other stakeholders. So, this is what we are doing in terms of enforcement, but everything comes back to issues of enforcement and I do agree that we also accelerate on that trajectory. I thank you.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Minister. Let me take this opportunity to also thank you for bringing the Ministerial Statement to this House and the debate that came as a result of the Ministerial Statement.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE ACTING SPEAKER
POWER OUTAGES
THE ACTING SPEAKER: I would like to advise Hon. Members that we are going to lose power anytime from now because we are working on generators. So, if anybody has got any suggestions that they want to give to the Minister, I would urge you to write them down and then hand them over to the Minister through the Administration of Parliament. I will ask the Minister to adjourn the House for us. Thank you.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA), the House adjourned at One Minute to Five o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 28th November, 2023
The Senate met at Half past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE in the Chair)
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Thank you Madam President. I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 3 be stood over until Order of the Day, No. 4 has been disposed of.
HON. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
GENDER BASED VIOLENCE AWARENESS PROGRAMMES TO PROMOTE POSITIVE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CHANGE
HON. SEN. SHIRI: Thank you Madam President. Before I begin, I want to call upon us all to observe a minute of silence in remembrance of women and girls who lost their lives due to gender based violence.
All Hon. Senators observed a minute of silence.
HON. SEN. SHIRI: Madam President, let me start by thanking you for giving me this opportunity to table this motion on behalf of the Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Women Parliamentary Caucus (ZWPC), Hon. Maybe Mbohwa, who is currently away on official business. As the Women’s Caucus, we are honoured to join the rest of the international community commemorating the 16-Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. This is a global campaign aimed at raising awareness of the negative effects of violence against women and girls. Since the campaign started in 1991, we have witnessed significant progress being made by many countries in terms of raising awareness and protecting women and girls’ rights. Surprisingly, we have continued to witness an increased number of GBV cases instead of a decrease. This is actually worrisome and calls for reflection on this matter. We may need to go back on the drawing board and restrategise as Parliament, as an organisation and the representative of the people in this country.
This year’s commemorations are being held under the theme, “UNiTE! Invest to prevent violence against women and girls.” This is a call for the national governments to prioritise and invest resources to fight this scourge. Indeed, violence against women and girls is a human rights issue which must be taken seriously by us all. We are all affected in one way or another.
Let me prefix my motion by defining gender-based violence as violence that is directed at an individual based on his or her biological sex or gender identity. It is one of the most extreme of unequal gender relations in society. It is first and foremost, a violation of human rights and a global health issue that cuts across boundaries of economic wealth, culture, religion, age and sexual orientation. It has become a global health problem that has severe consequences for the global village at large.
Gender-based violence is mostly perpetrated by males and predominantly affects women and girls but can also affect men and boys. Intimate partners mostly perpetrate GBV. Intimate partner violence refers to behaviour by an intimate partner or ex-partner that causes physical, sexual coercion, psychological abuse and controlling behaviours.
Studies have indicated the widespread gender-based violence globally, which approximates that about 35% of women (1 in 3 women) globally have experienced physical and or row sexual violence at some point in their lives. That is more than one billion women and girls facing physical or sexual abuse. Seven percent of women have suffered sexual assault from another person other than their partner. Murders of women committed by an intimate partner (crimes of passion) are up to 38%. We recently read in the newspapers about a woman who was murdered by his boyfriend in Marondera. A great number of women up to 200 million have experienced female genital mutilation.
It is important to note that GBV has a cost to society and government, which significantly impacts national development. The WB predicts that violence against women and girls is estimated to cost countries up to 3.7% of their GDP, which is more than double what most governments spend on education budgets. This is so because survivors suffer physical, psychological and social consequences, which have both short and long term effects. Such effects include mental health issues, a rise in suicidal cases and drug abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies and many more cases rising in our global village which have health related implications. Sad, is it not? Imagine, if the resources we are spending on fighting GBV can be utilised elsewhere?
Gender based violence comes in different forms which include among others harmful traditional practices, physical, psychological, economic, child marriages, honour killings, human trafficking, and sexual violence which includes Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and female genital mutilation.
Coming closer to home, GBV is a prevalent matter in Zimbabwe and it affects women and girls nationwide. GBV in Zimbabwe has been exacerbated by increasing poverty levels, societal norms and values that keep alive gender inequalities and cultural practices, economic disparities, loopholes in the legal framework, displacements and disasters, religion and conflict and of late, now there is technology or cyber-related violence against women and girls.
The statistics I have here are traumatising and most studies indicate a high rate of intimate partner violence, sexual abuse, child marriages, domestic violence and other types of gender-based violence.
According to the Afro barometer findings, the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency and UNICEF (2019), revealed that 40% of women between the ages of 15-49 encounter physical and or sexual abuse from an intimate partner. It is also important to note that violence is also being perpetrated on the young children, both boys and girls and on the elderly women.
According to a MICS survey, the top three provinces where women reported having experienced all forms of spousal violence were Mashonaland East (55%), Masvingo (54%) and Manicaland 53%. Thirty nine percent of women aged between 15-49 years reported that they had experienced the violence in the last 12 months. Twelve percent of women reported ever having experienced sexual violence whilst 5% reported having experienced in the last months. About one in two women aged 15-49 years had experienced emotional, physical or sexual abuse committed by their current or last husband or partner in their lifetime. In the last 12 months, the most prevalent form of abuse was emotional.
I will not have done justice to this motion, if I do not make reference to the challenging life faced by women with disability, especially in relation to GBV. Do you know that disability is more prevalent amongst women than men? The world report on disability estimates that, globally, 19% of women have a disability relative to 12% men. Women with disability are almost ten times likely to experience violence, compared to men or women and men without disabilities. Additionally, they experience higher rates of all forms of violence due to factors related to dependence on others for support, mistrust, social and physical isolation.
Women and girls with disabilities may experience multiple forms of violence, including psychological and emotional violence, neglect, financial abuse or exploitation, and physical or sexual abuse. Additionally, many women and girls with disabilities face structural barriers in accessing education, health and social services. In addition, of importance to note is that most safe places for women and girls with disability remain inaccessible to those with disabilities.
Having highlighted some of the challenges faced by women and girls in general, let me hasten to mention that Zimbabwe is a signatory to a number of international and regional instruments that relate to discrimination and gender based violence such as the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995), the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, which have put in place national legislations and policies aimed at protecting women and girls. Sadly, women and girls continue to face discrimination, violence and many other forms of human rights violations. What does this mean for us the policy makers or legislators? We need to go back to the drawing board and redesign our strategies and interventions. It is time to unite and invest to prevent violence against women and girls.
At the national level, we have our Constitution, which is very progressive in terms of recognising gender equality and protecting every citizen, especially women on Sections, 3, 17, 25(b) 52, 56, 78, 79 and 80. Section 52 aptly states that and I quote, “Every person has the right to bodily and psychological integrity, which includes the right to freedom from all forms of violence from public or private, sources…” Section 56 prohibits any form of discrimination based on sex and gender, among others. These provisions among others, strengthen the Government commitment on curbing GBV.
Domestic policies are also in place such as the National Gender Policy (NGP). The NGP recognises Gender-Based Violence and in particular, violence against women, as one of the biggest obstacles to women’s participation in decision making and severely limits their ability to participate in economic and social activities. In 2007, Zimbabwe enacted the Domestic Violence Act which was a game changer in the region and beyond because it broke the conservative barriers of GBV which were deeply rooted in many homesteads and communities. The Domestic Violence Act also introduced the Anti-Domestic Violence Council, which has not been functional and yet it is a very strategic organ for fighting GBV. This organ has been shifted from one Ministry to another and is currently housed in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. As Women’s Caucus, we are not bothered as to which Ministry or Government department houses the Anti – Domestic Violence Council. No! Our concern is on its functionality. This organ has not been funded and yet it is strategic in fighting and curbing GBV in Zimbabwe.
The ZWPC, as an advocacy group, believes in safe spaces for all human race, regardless of sex or sex orientation. Therefore, we will not continue to sit on our laurels and watch the rights of women and girls in Zimbabwe being violated. We believe that women and girls have the right to participate fully in the mainstream economy without any fear, be it young women, the elderly, women with disability, young girls, employed or unemployed, married or not married, poor or rich.
In short, as the ZWPC, we are saying, that no women must be discriminated against and face any form of violence in Zimbabwe. If we are to achieve our country’s vision, to become an upper middle income economy by 2030 as well as attain our SDG target by 2030, we must ensure that we leave no one and no place behind. Curbing GBV has implications on our national goals. A happy population whereby every citizen enjoys and exercise his or her rights would go a long way in creating safe spaces in the informal sector, workplace, public and private sectors for expressing oneself without fear of victimisation or having one’s rights being violated.
As I conclude, I wish to focus on a few strategies that I believe the Government must adopt, prioritise and provide adequate resources to curb GBV in Zimbabwe. As we enter the 2024 budget season, it is important to support this year’s theme, “Unite, invest to prevent violence against women and girls” As ZWPC, we call upon Government to prioritise the following:
-Finalising the alignment of GBV – related laws with the Constitution, especially, child marriage laws, particularly harmonisation of the age of consent and legal age marriage, including the introduction of punitive and deterrent sentences to perpetrators of all forms of gender-based violence. Central to this is the adoption and implementation of the SADC Model Law on eradicating child marriage and protecting children already in marriage as a blueprint for managing child marriages.
-Review of labour laws so that sexual harassment is legally recognised and criminal sanctions and compensations provided for through the enactment of the Sextual Harassment Act.
-Adequately fund the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development so that it can perform its mandate effectively. A budget of less than 1% for a ministry that oversees about 52% of the country’s population is worrisome. It is our prayer as the ZWPC that the 2024 budget provides the Ministry and other gender machineries, including the ZWPC with adequate resources so that all effectively discharge their mandate.
Let me conclude by thanking Parliament of Zimbabwe for funding the Sensitisation Workshop on Gender-Based-Violence for all the Members of Parliament. This workshop indeed is an eye-opener in terms of raising awareness of gender-based-violence issues among the male and female Parliamentarians so that they become gender-based violence change champions. As the Zimbabwe Women Parliamentary Caucus, we continue to call on the Government to fully fund our activities so that we remain proactive in Parliament and beyond. Thank you Madam President.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Mr. President, I would want to thank Hon. Sen. Mbohwa for allowing me this opportunity to second her motion which seeks to raise awareness and debate on the effects of gender-based violence in Zimbabwe. This motion cannot be as timely as it is today as we enter the fourth day of the 2023 commemorations which are being observed from 25 November to 10 December under the campaign theme- “UNITE! Invest to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls.”
Over the years, the Zimbabwe Women’s Parliamentary Caucus has always participated in this campaign by undertaking various activities, including tabling a motion on the topic. As the seconder of the motion, l will only buttress what the first speaker has said and then zero in on three other forms of gender-based violence which l feel are very important.
Let me start by highlighting that gender-based violence in Zimbabwe has its roots in cultural and social factors such as patriarchal structure, harmful traditional practices, gender inequality resulting in unequal power relations, gender norms that deliberately ignore violence against women, poverty, limited access to health and education, conflict, and displacement due to disasters.
While we applaud the Government of Zimbabwe for constitutional reforms that led to the enactment of the new Constitution of 2013 which was very progressive and supportive of women and girls empowerment, I have no doubt that as a country, we have made significant progress in domesticating international and regional conventions such as CEDAW, Human Rights for women.
My focus today will be on human trafficking as a form of GBV. Women and girls are being exploited and subjected to all types of gender-based violence because of the push-and-pull factors present in the economy. This human trafficking can be in two forms; internal trafficking, which involves the movement of victims outside national borders. However, human trafficking outside of Zimbabwe’ borders has been one of the main challenges women have suffered in Zimbabwe, for example, women who have been trafficked to Kuwait and Oman.
Let me hasten to mention that within our borders, we must recognise the value of education for women and girls and continue to empower them. Locally in Zimbabwe, children from low-income families who drop out of school are moved to cities to work as illegal domestic workers to support their families. Child labour has been on the rise in Zimbabwe and as Parliament, we must strive to legislate to end this practice. Perpetrators among them being relatives or close family friends who are traffickers at times are being released back into communities free because victims are afraid of being humiliated and ridiculed for denouncing their families. Therefore, fear of speaking out causes the victims to continuously suffer gender-based violence in silence.
Mr. President, violence against female students in educational institutions has been on the increase. In Zimbabwe’s higher education institutions, female students continue to demand action against sexual harassment and gender-based violence on campus. Sexual harassment of female students by male professors, fellow male students, and non-academic male personnel is still rampant on campus. Types of gender-based violence faced by these female students include, among others:
-Sexual harassment by male professors and non-academic staff,
- Rape by older men (lecturers and non-academic staff) and male students,
- Unprotected and forced sexual intercourse with lecturers, non-academic staff, and other students
-Unwanted physical contact, touching, fondling, and hugging.
-Being forced to use drugs during a date and then being sexually abused.
- Being victim of a man who gives gifts in return for sex favours and many more forms of gender-based violence.
It is an unethical practice that has mushroomed in tertiary institutions where students are cohabiting and has led to age discrepancy partnerships. It has exposed the girl child to experience all forms of gender-based violence. This practice has been motivated mainly by poverty.
Therefore, as the Women’s Caucus, we are advocating for the Government to prioritise the theme of this campaign and provide adequate resources to stop the scourge of GBV as expounded by the theme “Unite! Invest to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls.”
Mr. President, with the support from Parliament, GBV must be curtailed through the enactment of important laws such as the Sexual Harassment Act, Gender Equality Act and the domestication of regional laws as the SADC Model Law.
As the ZWPC, we can continue to advocate for women’s and children’s rights through a continuous review of policies and laws that govern our nation in the fight against gender-based violence. As the Women Caucus, we feel more work remains to be done to fight for women’s and girls’ human rights and to put an end to all forms of gender-based violence.
As a result, we must continue our struggle against GBV. It is important to constantly raise awareness on the need to stop human trafficking through featured plays, poems, community talks and digital platform shows.
The Caucus’s intention, with support from stakeholders, is to continuously raise anti-human trafficking awareness through interactions with traditional leaders, women and girls in schools and tertiary institutions through roadshows and reach out to learning institutions.
Furthermore, as we begin our debate on the 2024 National Budget, let us all come unite and ensure that adequate funds are set aside to support women and girls’ empowerment and initiatives that will be associated with gender-based violence. “a debt free model of development challenged us to self-finance our progress, brick upon brick, stone upon stone”. I thank you.
+HON. SEN. PHUTI: I thank you Mr. President of the Senate. I want to add a few words to this motion which was moved by Hon. Mbohwa. On this very pertinent matter, what I have observed is, I am grateful for the topic that has been raised. People are being abused in various ways. The other thing that is happening now is, you find that in a child headed family, abuse is prone. This is happening in Matabeleland. Such families leave a pathetic life and the parents are in the diaspora trying to make a living for the children.
These children are being abused. You find a ten-year-old child heading a family of children who are six years or so. Sometimes these children go without food. At the end of the day, some good Samaritans go there. These children are being fooled with some goodies and they end up being impregnated and that is abuse of human rights. Now, these children are being murdered. I would also want to thank women here at Parliament.
Our economic situation here is another factor that is pushing people into such abusing situations. For example, we have child marriages. You find a 9-year-old child being married to a 70-year-old; that is very bad. You will see this happening and some do it under religious guise. Some two or so years ago, there was a child who died whilst giving birth at a shrine. We also see that children are being killed for ritual purposes. I therefore request Government to put stiffer sentences for murderers and those who violate other people’s rights.
Again, children are being abused through social media, through what they broadcast. Children are being mischievous because of these social media platforms. When they see such dirty things on those platforms, they end up practising such. Another thing is that I once heard someone saying that in Masvingo and other places, there is a certain percent of girl children and women being abused by men. In 2019, 20% of women and girls were murdered. The percentage of about 40% of women and girls disappeared just like that. You find people who commit such crimes walking scot-free. We therefore request Government to put deterrent sentences for those who murder with intent.
Again, my observation, women are being abused sexually. Sex is a voluntary act. Some women end up being killed because they refused to have sex and they leave children orphaned. As women, we should actually support this motion from Hon. Mbohwa. This issue affects everyone, it does not matter where you come from. As Members of Parliament, we have left our girl children at home, tomorrow we may wake up in this situation. I therefore, request that whoever moves a motion of this nature, we should all stand up and put our views. It does not matter who would have moved the motion. We are all equally affected. As women, we are being abused by men in various ways.
Some people are abused and silenced by threats by the perpetrators. Some may end up with diseases and end up dying leaving children behind. In conclusion, Government should increase resources so that we engage in awareness campaigns, sensitising all people to report any forms of abuse. Everyone needs to be involved and men should also stand up to say, let us not abuse women. As women, we request Government to help with road shows or whatever, to conscientise people so that they also report anyone who abuses women and girls.
In Mangwe, we have an organisation with a theme ‘Rudo Harurwadzi’. Such organisations should be allowed to engage in sensitisation so that all of us are well informed. About ten years back, I saw on news, six men having raped a six months old baby. Such an act cannot be done by normal people. Such acts are caused by rituals. At the end, that child was physically affected. We do not want such situations. With those words, I thank you.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE
USE OF HEADPHONES
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Starting from tomorrow, Hon. Senators who desire to use headphones so as to listen to the debate which is being made in a language which they are not conversant with, Ndebele or Shona, may be able to get headphones at the main entrance in exchange for an Identity Card.
HON. SEN. SHIRI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 29th November, 2023.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRES
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MAKAMBA: It is with great honour and privilege that l stand before you today as we gather to address the important matters that impact our nation. As leaders entrusted with the responsibility of shaping the future of our country, it is crucial that we unite in our efforts and work together for the betterment of our people. Our roles are defined not only by the titles we hold, but by the dedication and commitment we exhibit towards the welfare of the citizens we serve.
As we convene in this esteemed Assembly, l am reminded of the immense responsibility that rests upon our shoulders. It is imperative that we harness the power of co-operation, collaboration and make decisions that will shape the destiny of our great nation.
Fellow Parliamentarians, Zimbabwe has been in good hands ever since 2017 to date, with a visionary leader who gives pertinence to the aspect of development. A man without a vision easily loses focus. The opposite happens to be true as evidenced by the approach of His Excellency, Cde. Dr. E.D Mnangagwa to governance issues. In his foreword in the Vision 2030, His Excellency penned and I quote, “Under this new Dispensation, our Government is working towards building a new Zimbabwe, a country with a thriving and open economy, capable of creating opportunities for investors and employment. In this regard, our Government will leave no stone unturned in transforming Zimbabwe into a knowledge driven and industrialising Upper Middle-Income Economy by 2030.”
In his bid to fulfil the promise written in the above quoted foreword, His Excellency has since embarked on youth employment and empowerment agenda. The creation of innovation hubs in almost all tertiary institutions in the country has enabled a fraction of the youths in academic circles to work and study, therefore improving their livelihood. Education 5.0, a landmark initiative towards youth empowerment has since been brewing innovation and creativeness amongst the youths as they are now thinking outside the box and coming up with various initiatives in the country.
The President has envisioned the vision of creating innovation hubs. As it is rightly said, young people need to be innovative for the country to prosper, thus there is need for innovation facilities. The skill of thinking more unique development ideas and contributing to the country’s GDP is a need for young people. With the introduction of the innovation hubs, young people have an opportunity to express themselves ideologically and promote meaningful research and implement efficient methods of development.
Just pay a visit to the National University of Science and Technology, (NUST), the Midlands State University (MSU), the University of Zimbabwe, Harare Institute of Technology (HIT), Bindura University of Science Education, Lupane State University and Chinhoyi University of Technology. You will realise that gone are the days when these institutions churned out half-baked graduates whose only ambition was to become employees, and not employers. All Zimbabwe’s State Universities are fast becoming engines for economic growth.
Fellow Parliamentarians, it is important to assert that our President has since made it a point that a country is built by its owners. This mantra emphasises the importance of the nation being built by its own people, and President Mnangagwa’s vision aligns with supporting the youth, women, and infrastructure development. As people of Zimbabwe, we rally behind this vision and support the efforts to empower the youth and women, as well as develop the infrastructure of our nation. We believe that through these efforts, we can work towards a stronger and more prosperous future for our country.
We as people of Zimbabwe, also applaud His Excellency in his vision on climate issues, for example those addressed at the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. He further articulated that Zimbabwe has not been spared from the negative impact of climate change, hence our Government continues to make the requisite investment in infrastructure to mitigate and build dams across the country such as Semwa Dam, Marovanyati, Tuli-Manyange Dam, Gwayi-Shangani Dam and Bindura Dam, to mention just a few. Through the Ministry of Environment, a model has been developed for safer schools with resilient services like proper waste management systems, hence inclusion of the climate agenda within Zimbabwe’s development agenda. Also, the provision of climate finance for small scale farmers has been prioritised, with farmers being provided with inputs for agricultural development. The Second Republic remains unwavering in its commitment to create opportunities in agriculture that must drive that development for Vision 2030 to be achieved, mining, tourism, and infrastructure development and information communication technologies.
Moving on, we are applauding our President for finding ways of creating employment. The development of new jobs for young people has been notably recorded from the year 2017 to date. Employment opportunities have also been harnessed by Education 5.0 which has mainstreamed practically in the stream of learning and allowed students to acquire the skill to research and positively impact the society. Overally, education 5.0 has not just boosted the educational sector but has also boosted health and the economy at large.
Fellow parliamentarians, it is important to acknowledge and appreciate the efforts of our President in addressing critical issues that impact our society. Gender balance, climate change and drug abuse are pressing concerns that require strong leadership and proactive measures. President E. D. Mnangagwa’s dedication to tackling these issues is indeed commendable. His vision and commitment to finding sustainable solutions to these complex problems are vital for the well-being and progress of our nation.
As a Senator, I stand in full support of initiatives that promote gender equality, environmental protection and efforts to combat drug abuse. I am committed to working collaboratively with the President and other stakeholders to address these issues and make meaningful contributions towards building a better future for all our citizens. This means that both men and women have a task to work towards advancing the nation’s interests. Recently, we have witnessed the appointment of first female Prosecutor-General, Dr. Loice Matanda-Moyo as well as the appointment of Mrs. Virginia Mabhiza as the new Zimbabwe Attorney-General. We also witnessed the appointment of Chipo Mutasa, another esteemed woman to be the Chairperson of the inaugural Mutapa Investment Fund. This is a walk on one of the Vision 2030 cross-cutting themes that is of gender equality and women empowerment.
The President has also made strides in promoting women inclusion, making sure that all women in the country are being mainstreamed in decision making platforms. That is why even in the Parliament, we have the women’s quota and youth quota. This move was to give women the ability to express themselves and also participate in the formulation of decisions that affect them. Through the Ministry of Finance, women empowerment has also been prioritised. With the support of Zimbabwe Women’s Bank that has been offering micro-finance loans to young women to enhance their businesses, women have been empowered economically. That is why we have prominent women who are now in business and are contributing to the country’s GDP.
Lastly, the programme of devolution is meant to bring a harbinger for a new dawn of development, resuscitation of worn-out facilities and revival of dilapidated infrastructure to regain its lustre. To facilitate these developments, the Central Government has allocated devolution funds to all the country’s ten provinces to ensure that no areas are left behind towards the betterment of our cities and transformation of rural areas to urbanisation. The Government is currently working on the road rehabilitation projects in major cities and locations. Roads are being rehabilitated, among them are Bindura-Matepatepa Road, Mt. Darwin-Mukumbura Road and Mahuhwe to Kanyemba Road rehabilitation. Also dams erected for irrigation such as Kanyemba Irrigation Scheme, Bindura and Semwa Dams are progressing well. Food security is also being guaranteed through Pfumvudza.
It is crucial for all Zimbabweans to come together in a spirit of patriotism and solidarity, working towards the common goal of building a better, more prosperous future for our beloved motherland. By uniting, our efforts and working collaboratively, we can overcome challenges and contribute to the growth and development of our nation. Let us strive to build a strong, united Zimbabwe, one that we can all be proud of, and one that offers opportunity and hope for generations to come. United in purpose and driven by a common goal.
Mr. President, as I move around the corridors, the dining room and talk to colleagues, they are always asking me, Makamba, do you still have it? I said what! They said what you used to do on radio. Can you just give us an example? So, Mr. President, here you are - NDIKATI NZVEEE, KWAAMATO, WANDIONA! Thank you.
HON. SEN. KADUNGURE: Thank you Madam President for affording me this opportunity to debate on the State of the Nation Address (SONA) that was presented by His Excellency the President. May I take this opportunity to congratulate the President of the Senate Hon. M. Chinomona and her Deputy, Hon. M. Nyambuya on their reappointment to lead this House. Most importantly, allow me to congratulate the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe on his re-election to lead Zimbabwe.
Madam President, let me start speaking about measures put in place by the Government to enhance agricultural productivity as outlined by His Excellency the President in the SONA. Agriculture is the backbone to our economic growth. Construction of dams has seen sustainable irrigation projects taking place in many areas on our nation. Food security has become a reality, our people are now able to produce crops all year round, also promoting income generation starting from household levels. The Second Republic as outlined by His Excellency has begun drilling of boreholes which has made life easier for our people to access clean and safe water. Watering of gardens becomes viable at local levels especially rural areas. Our people become food sufficient.
The mining sector also as outlined by His Excellency the President, E. D. Mnangagwa is a pillar to our economic growth. I want to appreciate its growth to USD12 billion which is evident of the Government support to this industry. The USD10 million Mining Industry Loan Fund put in place by the Government for small scale and artisanal miners will enhance the growth of this sector. This will equip this sector with essential tools to promote better working conditions and practice safety conditions as this will also help avoid disasters. Rolling out of more gold centres will see employment creation, mostly for our youths, as many of our young generation are actively involved in mining activities nationwide.
His Excellency, the President in his SONA, also talked about the power supply improvement. Indeed, allow me to emulate the Second Republic for its efforts to put in place measures to improve power supply to the whole nation. As we move towards Vision 2030 middle-income economy, industries become more vibrant due to improved power supply. This allows steady supply to produce from our industries which produce goods and services.
In the SONA, also the President Hon. E. D. Mnangagwa spoke about enhancing connectivity through upgrading road networks. It is evident across the country, the robust efforts by the Second Republic to rehabilitate road networks. Roads are very necessary to economic growth as many services to economic growth require good roads. Now there is much improved easy supply of goods and services from producers to consumers because of good road networks. I believe that because of this initiative by Government, the rest of other remaining areas in remote places will also be completed as the President says in his mantra, “leaving no one and no place behind.”
Let me also turn to education 5.0 Model, as His Excellency highlighted in the SONA. This is aimed at producing goods and services. It is an initiative towards economic growth as it focuses on innovation and industrialisation. Education 5.0 will go a long way in equipping learners to become innovative.
These are some of the issues which are highlighted by His Excellency, the President Hon. E. D Mnangagwa. I thank you for this opportunity to debate on some of the items. May we all work together with one spirit for the development of our nation, as we emulate the efforts by His Excellency and the Second Republi; hence his mantra, “nyika inovakwa, igotongwa, igonamatirwa nevene vayo”. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. SHIRI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 29th November 2023.
On the motion of THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE (HON. SEN. MAVHUNGA),
the Senate adjourned at a Quarter to Four O’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 16th November, 2023.
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. SPEAKER in the Chair)
An Hon. Member having stood up on a matter of national importance when the Hon. Speaker had called for Notices of Motion.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Do not confuse issues. I am calling for Notices of Motion. Please sit down.
The Hon. Member giving a notice of motion having switched off the mic before she had finished presenting her notice of motion.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Why did you switch off your mic before completing your presentation? Let us hope the Hansard Officer has captured all that you said outside the switched off mic. Thank you very much for the most appropriate motion as we celebrate the 16 days of Activism against Gender Based Violence on women in particular.
I notice on my right and on my left, there are few Members who are not here who should be here. I suspect that Members have been issued with fuel coupons to travel. – [AN HON. MEMBER: Most Hon. Members from the CCC have been recalled.] – I know that, you do not have to remind me my friend. Now, listen very carefully, from now onwards, I require officers from the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms to be at the appropriate entrances and record those Members who come after the prayer and they will be entitled to half the coupons that they are due. – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]- You have to respect this Chamber. It is yours. It is the people’s Chamber. – [HON. MAHLANGU: We do not have transport, we use public transport.]- Transport is provided by Parliament. You never complained to me that you did not have adequate transport. Now that I am cracking the whip, you cry foul about transport. What I have announced shall stand. Sergeant-at-Arms, you got my announcement. From now onwards, this will apply. You all have to clap hands. You are my children, do not ask one side of the House to clap hands, all of you must clap hands.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. SPEAKER
ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE
THE HON. SPEAKER: I want to inform the House that the National Assembly will adjourn today until the 28th of November 2023. Accordingly, all Committee Business will stand suspended until the 27th of November 2023.
*HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. My point of interest regards accidents that are happening on our roads, particularly an accident that happened along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road that killed 22 citizens and another one that happened a few days ago on Tuesday which also killed nine people along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Road.
Mr. Speaker Sir, road accidents are prevalent and since we are approaching the festive season, I propose that we get a Ministerial Statement regarding what the Government plans to do in order to curb road carnage during the festive season.
I also want to say that when an accident occurs, respect for the dead people should be observed by putting their remains in a body bag. Therefore, I am requesting for the Minister to bring in a Ministerial Statement explaining why the deceased’s remains are not being put in a body bag. I thank you.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: May I ask the Chief Whip to take up that issue with the responsible Minister so that when we meet on the 28th of November, 2023, that Ministerial Statement will be availed to the House.
Meanwhile, I have been informed that there will be traffic police patrols on our highways in the next two to three weeks as we move towards the Christmas season.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: Good afternoon Mr. Speaker Sir. I need to speak to the provisions which are in our Constitution on Section 119 (2), the entitlement that we are given as our responsibility as Members of Parliament. I speak to the provision of an institution which was created by the Constitution on Section 264 and 265 of our Constitution with regard to the provincial councils.
Hon. Speaker Sir, we have gone through elections and Provincial council members were elected across the ten provinces. Up to this day, they have not been sworn in, neither do we have an enabling act that facilitates the working part of the Provincial Council. I now therefore, call for the attention of the Hon. Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Hon. Ziyambi, in coordination with the Hon. Minister of Local Government, to come up with a solution so that these fellow members of provincial councils across the country are sworn in and are given their responsibilities so that they start to work.
Henceforth, it is important that the Hon. Minister of Justice comes up with an enabling Act that facilitates this process. So, with your indulgence Mr. Speaker Sir, I humbly request that the Hon. Minister brings a Ministerial Statement to clarify on the way forward in this regard as well as to fast track that component which is going to facilitate the provincial council's work. I thank you
THE HON. SPEAKER: That is a very critical and an important observation which I totally agree with, but be reminded that as far as this House is concerned, you are encouraged to come up with a Constitutional Amendment Number two which provided for the enactment of that Act, Provincial Councils Act. As you rightly say, it is incumbent that the Minister of Local Government, working together with the Minister of Justice, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs tables that Bill so that this House can pass the Bill into an Act of Parliament and the Provincial Act Council can then proceed to be sworn in and carry out their provincial responsibilities accordingly.
So, the observation is accepted, again I ask the Government Chief Whip to proceed with it and coordinate that request from Hon. Mutseyami.
HON. DR. MUTODI: My point of privilege emanates from a tweet that was sent by one of our Hon. Members in this august House by the name Hon. Fadzayi Mahere. In the tweet, she says “defying a court order to force fraudulent recall is a whole new level of thuggery and contempt. The brazen disregard for the rule of law confirms what we have always said, ZANU PF is anti-people, anti-democracy and anti-progress. We need new leaders”.
This kind of tweet undermines that role of this Parliament. This platform…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, can I hear the Hon. Member in silence.
HON. DR. MUTODI: This platform is a democratic platform in which every Hon. Member who has an issue against your Chair or any of the developments that happen in this Parliament, can air their views and they can be debated fairly, but if we have an Hon. Member who goes out to tweet on the affairs of Parliament and on a development that has been done legally and procedurally, I think this should not be allowed to happen. I pray that Hon. Mahere be given a suitable punishment for such behaviour. I thank you – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]
Hon. Hwende and Hon. Hamauswa stood up.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members. While the freedom of expression is respected and must be respected, it is important also that we as Members of Parliament, must also respect the provisions of Section 86 of the Constitution that these rights are not absolute. The only absolute rights are the rights to life, for example, such rights are absolute. The freedom of expression is not absolute and therefore, it must be exercised with greatest caution in respect of other people’s rights – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] - More than that, if the Hon. Member has got issues, they can be ventilated through question time, orally. They can be ventilated through a written question. They can be ventilated through a motion. Our Standing Orders do allow that.
We do not encourage such behaviour which goes against the provisions of our Standing Orders. Our Standing Orders have got the force of the law and I do not want to be persuaded to act accordingly. I shall engage Hon. Mahere accordingly and advise accordingly. Hon. Hwende, when I am speaking, you should be silent. There is no contestation between the Chair and yourself. You must respect that.
Although Hon. Mutodi is asking for some implied drastic action, I will start with the soft skill and if that soft skill is not appreciated, then the next step will be taken accordingly. I thank you.
HON. HWENDE: On a point of clarity. Thank you very much Hon. Speaker. Maybe I just wanted to be helped with the exact Standing Order that has been violated so that we can be assisted.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Member, thank you very much. It is not for me to educate you, but it is for you to educate yourself by referring to the Standing Orders.
HON. HWENDE: There is no such Standing Order.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Can you sit down. Go and read the Standing Orders. Can you sit down! Can you read Standing Orders 114 to 120?
HON. HWENDE: Hapana.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Can you get out of the House! Get out of the House! You asked for information and I am giving you the information. Get out of the House. I give you the Standing Orders 114 to 120 and you are still ignorant.
HON. HWENDE: There is nothing like that.
Hon. Hwende was escorted out of the House.
HON. HAMAUSWA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Sit down. I have made a ruling and I do not want to debate my ruling.
HON. HAMAUSWA: I do not want to debate your ruling Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I do not want you to debate my ruling, can you listen. A point of order is raised sequentially on something that has been stated.
HON. HAMAUSWA: Maybe a point of clarity.
THE HON. SPEAKER: When you seek point of clarity, you are impinging on my order. Thank you. Can you sit down!
Hon. Members, can I remind you one thing. This is not a House of a circus. Thank you.
Hon. Togarepi having approached the Chair.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Government Chief Whip, there are no contributors on Notice of Motion Number 1. The list you gave me here is on the Prosecuting Authority.
HON. TOGAREPI: Hon. Speaker, let me stand over some of the Order Numbers.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Alright, you can go ahead.
HON. TOGAREPI: Okay.
THE HON. SPEAKER: No, no, you do not say okay to the Chair.
HON. TOGAREPI: I am sorry Hon. Speaker.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.
HON. TOGAREPI: Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 and 2 be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. C. HLATYAWAYO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY
FOR THE YEAR 2022
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the National Prosecuting Authority for the year 2022.
Question again proposed.
HON. OZIAS BVUTE: Good afternoon Mr. Speaker Sir. Thank you for affording me the opportunity of saying a few words. The report of the NPA states that they were successful in clearing 68% of all the cases brought to them. In other words, they were taken to the courts and were disposed. That was very encouraging and it shows a commitment to serving. Of particular concern in the report was that economic crimes were not disposed of at the same rate. The report states that their clearance rate was just under 34%, meaning that our courts have difficulties in disposing of matters that relate to the economy. We therefore encourage that something be done such that they accelerate matters that relate to our well-being.
Two important matters stood out in the report which I think should be dealt with or at least are problematic. The first is that various offices of the NPA do not have internet connectivity. Internet connectivity is now considered a basic human right and it is literally impossible to do business without them. I would therefore encourage the Ministry of Finance or the relevant authorities to try and assist in ensuring that they do their work in a manner that allows for them to be efficient.
The second was that they singled out that they did not have electronic gadgets in which to type and print the various reports that they submit. The head of the NPA may not be aware that POTRAZ, under the Universal Services Fund, have a facility that allows for the provision of gadgets for citizens or institutions that are struggling to buy them. I would therefore encourage that they contact the Hon. Minister of ICT to try and ensure that this is dealt with.
The sad and last point was that they had 178 vacancies, meaning that the office is understaffed and therefore, cannot operate at optimum. We therefore ask and encourage that in this current financial year, measures be made to ensure that they recruit when recruitment is needed such that they dispose of the matters that they seek to work on. Thank you for affording me this opportunity Mr. Speaker Sir.
The Hon. Speaker asked Hon. J. Sithole to leave the House for improper dressing
THE HON. SPEAKER: May I ask Hon. Marupi to debate.
HON. MARUPI: Thank you Mr. Speaker, good afternoon. I would like to thank you for according me this opportunity to make my submissions on the NPA Report that we received. Let me actually preface my submission by saying to this august House, that I believe when such reports are given to us, it is our prerogative that we go through them with the approach of making positive contribution towards the operations of these organisations since we contribute in lobbying for the budgets.
For starters, I am very much concerned as alluded to by my colleague here, on the staff turn-over that seems to be very common in the organisation. It is critical that we all be concerned with seeing into it that the organisation is supported so that they get enough resources, finances to recruit enough workforce that is going to man the offices in a manner that is going to produce results and that is going to see to it that there is no backlog. I believe that by partnering with organisations such as Transparency International and Insurance Council of Zimbabwe, it is clear indication that the organisation itself is very critical in our lives, be it financially, socially and spiritually since they contribute and make our day to day life in this country be lived in a way that makes us to be secure and free.
Mr. Speaker Sir, as indicated, with the resources accorded to the department, I believe it is not surprising that the movement of the departments to be continuously short staffed is because of the remuneration. According to the report, it says the workshop that was held sometime was a success and the success is measured by the contributions made by the people who attended the workshop, which sometimes cannot be a good measure to say the workshop was a success. I believe it is important and critical to make a follow up to these officers’ workplaces once trained to see if they are practicing what was imparted to them. This would also be to see if they are adhering to the SOPs and of course, the international standards as seen with the invitations that have taken place seeing them going as far as the horn of Africa, and also inviting the interest of the international organisations to try and partner with them in their operations.
I am also concerned with the report capturing only two acts of misconduct for such an organisation or for such a department that is national. I believe it is probably because of the resources and manpower that has seen them dealing with two cases of misconduct. One can also argue that it is because of the limited offices that are in operation across the country. I therefore suggest that once resources are availed, we also develop some mechanisms that are going to see to it that monitoring is done and training is done again to see to it that we develop modern ways of monitoring and supervising these offices.
While this is so, we are in a world of embracing technology in our operations and I believe that it is high time that when resources are allocated to these offices, they also come up with an inventory because we are seeing that when funds are allocated, we are told to purchase modern day gadgets. We are seeing reports talking of purchasing properties, but we do not have an account and we do not have a record of what was purchased and where these things are so that when we are doing an audit and when we are to lobby for resources to be given to these departments, we get to know what was actually purchased and what is needed at a particular time. These are my submissions. Thank you.
HON. MUTOKONYI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Mwausaviyeni Mr. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Ndausakabutu.
HON. MUTOKONYI: Twalumba. On the NPA report, as mandated by the Constitution of Zimbabwe Section 262 which requires that the report should be made available, the Authority had an overall case management, a success of 68.37% from the 7 specialised units. Of note to that, there is the unit on economic crimes which only had 38% on the performance. This could be due to various factors though not very much mentioned. I also look at their challenges where they equally spelt that the tools of trade, particularly on the gadgets, they really need that for them to do their job.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Can you refresh my memory Hon. Member – did you quote Section 262?
HON. MUTOKONYI: Yes, Section 262 of the Constitution Mr. Speaker on the reporting of NPA on the annual reporting.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Yes, that quotation is not correct. That one refers to the Prosecutor General.
HON. MUTOKONYI: Pardon me Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: We are dealing with the NPA which is Section 252 of the Constitution.
HON. MUTOKONYI: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the NPA report as well, we have also noted that on their commentary on the operations side where there is a challenge on the drugs side, they only achieved 52.79% and the reason being that the tests that were taken to the laboratories could take longer than wanted, this could have caused that performance rate. I have also observed that the authority in terms of the gender staff complement, has 56.5% of the staff compliment who are women and we commend that given that women are a bigger population in the country.
On the challenges, the report also highlighted that from the budget that they were allocated, they got 49% of their bid and we could actually call upon Treasury to help support this special institution for them to perform and ensure that the cases are prosecuted and this could be the other issue where we see the issue of staff turnovers. The report highlighted that some of the prosecutors could not be inducted and as such, this could lead to the overall case performance. Otherwise, we could have a much higher performance percentage in terms of activities done.
Mr. Speaker Sir, on the staff welfare, the report mentioned that much has to be done, particularly on the staff welfare as well as those highlighted tools of trade that could ensure that the authority can do its mandatory work. Otherwise we commend the work which is being done by the NPA. I submit.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you very much. Please do not discard your quotation of Section 262, but the whole issue about the work of prosecutor starts from Section 258 to Section 263. So, do not disabuse Section 262, it is still within that range of the sections of the Constitution.
HON. MALINGANISO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Good afternoon. Reading the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA)’s report, I was reminded of a Jewish prophet by the name Amos. If you read the book of Amos 2 from verses 4 to7, he had the audacity because he was the first prophet to pronounce the worst punishment on a chosen nation, Israel. He had said, “for three transgressions of Moab, and for four of Juda, for three transgressions and for four of Israel, I will not revoke the punishment”. Commentators Wood Kristen, a prophet of doom; they only knew and they were used to prophets who pronounce the beatitudes to Israel on behalf of Yaweh since they played an ambassadorial role.
Mr. Speaker, the NPA ought to have Amoses of Zimbabwe, Amoses of today, people who are able to call a spade a spade so that they can prosecute issues accordingly. The same prophet Amos, on Amos 5 verse 22 would say, “even if you bring me burnt offerings, I will not accept them”. Why is Amos pertinent? If you check on the report, there is low success rate in the prosecution of commercial crimes. Is it possible that our prosecutors are not the Amoses of today? They can accept burnt offerings thereby letting commercial crimes go unchecked.
Mr. Speaker, the issue of high turn-over speaks to the lack of funding, lack of capacitation, and lack of incentives in the NPA. I would implore the Minster of Finance to fund the NPA well, if we are to have a department that makes certain that our economy does not fall – [ HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] -Those of us who enjoy reading social sciences may have trembled upon a writing by Kirst Ashman and Hull in 2009. He said,” trauma and disability are scourges injurious, but these can be sources of opportunity and strength”. I would have thought that the NPA Report must have furnished us with measures they are taking to make certain service delivery go ahead despite our challenges. Indeed, we have challenges of sanctions, debarring the Minister of Finance to allocate as per request, but willing. There are things that can be done by the NPA to capacitate its employees.
I am envisioning or picturing a situation where a prosecutor dealing with a serious issue, leaves court and is supposed to be ferried by public transport. What happens in such a case where the same prosecutor is offered, not only transport, but a car by those who he or she is prosecuting? Mine is adding a voice to those that have already debated. My humble plea is for the Finance Minister, certainly to make sure that this crucial department is well funded and to make sure criminals do not go scot-free. These are my submissions. I thank you.
HON. MUSHORIWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I just want to add a few words with respect to the report by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). The NPA should be an authority that is well funded for the sake of the criminal justice system to work effectively. You will note that there had been a huge debate in the public arena, in respect to the work or the relationship that exist between ZACC and NPA, where ZACC would tell you that we have investigated and what is now left is for the NPA to do the prosecution.
If you check on the statistics, you find that 38% on economic matters fell below, compared to all other crimes. They could only go up to 38%. What that tells us is that we need, as this House, to ensure that there is deliberate effort to make sure that the NPA is well equipped. Hon. Members in this august House who have had the chance to visit the various courts, even here in Harare, you go to Rotten Row Court or Mbare Court, when you go and see the offices that your prosecutors are using, in some of them, the chairs and the floor are not fit to be used by people that we think are supposed to be carrying the burden of making sure that this country becomes a safer place for everyone.
The police do their work, but you also need the prosecutors to also do their work. How can they do their work if they are not well remunerated, if they do not have the vehicles to use? If you check on the report, you will note that the authority failed to even do training for the newly recruited prosecutors in the provinces of Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West and Mashonaland Central. They only did training for Manicaland. What does that mean? It means we are sending our soldiers to fight this scourge of criminal issues without the necessary refreshments and training to make sure that we equip them.
The other issue which is clear from the report is the rate of staff turn-over which is so huge. This says one thing; we are not adequately paying our prosecutors and the support staff at the NPA. We cannot continue to have this authority as a training ground where people just come from colleges, get trained and a few months down the line, they leave. We need to make sure that we do everything possible and my prayer is that our Portfolio Committee on Justice will need to quickly have conversation with the NPA under the new leadership of Justice Matanda-Moyo, so that we come up with a mechanism of making sure that we equip this authority. If we do not equip this authority, what it means is that all the work of the police, ZACC, even of Parliament, our Public Accounts Committee, every entity that does investigations, everything is going to die because we have failed to make sure that our NPA is well equipped. You cannot fight crime in this era when you do not have access to internet; when you do not have ICT gadgets. It cannot be possible. You cannot go to a court where the Public Prosecutors do not have access to the internet, how do you compete, how do you empower your prosecutors to compete with well-oiled lawyers who are defending the suspects?
You need to make sure that your prosecutors are well equipped and it is imperative to Hon. Mutodi’s Committee to ensure that this matter is dealt with urgently. I know we are debating the 2022 report, but I can tell you that even as we are ending 2023, that the situation has actually not improved as there is a need for us as a Parliament and the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, to be proactive, engage and make sure that we do the right thing for this authority and this country. I thank you.
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. NYABANI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 28th November, 2023.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that we revert to Order of the Day Number 2 on today’s Order Paper.
HON. JOSIAH SITHOLE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2022
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission for the year 2022.
Question again proposed.
*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Looking at the report which was presented by the Anti-Corruption Commission, the people who were running the Commission; I appreciate that they considered the role played by the Government that women should also be encompassed in such responsibilities as well as the disabled, thus having people who are disabled representing their counterparts is of paramount importance.
Also looking at the crimes which were committed, the statistics show that most of these crimes were committed in urban centers, particularly Harare topping the list. Now looking at that, it shows the governance issues; Harare, Bulawayo and Masvingo where you find that council authorities are selling stadiums, roads and other public facilities being allocated as stands – that is corruption.
Looking at banks, the amounts which are allowed to be taken out by law-abiding citizens, you find that some monies being taken out by banks are being channeled into the black market. So, this shows the level of corruption in towns, Harare topping the list.
Mr. Speaker Sir, let me say that in most countries which have sanctions, their economies do not perform well. When you also look at the role of those who fight corruption, sometimes it is difficult for them to do their jobs. For example, Cuba was slapped with sanctions for 50 years, but this country was trying to eradicate corruption and work on its economies. Zimbabwe has been under sanctions for a very long time, it is difficult for Zimbabwe to sell its gold and you find words like gold mafia or blood diamonds. These are issues which are used against us.
Therefore, the report that we got from the Anti-Corruption Commission is a report which is quite disturbing. We do not expect to see such things happening. Looking at Harare, most donor funds are given to political parties and political entities. It is also difficult to audit such money; you hear that people were given USD5 million for political expediency, yet the anti-corruption commission should be capacitated to audit such monies. These are challenges that we think our Commission should be capacitated to deal with. There are laws regarding the bringing in of money from other countries and the responsible financial intelligence unit and anti-corruption commission should be capacitated by Government to make a follow up on these matters.
Mr. Speaker Sir, looking at the issue which was mentioned in the report regarding the dissemination of information in places like Mbire or Binga and other peripheral areas, it is important for them to know that there is a Commission which is meant to eradicate corruption, that knowledge is not being disseminated to outlying areas. During COVID- 19, different Government departments played an active role in disseminating information. I believe the Commission should also consider that because even the Ministry of Health had village health workers who disseminated information in fighting COVID-19. I believe that in the same vein, all Government departments should play a leading role. You will note that in the telecommunication industry, there is sharing of infrastructure like boosters and in this particular instance, the Anti-Corruption Commission should also work with other law enforcement agencies like the police.
When we go to the village health workers, they must be capacitated with information dissemination. When looking at the Ministry of Youth, the youth officers in all villages are useful in dissemination of information. When we go to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, we have women in villages who are responsible for disseminating information. So, I believe that the biggest challenge is the dissemination of information throughout the country because when we go to Mbire, you will find that people might not have access and corruption takes a long time to be eradicated because the information is not reaching the responsible authorities.
I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for giving me the opportunity to air my thoughts.
HON. MUSHORIWA: The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission is our best foot forward in respect to combating and fighting corruption in this country. Naturally Mr. Speaker Sir, it is a Commission and we expect it to perform its tasks very well. You will note from the report that ZACC is not well situated across the entire country. Out of the 10 provinces in this country, ZACC is only in six provinces. There is need to ensure that ZACC operates in all the ten provinces so that we can actually make sure that corruption is investigated.
The report states that there were 681 cases that ZACC did in 2022, of which 134 cases were referred to the NPA with 23 convictions. The number does not augur well, moreso, given the prominence that we normally see when ZACC starts its investigation. You would think that with the number of cases that they are coming up with, there would be quite a number of cases that would be referred to NPA. Consequently, you would think that you also get conviction rates which are high. You then realise that there have been a challenge between the Commission and the NPA in respect to the quality of the investigation work that ZACC is doing. We do not know whether the failure to have high conviction rate is to do with the lack of investigative skills by staff at ZACC or it has to do with the fact that most of our officers under ZACC are curtailed by the fact that they do not have the necessary tools to ensure that they do their job well.
The people who are corrupt are the people who have money. You send someone who does not have anything, who does not even have a car and you want him or her to go and investigate somebody who has looted, be it a public officer, whether it is local authority or state enterprise or any other entity for that matter. The chance and possibility of those officers being lured to see the other side, primarily because the perpetrator has sufficient resources to buy his or her freedom is actually high. This is the reason why ZACC, together with NPA need to be well funded. We need to make sure that these entities are well equipped if we want to make sure that corruption is curbed.
There is also a challenge even with the operations of ZACC. Your Committee on Public Accounts in the previous Parliament had a problem with ZACC in terms of their own accounting systems. The Auditor General has actually been raising pertinent issues and we believe it is important that ZACC should lead by example. If you are the police or priest, your behaviour or conduct should also be exemplary so that when you go out there, people will not start to raise fingers.
I also note that there is actually a collaboration with the Auditor-General, though I want to point out that if you check, they have just had a paragraph. We have had the chance to liaise with the Auditor-General. The Auditor-General always says that when they produce their document and once the Minister had tabled the Auditor-General’s findings into this House, one of the first offices that the Auditor-General sends her reports is actually ZACC. You will note that ZACC has not been performing in a good manner given the fact that the Auditor-General would have given them sufficient information to warrant them to institute investigation.
I am glad Mr. Speaker Sir that your Committee on Public Accounts, one of its key objectives is to make sure that the collaboration between Parliament, ZACC and the Auditor-General is enhanced because we believe there are quite a number of commercial crimes that are being committed in this country which are being swept under the carpet. I think it takes every one of us to ensure that those things are dealt with. If you also notice from the report, it is the abuse of office which is rampant, part of it may be remuneration. The other reason is the culture that we have inculcated amongst our people. We now have a system where we have actually normalised the abnormal, in the sense that many people now believe that where they are, they have to get as much as possible. In fact, there is a Shona adage that says, mbudzi inodya payakasungirirwa. That culture needs to be stopped if we are to develop. I believe that as a country, we have sufficient resources and capacity to make the life of every Zimbabwean better. How do we do that, we need to make sure that all these loopholes, all these financial flows that we are having should actually be nipped in the bud.
If we do not do that Mr. Speaker Sir, I do not think we will be going anywhere. This is the reason why Mr. Speaker Sir, the Justice Committee is seized with very important institutions. I believe that we need to make sure that, that work between the Portfolio Committee on Justice and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission is also enhanced. This will make sure that when it comes to the disbursements of funds from the Treasury, monies from the budgets that have been approved and that the quarterly disbursements are actually up to date. We do not want to have a problem year in, year out where the Commission will come and say, look we got x dollars from the budget, but out of the x, we just got 70% of the budget. I think that will not be right. I think it is important and crucial that we need to be proactive. Our Portfolio Committee – when we do the monthly and quarterly reports, should ensure that these agencies are given sufficient resources. If we give them sufficient resources, then we will be in a position to then question them if they fail to perform, but when there are no sufficient resources, it is difficult for this august House Mr. Speaker Sir, to lay blame on them.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I pray that as Parliament, we do whatever it takes even as we approach the budget, to make sure that this Commission and the NPA that we discussed earlier, are well resourced and well-funded so that we take this country further. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you very much. I did not hear some clapping on my right – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Chakanaka, chakanaka mukaka haurungwi, handiti? He is one of the few Members of Parliament who demonstrates to the Chair that they actually have read that report in detail by referencing to specific pages in that report. I think that needs to be applauded – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – We must take the cue that when such reports are presented, we read them and analyse them studiously so that we are able to come up with suggestions as to how we can ameliorate the situations. I think the suggestions that have been proffered by Hon. Mushoriwa will be taken on board by the Hon. Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. Although he is not here, the Government Chief Whip will refer him to the Hansard so that those who contributed and proffered some suggestions, he can take them on board and see how best the operations of ZACC can be improved. Well done – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
*HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I rise to appreciate the coordination which I am seeing in this august House, different Members of Parliament working together. Indeed, the last speaker raised quite pertinent issues. If workers are given peanuts, you find that monkeys will come to take that job. There is need to pay decent salaries to ZACC and the NPA. The officers are saying that it is quite difficult for them to discharge their duties because they are not capacitated. My plea Mr. Speaker Sir, is that we need to continue united as a nation in this august House, as Zimbabweans. He is following what was said by a former Member of this august House, Hon. Biti, that if we hunt for a mouse, we eat that for the development of the nation. If we tell our erstwhile colonizers, the western countries that they should remove sanctions and Zimbabwe would have fertilizer inputs and other social amenities, our economy is going to prosper. May the God of peace be with us. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you, indeed we are one family when we are in this august House. What I saw, Hon. Mushoriwa vatiivo, there is a Shona adage which says mbudzi inodya payakasungirirwa, but he did not clarify what should be done to a person who ties a goat to a tree so that the goat does not browse where it is tied. I also noted that every Member debated saying that ZACC should be given funding, but looking at the Constitution of Zimbabwe, Section 322 regarding funding of commissions, let me read to you, “Parliament must ensure that sufficient funds for the Commission enable them to exercise their functions effectively”. So where is the burden, the responsibility lies with Parliament? It is up to you as Parliament to vote enough funds for the allocation of such funding to different Commissions. It is your responsibility as Parliament to give the Commissions enough funding. I thank you.
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. S. SITHOLE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 21st November, 2023.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 4 to 6 be stood over until Order of the Day, Number 7 has been disposed of.
HON. S. SITHOLE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PROVISION OF A BILL FOR THE ABOLITION OF DEATH
SENTENCE
Seventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on leave to bring in a Private Member’s Bill to abolish the death penalty in Zimbabwe.
Question again proposed.
*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I stand up to support the motion which was brought into the House regarding the death penalty. We have a lot of people who are in jail and some of them are innocent. After viewing their cases and after so many years, you discover that they are innocent. I will give an example of someone who had a death penalty. After five years, they go for the death row but after a review, you discover that the person is acquitted after they are dead.
A death penalty is one other reason why we took up arms to liberate ourselves from imperialists because the imperialists have a law which says that African leaders who do not give them resources are taken to hang. They did it in Libya when they took Gaddafi, they went to Iraq and did the same with Sadam Hussein; they went to the DRC and this happened with Patrice Lumumba and this happened with Chris Harney in South Africa and many more because of such judgements. God says that no one has the right over the life of another. So, I support the deliberations regarding this law…
HON. BAJILA: Mr. Speaker, the Hon. Member is raising critical issues. Unfortunately, the examples that he use are not factual. Chris Harney was never hanged, but he was murdered. The examples that he is using are not correct. While the matters that he is bringing before the House are very good, let him stick to facts in relation to examples that he uses. If he is not aware of any, there is no crime in not putting an example in driving your point.
THE HON. SPEAKER: That is correct. Here, we are dealing with a death penalty that has been pronounced through a court process. Gaddafi, the leader of Iraq and please, you are talking of Mbuya Nehanda, she went through the process. Why do you want to belittle yourself unashamedly? Patrice Lumumba was a victim of assassination. To that extent, Hon. Bajila is correct. We must deal with issues that have gone through the court process resulting in a death penalty being pronounced.
HON. MUTOKONYI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would also want to support the motion moved by Hon. Mushoriwa. The issue of death penalty from a Christian point of view, we should not kill others because God said it and also from a scientific point of view or from a statistical point of view, there is no study that has confirmed that if there is death penalty in the country, that can reduce or minimise the murder or the charges against death. This could also tell that coming up with a death penalty does not confirm that the would-be offenders will not do the same offence. As such, it is improper to have a death sentence.
If you look even in the prison, the prison is a correctional place to allow transformation of persons and as such, you cannot then punish a person up to the point of death. So, I call for a custodial lifetime imprisonment for such heinous crimes instead of having death penalties.
Also, I was checking on one research, Canada did abolish that law, some time back and as at 2008, they stated that the statistics of murderers and all these assortments of heinous crimes actually reduced where the country had abolished the death penalty. If you also look at when our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, at the point of death, he said that Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. This could actually tell us that by pronouncing a death sentence, it will not reduce or minimise the crimes that will be committed by the would-be offenders. Even, given our country, Zimbabwe is a religious country. So, it is improper to penalise one by death.
I would also, in some cases, whereby the death penalty is pronounced to another family, the survivors, we need to also feel for them. It could be a father, a son, brother or whoever, they would feel much better if they know that the person is there but with a custodial life imprisonment than to accept that they should die because of whatever the crimes they could have committed. Even our President and the Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Hon. E. D. Mnangagwa survived the death calling because of age, otherwise if it was not about that, it was going to be something else. We need to also appreciate that we are with him today because he survived that death penalty. As such it is also proper and important to abolish this death sentence regardless of the degree or magnitude of the crime that would have been committed.
Without taking much time, I also see it however, on the other side, we also need to look on issues of national interest where the issues of terrorism and treason are prevalent. It could be to an extent, not good to have the death penalty but also it does send a message to people who would have thought of going through such dangerous and such disastrous kind of crimes, particularly the crime of terrorism. This is still a subject to be discussed. I do submit. Thank you.
HON. GUMEDE: Thank you Hon. Madam Speaker. We have international human rights obligations that we must respect, protect and promote without discrimination. These rights include the right to life. Since 2005, no executions but the death penalty continues to be imposed. The fact that we have not done any execution for the past five years or so means that we are already migrating towards abolishment, similar to other countries in Africa and beyond. I therefore, believe that we must put finalisation on the contentious matter as my colleagues have rightfully put it that death penalty is irreversible and mistakes can happen. Meaning that there is a real risk of executing even innocent persons, which therefore, becomes something that cannot be undone.
Life without parole as an alternative, can be a better deterrent. I also wish to put to you that the death penalty has an effect, psychologically on family members whose relatives get sentenced to death. This includes but not limited to depression, PTSB, stigma among other mental health related issues. The experience itself of a violent loss is distinct and is like no other experience. Let us rather emulate the global movement with good examples being shown, even by our astral neighbour Zambia, whose legislative leadership has chosen the same course of action, which is to completely abolish this archaic practice. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Gumende. The mover of this motion. You wanted to wind up this motion but we still have more Honourable Members who want to debate.
*HON. TSITSI ZHOU: Thank you Madam Speaker. Good afternoon. The issue which we are deliberating on is quite painful. There are serious issues, where perpetrators fear death sentence. You find people who take other people’s lives yet we are people who are very religious and who honour God. The Bible teaches us in Genesis 9 verse 6, where it says the one who spills blood will die in the same manner.
Where we live, we find children and women being killed by husbands and fathers of the family. There are also robbers who break into houses to steal and kill people. This issue is quite painful. We have children who are raped and women as well. If the rapist notices that the victim has identified him, they kill the victim so that they will not be reported.
We also have children who are gold panners, they are attacked and killed. These are heinous crimes and the Constitution is clear that everyone has a right to life. Madam Speaker Ma’am, we have countries that have eradicated crimes like China which has the death sentence. China has eradicated corruption and criminality because they have the death sentence. In the English language, we talk about success stories with regard to that.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, let me end by saying that I want to agree and concur with those who say the death penalty should be removed, but in crimes like rape, they should be incarcerated. Let me also say that if there is anyone who would have used their hand to kill others, that hand should be cut.
The reason why people fear such crimes is when the Sharia law is applied. So, we need to think deeply about this issue so that those who take away other people’s lives and rape should pay the price. So, the examples that I gave should be taken into consideration so that rape and murder are avoided at all costs. I thank you.
HON. MATSUNGA: Thank you Madam Speaker for affording me this opportunity to support the motion which was moved by Hon. Mushoriwa. I want to thank Hon. Mushoriwa for moving the motion and other Hon. Members who supported the motion.
Madam Speaker, basic human rights should be respected no matter how much one has committed a crime. As humanity, some issues might affect the whole clan, even generations to come (ngozi), so we need to honour basic ethos. I am one person who does not support that this law should pass, there is a Chewa adage that says chawana mnzako chapita mawa chili kwaiwe!! So, we need to respect human sanctity.
The other issue is that perpetrators of violence should be given deterrent sentences that even visitors are not allowed. When those perpetrators are starved with hunger and with no visitors, this will be a deterrent also. However, when they have visitors and food, sometimes they will have hope, so these people should be deprived of basic comfort instead of applying the death penalty.
The other issue is that there should be a law that spells out that whoever kills or whoever commits murder, should have up to 100 years of incarceration and life in prison. There are survivors of the death penalty; it is important that as they go, they must educate other people because there are people who are using machetes, but are not being prosecuted. So, instead of the law saying that he who has committed murder should be put on death row, I would suggest that if the person has committed murder, whether it is rape, he must be incarcerated.
Whilst we are about to commemorate the 16 days of activism against gender violence, we have people who are murdering women and children. However, we also have women murdering their spouses, so they must also be mutilated because gender-based violence is found in both genders. Men are being abused and beaten up in their homes. You find that during the previous years, there are men who were killed. So, if a person commits such a crime, then the penalty should be befitting.
Let me end by saying Madam Speaker, I would want to support the other Members who support the abolishment of the death sentence because in our Shona culture, kupara ngozi. So, I support the mover of the motion and I say no to the death penalty. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. S. CHIKOMO): Hon. Members, matters that are being raised at the moment have been deliberated before, so let us try to avoid repetitions. I also understand that there seems to be some consensus in the debate, which means we are all saying the same thing – [AN HON. MEMBER: Inaudible interjection.] – Please respect the Chair Hon. Member.
HON. MANGONDO: I stand to support the motion regarding the abolition of death penalty in Zimbabwe. As you know, life is a fundamental human right. No human being has a right to take away the life of another person irrespective of the fact that, that person would have caused the death of another person. Section 48 of our Constitution is very clear on that matter that life is a fundamental human right.
The world-over, the trend is for countries to abolish the death penalty and Zimbabwe will be certainly joining other progressive nations of the world in abolishing the death penalty. Despite the historical roots of death penalty in Zimbabwe, as you no doubt have the knowledge that as Zimbabweans, we never had in our system, the killing of a human beings or the sentencing of a person who would have caused the death of another. Our culture emphasised restoration. If a person kills another, the family of the person who would have killed another would be made to pay some reparation damages. That is the way of ubuntu or hunhu. In that regard, I would certainly advocate that in addition to life imprisonment, that maybe we bring in an element of restoration. I am not suggesting at this point in time that paying reparation damages is restoring the life of another but in some cases, you may have caused the family of the deceased person to have no bread winner. So, any reparations would certainly be in a position to get the family to perhaps have closure.
Zimbabwe as a progressive nation, as I said before, joined the list of nations that have chosen to abolish capital punishment. I would like to proffer reasons why Zimbabwe should abolish capital punishment. First and foremost, as other Hon. Members have already said, the irreversible nature of the death penalty raises serious ethical concerns. Our criminal justice system, while very strong, is not infallible and miscarriage of justice can and do occur. The irreversible consequences of executing an innocent person should surely be a stain on our national conscience. We can therefore not allow in good faith, the continued existence of capital punishment on our statute books.
Zimbabwe has had a situation in the past during the First Chimurenga, where we had heroes executed for reasons of merely demanding fundamental rights. Again, we had people executed during the Second Chimurenga and in this regard, I would like to suggest that this august House takes a tour of Chikurubi Maximum Prison where you will experience what our freedom fighters who were executed as a result of the existence of the death penalty went through; in the Rhodesian statutes books, to the extent that the Rhodesians were going to execute so many people that they had to import and install an incineration facility at Chikurubi in order to hide away those heinous acts.
In the spirit of ubuntu and hunhu, I would implore this august House to support the abolition of the death penalty. The moratorium on the death penalty since 2005, is clear testimony that as a nation, we do not support the death penalty. I thank you.
HON. KARENYI: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I would like to add my voice on the motion which was raised by Hon. Mushoriwa, seconded by Hon Markham. I would like to say the universal declaration of human rights recognises the rights for each other person’s rights. I would like to say as a nation, I believe that our Constitution is very clear that the death penalty in itself though, is not there, we respect the right to life. Our Constitution recognises that each other’s rights must never be violated. I strongly feel that the death penalty in Zimbabwe must be abolished. It is also discriminatory Madam Speaker Ma’am, in its application because it also highlights that women are not included in the death penalty. Though I am also a woman, but to say we have equal opportunity in Zimbabwe then on the other side you also violate male’s rights, I strongly feel that we are equal and we must respect each other’s rights.
The death penalty on its own Madam Speaker, I strongly feel that it is also discriminatory because normally it favours those who have got money. If you have any case before the courts, those people who have got money can even go and get the service of lawyers and some do not even have. It is discriminatory to those who are less privileged. Death penalty on its own denies the capacity of people to socialise with the society – because we talk of rehabilitation. If you have committed any crime, even if you go to prison, the law normally gives you time to mend relationships with the community, but on this one, there is no room for anyone to mend his relationship with the community.
Madam Speaker, I would also want to say the death penalty is a collective punishment, we are talking of the person who is facing the death penalty and this affects their family. If the person is married obviously, psychologically the family will not have peace or to talk about the day that they are going to reunite with their father. The issue of collective punishment makes me feel that even though a person is given a death penalty, those who are at home will also suffer the same because everyday they will be thinking about the day when that family member is going to get executed. They will be saying on a daily basis is it going to be tomorrow or next year. Some of these people spend ten years in prison before they are executed.
The death penalty goes against religious and human rights issues. If you talk of the Bible, for those who believe in God, it clearly tells us that it is only God who judges. The moment we judge to say that person must be executed, normally I feel we are also going against our Christian values. With this Madam Speaker, I strongly feel that we must agree to abolish the death penalty because it is also going against our own Constitution. Thank you Madam Speaker.
*HON. MATANGIRA: I want to thank Hon. Mushoriwa for raising the motion that the country of Zimbabwe must agree with other countries that the death penalty mut be abolished. This is because of the fear that there are some people who go to courts allegedly for murder. Madam Speaker, there is a person who agrees that I have killed a child, for example, the Murehwa case of Tapiwa Makore, by cutting the body parts of the child because that person wants money. The murderer has agreed and that person has agreed that he or she has committed the crime and that person must be hanged. We may talk a lot about the Geneva Convention, but we must not forget about the things that happened in the past. Those who started with these laws of abolishing death penalties started these conversations because they had their reasons for tomorrow. They might want to use these laws against us tomorrow. Since 2005, the law was there, but there is no one who was killed or executed through death penalty, in English they call it death. Let us accept it as it is. In our traditional culture we have a saying called ‘makunguwo zvaakatya akafa mangani’ those who feared have preserved their lives. The death penalty law must remain.
Those who commit crimes which require death penalty will be required to look into the gravity of the matter or the crime committed. Right now, we are saying death penalty is there as a deterrent measure. Right now, Madam Speaker, you hear that a kidney is being sold at USD20 000 and a human liver is also being sold. We have criminals who are outside the country and fear to come to Zimbabwe because they know if they come here and commit those crimes, they are going to be jailed and hanged. We are safe as a country because of the death penalty.
Madam Speaker, death penalty must not be abolished. Jesus Christ came, he was God and he came on this earth knowing that he was going to be a martyr. A martyr who died or lived, is one and the same thing. As an individual, I am saying that as a country, we were living freely. On the issue of Tapiwa Makore, I do not believe that there is anyone who want those who committed that crime to go and serve their terms in jail until they die. If we are not agreeing to that sentence of life imprisonment, the death penalty must not be abolished. There is no one who was executed from 2000 till now. Death penalty is there, but we are not practicing it.
Those from the Western countries are the ones who have killed most of our counterparts in the country and they are the same who are inviting us to advocate for the removal of the death penalty. Right now as a country, we want to agree with them to remove the death penalty. Madam Speaker Ma’am, to speak the truth, if my child or a child of an Hon. Member in this House is murdered for ritual purposes and the perpetrator is apprehended and he or she agrees that they were sent by someone to murder and remove the head and other body parts, what do we do? The person has agreed in high court or Supreme Court that they are not denying their crime. The same person is given a sentence to stay in prison for the rest of his life; let us not abolish the death penalty. The motion is very good because there are some people who support the left hand and some support the right hand. Those who support the right hand in touching something dirty, their hand will be dirty within a short period of time, but at the end, all your hands will end up being cleaned. It is good, but let us protect the people we represent as Members of Parliament. No one must kill another person. If you kill, the penalty is death. If you abuse a child, you will face the consequences of what has been said by women in this House. If a woman abuses a boy child, who is innocent, what is that we are going to cut. On women Madam Speaker Ma’am, I do not know what we are going to cut, but death penalty must remain, it must not be abolished. I thank you.
HON. DR. MUTODI: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am for affording me this opportunity to debate. I think the death penalty as it is in our Constitution, needs to be maintained for now. If we are going to have a chance in future to have it removed, I am sure we must have made sure that we have conducive social, economic and political conditions to ensure that the death penalty is removed. The reason why I oppose the motion by Hon. Mushoriwa is that murder cases are on the rise in this country. There are instances of gruesome murders that are happening and such gruesome murder cases need to be punished with death.
We have women who commit murder and they are being left out of the hook because the Constitution is saying women cannot be hanged. I am sure that is the area that we may need to amend to ensure that women who also perform gruesome murders under the spirit of gender equality, need not discriminate against men. Women of such nature also need to be categorised as dangerous citizens. They must be given punishment of this nature.
Madam Speaker, we have men in this country murdering their wives in cold blood, dismembering their body parts and putting them in sacks or carrier bags and disposing them. We cannot allow such kind of criminal activity to continue or to condone and lessen the punishment that we are to give to such individuals. There is murder with intention. Someone takes a knife out of his house and intentionally goes to stab someone to death or intentionally goes through and uses a weapon to destroy someone’s life.
We agree that there is a right to life, but if you have taken someone’s life, you have obviously said that you do not respect the right to life and as such, the punishment that you deserve is that of death penalty. The question that Hon. Mushoriwa partly posed before this House was that of some murderers or some accused persons being accused and convicted on false grounds so that someone is convicted of murder when they have not done it. May be the thrust that we need to focus on is to ensure that we convict people who have committed murder on the principle that we have always been using beyond any reasonable doubt.
I am sure the Hon. Member who spoke before me said someone comes before the court, they confess to have committed the murder – why should we keep that person as part of our society? We must reflect on these murder cases and treat each matter on its own. There are people who go into houses of people who are living peacefully with their wives, they go in there and sodomise the man, they rape the wife and kill after all that. That is murder in aggravated circumstances and such people may need to be killed.
There is a suggestion that we may need to give them life in jail, but surely, why should we burden our tax payers’ money and keep these people in prison where they will be eating food and enjoying all the lifestyle in jail? We are trying to modernise our jails. Right now, we are going to say if someone is in jail, you can meet your wife and be intimate with her in jail. You can enjoy everything that someone who is not in jail is enjoying.
So, why should we keep murderers of this nature in jail and let them enjoy life yet they have taken out someone from this motherland. It is my submission Madam Speaker Ma’am that we need to continue to reflect on this stance and we need to continue to reflect on this law and it might not be time for us to enact a law that abolishes the death sentence. I thank you.
HON. MOLOKELA-TSIYE: Thank you Madam Speaker for the opportunity to join in the debate on this motion that was raised by Hon. Mushoriwa. I am excited at the opportunity to share my views. I need to be very clear and unequivocal as I begin my debate that there is never going to be a time which will be the most ideal time to abolish the death penalty. In fact, the rest of the world, Southern Africa now is the time to abolish this barbaric measure. I am strongly opposed to the continuation of the death penalty in Zimbabwe.
The death penalty must be abolished immediately. These are my reasons why I am strongly opposed to the death penalty. The first and most important one is the right to life. The right to life is recognised by our Constitution and by all international conventions. No human being has the authority to take away life, life is sacrosanct. We must adopt a position that one must have the right to life at all cost. This country, starting with the colonial experience that we had in 1890, when the colonial establishment was set up in this city, they set up a court system that local people did not even understand - a justice system that involved court magistrates who were mainly white people.
They introduced the death penalty in this country from 1890. The list of people who have been victims of this law include our heroes of the first Chimurenga who were executed using State resources in defence of the majority of the people of Zimbabwe. I feel sad that in 2023, people are not acknowledging the fact that our heroes such as Mbuya Nehanda and Sekuru Kaguvi were actually unjustly executed in this city for defending the people of this land from the colonial administration.
This barbaric measure was in direct violation of the right of the people of this land to their land. The liberation movement that most of you claim to belong to, the very same liberation movement for the entire time when the struggle was being executed…
HON. DR. MUTODI: On a point of order Madam Speaker. We on the right side of the Chair do not claim to be representing or standing in for the liberation struggle. We are custodians of the liberation struggle. The Hon. Member must withdraw the statement as it is baseless.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Molokela, please kindly withdraw your statement?
HON. MOLOKELA-TSIYE: Hon. Speaker, just to clarify that I was very clear that some of us in this House, I never mentioned which side of the House. I just said some of us. Their conscience is rebelling and their conscience is selling them out. They are betraying their own – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members, let us give him a chance to debate.
HON. MOLOKELA-TSIYE: Let me get back to my point. If colonialists had not set up this fake justice system that they used to execute our leaders who were representing our people, like Mbuya Nehanda and Sekuru Kaguvi, we will be having a different Zimbabwe today. The same justice system that they imposed on us, not only did it execute our First Chimurenga leaders, it was also used to execute our Second Chimurenga and Umvukela leaders. From 1964 to 1980, how many people were executed at Chikurubi, for fighting for the liberation of this country. Why do we, in 2023, as Zimbabweans, forget that this barbaric death penalty can be used against the interest of the nation at one particular time.
Most of the people who died at Chikurubi in the 1970s, who were executed by the State under Ian Smith, were not criminals. The system called them terrorists but today if you go to the history of Zimbabwe, they are called national war liberation heroes. They are not terrorists. They are not criminals. They are heroes but the reason why they are dead today – my own uncle was executed at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison, in 1977. I was two years old when my uncle was executed. The reason why he was executed, under this same law, was because he was a ZIPRA deployed in this country. He died for this country, not in action, not in combat. He died through hanging at Chikurubi. My mother was there to pick up his body and identify it.
This law can be used unjustly; it has been used unjustly. So, as Zimbabwe, we must learn that this law can be used unjustly and it has been used unjustly and it will continue to be used unjustly. Secondly, forensic technology has moved. So, a lot of people who you claim committed crime, we now have DNA tests, we have everything. If we do a retrial, we will discover that we convicted a wrong person. It is too late to apologise beyond the grave. It may be your uncle. It may be you, it may be your brother or sister who will be wrongly convicted and sentenced to death, then later, science and technology reveals that they framed the person. It was a wrong conviction. The person is already dead. There is no coming back from the dead. So, we cannot reverse the death penalty.
Thirdly, we changed our prison system a few years ago. Some of you are not aware. The name of our prison system was deliberately changed, it is now called Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services. The reason why we changed it from being Zimbabwe Prison Services to Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services is because the principle behind imprisonment changed in Zimbabwe. We no longer jail people as a punishment. That is not the principle of imprisonment in Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe, we jail people to rehabilitate them to society. In Zimbabwe, we are now known as the correctional service.
When you make a mistake and let us be honest, not even one person in this House has not committed a crime in this country. We are all criminals…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Molokela, order, please withdraw your statement.
HON. MOLOKELA-TSIYE: I do not think I was understood.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Molokela, please, withdraw your statement.
HON. MOLOKELA-TSIYE: I withdraw my statement. The fact
that …-[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] -
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members.
HON. MOLEKELA-TSIYE: I wanted to emphasise the point that.. - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] - Madam Speaker, I need protection.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members. Hon. Molokela, please wrap up.
HON. MOLOKELA-TSIYE: Madam Speaker, I need protection from the Members who are making noise. That behaviour is unparliamentary.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Molokela, please continue with your debate.
HON. MOLOKELA-TSIYE: I cannot continue when people are shouting at me.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Please continue, I have given you the order.
HON. MOLOKELA-TSIYE: The third point that I wanted to emphasise is that in Zimbabwe, we have a principle that everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law but that does not mean that, that person has not committed a crime. What it means is that the justice system will serve each citizen based on their capacity to take advantage of it. Unfortunately, I am a registered member of the Zimbabwe Law Society. I am a practicing lawyer. I already know that what we call justice is not for everyone. In this country, if you have got a crime that you are being charged of and you do not have a lawyer, you are already at a disadvantaged position.
The same accusation that you are having, once you go to court without a lawyer, compared to someone with a lawyer, then you are in trouble. So, justice is not for every citizen. In this country, justice is for those who can afford, not just a lawyer but a good lawyer. A good lawyer can take you out of a crime on a technicality, on a procedure but if you are an individual citizen, you can actually be wrongfully convicted because the court system is not designed for a normal citizen. You have to go to law school for four years…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Molokela, please stick to the motion in context.
HON. MOLEKELA-TSIYE: I wanted to emphasise that you can wrongfully convict a person just because they do not have a lawyer and then 10 years later, someone says on their death bed, I am the one who committed the crime while you have already executed the person. So, you cannot come back to that person and you cannot reverse the injustice after they have been executed.
Fourth and last but not least, we need to accept that at the end of the day, to err is human, to forgive is divine. Our duty as a State, our duty as a Parliament, is to make sure that if we make a mistake, we are given a second chance to make amends, instead of assuming that you cannot make a mistake. Let us assume that you can have a second chance. The death penalty does not give you a second chance, whether you are being accused at a political level…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members, I am going to ask the Hon. standing to kindly sit down. Thank you.
HON. MOLOKELA-TSIYE: The death penalty does not give you a second chance. All of us in this House have had so many chances after making mistakes. If we were going to be executed for every mistake we make, we would not be in this House today. We have not learnt from our mistakes. We have become better people because – and there is research, not here in Zimbabwe but outside Zimbabwe, that shows that a person can be rehabilitated successfully.
Recently, we have got a good example, earlier this year, the city of Johannesburg, the most powerful in Southern Africa, elected a mayor, Kenny Kunene who is a former convict. He was elected Acting Mayor of the most powerful city in Southern Africa. From a prison cell, he managed to become the Acting Mayor. So, we cannot lose people just because they made a mistake. So, I am asking the Parliament of Zimbabwe to do the right thing. Abolish the death penalty now. Thank you.
*HON. NYABANI: Thank you, Madam Speaker, I want to add my voice on the matter that is being discussed. I think many of us here know what is happening in the country, for example, the issue of Tapiwa Makore. How can someone go and take a child? We are looking at the woman who has carried a child for nine months, takes care of that child, and then someone who is greedy kills that child. It is not about making a mistake; this was actually a plan. You take the body parts and put them in a plastic paper.
Now, here we are as Members of Parliament, saying someone who has committed such a crime should be put in jail for three months. For example, …
*HON. HAMAUSWA: On a point of order. I am touched by what Hon. Nyabani has just said. I think if there are such cases they should be reported to the police.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member! Take your seat.
*HON. NYABANI: Someone who has committed a crime of raping, for example, a three month old baby, I am not sure where the Hon. Member is coming from because in Zimbabwe, most families have in one way or the other, met these tragedies. What I am saying is such crimes have been committed.
People who commit crimes of murder or a planned crime of rape, in my own view, I do not think those people deserve a right to live. I will pose a question to all of you and say, have you ever kept a stray dog? One thing that I know is that you cannot keep a stray dog or a dog that now has rabies, it will keep biting other dogs. Why then do you want to keep people who are committing murder crimes? They should just be killed. By hanging such people, we are simply taking away harmful people from the society.
There is no normal person who will go and stand in the middle of the road when traffic is moving, they will know that they will be killed. In China, when – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
HON. MAHLANGU: On a point of order! Hon. Nyabani should withdraw the issue of rape - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Member! You have to show respect to your fellow Hon. Member, you have just called him Nyabani. So, kindly sit down - [HON. MEMBER: Inaudible interjections.] - Hon Members who just said a dictator? Please leave the room right now. Hon. Member, identify yourself and leave the House. The Hon. Member in grey suit and a white suit, leave the House?
Hon. Tsvangirai left the Chamber
HON. NYABANI: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I wanted to give an example of China, someone who commits a crime, for example, stealing or corruption, that person is given death penalty. If we are looking at corruption and we are saying that person has to be given a death penalty, what about someone who is a murderer? Maybe some of those who are against the issue of death penalty are the ones who are committing such crimes.
HON. HAMAUSWA: On a point of order! Hon. Nyabani should withdraw the statement that those who are for the abolition of the death penalty are the perpetrators of the killing of human beings here.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, the Hon. Nyabani was not specific.
*HON. NYABANI: Thank you Madam President for the opportunity that you have afforded me. I know it is a difficult task to debate over such, but I thank you for protecting me.
HON. CHIGOMBA: On a point of order! I am kindly asking that Hon. Nyabani must withdraw what he said. We must debate here without fear of being stereotyped.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Nyabani just generalised, he did not point at anyone.
HON. BAJILA: When Hon Mutodi made a statement that was not specific, the ruling was different from the statement which is not specific, which is now with respect to Hon. Nyabani.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Please, be seated and switch off your mic. I have not addressed the Hon. Member who just previously spoke. Unfortunately, I was not inside when Mr. Speaker was giving that ruling. I just gave a ruling accordingly.
HON. MOLOKELA-TSIYE: I have a different point of order. Please be seated.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Please be seated. If you are not guided, I will ask you to leave the House.
HON. MOLOKELA-TSIYE: I am following the rules.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Please switch off your mic. I am going to ask Hon. P. Moyo to debate.
*HON. PRISCILLA MOYO: Thank you Madam Speaker. I have stood up to oppose the motion which was brought by Hon. Mushoriwa, seconded by Hon Markham. My view is that when someone commits a crime, they are supposed to be given a judgement that is equivalent to the crime that they have committed. If we say a murderer should be given a sentence of life imprisonment, what we are simply saying is that we are glorifying the killing of another person. To those who have committed crime whilst they are still in jail, they continue doing whatever they are doing. I am therefore against the issue of removing death penalty.
We have had the death penalty for so many years, but no one has been executed, which is an indication that this is a proper law. Let us have the death penalty there whilst we check on the degree of the crime that has been committed. Yes, some people commit crimes or some are alleged to have committed crimes whilst they have not. That is why we have changed the term to correctional services. However, there are some people who do not learn from their mistakes. They continuously commit the same crimes. There are people who continuously commit the crime of murder and some people are just murdered without even knowing the reason why they are being murdered. I believe if we remove the death penalty, such people will continuously commit crimes because they will be knowing that they will not be killed. Therefore, the death penalty, I believe is meant for those who commit the crimes for they will not repeat the same crime.
There are some people who commit crimes with an intention to kill. For example, if someone says I am not ruling the country, therefore I have to kill someone, it is a crime that has to be considered under crimes of someone who would have murdered. Therefore, let us continue having the death penalty.
I feel we need to review and check exactly which crime they would have committed for them to be given a judgement of death penalty. I have some ladies who are saying those who commit rape should be castrated, it is painful for women especially if you find your child being raped. As women, is why we feel that if you rape a child, you just have to be castrated. It is my request that we continue having the law of death penalty.
HON MUSHORIWA: Thank you so much for this opportunity. I want to take this opportunity to thank all the Hon. Members in this august House that have debated this motion and also to thank even the other Hon. Members who may not have had the opportunity to debate this motion. I need to preface my speech by saying that we do understand and appreciate the process. The process of bringing a Bill to the august House, what happens is that we bring this motion, but that does not remove the death penalty. The Bill will be considered by the Committee on Justice and will be sent across the entire nation to hear the views of the people.
Generally, I am grateful that across the political divide, the majority of Members of Parliament that have spoken have respect to this issue, share the view that there is a need to look into the abolishment of death penalty. I am encouraged Madam Speaker, by the forceful position as advanced by Hon. Togarepi yesterday. It is crucial and very important to understand the context in which we drive this motion.
You will note that death penalty in this country is not for everyone. We had already demonstrated that there is only less than 36% of the population that can be sentenced to death penalty. Sixty four per cent of the population in Zimbabwe cannot be sentenced to death penalty. All the women in Zimbabwe cannot be sentenced to death penalty. You cannot sentence any man who is below 21 years. You can also not sentence a man who is above 70 years. What it does is that you simply have a small category of people that you can discriminate when it comes to that sentence.
That is not all Madam Speaker. I just want to briefly touch on the submissions that have been made by Hon. Matangira, Hon. Nyabani and Hon. Mutodi. The system and the situation that we have Madam Speaker and I want to emphasise this point, if President Emmerson Mnangagwa had not escaped death by the age technicality, what it means Madam Speaker is that we would not have President Mnangagwa as the President of Zimbabwe today.
Madam Speaker, we have had a number of people that perished during the liberation war, people that were wrongly convicted. It is accepted and it is understood there will always be one or two people whose conduct can relate to what Hon. Nyabani said. On a balance of probability, the generality of the issues and the reasons…
HON. S. ZIYAMBI: On a point of order Mr. Speaker. I am very grateful Madam Speaker that the Hon. Member has acknowledged fully that President E. D. Mnangagwa, indeed is the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Mushoriwa, you may proceed.
HON. MUSHORIWA: Madam Speaker, yesterday and this is on the public platforms, our Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Hon. Ziyambi, we have actually shared the Bill, I think all Members will get the chance when we come to the discussion and debate on the Bill. I think it is at that particular point – I am glad, Hon. Mutodi is the Chairperson of the Justice Committee, I think when they go out there to get the views of the people, the views of the people will feed into the discussion that as Parliament, we will be able to see whether or not this penalty Bill, when it is brought into this House, will suit the criteria.
One of the things that we may not want to hide is this fact that if you look into all the literature on abolishment of the death penalty, you check the entirety of Africa - all the foreword against death penalty in Zimbabwe, everybody, they have actually been written by President Mnangagwa, he has actually signed and he has committed over and over again. That resulted in Hon. Ziyambi, our Minister of Justice going on the international platforms to actually say that as a country we no longer see the merit in having death penalty.
Madam Speaker, I believe that this august House and all those Members that may have wanted to debate this motion, the chance of debating this motion is there. That is when this Bill is brought into this august House, when the further processes are happening, when the Committee will go out to solicit the views of the public. Having said that Madam Speaker, it is my view that I commit that let the Bill be introduced to this august House so that it goes through the various processes and then during the processes of the debate on the Bill, if the House thinks otherwise, let it happen on the merits of the matter. I thank you Madam Speaker.
Motion put and agreed.
FIRST READING
DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION BILL [2023]
HON. MUSHORIWA presented the Death Penalty Abolition Bill [2023].
Bill read the first time.
Bill referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee.
On the motion of HON. TSITSI ZHOU seconded by HON. C. HLATYAWAYO, the House adjourned at Twenty-Six Minutes past Five o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 28th November, 2023.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 16th November, 2023.
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE
APOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM MINISTERS
THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE (HON. SEN. KAMBIZI): Today, being a Thursday, we have question time but before we go into that, I have apologies from the following Ministers: Hon. O.C.Z Muchinguri-Kashiri, Minister of Defence; Hon. Gen Rtd. L. Mayihlome, Deputy Minister of Defence; Hon. J.G. Moyo, Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare; Hon. Dr. D. Mombeshora, Minister of Health and Child Care; Hon. D. Garwe, Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities; Hon. W. Chitando, Minister of Local Government and Public Works; Hon. T. Moyo, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education; and Hon. K. Mpamhanga, Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training. You will realise that many Ministers are not here but I have been informed that they have a programme that they are attending elsewhere.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: My question is directed to the Minister of Home Affairs. What is Government policy on upgrading of police posts to police stations where an administration district has one police station like Zaka District as complaints are taking long to be attended to? The district will have one police car as it has one police station. What is the policy in such a situation?
THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON. KAZEMBE): Thank you Mr. President Sir. Also, allow me to thank Hon. Sen. Mavenyengwa for such a pertinent question. The Government policy is to devolve services to the people. We should have police stations within a reasonable distance so that people can access the services easily. However, having said that, police have a criteria that they use to decide whether this area needs one police station or two police stations. That depends on the distance and the number of people in that area. I am not so sure with the situation in Zaka but now that the Hon. Sen has brought it up, I will probably want to ask the Commissioner General to look into it.
The Hon. Senator also mentioned the issue of one vehicle that is in use. I would like to thank Government for listening to our plea for vehicles but thank heavens, Treasury responded to a directive from the President and we received a number of vehicles which I would like to believe you got a share of that. Yes, we do not have enough vehicles as of now but efforts are there to increase the fleet. We need to have a minimum of one vehicle per station. That is our focus as Government and we would like to thank Treasury that they are seized with the matter. Towards elections, we received 600 trucks which were distributed throughout the country and I am sure we all witnessed that and we saw increased visibility throughout our communities. Government will continue on this path. I thank you Mr. Speaker.
*HON. ZINDI: My question was directed to the Minister of Social Welfare, but in his absence I will direct it to the Leader of Government Business, Hon. Ziyambi. My question is on behalf of pensioners who get their payments through NSSA. This is not the first time that this question has been brought up, it has been asked a number of times in many forums of Parliament. What I want to find out is if there is anything that the Government can do, through the Ministry of Social Welfare, to ensure that senior citizens who worked their lives, but now earning pension every month on the 13th and 14th find that the money will not have been deposited into their POSB accounts after having travelled long distances such as Chimanimani or Honde Valley. They will have spent money in USD on transport to get into town to get to the banks where they are told the deposits have not yet been made to their accounts. When they go to NSSA to ask, they are told that money has already been transferred to their accounts and end up moving up and down with no tangible response whilst being tossed around. How is this going to be rectified so that the senior citizens do not end up sleeping on pavements in towns?
*THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the question. That question seems to be specific to Chimanimani residents who are not getting their pensions, not necessarily the whole country.
*HON. SEN. ZINDI: On a point of order –
*HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Mr. President, I am still explaining myself. I am not sure what is now happening because when the Hon. Senator was speaking, I was quiet, but she now wants to interrupt me. The reason why I say so is because the question seems to be specific. It is not true that NSSA is not disbursing funds to pensioners countrywide. These days, people no longer get paid hard cash in envelopes, but money is transferred to banks. There is no bank that does not send you a message after a deposit is made to your account, which means there will be no reason why someone will go to the bank before getting that message. Even yourself, you know when you are going to be paid and sometimes you are actually reminded or informed by that message that there is a deposit into your account. That question is specific because the Hon. Senator, when they go to POSB, they are told there is no money and tossed around when they go to NSSA to find out. So, that is why I am saying that the question must be put in writing so that the Minister can investigate why the money is not getting to the bank. The Hon. Senator admits that NSSA will have deposited the monies into the accounts. What I know is the query that the pensioners may have is that the money is too little, but this is being addressed. This is because of the changeover of currencies and the Minister of Finance is working on it so that the pensioners may get compensation for the value of money lost through changing of currencies. In short, I think there is need for investigation, but I would like to advise the Hon. Senator that these days, people must be encouraged to ensure that they receive a notification message of the deposit before going to the bank.
*HON. SEN. ZINDI: I would like to confirm to the Leader of the House, Hon. Ziyambi that when I gave an example of Chimanimani, I was not referring specifically to that place, but was only trying to give an example and explain what is happening and what we are seeing. So, I only wanted the Hon. Minister to understand that I am not just talking from nowhere, but that this is happening. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHIKWAKA: Thank you Mr. President, my question is directed to the Minister of Energy, but in his absence, to the Leader of Government Business. The Metrological Department is publishing that we might have erratic rains this year. Our Government has built dams so as to alleviate hunger through irrigation. What is Government policy saying about the supply of electricity because we now have a lot of load shedding and this will affect our irrigation schemes? Now is the time for farmers to put their seeds in the ground and use irrigation schemes so that when the rains come, the seeds will have germinated. What is Government policy in minimising load shedding? I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): I thank you Hon. President and I want to thank the Hon. Senator for this question. It is true that the last weeks, we had a lot of load shedding. We have the Unit 7 thermal power station that was newly established. Experts had informed us that they want to do maintenance on the Unit 7 plant and to make sure that it is working properly as it is still new. In Kariba, the water levels are very low, we were now failing to produce the required electricity. Other small thermal stations that we had like Munyati were too old to function properly. To use these thermal stations, it is now very expensive. The Government said that these stations must be decommissioned. This one that is being maintained and serviced will soon be ready for use. In our discussions with the Hon. Minister…
Hon. T. Moyo having tried to pass between the Hon. Member speaking and the Chair.
THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order Hon. Member, you do not pass through the member speaking and the Chair.
*HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: In our discussions with the Hon. Minister, he said we are now going to witness changes and farmers are going to continue to do farming because this station will be working. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHIKWAKA: Thank you Hon. President. We have thermal power stations like those in Harare and Bulawayo. What is Government policy in resuscitating those thermal stations because we have enough coal? What is stopping these power stations from working?
*HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Hon. Speaker. Those thermal power stations are the ones that I have alluded to that they must not be operated; they are not cost effective. The cost of producing the electricity is too high, even those who will then use the electricity will have to pay exorbitant prices, and this applies to farmers or home users. Government agreed with ZESA that the thermal power station for Bulawayo, Harare and Munyati are now useless because they have been used beyond their lifespan. We now want to refurbish them as per the demands of today’s technology so that users have to pay less money. I thank you.
HON. SEN. CHIEF MATIPULA: Thank you very much Hon. President of Senate. My question is directed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development and the Hon. Minister of Home Affairs may also assist. We are approaching the festive season and already we have witnessed some very terrible accidents and loss of life in many areas, including recently a few days ago in Matabeleland. What steps are being taken to conscientise the driving or traveling public so that this year we may have less loss of life during this busy festive season?
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Mr. President and let me thank Hon. Sen Chief Matipula for that very important question which also gives me this platform to advise and appraise the august House on what we are doing as a Ministry regarding this very worrisome and saddening development in our country where we are losing precious lives.
On Monday, we witnessed the Mwenezi incident where we lost six very important lives through road carnage. On the same day, we also lost three very young beautiful ladies from Chipinge who were aged 18 and 20 years again. Without us resting as a nation, 24 hours down the line we also lost very valuable lives, 22 passengers who were going to South Africa and on board a Toyota Quantum. It was around 1800 and 2000 hours when the carnage happened. If you have been following, His Excellency conveyed his condolences to the beautiful nation of Zimbabwe. As a Minister of Transport, I also say may their souls rest in eternal peace. It is quite disturbing even to lose one’s life. We have experienced that within 48 hours, we have lost close to 30 souls.
Through the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe, we have embarked on a massive awareness programme where we are educating motorists that when they drive, they should also respect the sanctity of life. We are saying you do not have to just think of yourself when you start a journey. In terms of the statistics, we have found that a number of accidents that we have are attributed to human error. I am happy that my colleague Minister in our midst will buttress where we are saying we need to reinforce and enforce issues to do with compliance when driving. Regardless of what we are doing as a nation, being championed by His Excellency in terms of controlling and managing mitigating road carnages, we find that it is in acceleration mode where roads are being reconstructed, rehabilitated and we then see the element of speeding which is also my humble plea to this august House that as we gravitate towards the festive season, we must be of sober mind. When we partake journeys whether to our rural communities or within the cities, we need to respect other motorists.
To answer your question Hon Sen. Chief, we are saying not only that we are putting measures, we are also in a process of coming to this House and National assembly to advocate for a road accident fund which will mitigate the burden being imposed on the fiscus as we speak, so that we will be in a position to also cater for those dependents and also bury decently the deceased. So, this is what we are doing as a nation and we will continue preaching.
Mr. President Sir, you will find that what we are doing now as a nation, we are saying at such kind of programmes, you will be seeing us approaching. We have got those rude drivers who even maintain the inner lane when they are driving knowing very well that the stipulated speed limit on that particular stretch is not in tandem with the way they are driving. We are saying this must stop. I am glad again, we have been discussing this week with my colleague Hon. Minister Kazembe, that it is high time we must have security champions manning our roads so that we continue preaching this to our motorists. Thank you Mr. President Sir.
*HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: Supplementary question Mr. President. Thank you Mr. President. I wanted to say to our Minister, is it not possible to have special courts that deal with people who cause such accidents like what we saw recently where 22 lives were lost at one instance when it is clear that the driver was wrong. Maybe we need to liaise with the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to ensure that such special courts take place in order to prevent further loss of lives and also that such small motor vehicles like commuter omnibuses have mandatory speed limits to ensure that they travel safely.
*THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON. KAZEMBE): Thank you Mr. President. I will try to add to what Hon. Minister Mhona said because we are working together. I will try to answer both Senators. On the last question requesting for special courts, the issue is not about taking to court and charging that person who would have committed the crime but the most important thing is, we need to prevent that crime from being committed.
We have since said, together with my colleague Minister Mhona, life is very precious. We do not need to lose even one life as it is very special. So as what Minister Mhona alluded to, our drivers are being reckless. Some of them are driving on the wrong side of the road and others are driving in drunken stupor. In short, there is a lot of recklessness on the part of drivers on the roads. The Hon. Minister also spoke about champions who are supposed to increase safety awareness on the roads, but the other thing is, we cannot run away from technology. It is our wish that the police force need to be working. The police officers are human beings. Some people wonder what would have happened, and how such an accident claiming 22 lives took place when the police are always on the roads.
So, going forward, I think we need to take away the element of accusing the police officers of not being diligent on the road. We need to make use of technology. Where there is no need for a policeman in such a spot, a person can be arrested whilst they are unaware. A person can be penalised using a camera. That is exactly what is happening in the international forum. Right now, the police have to go to the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development to access data base, hence there is need to use technology to ensure that when somebody drives on the wrong side of the road and speeds as well as other offences, they are arrested. Technology is good because it cannot be bribed and does not sleep. In short, it will be very effective to employ technology to curb such incidents.
HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: Thank you Mr. President. My supplementary is directed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development. Accidents will always happen to some extent. I wish to just know whether Government is considering some sort of a road users’ risk mitigation fund so that when accidents happen, people can get some assistance. Thank you.
HON. MHONA: Thank you Mr. President Sir. Let me thank Hon. Sen. Zvidzai for that very important question which I thought Hon. President Sir, I had addressed but let me also reiterate what I alluded to earlier on that as a Ministry, we are seized with the Road Accident Fund which will then cover what the Hon. Senator is talking about. Indeed, that fund will then alleviate the burden that we are witnessing and it will also go an extra mile in trying to address some of the concerns of the citizens where we are also going to be administering, whether they are bills or paying for the dependents. We are also seized as a Ministry in trying to benchmark ourselves with other countries within the neighbourhood on the issue of best practice. I thank you Mr. President Sir.
THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I realise that there are also a number of Ministers who have just arrived in case you want to ask them questions. I welcome Hon. Minister Machakaire, Youth Empowerment and Vocational Training Centres. I also welcome Minister Moyo, Primary and Secondary Education. We also have Minister Matuke, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in the Office of the President and Cabinet and we have Minister of State for Mashonaland East Province, Minister Muzverengwi and Minister Mavhunga.
*HON. SEN. KATUMBA: Thank you Mr. President. My question is directed to the Minister of Transport. What are you doing to ensure that we get reliable transport, which is affordable and efficient in terms of time? Women with babies on their backs are seen boarding lorries. We used to have ZUPCO that was efficient in supplying buses. What is happening now?
*THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Mr. President. I would like to thank the Hon. Senator for that pertinent question. That also gives me the opportunity to inform this House that the President has put in place a programme known as “Whole of Government”. This means that if there are issues concerning the movement of people in urban areas, they think it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Transport. I would want to inform this august House that the movement of people in urban areas with ZUPCO is the responsibility of Local Government. If you can allow me Mr. President Sir, I will try to respond to Hon. Senator’s question.
Indeed, that is an issue that His Excellency, the President is seized with. He is so concerned about transport because he wishes that people go to work using a better transport system. There was collaboration between ZUPCO and NRZ to ensure that there is a good mass urban transportation system. That programme is coming. That is the same programme that will ensure we make use of technology and it will be easier to track reckless drivers as well. It is under Government’s plans to ensure that unroadworthy vehicles are taken out of the roads and provide efficient transportation system. Even trains will be providing transport services so that we get affordable transport. I am sure when this programme is implemented, there will be sanity in terms of the transportation system.
HON. SEN. CHIEF MATIPULA: Thank you Mr. President Sir. My supplementary question to the Minister of Transport is, Minister, you spoke about the programme to upgrade our transport sector and you spoke about benchmarking standards. Is the NRZ also in that programme because you talked about the issue to revamp our city transportation, especially NRZ? Are we going to be moving towards something that we can benchmark with other countries regionally?
HON. MHONA: Thank you Mr. President Sir. Let me thank Hon. Sen. Chief Matipula for that follow up question. Maybe it is because I was speaking in vernacular, that was my closing statement when I said NRZ is part of the deliberations were we are also trying to broaden the mass urban transportation system to encompass NRZ where we are also going to enhance connectivity within cities through NRZ. Indeed, we are planning accordingly Mr. President Sir, so that we also involve NRZ given the numbers that will be in a position to carry if we are using the railway line. You will see us also resuscitating the Harare-Chitungwiza which has been on the cards for years. It is also on our dashboard. Within the Second Republic, this is going to happen. Thank you Mr. President Sir.
THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE: May I remind Hon. Senators to put your phones on silence or better still switch them off.
*HON. SEN. WUNGANAYI: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to pose my question. My question is directed to the Minister of War Veterans. My question is about the war collaborators, the mujibhas and chimbwidos. We have not seen them being given gratuities like what the war veterans got. It is now long over due since we got independence. Most of them are now late and some of the people have left children who now have grandchildren. We realise that some of them had to travel long distances, some from as far as Marondera for vetting after every four years. All this is taking place whilst they are not getting any payment. …
THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order, order. What is your question?
*HON. SEN. WUNGANAYI: That is where I am getting to Mr. President. I am saying, Government, through the Ministry, what plans do they have in place to compensate the war collaborators because most of them have died?
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE (HON. SEN. MAVHUNGA): Thank you Mr. President. This is the second time this question has been asked in this august House. Maybe the Hon. Senator was not around. I am glad to respond to this important question that affects a lot of people, especially in the rural areas. I also would like to bring to the attention of everyone that the liberation struggle involved a lot of people starting with the armed combatants, the collaborators, detainees and the prisoners as well as those who left the country to go for military training. In the past, the law only recognised the combatants who only received military training. During the amendment of the Constitution or the law, the masses noted that the war involved all these people who participated.
The people of Zimbabwe, through COPAC, agreed that all those who took part in any way in the war, have also participated. With the coming of the New Dispensation, His Excellency has seen it proper to have a law in place which will recognise all those who took part in the war. The law is the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Act, Chapter 17:12. The Act that was stopping ex-detainees from getting assistance was repealed. So, the Act that was only for those who had military training now also includes the four categories I mentioned here. In trying to implement this new law, the process of registering all the names of those who fought, assisted and even those who were not trained during the war, is ongoing. After that, there was the process of verification of the registered names to ensure that they were where they said they were serving. The process for those who were trained and went to fight is different from those who assisted. Verification for war collaborators is needed and it is only those who were fighting who can vouch for them. So, the war collaborators need to go to those areas they were operating from together with the war veterans they were with. This process stopped midway because funding was inadequate to continue with the process. The other reason was that those who had registered did not come, but a new batch came in and resulted in a ballooning list of war collaborators to the extent that about 96 000 are still to be vetted.
So, in our budget for next year, we also budgeted for the completion of this programme. The process that follows after confirming the names of those who trained and those who were war collaborators will be gazetted and then the law should make sure they get compensation as required by our Constitution. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: Are there any plans to include those who were left out to be vetted together with the others?
*HON. SEN. MAVHUNGA: In my response, I did indicate that those who had been left out and even those who had not heard about the vetting exercise, are the ones we will be taking through the process. I thank you.
*HON. ZINDI: My supplementary question is whether there will be reimbursement of personal funds used to open bank accounts by those who had passed the vetting? They were asked to open bank accounts and they did it with their own personal funds, but to date, they have not yet been compensated. As we speak, the accounts no longer have money as bank charges have eroded what was in the accounts.
*HON. SEN. MAVHUNGA: Hon Zindi fears that those who had opened accounts might, by now, have the accounts closed. I can only say it is a process and funds can only be put in the accounts after the names have been gazetted. So, for now, I cannot say whether they will be reimbursed or not. I am sure if they are compensated, everyone will be compensated. They should be happy that they have come to that stage where they are about to get compensation and this pertinent stage - not everyone managed to get to it. Some even lost their lives before getting to this stage.
HON. SEN. NDHLOVU: Thank you Mr. President. My question is directed to the Minister of Water. Given the delays on the Gwayi-Shangani water pipeline to Bulawayo, what is Government doing to alleviate the water challenges in Bulawayo and other cities?
THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Senator, your question is specific and not a policy question. So, I will ask you to put it in writing and it will be answered next week.
+HON. SEN. NDEBELE: Thank you Mr. President of Senate. My question is directed to three Ministers. The Minister for Education, the Minister of Local Government and the Minister of Transport. My question is, t as we are now faced with the rainy season and we are expecting heavy rains, there are roads that go to areas where people make a lot of money, but these roads are damaged and result in transport network challenges for those people with vehicles. Right now, people are no longer travelling at normal speeds because they have to travel in different spaces and also in different directions trying to negotiate the potholes. There is also a place in Nkayi where we find a lot of timber coming to Harare in heavy trucks. We expect the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Local Government to come together, help each other and alleviate this transport road network challenge. The Minister of Transport should also be aware that we do not have roads. You also find that the Rural Councils are saying they do not have money to rehabilitate these roads.
My other question on education is that Government has announced that children should only pay school fees only in the rural areas, but there are extra levies that are charged by schools…
THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order, order! In terms of Standing Order Number 67, time for Questions Without Notice has expired.
* HON. SEN. CHIEF. CHIKWAKA: I move that time for questions be extended by 15 minutes. As you can see, today we are very happy because we have a lot of Ministers who have turned up and this is an opportunity for us.
* HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: I second.
Motion put and agreed.
+ HON. SEN. NDEBELE: Speech could not be heard as the mic was off.
THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Senator, can you switch on the microphone and repeat what you have said because when you spoke, you were off the mic. Can you switch on the mic so that the Minister can hear you?
+ HON. SEN. NDEBELE: I think they heard the first part, but I was asking if there is a policy that allows children to go to school without paying money continuously, unspecified fees or amounts.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. T. MOYO): I wish to thank the Hon. Member for the question, which to me is not very clear. I do not know the nature of the question because she says learners are asked to; are these fees or levies, it is not clear. May I ask the Hon. Member to repeat or rephrase the question.
+ HON. SEN. NDEBELE: I said they will have paid fees and levies but on top of that, they are continuously asked to pay for other unspecified services ranging from a dollar upwards.
*HON. T. MOYO: Forgive me, I am still learning Ndebele. The question was about pupils paying for levies. Yes, it is true that there are no levies that can be paid without the schools applying to the Ministry for approval. So, no other money should be charged by those schools without the approval of the Ministry. I am sure the question is about levies and no levies will be charged or pupils are not supposed to pay any other levies without the Government’s approval. If there is any other money that they are asked to pay, we do not know about that. If there is something happening along those lines, we need evidence so that we can intervene.
+HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: Thank you Mr. President. I would like to add on to what has been posed to the Minister of Transport and Home Affairs that these accidents that we are experiencing, when the bodies are transported from the accident scene to the mortuary, they are transported in open trucks or lorries without dignity. We need an explanation on why we do not have body bags and why they are not being transported in a dignified way. I would like to convey my condolences to those who lost their loved ones.
THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON. KAZEMBE): Yes, I also saw what the Hon. Member is explaining or describing. It was an emergency, as you would appreciate that it happened unexpectedly to lose 22 people. I also do really appreciate the concern by the Hon. Senator and I have actually instituted an inquiry within, to understand what the challenge was, so it is an issue that we are looking at. We also appreciate the fact that it was an accident and an emergency which happened all of a sudden, but nonetheless, it is an issue that we are looking at internally. I thank you Hon. President of Senate Sir.
+HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: My supplementary question is that Hon. Minister, an accident will always remain an accident, but my plea is that we always need to be prepared as a nation. Just because it was an accident, it should not be an excuse that we are always caught unprepared. I thank you.
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Mr. President of Senate Sir, I want to thank the Hon. Senators for the supplementary question. I thought I was very clear that it was unfortunate and unexpected, but nonetheless, that does not then take away the mere fact that it was an accident and indeed an unexpected accident, but I did not use it as an excuse. I said we are looking at it internally and we have the similar concern that the Hon. Member has, that is what I said.
+HON. SEN. PHUTI: Thank you Mr. President, my question is directed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs or Leader of the House. What is Government policy regarding the loss of our livestock like cattle and donkeys? Each time they cross the border into Botswana, they are killed, but if Botswana’s livestock cross into our country, they come and fetch their livestock. What is Government thinking regarding our people losing their livestock through killings by our neighbouring countries?
*THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Hon. President of Senate and I thank the Hon. Senator for her question. Mr. President, Government policy is that where there is a red zone and diseases are prevalent, we do not allow farmers to move their cattle from one region to another. If it happens, the animals must be quarantined or killed. Same applies, Botswana thinks the cattle from Zimbabwe has the potential of infecting their cattle because they do cattle ranching. If our cattle cross the border to Botswana, they are allowed to kill the cattle because of fear of diseases.
What I know is that our Department of Agriculture sometimes meet with Botswana officials. They agreed that when our cattle cross the border, they quarantine the cattle. Here in Zimbabwe, our law does not allow us to kill their cattle, but if it happens that their cattle come into Zimbabwe, we are supposed to quarantine the cattle because we do not know if the cattle are safe from diseases. So, what Botswana is doing is lawful. If you mix your cattle with other cattle, you might end up losing all that you have in the case of an outbreak. To prevent any risk, if you see cattle that do not belong to you, it is very dangerous to mix those cattle with yours. I thank you Hon. President.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Senators the time for Questions Without Notice that I have extended has expired.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. President, I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 2 be stood over, until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
APPROVAL OF THE CONVENTION ON THE UNIFICATION OF CERTAIN RULES FOR INTERNATIONAL CARRIAGE BY AIR
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTUAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Mr. President of Senate, I move the motion in my name that;
WHEREAS section 327 (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that any international treaty which has been concluded or executed by the President’s Authority does not bind Zimbabwe until it has been approved by Parliament;
WHEREAS the Convention on the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air entered into force on the 4th November, 2023.
WHEREAS Article 53 (4) of the aforesaid Convention provides that any State which does not ratify the Convention may accede to it at any time.
NOW, THEREFORE, in terms of Section 327(2)(a) of the Constitution, Parliament resolves that the aforesaid Convention be and is hereby approved.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
APPROVAL OF ACCESSION TO THE CONVENTION ON THE UNIFICATION OF CERTAIN RULES FOR INTERNATIONAL CARRIAGE BY AIR
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): I move the motion standing in my name that;
WHEREAS Section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that any international treaty which has been concluded or executed by the President’s authority does not bind Zimbabwe until it has been approved by Parliament;
WHEREAS the Convention on the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air entered into force on 4 November 2023;
WHEREAS Article 53 (4) of the aforesaid Convention provides that any State which does not ratify the Convention may accede to it at any time;
NOW, THEREFORE, in terms of Section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution, Parliament resolves that the aforesaid Convention be and is hereby approved.
Hon. President Sir, allow me to highlight some of the salient provisions of the Convention. Article 1 relates to the scope of application of the Convention which applies to all international carriage of persons, baggage or cargo performed by aircraft for reward. It applies equally to gratuitous carriage by aircraft performed by an air transport undertaking to carriage performed by the State or by legally constituted public bodies.
Chapter 2 highlights documentation and duties of the parties relating to the carriage of persons, baggage and cargo. The Convention facilitates the use of simplified and modernised documents of carriage such as passenger tickets and airway bill for cargo, thus enabling the utilisation of electronic or computerised data processing for the issuance of these documents. Additionally, the consignor maybe required if necessary, to meet the formalities of customs, police and similar public authorities to deliver a document indicating the nature of the cargo.
Mr. President Sir, the Convention also provides in-depth provisions on liability of the carrier and the extent of compensation for damage from Articles 17 to 30. The carrier is liable for damage sustained in the case of death or bodily injury to a passenger and in the case of destruction or loss of checked-in baggage, provided that the event resulting in injury or loss took place on board the aircraft or during any operations of embarking or disembarking. However, the carrier can be exonerated from liability wholly or partly if they prove that the damage, death or injury was caused or contributed by the negligence or omission of the person claiming compensation of the passenger.
Mr. President Sir, considering the above, it is pivotal that Zimbabwe accedes to the Convention which re-established uniformity and predictability of the rules relating to the international carriage of passengers, baggage and cargo and to protect the interest of the passenger. I so move Mr. President Sir.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
APPROVAL OF ACCESSION TO THE CONVENTION ON THE SUPPRESSION OF UNLAWFUL ACTS RELATING TO INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Mr. President Sir. I move the motion standing in my name that;
WHEREAS Section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that any international treaty which has been concluded or executed by the President’s authority does not bind Zimbabwe until it has been approved by Parliament;
WHEREAS the Convention on the Suppression of Unlawful acts relating to International Civil Aviation entered into force on 1 July 2018;
WHEREAS Article 21 (3) of the aforesaid Convention provides that any State may accede to it at any time;
NOW, THEREFORE, in terms of Section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution, Parliament resolves that the aforesaid Convention be and is hereby approved.
Mr. President Sir, the Convention on the Suppression of Unlawful Acts relating to International Civil Aviation which is known as the Beijing Convention was done at Beijing on 10th September, 2010 and it was entered into force on 1st July, 2018. The Beijing Convention modernised and consolidated the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation and Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts of Violence at Airports Serving International Civil Aviation. It is the result of collective efforts of the international community to modernise the legal framework for aviation security that brought the Convention into being by criminalising several acts constituting new and emerging threats against civil aviation including certain preparatory acts for the offences, it strengthens the capacity of States to prevent the commission of these offences and to prosecute and punish those who commit such offences.
Mr. President Sir, allow me to highlight some salient features of the Convention. Article 1 provides a comprehensive list of unlawful and international offences. The Convention criminalises the acts of using civil aircraft for the purpose of causing death, causing serious bodily injury or serious damage of using civil aircraft to release or discharge any biological chemical or nuclear weapon, or similar substances to cause death, serious bodily injury or serious damage of using similar substance on board or against civil aircraft, among others. It further criminalises the unlawful transport of bodily chemical nuclear (BCN) weapon related material or other dangerous material. Cyber attacks on air navigation facilities constitute an offence under this Convention. Moreover, the Convention specifically provides for the criminal liability of directors and organisers of an offence as well as the liability of those who knowingly assist an offender to evade investigation, prosecution or punishment.
Mr. President Sir, the Convention also expands the ground of jurisdiction under the earlier instruments by requiring each State Party to establish jurisdiction when the offence is committed by its national and by enabling each State Party to establish jurisdiction when the victim of offence is its national in terms of Article 8.
Mr. President Sir, considering the above, it is pivotal that Zimbabwe accedes to the Convention which strives to prevent the commission of offences and to prosecute and punish those who commit such offences. I so move Mr. President Sir.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
APPROVAL OF THE PROTOCOL RELATING TO AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE 50 (a) OF THE CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): I move the motion standing in my name that;
WHEREAS Section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that any international treaty which has been concluded or executed by the President’s authority does not bind Zimbabwe until it has been approved by Parliament;
WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe is a party to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, signed at Chicago on 7 December 1944, having acceded to it on 11 February 1981;
WHEREAS the Protocol Relating to an Amendment to the Convention on International Civil Aviation [Article 50 (a)], was signed on 6 October 2016;
WHEREAS paragraph 3 (b) of the aforesaid protocol states that it shall be open to ratification by any State which has ratified or adhered to the said Convention on International Civil Aviation;
NOW, THEREFORE, in terms of Section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution, Parliament resolves that the aforesaid protocol be and is hereby approved.
Mr. President Sir, as you are aware, the Republic of Zimbabwe is a Contracting State of the Convention on International Civil Aviation which was signed in Chicago, USA in 1944. At its 39th Assembly Session in Montreal, Canada, from 27th September to 6th October 2016, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) adopted the Protocol amending Article 50 (a) of the Chicago Convention. The Protocol amends the Chicago Convention to increase the size of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO Council) to 40 members. The ICAO Council is a permanent body of ICAO and is elected by the ICAO Assembly for a period of three years. It has several functions, among which are to administer the finances of ICAO, appoint and define the duties of the Air Transport Committee, appoint the members of the Air Navigation Commission, and adopt International Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) for incorporation into the Annexes to the Convention.
Mr. President Sir, allow me to highlight the salient provisions of the Protocol. Article 1 amends Article 50 (a) approving an increase in the size of the Council from 36 members to forty (40). The Protocol shall come into force in respect of the States which have ratified it on the date on which the one hundred and twenty-eight instrument of ratification is so deposited. As of 27 September 2023, the Protocol has been ratified by 87 Contracting States and is not yet in force.
Mr. President Sir, considering the above, it is pivotal that Zimbabwe ratifies this Protocol to fully benefit from an aviation mechanism that increases membership to the ICAO Council. Further, in 2019, Zimbabwe went through an ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (ISOAP) and it was an audit finding that as a country, we are yet to ratify this important ICAO Instrument. Thus, as a corrective measure, we hereby submit this Protocol seeking your approval. I so move Mr. President Sir.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
APPROVAL OF THE PROTOCOL RELATING TO AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Mr. President Sir, I move the motion standing in my name that:
WHEREAS Section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that any international treaty which has been concluded or executed by the President’s authority does not bind Zimbabwe until it has been approved by Parliament;
WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe is a party to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, signed at Chicago on 7 December 1944, having acceded to it on 11 February 1981;
WHEREAS the Protocol Relating to an Amendment to the Convention on International Civil Aviation [Article 56], was signed on 6 October 2016;
WHEREAS paragraph 3 (b) of the aforesaid Protocol states that it shall be open to ratification by any State which has ratified or adhered to the said Convention on International Civil Aviation;
NOW, THEREFORE, in terms of Section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution, Parliament resolves that the aforesaid Protocol be and is hereby approved.
Mr. President Sir, Section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that any International Treaty which has been concluded or executed by the President’s authority does not bind Zimbabwe until it has been approved by Parliament. Thus, I hereby seek your approval for this Protocol.
Mr. President Sir, as you are aware, the Republic of Zimbabwe is a Contracting State of the Convention on International Civil Aviation which was signed in Chicago, USA in 1944. At its 39th Assembly Session in Montreal, Canada, from 27th September to 6th October 2016, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) adopted the Protocol amending Article 56 of the Chicago Convention. The Protocol calls for an increase in the membership of Air Navigation Commission, from 19 to 21. The Air Navigation Commission of ICAO considers and recommends Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and procedures for Air Navigation Services (PANS) for adoption and approval by the ICAO Council.
The ANC members are nominated by specific ICAO members and appointed by the Council but does not represent the interest of any State or region. The original Convention called for the ANC composed of 12 members. This was subsequently amended in 1971 to provide for 15 members and in 1989 for 19 members. This Protocol amends the Convention to provide for a further increase to 21 members. In view of the increase in the membership of the ANC, it ensures that the Commission can draw on the expertise and experience from diverse operational skills and knowledge from the Contracting States.
Mr. President Sir, allow me to highlight the salient provisions of the Protocol. Article 1 approves, in accordance with the provisions of Article 94 (a) of the Convention, an increase of membership of the ANC from 19 to 21 members. The Protocol shall come into force in respect of the States which have ratified it, on the date on which the 128th instrument of ratification is so deposited. As of 27 September 2023, the Protocol has been ratified by 87 Contracting States and is not yet in force.
Mr. President Sir, considering the above, it is pivotal that Zimbabwe ratifies this Protocol to fully benefit from an aviation mechanism which increases membership as alluded to. I therefore, seek the indulgence of this House to ratify this Protocol. I so move Mr. President Sir.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2022
Seventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission for the year 2022.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: Thank you Mr. President Sir and good afternoon. I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity to debate on this very important motion which was presented to this House by the Minister of Justice, Hon. Ziyambi Ziyambi. The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), is a very important Commission which was established by the Government of Zimbabwe to assist the police force in high profile cases of corruption. Most governments are losing a lot of money and resources due to corruption. Normally, corruption relates to misuse of funds by individuals, which funds are meant for the public. Development is also hampered by corruption. Corrupt officials hamper investors from coming to invest in the country due to fear of losing their hard-won monies or resources.
Madam President, Government loses also a lot of money meant for development as public officers engage in corrupt activities. Some investors are asked to pay bribes to public officials before they are awarded any contracts or licences to do business in Zimbabwe. So, it is important for a country to have such an organisation to monitor and also investigate cases of corruption which are mostly committed by high profile people. Some public and private officials in organisations inflate figures when purchasing materials, for example a car which can be bought locally at a very low price can be sold at an inflated price.
The Anti-Corruption Report which was presented to this House by the Commission through the Minister of State shows us that there is need for the organisation to be well funded so that it can perform its duties to the satisfaction of the people of Zimbabwe. These days, organisations use ICT gadgets and siphon money from their organisations. With all this and more, there is a need for specialised organisations like ZACC to investigate cases of corruption even though the police is there, it has many investigations which it is failing to accomplish, hence the need for ZACC to be in existence. ZACC needs an adequate budget if they are to perform well. Firstly, they need to be well remunerated and resourced as they deal with high profile cases which involve very rich people. They need cars, laptops, cellphones, good salaries, accommodation and other tools of trade. ZACC also needs to have its officers well trained to deal with most of these sophisticated cases which are being perpetrated by corrupt people.
So, Madam President, I want to urge the Minister of Finance, when he is distributing his budget, to give a big chunk of funds to ZACC to enable them to do their work and look after their officers well. This will ensure that they do not get involved in corrupt activities, but investigate all corruption cases in the country so that the country does not lose money or investors who intend to come and invest in our country through corruption. I want to thank you for the time you have given me Madam President.
HON. SEN. CHINYANGA: Madam President, thank you for giving me this opportunity to present on this platform. I would like to start by saying that ZACC’s interaction with Boards, Parastatals, Independent Commissions, State Universities and Urban Councils demonstrates an attempt to involve key decision makers and the stakeholders in implementing the Integrity Strategy Framework. Engaging Chairpersons of Boards, Deputies and the Auditor-General can help create a culture of integrity and transparency within these institutions. The establishment of Integrity Committees in 27 Parastatals, Public Entities, Local Authorities and Commissions is a positive step. These Committees can serve as the first line of defence against corruption by promoting transparency, identifying corruption risk and ensuring the implementation of recommendations from the Auditor-General’s Report.
The ZACC’s efforts to train Integrity Committee Members in Institutions such as NATPHARM, National Railways of Zimbabwe, Great Zimbabwe University and TIMB demonstrate a commitment to build the capacity of individuals responsible for prevention of corruption. Equipping these members with relevant knowledge and skills can enhance their effectiveness in identifying and addressing corruption risks.
Sustained Commitment
While the establishment of Integrity Committees is commendable, it is crucial to ensure there is continued effectiveness for sustainability through regular monitoring, evaluation and support from the ZACC to ensure that these committees function as intended resources by the authority are needed to fulfill responsibilities.
Collaboration & Coordination
To maximise its impact, ZACC could explore opportunities for collaboration and coordination with, for example, anti-corruption bodies, civil society organisations and international partners by collaborating collective expertise and resources. Efforts to prevent corruption can be strengthened and duplication of initiatives minimised. ZACC should establish robust mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating the impact of the efforts and do regular assessments of the effectiveness of the Integrity Strategy Framework. Integrity Committees and other initiatives can provide valuable insights for improvement of adaptation of strategies.
With the efforts being done to go against corruption, it is crucial to recognise the significance of engaging young people as key stakeholders. While ZACC has made commendable efforts to raise awareness among adults through community outreach programmes, through national rural campaigns, urban campaigns and anti-corruption clinics as well as developing written materials in native languages, there is a pressing need …
THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Sen. Mavenyegwa, can you please switch off your mic.
HON. SEN. CHINYANGA: There is a pressing need to expand their focus and actively involve the young individuals, and this will help in the prevention of corruption. I have seen in Chapter 4, page 41 that there is something being done to catch them young but reaching out to young ones at public places might not be the best approach.
There are a few recommendations for ZACC. Education in schools collaborate with the Ministry of Education to incorporate anti-corruption education into the schools curriculum; develop age appropriate materials and interactive methods that teach students about the consequences of corruption and the importance of ethical behaviour; young eccentric outreach targeted awareness campaigns specifically designed for young people; utilise social media platforms, interactive workshops and engaging content to capture their attention and encourage their participation in anti-corruption activities; partnership with young organisations, student associations and community groups to reach a wider audience of young individuals. These are young people we are talking of.
By working together, ZACC can tap into existing networks and leverage their platforms to disseminate anti-corruption messages effectively, especially using the social media because this is where these corrupt people are spending most of their time. They are communicating these corruption tendencies through social media. So, we have to teach the young people to be on social media fighting against this corruption. Establish a young ambassador programme where young individuals who are passionate about fighting corruption can be selected to represent ZACC. These ambassadors can serve as role models, advocates and peer influencers promoting anti-corruption values among their peers. Establish mentorship programmes where young individuals can learn from anti-corruption professionals, leaders and role models by connecting youths with experienced mentors. ZACC can provide guidance, support and inspiration for future endeavours in combating corruption. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 21st November, 2023.
MOTION
REPORT ON THE NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY FOR THE YEAR 2022
Eighth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the report of the National Prosecuting Authority for the year 2022.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 21st November, 2023.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. ZHOU: Thank you very much Madam President for giving me the opportunity to add my voice to the motion raised by Hon. Sen. Kambizi on the Presidential Speech. Allow me to start by congratulating His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E.D Mnangagwa for winning the election resoundingly on 23rd August, 2023 and also the election of the President and Deputy President of the Senate and all colleagues who are Senators in this august House – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] – Zimbabwe held its national plebiscite in August which was peaceful, free, fair, credible and transparent and we want to congratulate all the people of Zimbabwe for the peaceful environment and electing the leaders of their choice –[HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.]-
In his State of the National Address, His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and I pick many takeaways, the economy of the country is doing very well on a growth trajectory path with agriculture, mining, transport, infrastructure and tourism doing very well. This is evidenced by the fact that there are about 3 000 boreholes that have been drilled countrywide out of the 35 000 that are targeted to be drilled nationwide. Our agriculture has also been supported through the Second Republic by the construction of dams like Marovanyati, Muchekeranwa and the Gwayi-Shangani, which will feed into the village agriculture business units that the country is embarking after the finishing of the boreholes and also the dams.
The Gwayi-Shangani Dam has been on the cards for a long time since 2012 and now the Second Republic has made progress on it and it is almost 90% complete. We want to congratulate His Excellency for the good leadership and for providing support to our agriculture.
Coming to infrastructure, the Beitbridge Border Post is a marvel and the highway from Beitbridge to Chirundu is almost 80% complete. We really want to take note of all these developments and our mining has moved from a mere USD2.8 billion to USD12 billion. It is likely to grow more as we have further discovered more lithium, platinum and gold.
Madam President with our good leadership, we have always met our targets for gold delivery, platinum and lithium. We are happy to also talk about the Robert Mugabe International Airport and the Victoria Falls International Airport as we have seen a number of tourists now flooding the country which is a plus for the Second Republic.
Madam President, allow me also to thank His Excellency for coming up with a very inclusive legislative agenda which has considered persons with disabilities on top priority. We are really very humbled and grateful for being put as a priority as you know in most cases, persons with disabilities are taken as an after-thought constituency. We are also very grateful to look at the legislative agenda, there are about 56 Bills that are coming to this First Session of the 10th Parliament and every Ministry, of the 26 ministries are likely to have their Government Instrument discussed in this Senate which will drive our country towards the Vision 2030. I want to thank you Madam President for allowing me to debate.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: Madam President, I move that the debate be now adjourned.
HON. SEN. RITA NDLOVU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 28th November, 2023.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE
ADJOURNMENT OF THE SENATE
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE (SEN. A. DUBE): Hon. Senators, I have to inform you that the Senate will adjourn today until the 28th of November 2023. Accordingly, all Committee business will stand suspended until the 27th November, 2023.
Motion put and agreed to.
The Senate adjourned at Twenty-Three Minutes to Five o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 28th November, 2023.